A common mistake when it comes to nutrition in the fitness industry is not just overeating but undereating. I see it all the time with clients I initially sit down with. Not just new gym goers but people who will still bring up their max bench they did back in ’08. That’s right even the veterans.

“Why am I not losing weight?”

“I barely eat anything and I’m still fat!”

“This is hard! I’m just going to starve myself!”

What most people are unaware of is their BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). This is the key ingredient when it comes to not only weight loss but muscle/weight gain. Your BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest. Better yet this number is the bare minimum that you should NEVER try to go under. But why should you never go under? That’s because you need that bare minimum to perform major functions such as digestion, blood circulation and even breathing. As we know that’s kind of important for us.

What determines your BMR?

This is a combination of your height, weight, lean muscle mass, your age, and even your biological sex.

Now that’s great and all but how is YOUR BMR determined? There are a few ways to find out. For those who have access to a gym that has one of those expensive IN-Body scales you’re in luck.  However, for those who don’t there’s no need to worry because there are other ways of finding out your BMR. Just make sure you have your calculators at the ready.

The method that I personally enjoy utilizing has to be the Mifflin-St Jeor equation:

• Men: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5
• Women: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) – 161

There are other formulas to find your BMR, but as I stated I personally use the Mifflin-St Jeor.

If math is not your strong suit a third option would be the online BMR calculators that will give you a guesstimate depending on your stats.

Whether you’re new to the gym or a seasoned veteran knowing your BMR is an important step towards your goals. Hope this article aids in getting you one step closer to your GOALS!

Tune in for Knowledge on your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)!

Elite Training