Working out your basal metabolic rate

Losing body fat can seem like a daunting task, especially at the beginning of a program. Where do you start? A good first step is gaining an understanding of your basal metabolic rate (or BMR), and using it as a base.

What is basal metabolic rate? A simple definition is the amount of calories you burn while at rest. Your body must carry out certain processes to survive. Your body repairing and maintaining itself, your heart beating, the chemical processes of the body, even your brain working to control these processes etc. All of these processes require energy, and we get this energy from the food we consume.

Closely working out your BMR isn’t difficult. There are methods to work it out almost exactly, but without a lab and a whole bunch of technical equipment, it’s much easier to settle for an good estimate.


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The Harris-Benedict equations are the best methods of determining your BMR:

For men =
66.5 + (13.75 x kg) + (5.003 x cm) - (6.775 x age)

For women =
655.1 + (9.563 x kg) + (1.850 x cm) - (4.676 x age)

Now, if you use the imperial measurement system:
Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to workout your weight in kilograms.
E.g. Weight: 190 pounds / 2.2 = 86.3kg

Work out your height in inches (multiply each foot by 12 and add to the remaining inches) then multiply that amount by 2.54
5’ 10” (5 x 12 inches + 10 inches = 70 inches)
70 inches x 2.54= 177.8cm

Alternatively, use one of the many BMR calculators on the net.
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Next post, we will look at how you can use your BMR in terms of weight loss.