Calculating RMR - JP Fitness Forums

Cynthia · 01-04-2008, 01:48 PM

I finally got my book today!

Quick question on the RMR calculation section: if one already knows their tested RMR, can this number be used in substitution to the RMR calculation shown on pg 63?

Love the book so far!

SassyRas · 01-04-2008, 02:34 PM

how close was your number to the book?

Natalia · 01-04-2008, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthia

I finally got my book today!

Quick question on the RMR calculation section: if one already knows their tested RMR, can this number be used in substitution to the RMR calculation shown on pg 63?

Love the book so far!

The formula gave me an accurate result. I got my RMR tested in different ways.

Cynthia · 01-04-2008, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SassyRas

how close was your number to the book?

I have an appt to have my RMR retested next week! However, when I compare to the RMR test numbers I got last year the book is off by several hundred.

Last January my RMR tested at 1675. Using the stats in the book with what I weighed at that time (170), the formula comes to 1350. In May I was retested at 1840 after completing a BfL challenge. The formula based on my weight at that time (163) is 1326.

Azure · 01-04-2008, 04:26 PM

I actually had my RMR done today during a body comp. at my gym--it came out to 1687. The RMR in the book was much lower for me, too--1323. The formula in the book gave me 1985 calories on resting days and 2250 on workout days. The chick at the gym told me that on a normal day I would be burning an estimated 2500 calories based on my RMR (and that seems WAY high to me). *shrugs* I don't think that helps answer your question, though. I'm kinda curious myself.

My plan: Take in 1700 calories on resting days and 2000 on workout days (so long as I'm getting an adequate amount of protein--~160g/day). I'm going to be eating so much protein. Chicken breasts, Whey and jerky--oh my!

That's more calories than I've ever eaten on a weight loss plan before, and if I don't see any progress in a month, I'll re-evaluate how much I'm eating. I'm planning on getting a body comp. done at my gym every month, so I can track my progress in the exact same way (under the same conditions) through to the end.

LisaS · 01-04-2008, 04:30 PM

please detail what method is being used to calc these RMR - it may be perfect or it may be unreliable - but it would be good to what you are having done.

Azure · 01-04-2008, 06:16 PM

I believe that the RMR was calculated while I was having my bioimpedance done. She punched in my height, weight, activity level, then the machine took my body fat/lean mass information by zapping me (I had electrode things on one hand and on one foot, lying in the floor). It was after that when she wrote down my BMR and all that jazz, so I'm assuming that the machine she used for the bioimpedance test gave her the numbers.

LisaS · 01-04-2008, 06:18 PM

it probably just calculated using a formula then - just one that gives a different answer than the Owen's formula in NROL4W.

Azure · 01-04-2008, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LisaS

it probably just calculated using a formula then - just one that gives a different answer than the Owen's formula in NROL4W.

I guess I could always wear my HRM to bed and turn it on for a minute first thing in the AM when I wake up, before I get out of bed. It tells me my calories burned based on my heart rate/height/weight/age/gender--so I guess if I take the reading for a minute, use that number to calculate for an hour, then for 24 hours--if would give me my BMR (that is, how many calories I would burn if I did nothing but lay in bed all day).

Like, if I burn 3 calories per minute in the morning: 3x60min=90 calories per hour / 90x24 hours=2160 as a BMR.

Did that make sense?

If it does, I might just do it. I'm crazy like that.

LisaS · 01-04-2008, 06:31 PM

I was just curious if you were able to walk into your gym and get a free on the spot actual RMR measurement - which takes some time and generally costs $$$ and isn't offered at most gyms.

Aoife · 01-04-2008, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

I guess I could always wear my HRM to bed and turn it on for a minute first thing in the AM when I wake up, before I get out of bed. It tells me my calories burned based on my heart rate/height/weight/age/gender--so I guess if I take the reading for a minute, use that number to calculate for an hour, then for 24 hours--if would give me my BMR (that is, how many calories I would burn if I did nothing but lay in bed all day).

