BMI? BMR? Huh?
So you wanna be a prize fighter against the battle of the bulge! You only have a prayer to win if you put a little knowledge under your belt. BMI (Body Mass Index) and BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) are two things you should know that will give you the upper hand.
BMI (Body Mass Index)
Is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height that is “a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems”, according to the CDC.
Normal 18.5 – 24.9
Overweight 25 – 29.9
Obese 30 & above
BMI For Adults Age 20 & Over
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
Is the number of calories your body is going to burn in a day while at rest. Picture yourself laying in bed all day sleeping and watching T.V.. This number basically shows you how many calories your body needs to burn just to exist. Now we all know we do more than just chill all day so our calorie in take would have to be higher than this to maintain our current weight. However if one consumes less than what it takes to maintain our weight what do you think will happen…….. You’ll loose weight of course. This calculator can calculate you BMR for resting/living a sedentary lifestyle up to living a highly active lifestyle. Every person is different so this is the closest ball park figure you can get. Every 3500 calories you burn over your calorie intake equals a pound lost. Translation eat 500 calories less than your BMR you loose 1 lb. a week. I’ve read suggestions of limiting yourself to a 15-20% calorie reduction max to try preventing going into “starvation mode” where your body may hold onto fat cause it thinks your starving. Atkin’s suggests women to eat between 1,500-1,800 calories & men to eat 1,800 – 2,200.
On a Low Carb Diet you will stall your weight loss if you eat over you BMR!!!
I am not a doctor, this is just info I’ve gathered, please consult your doctor while on any diet program.
