Your RMR!  Do You Know Yours?

Do you know your RMR?  Better yet, what is RMR!  RMR (resting energy expenditure) is the number of calories your body burns each day with little or no activity.  Why is this important?  Your RMR makes up the largest (65-75%) of your total metabolism.  Knowing your RMR is a key tool in weight management.  There is no good or bad RMR, only your unique number.  There is no specific standard for individual metabolism, your RMR can vary based on your weight, age, muscle mass, genetics, and gender.  

The great thing is you can influence your RMR over time.  RMR is heavily influenced by your body and lean muscle weight.  As your weight decreases, your RMR will as well (normal response as your body doesn't need as many calories to support it).  However, it is possible to maintain or increase by building more muscle. This is why it is important to exercise why you restrict calories in weight reduction.  If you restrict calories and lose weight with limited or no strength training, your RMR will decrease.  To maintain your weight, you will have to limit your calories at that level and maybe a bit further.  If you exercise and build lean muscle as you lose weight, you can consume a greater number of calories and maintain your weight-your body is more metabolically active.

Here's an example:

RMR=1580 calories.  If this person has a light everyday activity plus exercises moderately for about 3 hours/week, their daily calorie expenditure is around 2200 calories.  In order to lose weight (say 1 pound/week), they would need to limit calories to around 1400/day.  Remember, if you restrict calories too low your body may think it's starving and "hold"on to it's weight.  You may be eating too few calories!  It all depends on your unique RMR and activity level.

How do you measure your RMR?  Simply find a dietitian or practitioner who includes this device in their practice. Two of the most popular are the BodyGem and MedGem.  If you live in the local Birmingham area, I can give you a few references.

To Your Health!

Melanie Rubery MS RD LD CLT

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