BMR at 971?

mspetrone
mspetrone Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, My name is Marilyn and I have been using myfitnesspal for a couple of months and haven't been able to lose any weight. I'm 5'5" and 138 pounds. So yesterday I had my BMR assessed by using a breathing device at Cooper Clinic. They told me that my BMR is only 971. How can that be? I have always been very physically active- work out 3-4 times a week... and until about 5 years ago danced 4-5 days a week. I took up golf and have slacked off to 2-3times a week in the gym (and a few extra stressors) and have in the past year put on an extra 13 pounds. I am 64 years old. Has anyone heard of that low of a BMR? Every calculator I find for 84 year olds who are totally sedentary are still at 1,100 at least. At this rate I will have to starve (1,100 calories a day) and can MAYBE get back to my one year ago weight ...in 6 months!!! help

Replies

  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
    I checked using a BMR calculator and it says your BMR is 1260 [based on height, weight and age]. I've never heard of a breathing device that measures a person's BMR before.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited August 2016
    Actually although that is a small BMR I have other older friends who mention theirs is similar/low but they are much smaller (less than 5ft 2") than you so I would question if yours is really that low.

    If you are active at least you know that will help. You do know that BMR is just the amount of cals you burn without taking in any other movement of any sort during the day.

    MFP works on the NEAT number, that's BMR plus normal sort of moving about (not exercise). Then when you exercise, you log the calorie burn from that so you could end up with a number thats 'nicer' to eat at and still lose.

    Set your rate of loss on MFP to 0.5lb a week and sedentary and see what that gives you and eat back half to 75% of exercise cals.

    Give yourself a month eating at those calories and then you can adjust as necessary.

    Oh and using a food scale is the best way to accurately track your calories and be careful of what entries you pick from the database, some are not correct at all.

    All the best.

    Ruth
  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
    edited August 2016
    I did a quick search, and I'm assuming the device you're talking about is a MediGem. It measures how much oxygen your body uses to determine your resting metabolic rate.

    Do you have any breathing issues? I can see a device like this being inaccurate if your intake and expenditure of oxygen is impaired.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    as we age we lose muscle mass which lowers our bmr/rmr...I have to think based on yours that you did no resistance training and have lots a lot of muscle mass over the years which is too bad.

    To be able to eat more...do more exercise....Try some resistance training to keep the muscle you have.

    This is a good cautionary tale for a lot of women...use the muscle, keep it or it gets ugly later on.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited August 2016
    I don't think 971 is correct, but I don't think you should worry so much about that number, or worry about starving. Whatever calorie intake that lets you lose an average of 1% of your total body weight per week, until you reach a healthy weight, will be enough to make sure you are not starving. The rest of your energy needs (from the food that you aren't eating) will be taken from your fat reserves. The body is desgned to do this, and you'll be fine - especially if you make an effort to eat a varied and balanced diet. Getting used to not overeating can take some time, but do it in increments; small changes can add up fast.

    You need to be patient and consistent and accurate with your food intake/logging: Use an electronic food scale, weigh everything in grams, log the amount you eat, use the recipe builder, double check each database entry for errors. You also need to have realistic expectations and measure your results correctly: Weigh yourself regularly (I recommend daily) on a calibrated scale, standing on a hard flat surface, in the morning, after loo, before breakfast. Your weight will fluctuate from day to day, but you need to see through that "noise" and watch the weigh trend. The rate of loss should be as mentioned 1% per week. If you over time lose faster or slower than that, you can adjust your calorie intake.

    It's very simple, but not necessarily easy. You have to trust the process, don't "cheat" or "forget" or give up, be patient and committed, maybe resist some temptation, but also be good to yourself, get enough sleep and rest, make some good plans for normal days as well as for "emergencies", play and have fun, do important and silly and difficult and easy things, in short, live the best life you can achieve.

    ETA: YOU ARE ALREADY AT A HEALTHY WEIGHT.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited August 2016
    If you're trying to lose weight, BMR is irrelevant because it is the amount of calories it takes to keep you alive. As we age, it decreases.

    TDEE, or total daily energy expenditure, is what you need to know as to weight loss. Eat below that and you will lose weight. Here's a calculator: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    After entering a sedentary lifestyle, exercise 3x a week, and your stats, I got this:

    BMR (how many calories you must have just to keep you alive): 1266
    TDEE (if you eat over this consistently you gain weight): 1742

    If you want to lose about 13 pounds (you said you gained this), you would want to lose at .5 pounds per week, which is 1654 calories. You just need to make sure you are accurate in our logging because you will have little room for error.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited August 2016
    I'd question the accuracy of the device. Your BMR may be lower than average but 971 seems extreme.

    It seems that your activity has decreased since you quit dancing, but your food intake perhaps remained the same? That would account for a surplus and thus weight gain. Track your calories to figure out how much on average you have been eating. If you gained 13 in a year, that is approximately a surplus of 125/day. Not great, but it adds up. Reduce that amount by 250 to lose 13 in a year.

