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How to Calculate BMR Digestion

Your basal metabolic rate, also called your BMR, is the minimum calorie requirement needed to sustain your normal resting activities. For example, BMR is the minimum calories required to sustain your life while sleeping and breathing. Knowing your BMR is beneficial if you are trying to determine how many calories to consume in order to maintain, lose or gain weight. Your BMR can be affected by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as genetics, gender, weight, age, body surface area, diet, glands, exercise and body fat percentage. There are a few different ways to calculate your BMR.

Instructions

  1. The Harris-Benedict Formula

    • 1

      Make sure that before beginning that you know your height and weight. Other factors that you will input into the formula are age and sex.

    • 2

      Input your numbers into the following formula to get your BMR. For men, the formula is BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age). For women, the formula is BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age). To calculate your weight in kg, you must divide your weight by 2.2, because 1 kg is equal to 2.2 pounds. To calculate your height in cm, you must multiply your height in inches by 2.54, because 1 inch is equal to 2.54 cm.

    • 3

      Use a calculator to find your BMR. For example, if you are a woman who is 30-years-old, 5 feet 6 inches tall and weigh 120 lbs., your BMR is 1,339 calories per day.

    The Quick Method

    • 4

      Make sure before beginning this method to find your BMR that you know your current body weight.

    • 5

      Use the appropriate multiplier and multiply it by your current body weight. To lose weight, the multiplier is 13 calories per pound of bodyweight. To maintain weight, the multiplier per pound of bodyweight is 15 calories. To gain weight, the multiplier is 18 calories per pound of bodyweight.

    • 6

      Input your appropriate numbers into the formula. For example, if you are a 130 lb. woman looking to lose weight, your BMR using this formula is 1,690.

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