Basal Metabolic Rate
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – Your basal metabolic rate is the total amount of energy (calories) your body requires daily just to maintain normal bodily functions, including digestion, circulation, respiration, temperature regulation, cell construction and every other process in your body. BMR is the total of all the energy you use for basic bodily functions at REST. This does not include physical activity.
Calculate your BMR
Activity Factor
The activity factor takes into account everything you do in a day not just training. After you find your BMR use one of these multipliers to find the amount of calories you need to stay at the same weight (maintenance calories).
Be honest with yourself here…this is where most people mess this process up.
Activity Factor Multiplier
BMR x 1.2
Sedentary
You don’t move much. No exercise, desk job, lots of TV. I bet you don’t like gym, but you like donuts and cakes!
BMR x 1.3-1.4
Lightly Active
Active a few days a week, exercise 1-3 days
BMR x 1.5-1.6
Moderately Active
Where I would assume most people are at. Train 4-5 days a week and active lifestyle
BMR x 1.7-1.8
Very Active
Training hard for a specific sport or purpose 5-6 hours a week. Typically one with a hard labor job as well
BMR x 1.9-2.2
Extremely Active
Endurance training or hard charging athlete who spends 10 or more hours training a week and/or lots of activity outside of training. Can require more calories than this as well depending on ones metabolic capacit
Next Step
This is where you need to decide if your goal is to gain or lose weight. As we all know to gain weight you need to be in a caloric surplus and to lose weight you need to be in a deficit. I’m not going to tell you exactly how many calories to add/subtract to gain or lose because it will be different for everyone. What I will say is that in both cases start small and go from there. Take your estimated maintenance calorie intake and adjust that number a little bit and see how you look, feel, and perform, and go from there.
Macros to Calories calculator
Macronutrients
Macronutrients are what make up your calorie intake.
Protein – 4kcal/g
Carbohydrate – 4kcal/g
Fat – 9kcal/g
Total Calorie Goal – (Protein intake + Minimum Fat Requirement) = Calories left over for carb and fat intake.