How to calculate baseline metabolism?
01-26-2010, 05:35 PM
#2
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 8
Sorry to not be of any help but I wonder the same thing. Ive tried different methods and they show quite a differance which is confusing. I dont like to guess what my baseline metabolism is since it makes it quite difficult to know exactly how much I need to cut my calories and how much work-out I must put in.
Ive just taken the average sum of all the different numbers Ive gotten. Im quite small so I use 1250 at the moment. I dont think it could be any lower than that which puts me on the safe side :-)
01-27-2010, 01:02 AM
#3
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 110
Many variables
There are a number of variables that impact basal metabolic rate, besides height, weight and age:
There's a number of ways to estimate baseline metabolism, with some more detailed than others. At the end of the day, though... they are only estimates. Taking the average of different methods is probably as reliable as any one might be for you.
A physiologist who takes your medical history into account and delves into your current lifestyle can tell you what method might fit you best. Without that detailed knowledge, it's a best guess.
- the amount of lean tissue in your body
- whether you're well-hydrated
- whether you're well-rested
- current fitness level
- what medications you may be on
- whether your body has experienced starvation in the past
- whether caloric intake right now is sufficient or deficient
- whether you have any health conditions
- gender (hormone levels and differences)
- whether you have any long-term vitamin deficiencies
- past illness (and corresponding treatments)
There's a number of ways to estimate baseline metabolism, with some more detailed than others. At the end of the day, though... they are only estimates. Taking the average of different methods is probably as reliable as any one might be for you.
A physiologist who takes your medical history into account and delves into your current lifestyle can tell you what method might fit you best. Without that detailed knowledge, it's a best guess.
01-27-2010, 01:22 AM
#4
FitDay Premium Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 36
I kind of went the same route as Jenna...went to about 7 different online calculators and sort of took the average. Have to say though, about half were in the 1400-1500 range and half were in the 1700-1800 range; probably a difference in formulas. I KNOW the BMR on FitDay is way too high for me, so I'm just playing around and seeing what works.
01-28-2010, 01:19 AM
#5
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 8
I kind of went the same route as Jenna...went to about 7 different online calculators and sort of took the average. Have to say though, about half were in the 1400-1500 range and half were in the 1700-1800 range; probably a difference in formulas. I KNOW the BMR on FitDay is way too high for me, so I'm just playing around and seeing what works.
01-28-2010, 01:20 AM
#6
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 8
There are a number of variables that impact basal metabolic rate, besides height, weight and age:
There's a number of ways to estimate baseline metabolism, with some more detailed than others. At the end of the day, though... they are only estimates. Taking the average of different methods is probably as reliable as any one might be for you.
A physiologist who takes your medical history into account and delves into your current lifestyle can tell you what method might fit you best. Without that detailed knowledge, it's a best guess.
- the amount of lean tissue in your body
- whether you're well-hydrated
- whether you're well-rested
- current fitness level
- what medications you may be on
- whether your body has experienced starvation in the past
- whether caloric intake right now is sufficient or deficient
- whether you have any health conditions
- gender (hormone levels and differences)
- whether you have any long-term vitamin deficiencies
- past illness (and corresponding treatments)
There's a number of ways to estimate baseline metabolism, with some more detailed than others. At the end of the day, though... they are only estimates. Taking the average of different methods is probably as reliable as any one might be for you.
A physiologist who takes your medical history into account and delves into your current lifestyle can tell you what method might fit you best. Without that detailed knowledge, it's a best guess.
Same with vitamin deficiencies?
01-28-2010, 02:15 AM
#7
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 110
I'll try to answer (sorry it's a long one)
If you've been kind to your body and kept it well-fueled ever since... your metabolism might not kick into survival mode to conserve energy when you decrease calories. But if you've done a lot of crash dieting, it's likely that your metabolism is still affected. With each bout of what your body perceives as a threat, it's likely to kick into survival mode that much quicker. It becomes an adaptive response.
It takes time to build up the lost lean tissue and rev the metabolism back up. Since everyone is different, how long it takes to recover isn't a simple question to answer. Some bodies adapt faster and hang on to those survival-mode 'memories' for longer than others.
Hope that helps, Jenna.
01-28-2010, 06:28 AM
#8
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 8
I think that would depend on how drastic the starvation and how long your body had to survive under those conditions. When your metabolism adapts to try to survive under those conditions, it becomes more efficient when faced with drastic decreases in calories. Your body learns to feed on itself and breaks down lean tissue (and not just muscle - your organ tissues as well) which impacts how many calories your body requires going forward. (An extreme example would be an Anorexia survivor - it can takes years for a body to re-adapt and respond during recovery.)
If you've been kind to your body and kept it well-fueled ever since... your metabolism might not kick into survival mode to conserve energy when you decrease calories. But if you've done a lot of crash dieting, it's likely that your metabolism is still affected. With each bout of what your body perceives as a threat, it's likely to kick into survival mode that much quicker. It becomes an adaptive response.
It takes time to build up the lost lean tissue and rev the metabolism back up. Since everyone is different, how long it takes to recover isn't a simple question to answer. Some bodies adapt faster and hang on to those survival-mode 'memories' for longer than others.
Hope that helps, Jenna.
If you've been kind to your body and kept it well-fueled ever since... your metabolism might not kick into survival mode to conserve energy when you decrease calories. But if you've done a lot of crash dieting, it's likely that your metabolism is still affected. With each bout of what your body perceives as a threat, it's likely to kick into survival mode that much quicker. It becomes an adaptive response.
It takes time to build up the lost lean tissue and rev the metabolism back up. Since everyone is different, how long it takes to recover isn't a simple question to answer. Some bodies adapt faster and hang on to those survival-mode 'memories' for longer than others.
Hope that helps, Jenna.
Always nice to learn new things about the body and it´s speacial ideas and functions! 
