Working out TDEE and BMR for a wheelchair user.

salsagal36
salsagal36 Posts: 91 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My OH is a wheelchair user due to Spina Bifida. The bend in his back caused by the SB means that his height is restricted and we worked out today he is approximately 5ft and by balancing on the scales he weighs approximately 9 stone. I say approximate because accurate measurements are more difficult to get. This theoretically puts his BMI at 24 (in the healthy range).

However, his weight is all focussed on his upper body from the abs upward. There is no muscle tone or size to his legs. Due to his lack of abdominal muscle he works out from his chair using a strap around his abs to keep him in place and give him support.

He goes to the gym with me (approx 3 x a week), has a PT session twice a week (one cardio and one heavy lifting) and he plays wheelchair basketball every week as well.

He, like me, is trying to lose weight/tone/build muscle for our wedding in August. We've been trawling the internet and can't find anything regarding TDEE for a wheelchair user but are not sure the calculations on the other sites would be accurate because of where he stores fat.

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice please.

Replies

  • salsagal36
    salsagal36 Posts: 91 Member
    bump
  • aakokopelli7
    aakokopelli7 Posts: 196 Member
    Where you store fat makes no difference at all. Calculate his stuff just like you would any other person. Sounds like he is pretty active already and gets in lots of workouts so focusing on is Caloric intake is where his weight loss will begin.
    There is another user on here in a wheelchair, but I can't find his name. He lost lots of weight using MFP so it is possible to do with upper body workouts only. Good luck to your friend, I know it is a struggle be he can make it happen.
  • RunDoozer
    RunDoozer Posts: 1,699 Member
    You may need to get something like a HRM or even better Bodymedia fit to calculate his TDEE. TDEE calculators wont compensate for the lack of use in his legs. You could also try and figure that into the TDEE calculation and probably put it to sedentary or at most lightly active, but i feel like that would be much more inaccurate.

    I also kinda feel like this is a question for a professional. I'd probably try to talk to a dietician.
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    Since I am presuming he has significantly less muscle in his legs than might be expected for someone of his height, it may be a good idea to get body fat % tested. I am not entirely sure, but I think there may be a way to calculate at least BMR from that that would be more accurate-at least the Tanita I use does so.

    Also, it may be helpful to check for how they calculate TDEE in partial paraplegics:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12690086

    I know that isn't him, but it may be a closer number?
  • RuthieCass
    RuthieCass Posts: 247 Member
    Has your fiance talked to his doctor? A lot of times, they might not be helpful, but then again, they might have some good ideas.

    I would say that, since the muscles in your fiance's legs are likely very undeveloped, he should probably weigh a bit less than whatever puts him at the center of his height's BMI healthy range. He might have to go more based on how he looks & feels than a specific weight. Would you two be able to get a measurement of his waist? If so, that might be the best measurement to track. There are many online calculators that can estimate body fat percentage based on his height, weight, and waist measurement.
  • littlegumnut
    littlegumnut Posts: 18 Member
    Hi, I know this thread ended a while ago and the help I'm giving is not TDEE, but he may be similar calculations to I, and many others on this other site.

    http://www.apparelyzed.com/bmi.html
  • locke30
    locke30 Posts: 1 Member
    just fyi bodymedia doesn't accurately predict energy expenditure in a wheelchair user. They collect biometric data and then apply it to a statistical norm, but that norm assumes that movement is caused by walking, not pushing a wheelchair. There are several studies that demonstrates that the bodymedia sensor is off considerably for that population. I've spoken to the manufacturer and they are hoping to improve the software over time.

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