Got my resting metabolic rate tested...

jennifermaria

jennifermaria

Cathlete
I've always gotten different estimates for my resting metabolic rate, so I got it tested a few months ago. It came out at 1450 calories, but I found out later it may have been inaccurate because I worked out before--about two hours before, which is supposedly ok, but I think it may have impacted it--so I decided to get another one today, especially since I've been training for a marathon and wanted to see if the extra intensity in workouts did anything to nudge that at all.

Well, apparently, it did, 'cause my RMR is now at...

1800 calories!!

Dude!! I was hoping it'd go up a little, but wow wow, I never thought it'd go up that high! And I was good today--I didn't work out before the test, and I had a normal size breakfast (they said eating would be ok, as long as it wasn't a big meal, and I had cereal, fruit, and milk, so it wasn't a lot). This was as accurate as it gets.

All I can say is no wonder I'm hungry all the time LOL. And no wonder that I've lost weight on the weeks where I actually thought I ate above my calorie requirements (or what I THOUGHT were my calorie requirements). When I've been more careful to stay on the "weight loss" level, I've stalled or gained weight.

I'm not sure how much my RMR will go down once my marathon training is over, but for now, I'm going to eat my calories and not feel guilty. It'll definitely be a mindset change for me; I think my brain is programmed to think that fewer calories means weight loss, and that I couldn't possibly eat 2000 calories and still lose weight. Not that I have a lot to lose--I just have 2-3 nagging pounds that I've been trying to get rid of so I can see my arm and ab muscles more.

But anyway, I thought I'd share. I'm so excited that my RMR is higher than I thought it would be :).
 
Congratulations. That's a very high BMR.

I had my calorie expenditure checked this summer and found that my BMR was about what I expected it to be, but that my calories burned while exercising was higher than I thought. Also I was burning more fat at higher heart rate levels than most of the rest of the population. :) I think it's a good idea to get tested so that one can work with their own body and not the averages.

April
 
Congratulations!! Your hard work is paying off! How do they check it, and where did you go to have it checked?
 
There's a testing company that comes to my company every few months and does body fat testing (the dunk in water kind) and the RMR testing. I've never done the dunk test, but the RMR test is super simple--if messy ;). Basically, there's a machine that's got a plastic tube sticking out of it, and you breathe into the tube for 10 min, with your nose plugged. That may not sound like a long time, but it's quite uncomfortable, and by the end, you're thinking, take this thing out of me!! You start to drool after a while (gross, I know), so you have tissues handy for that ;).

During all of this, the machine that the tube is hooked up to is measuring and analyzing, and after the 10 minutes, it spits a number back out. Voila!

I think my true BMR is a little lower. RMR is said to be a close (but not exact) estimate of RMR. BMR (basal metabolic rate) is what you burn if your body were in a complete state of inactivity, so the only source of energy expenditure is the activity to keep your organs functioning, blood pumping, tissues alive, etc. The only way to determine this, apparently, is to do a very strict test immediately after you wake up (before you even get out of bed) and before you eat. I believe this could only be done in a lab setting (unless you happen to have the equipment handy by your bed LOL).

RMR is a little more forgiving--as long as you didn't exercise two hours before or have any caffeine or a large meal, it's a close enough estimate to your BMR that for all intents and purposes, you can count on that number as basic caloric needs, before calories from daily activity and purposeful exercise are included.

And weight training/building muscle DOES matter--the very first thing the tester asked me when I told him I came back to see if things had changed was, "Have you been strength training? That's really the only way to increase it."

I guess I HAVE built muscle over the last few months, yay! I was so worried I hadn't, what with all the cardio from the marathon training. He said that extra cardio doesn't really burn muscle, but if I neglected weights in favor of the cardio, then my muscle mass could decline, and that's when you would see a slowdown in metabolism. I'd been careful to keep up with strength training throughout my training so I could at least maintain my muscle--good to know I may have even increased it :).
 
Funny you posted this today- I am really wanting to get this done. It's on my mental to do list. I am going in to get my body fat % done tomorrow at our local hospital's sports medicine place so I will ask about a RMR test then. Thanks for reminding me! And congratulations on increasing it- I'm impressed and hopeful that I can increase mine (eating more is usually a goal for me). :)
 
"...you breathe into the tube for 10 min, with your nose plugged."

Umm yeah, I'd panic after about 2 minutes!:eek:

I am not comfortable being forced to breathe only through my mouth. I have a very hard time when I have a cold and am plugged up solid. I HATE that feeling.

As for the body fat dunk tank thing...I've always wondered...are you COMPLETELY submerged or just up to the neck? If completely, how long are you expected to hold your breath for???? :confused:
 
Wow! That is just awesome, Jennifermaria! Isn't that great to hear, too, that all your cardio and strength training has had such an impact?

Yeah, Wendy, I'm with you on not sure about the nose plugging thing! I tried (emphasis on try!) to get dunked back in June, but I couldn't hold my breath for that long under water without totally panicking! :eek: For the dunk tests, you have to stay completely submerged, face down, in a tub of water and sloooowly exhale all the water out of your lungs. Er, I ended up getting a DXA scan instead to get my body fat tested. It was much, much easier for us claustrophobic types! ;)
 
I think my company worked out a special deal--I paid $40 for the RMR test. The dunking test was $40 as well, and to do both was $60, if I recall.
 
Increase in metabolic rate is good to keep you fit and healthy. Skipping your meals specially morning brake fast this will decrease your metabolism and thus less calories are burned. To keep one healthy it is better advisable to eat better that is eat more times per day and exercise regularly. Including fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet will less your aging process.
 
I'd love to get both tests done. I'll have to call around in the area to see who performs these tests. Thanks!

Maria
 
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