I was a bit curious about how BMR (basal metabolic rate) works.
So, calculators seem to give you a number (for example, 1797), and then tell you to multiply it depending on your level of activity (for instance, x1.2 for sedentary, x1.55 for moderately active).
So, just using the numbers above as an example, if I don't exercise, I would be burning 2156 (1797 x 1.2) calories per day.
If I did exercise enough to be 'moderately active' (for the sake of this example, 1 hr 4x per week which would burn 500 cal each session), I would be burning (1797 x 1.55) = 2785 calories per day, plus the additional 2000 each week from exercise.
By those numbers, I'd be burning an extra 6400 ((2785 - 2156) * 7 + 2000) calories every week just by going from a sedentary lifestyle to an moderately active one. That's almost 2 lbs per week, before even reducing my caloric intake! That seems to good to be true -- is there something weird going on that isn't revealed by calculator numbers? Like, is this a gradual change due to body composition changing, or is it an instant "I exercised recently so my body has shifted into higher gear for a day or two" kind of thing?
So, calculators seem to give you a number (for example, 1797), and then tell you to multiply it depending on your level of activity (for instance, x1.2 for sedentary, x1.55 for moderately active).
So, just using the numbers above as an example, if I don't exercise, I would be burning 2156 (1797 x 1.2) calories per day.
If I did exercise enough to be 'moderately active' (for the sake of this example, 1 hr 4x per week which would burn 500 cal each session), I would be burning (1797 x 1.55) = 2785 calories per day, plus the additional 2000 each week from exercise.
By those numbers, I'd be burning an extra 6400 ((2785 - 2156) * 7 + 2000) calories every week just by going from a sedentary lifestyle to an moderately active one. That's almost 2 lbs per week, before even reducing my caloric intake! That seems to good to be true -- is there something weird going on that isn't revealed by calculator numbers? Like, is this a gradual change due to body composition changing, or is it an instant "I exercised recently so my body has shifted into higher gear for a day or two" kind of thing?