Like, if I burn 3 calories per minute in the morning: 3x60min=90 calories per hour / 90x24 hours=2160 as a BMR.

Did that make sense?

If it does, I might just do it. I'm crazy like that.

Depends. Some HRM don't actually calculate anything if your heart rate isn't over 100 or so.

Azure · 01-04-2008, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LisaS

I was just curious if you were able to walk into your gym and get a free on the spot actual RMR measurement - which takes some time and generally costs $$$ and isn't offered at most gyms.

I scheduled a body comp. ahead of time, as a part of a training session (I got the training session, and the body comp free--as I got a few training sessions free when I joined the gym). She told me today that if I was going to get one again, it was $10 each time. There were also protocols: No alcohol for 24 hours before-hand, no caffeine for 12 hours before-hand, no food or drink for 4 hours before-hand, and not menstruating.

She used a bioimpedance machine to take my body fat. It wasn't one of those hand-held ones. She had me lay flat on my back and put two sticky things on my right hand and foot. She attached two little clips to them, then plugged them into a box, which gave her my body fat, lean mass, etc. That's when (I'm assuming) the machine also gave her my BMR. She didn't seem to have to calculate it separately. It's the first time I've ever had anything like that done, so I'm not sure if that's the usual way for a gym. She told me that the version of body fat measurement she used is the most accurate (within 1-3%), outside of hydrostatic weighing. Again, it may have just been based on all my stats plugged into the machine (height/weight/age/activity level then my lean/fat/water mass).

Azure · 01-04-2008, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aoife

Depends. Some HRM don't actually calculate anything if your heart rate isn't over 100 or so.

I use a Polar F4...I may try it out tomorrow morning and see!

LisaS · 01-04-2008, 07:22 PM

the RMR measurement I was thinking of involves you breathing in a device or enclosed hood for an extended time and the O2/CO2 in and out is measured.

AFAIK, anything else is a calculation with a formula using your other measurements.

Azure · 01-04-2008, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LisaS

the RMR measurement I was thinking of involves you breathing in a device or enclosed hood for an extended time and the O2/CO2 in and out is measured.

AFAIK, anything else is a calculation with a formula using your other measurements.

Thanks for letting me know

I've never had any sort of "official" tests for any of this stuff before, so I wasn't really sure. I definitely didn't do that breathing thing this morning!

Cynthia · 01-04-2008, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LisaS

the RMR measurement I was thinking of involves you breathing in a device or enclosed hood for an extended time and the O2/CO2 in and out is measured.

AFAIK, anything else is a calculation with a formula using your other measurements.

Lisa - this is the method I used last year to have my RMR tested. It was a Body Gem reading done at a local gym. Is this method an accurate measure? I generally average about 1900 to 2100 calories per day but right now my macros are unbalanced because I have been training for a HM. I am planning to scale back to a 5k instead and up my lifting schedule from 2 to 3 days per week next week to start NROL4W.

LisaS · 01-04-2008, 10:11 PM

BodyGem is an example of a device that would do an actual measurement - I'm not sure if it is well thought of in the field or not but it seems to be one of a very few that is found out in health clubs. That's the gist of what I was asking here - just curious when one said "had RMR measured" if you all meant really measured or calculated.

jhardy · 01-05-2008, 07:42 PM

I had my RMR measured at a gym using the breathing test. It calculated my RMR at 1800 calories. It estimated that my lifestyle and activity was approximately 540 calories per day and that I would burn 187 calories during a 30 minute moderate exercise session. Therefore, given my lifestyle and 30 minutes of exercise, I would burn 2527 calories per day. This number is higher than many of the formulas that I have used. From NROLW, I calculated my RMR at 1250 and my total calorie expenditure at 2125. I need to stick with a specific calorie amount for a while to determine which is more accurate. I am going to aim for 1700 calories per day with exercise and see what happens--hopefully a 1-2 pound per week weight loss.
Jen