Find Your Metabolism

Your BMR is       . This is how many calories you can consume to maintain your weight without exercise. Read on to find out how to lose weight with your BMR!

Your target weight is       . Although this calculation cannot include muscle mass and other important things, it can provide a goal for you!

*Note: This calculation is for women, a man's BMR is calculated differently.

*Note: You should not use this calculation if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Please refer to our FAQ for tips on weight loss while breastfeeding.

MIF is so glad you are on your way to being healthier! We think it is so important you understand a few things before you start your journey. So let's explain your metabolism...

Metabolism is defined as the rate at which you burn calories. Calories are found in all foods. If you burn 3500 excess calories in 1 week you will lose a pound. You do this by eating less and exercising—your body knows when to start “eating its own fat storage" when it is not getting enough from foods and/or you are burning extra calories by exercising.

>Eliminate 500 calories/day with exercise and proper nutrition...and lose 1 pound a week!

Do you know someone who seems to eat whatever she wants, doesn't seem to exercise at all, and yet doesn't gain weight? You may have heard someone like that say, “I have a good metabolism." They're partially right.

What they should say is something like this, “I have a high BMR which allows me to burn calories while at rest with greater efficiency than many other people." Well, maybe they shouldn't say it like that since they're likely not to get invited out to lunch anymore.

Simply put, your BMR is the amount of energy you need to fuel basic metabolic functions like respiration, digestion, and maintaining core body temperature—in other words what you need to sustain life. Another way to think of it is that it represents how many calories you burn without any form of exercise. Of course, none of us are likely to sleep twenty -four hours a day, so our BMR alone doesn't provide us with an accurate picture of our basic caloric needs. You can determine your total caloric need based on accepted formulas and how active you are. The number of calories required for those physical activities varies, but generally, physical activities require anywhere from 150 to 600 calories per hour. The variables to take into account are how long and how intensely you do the activity, your fitness level, and what activity you're doing. We'll do this in step 3.

Simply performing day-to-day activities is not enough to lose weight. Yes parking further away from your destination or taking the stairs instead of the elevator will improve your health, especially for somebody who leads a sedentary lifestyle.

Now if this is all the science you ever want to know you can skip the reading below.

Your BMR tells you how many calories you need to consume to maintain basic body functions. This number is what you need to consume if you were completely sedentary—if you didn't move much at all during the course of a day.

For Example Lindsay's BMR is:

655 + (4.35 x 104 lbs.) +  (4.7 x 62") – (4.7 x 30) = 1,257

655 + (452) + (291) – (141) = 1,257

So, if Lindsay eats 1,257 calories/day WITHOUT exercising she will MAINTAIN my weight.

To Maintain Weight = BMR

To Lose Weight < BMR

But Lindsay does like to eat more than 1,200 calories so she adds exercise! You're here at Moms Into Fitness because you want to start or continue exercising, right? So...after you have calculated your BMR you get to add calories from exercise.

So all together, to lose weight quickly:

• Eat 200-300 calories less than your BMR
• Add a 200-300 calorie burn from exercise

Keep in mind, this science isn't an exact science! Very fit women will find this BMR calculation is underestimating how many calories they can consume (due to a higher metabolism from more lean tissue, otherwise known as muscle). And obese women will find this BMR calculation overestimating how many calories they can consume.

One of the best ways to know if your calculation works for you is to food journal and weigh/measure yourself every Monday, which you'll find guidelines in step 4. Stay consistent to stay motivated!