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Your Resting Metabolism Is Your Key To Weight Control

By Brad Scott

RMR. You have probably seen or heard the term, but may not fully understand what it is. RMR or Resting Metabolic Rate is the amount of energy the body uses at rest. Our metabolic rate changes throughout the day depending on what we are doing. While sleeping, your metabolic rate slows down and during exercise it speeds up. But most of our day is spent close to the RMR range. Your RMR is measured while sitting in a relaxed position, not sleeping and not performing any physical activity.

So why is RMR important? Everyone falls into 1 of three categories when it comes to body weight. These are gain weight, lose weight or maintain current weight. Now I am not a big promoter of people checking their body weight. That is usually because they use that as their main driver without concern for their body composition ( i.e. body fat %, % water, lean body mass). Weight alone doesn't really tell you much. But not to go off on a tangent, in order to effective gain, lose or maintain body weight, you really need to understand your RMR. One (1) pound is 3500 calories. If you know how many calories you burn in a day, you can adjust your food intake and exercise program to accommodate your weight goals.

For example: If you have an RMR of 1800, that means that in 1-day you would burn 1800 calories without doing anything. So to maintain your current weight, you would need to eat 1800 calories a day. But you exercise 3 times per week and burn another 3000 calories. So during the week, you would need to adjust your food intake upwards another 3000 calories to maintain your current weight. To lose one-pound a week, you would only have to adjust your food intake minus (-) 500 calories or increase your workout slightly. This may sound a little confusing now, but once you practice it a few weeks, it will become very easy to understand.

I encourage everyone to have their RMR checked. This can be done at many health clubs or by a physician. It takes less than 30 minutes and it will really help you understand your body more. And FYI, the higher your RMR is the better.

About the Author:

Brad Scott is Owner and President of Sport and Life Fitness in Melbourne Florida. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and is a Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Sports Conditioning with the International Sports Sciences Association. With over 20 years of experience, Brad offers a wide variety of fitness solutions for most anyone. Visit him online at www.SportAndLifeFitness.com today and start your fitness journey.