    Example lets say you have been eating 1800 on average, and due to your gain you can thus assume 1675 is/was your TDEE. Surplus --> gain. Eat 1500-1550/day, which is about 250-300 below what you've been eating and a deficit of about 125-175/day designed for gradual weight loss.
    mspetrone wrote: »
    Hi, My name is Marilyn and I have been using myfitnesspal for a couple of months and haven't been able to lose any weight. I'm 5'5" and 138 pounds. So yesterday I had my BMR assessed by using a breathing device at Cooper Clinic. They told me that my BMR is only 971. How can that be? I have always been very physically active- work out 3-4 times a week... and until about 5 years ago danced 4-5 days a week. I took up golf and have slacked off to 2-3times a week in the gym (and a few extra stressors) and have in the past year put on an extra 13 pounds. I am 64 years old. Has anyone heard of that low of a BMR? Every calculator I find for 84 year olds who are totally sedentary are still at 1,100 at least. At this rate I will have to starve (1,100 calories a day) and can MAYBE get back to my one year ago weight ...in 6 months!!! help

  • luveydov
    luveydov Posts: 36 Member
    You have gone to a well known clinic that bases it's program on scientific fact. According to their website, your BMR testing included a consultation with a registered dietician so you should have also learned what this number means and how you should use this information to help you formulate a plan to lose weight or maintain your current weight. Yes, that number is low. But it is likely more accurate than an online calculator.

    If you doubt it, why don't you ask them to retest? Or just try working within the parameters you've been given and see how things work out.

    I empathize with you because I also have an unusually low BMR. It doesn't seem fair. But once I came to terms with it (life is sometimes not fair) I learned how to work with it.
  • CaptainJoy
    CaptainJoy Posts: 257 Member
    A low bmr makes it difficult to lose weight but it is actually a wonderful thing. A low bmr means your body is very efficient and you're likely to live a longer life than someone with a faster metabolism.

    My only advice is to stay active and keep counting every calorie you consume. You're already at a healthy weight but I understand we all have an ideal body image that we like to maintain.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4262579/
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    xvolution wrote: »
    I checked using a BMR calculator and it says your BMR is 1260 [based on height, weight and age]. I've never heard of a breathing device that measures a person's BMR before.

    It exists. I did it--it came with my DEXA--and it was consistent with what I'd estimated (it's RMR, actually).

    It can be wrong, though, so with a number so low I'd ask that it be redone to check for error. I'd also compare with my actual results.
  • acbraswell
    acbraswell Posts: 238 Member
    xvolution wrote: »
    I did a quick search, and I'm assuming the device you're talking about is a MediGem. It measures how much oxygen your body uses to determine your resting metabolic rate.

    Do you have any breathing issues? I can see a device like this being inaccurate if your intake and expenditure of oxygen is impaired.

    Yes, the device is MedGem or MediGem. I've had a Registered Dietician use this to determine my BMR twice and it was pretty accurate. 971 does seem low. I'd ask to have the measurement taken again first thing in the morning, fasting for 12 hours and no exercise for 24 hours. That's how mine was taken.

    Good luck on your journey.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    retest
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    CaptainJoy wrote: »
    A low bmr makes it difficult to lose weight but it is actually a wonderful thing. A low bmr means your body is very efficient and you're likely to live a longer life than someone with a faster metabolism.

    My only advice is to stay active and keep counting every calorie you consume. You're already at a healthy weight but I understand we all have an ideal body image that we like to maintain.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4262579/

    No, a too low BMR can be indicative of a medical issue, such as an under active thyroid.

    Just because there is an association between RMR and longer lifespans does not mean that the low RMR causes longer lifespans. The study you posted is on mice and not people. :)
  • Majcolorado
    Majcolorado Posts: 138 Member
    It's impossible to tell if 971 is "too low" without knowing your lean body mass. My 71 year old mother just got hers done. Results were just under 1200 calories with a lean mass of about 80 pounds, so in the same ballpark as you. Her numbers made sense as they closely mirror her actual experience over the last year.

    It's possible but quite unlikely the machine is inaccurate, especially at Cooper.

    BMR calculators are a joke. Better than nothing, but only just. There is simply too much variation between individuals for them to be reliable.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    If my BMR was that low, I'd be joining the gym hitting the weights room big time, I would also be upping my cardio to earn more calories.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,487 Member
    edited August 2016
    That does sound a little low given your height and weight.

    Mine, in most on line calculators, comes out between 950-980. I am 63, 5'1 and maintain at between 100-105lbs.

    MFP gives me a maintenance of 1200 calories a day, sedentary.
    I can actually eat about 1350 if sedentary (reverse dieted it up) and generally eat between 1400-1500 a day with activity.

    NB: numbers are ball parks as I don't log often.

    I agree with the good advice above:

    ask for a retest

    Eat the calories MFP gives you to lose .5 lbs a week

    Only drop to 1200 if you have not lost 2lbs in the first month and the retest does come back the same

    Use a digital scale, your logging will have to be tight as you have little to lose

    Move more, do some cardio, do some resistance training. (Important for muscle and bone retention at our age, heavy lifting isn't impossible just because we are older)

    Eat .8-1g protein for each lbs of your LBM or goal weight (important-see above. Studies show we need more protein than those half our age)

    Cheers, h.
  • mspetrone
    mspetrone Posts: 3 Member
    Great advice above everyone. Thank you so much!! Looks like a long journey back. Used to fall asleep and lose 3 pounds overnight - lol I agree with middlehaitch looks more like .5 lbs a week now at a pretty low caloric intake. Always been consistent at weight lifting, I'll increase from 3 to 4 times a week. Thnx again!

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