What is my BMR?

by Andy Williams - last updated 27th March 2024

So you've started a weight loss journey or are trying to improve your overall health and fitness, and you start seeing the term BMR. Well, what is BMR? How do you work out your own, and is knowing and understanding your BMR helpful?

What is BMR?

BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate. It represents the number of calories your body needs to maintain basic physiological functions while at rest. These functions include breathing, circulation, cell production, and maintaining body temperature. Essentially, it's the number of calories your body burns at rest to keep you alive. Knowing your BMR can be helpful for weight management as it provides a baseline for understanding how many calories your body needs daily. This information can guide you in creating a calorie deficit for weight loss or a surplus for weight gain, depending on your goals.

Why is BMR important?

It's one of the first things I learned when starting my weight loss journey. Understanding your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is important for several reasons:

Weight Management: Knowing your BMR helps you determine the number of calories your body needs to maintain its current weight. This information is essential for creating a calorie deficit if you're trying to lose weight or a surplus if you're trying to gain weight.

Calorie Intake: Your BMR serves as a baseline for calculating your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), which includes calories burned through physical activity. By knowing your BMR, you can better estimate the appropriate daily calorie intake for your goals.

Nutritional Planning: Understanding your BMR allows you to tailor your nutrition plan more effectively. It helps you ensure that you're consuming enough calories to support your body's basic functions while still achieving your desired weight-related outcomes.

Overall, knowing your BMR provides valuable insight into your body's energy needs and serves as a useful tool for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

What's the difference between BMR and TDEE?

It's very important to understand the difference between BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) Simply put your BMR is the energy your body burns for you to be alive, just exist. When you start doing other things, going to work, going for a walk housework, maybe a run the enrgy your body burns to achieve these other tasks when added to your your BMR gives you your TDEE. Here is a more indepth explaintion...

The key differences between Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) are as follows:

Definition:

BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate represents the number of calories your body needs to maintain basic physiological functions while at rest. It accounts for the energy required for essential bodily processes such as breathing, circulation, cell production, and maintaining body temperature.

TDEE: Total Daily Energy Expenditure refers to the total number of calories your body burns in a day, taking into account your BMR as well as the calories expended through physical activity and the thermic effect of food digestion.

Activity Level Consideration:

BMR is calculated based solely on your age, gender, weight, and height. It does not factor in any physical activity or exercise. TDEE considers your BMR along with the calories burned through physical activity, including exercise, daily movements, and any intentional or unintentional activities. It provides a more comprehensive estimate of your daily energy needs based on your activity level.

Purpose:

BMR serves as a baseline for estimating the minimum number of calories your body needs to sustain life at rest. It is primarily used for determining basic calorie requirements for weight management and nutritional planning.

TDEE provides a more practical estimate of your daily calorie needs, accounting for both resting metabolic rate and activity level. It is used to tailor calorie intake to specific goals, such as weight loss, weight maintenance, or weight gain.