Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is essentially the calories you would burn daily while at rest with no real activity or digestion occurring. You will find several online BMR calculators that will determine an approximation of your BMR, and then utilize this to calculate the calories you burn daily. In this article, I would like to talk about the methods these calculators make use of to determine an approximation of your BMR, how this can then be utilised to determine your daily calories burned and also the relevance of this to a calorie counting process.

In order to estimate your BMR, two commonly used methods are the Harris Benedict equation and the formula from MD Miffin and ST St Jeor. These two methods can determine a BMR approximation by applying formulas that include you bodyweight, height, age and gender. These equations are essentially linear equations of these factors and the most effective method to apply them is via the use of an online BMR calculator.

The Harris Benedict equation was developed in 1919 and therefore has historical significance in this area, while the formula by MD Miffin and ST St Jeor was developed in 1990. Some research has found the MD Miffin and ST St Jeor approach to be more accurate, however the two methods generally produce pretty similar outcomes.

One of the principal advantages in applying these formulas to estimate your BMR is that you can then transform these estimates into estimates of the calories you burn per day. This is then some useful info in a calorie counting process. Calorie counting essentially involves counting the calories you consume each day, and if you are trying to lose excess weight, you should try to produce a mild calorie deficit in relation to the calories you burn each day. This implies the calorie counter will require some understanding of the calories they burn. As such, by calculating your BMR and transforming this into an approximation of the calories you burn, this can present you with a starting point to take on a calorie counting process.

In order to transform an estimate of your BMR into an approximation of the amount of calories you burn each day, your BMR is basically multiplied with a factor that is dependent upon your activity level. For example, if someone has a low level of activity and gets little to no physical exercise, this approximation can be produced by multiplying your BMR by 1.2. If on the other hand another person's activity level was high, exercising 6 to 7 days a week, their BMR should be multiplied by 1.725 to derive the approximation of the calories they burn daily.

When you've got an understanding of the calories you burn each day, you can aim for a basic calorie deficit until the point a healthy bodyweight is reached. It is commonly reported that creating a calorie deficit of 3500 calories should result in about 1 lb of weight loss. This suggests that consuming 500 calories each day less than you burn should result in about 1 lb of weight loss a week.

Once you get into the calorie counting process, it can be useful to journal your diet and weight loss over time, which may enable you to fine tune your estimate of the calories you're burning and what sort of calorie intake should result in what amounts of weight loss. Using a BMR calculator to form the sort of BMR calculations described here is however a good approach to start to obtain an initial idea of just how many calories you need to be consuming.

In addition to understanding the importance of calories in weight loss, you should always consult your doctor prior to starting any weight loss plan, since they will be in a position to offer any advice that may be particular to your personal circumstance.