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BMR

Your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR, is the minimum caloric requirement needed to maintain life, even when you are completely ate rest.

Think of it this way, were you to remain asleep in bed all day, this is the amount of calories your body will burn. Makes it tempting to stay in bed for the duration of your weight loss efforts huh? But we all know that won't happen.

Well why do you need to know that number? How can you use it to your advantage? When you understand your body's energy requirements, it can help guide your nutritional choices.

To start losing weight, subtract calories from your BMR. First use the BMR (with your activity level) to determine how many calories you should eat each day to maintain your current weight. Then to lose weight safely (1-2 pounds per week), cut 500-1000 calories each day from your BMR. When you cut a total of 3,500 calories, you’ll lose one pound of body weight.

Since your body will require fewer calories as you get smaller, recalculate your BMR along with your activity level as you lose weight, about every 10-15lbs. This is a very important step I never factored in when I dropped about 10lbs last year. It also explains why people stall out or plateau for a while, one solution may be to just recalculate your BMR. So this year, I made a mental note that every new decade I reach, 180's, 170's etc, I'll crunch my numbers again.

How low should you go? Don’t reduce too many calories thinking you will lose more. Going lower than 1200 calories a day isn’t anymore effective for long-term weight loss than just lowering your calories to achieve the recommended 1-2 pounds a week rate.

You know the routine, tomorrow we'll learn how to calculate our BMR's...I'll post my BMR…yada yada yada...you guys will ignore me...blah blah blah...I'll softly sob onto my keyboard...

Body Fat

Last week was all about the BMI, this week let's tackle 2 more B's. First up, Body Fat. What is body fat? Besides the obvious, your body fat percentage is simply the percentage of fat your body contains. If you are 150 pounds and 10% fat, it means that your body consists of 15 pounds fat and 135 pounds lean body mass (bone, muscle, organ tissue, blood and everything else).

Before you get all crazy and think you need to be completely fat-free, a certain amount of fat is essential to bodily functions. Fat regulates body temperature, cushions and insulates organs and tissues and is the main form of the body's energy storage.

Knowing your body fat percentage can also help you determine if your weight loss goals are realistic. Weight loss doesn't always mean fat loss. Tomorrow we'll look at acceptable ranges of body fat and how to set realistic weight loss goals based on those figures. Chin up peeps, we are in week 4 of the big f.a.t. challenge, you are 1/2 way home.

BMI

We shall kick off our mission to get fit and forget about the lbs, by looking at other measurements of health.

Having a lb related goal, such as the one that I have to lose 50lbs may seem daunting. But a teeny goal to drop your BMI by 2 points, while not impressive, can make a major difference in the quality of your life. What exactly is BMI is you ask?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. While BMI is a reliable indicator of body fatness for people, it does not measure body fat directly. Research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat. By using your height and weight it indicates whether you are underweight, of normal weight or overweight. You should use your BMI as a general guide.

For adults 20 years old and older, BMI is interpreted using standard weight status categories that are the same for all ages and for both men and women.

BMI Weight Status
Below 18.5 Underweight
18.5 – 24.9 Normal
25.0 – 29.9 Overweight
30.0 and Above Obese

The health consequences of overweight and obesity for adults can include:

• Hypertension


• Dyslipidemia (for example, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides)


• Type 2 diabetes


• Coronary heart disease


• Stroke


• Gallbladder disease


• Osteoarthritis


• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems


• Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

Just 2 points, going from 25 to 23 changes you from to overweight to normal.

Tomorrow a BMI calculator and charts.