getting your BMR testing for REAL

Has anyone gone to a university or hospital clinic to get their basal metabolism ACTUALLY measured? I think it involves running on treadmills with masks that measure how much oxygen you use, etc. If so, has it been accurate? Has it helped you lose weight more efficiently?

The reason I ask is because I am CONSTANTLY struggling between trying to figure out if I am eating too much or too little for the amount I am working out. I have a thyroid disease, so I have an extra slow metabolism as it is, and aim for around 1300-1500 calories a day (I do not eat my exercise calories). I exercise a lot ( I am doing Insanity), and honestly could not imagine eating more than I do, because I am NEVER hungry.

Any information would be much appreciated!

If you get the test done for Body fat%, called the Bodpod test, you will get the BMR rate with the test. Then depending on your activities, you just need to mutliply the BMR rate X(activity level number) to get the range of your calories to eat to make sure that your metabolism is kept up and doesnt die down.

No but I got a "body composition" test done at the recreation center at my University yesterday and it was way off. They used the skin fold method to measure my body fat and said it was at 12.7%.... I wish! It also gave me numbers for lean mass, water, etc. I don' t know if its the method that's inaccurate or they just did it wrong, etc, but it would be neat to know my (real) body composition.

In my case it was a test where they put me on a treadmill with this mask to do a full gas analysis, had to run at various speeds, inclines and measured my body response throughout the whole thing to test my VO2 max

Now to test my BMR they had me breathing thru a tube for a length of time, I think it was roughly 15mins for me, I wasn't really watching the clock, totally at rest and they checked oxygen/CO2 . They can tell by how much Oxygen you consume your BMR. I don't know all the science behind it but that's why I pay the pros

They were also able to tell me my lean body mass/tissue/organs weight. Hydration Level etc..it was awesome!

Sounds really neat! I would like to do this as well. Similar to the OP, I was basically trying to get a feel for how I should be eating and what my goals should be like. My issue is that I'm short and musclely so I have a hard time shooting for a number on the scale. I wonder if I'm genuinely hungry bc I'm not getting enough calories or if I'm just wanting to eat more.

Since I joined MFP 3 weeks ago I've upped my calories 3x. I'm just playing with the numbers to see what works for me. I've also considered buying a HRM to check on how much the gym equipment is overestimating my calorie burn as I usually eat back all of my 6-9 hundred exercise calories each day. I can see how knowing your "real" BMR would be very useful. How much did your test cost?

This has been really helpful: I think I will look into the fitness testing at my local university now! They do offer a Bod Pod test too, so after I have it done, I can post a review.

chiv123: Personally, getting a HRM was one of the BEST decisions I've made regarding my fitness. Exercise machines at the gym seriously overestimate calories burned. Also, using a HRM is really helpful for staying within your target fat burning zone when working out (if that is your goal).