How a Resting Metabolic Rate Test Can Help With Weight Loss

One of the biggest mistakes people make with weight loss attempts is guessing how many calories they should be eating. While it’s true you must create a caloric deficit at some point to access stored body fat, it’s not a very effective strategy to simply pick a calorie range based on some chart.

You’ll find numerous charts available both on and off-line that tell you the approximate number of calories you should be consuming based on your age, height, and weight. The problem with these charts is they can be very inaccurate. The issue is there’s no way to address something called “bioindividuality.” What this basically means is there’s no way it can factor in things like your unique metabolism, genetics, and lean body mass.

Two individuals the same age, height, and weight may have drastically different caloric needs based on the above factors. So how can you determine what your unique calorie needs are for weight loss? The answer is with something called a resting metabolic rate test.

The resting metabolic rate calculates how many calories your body is burning while at rest. You might be surprised to learn that 50 percent or more of the calories you burn during a 24 hour period are actually burned during your sleep! Your metabolism which regulates how fast or slow numerous bodily functions occur, is a far greater determining factor of calorie needs than exercise and activity.

A resting metabolic rate test is easy to complete. You simply sit back in a reclining chair and breathe through a tube. The test works by collecting your respiration and calculating your oxygen consumption. In less than 15 minutes you can have a complete readout of your results which includes your individual caloric requirements for weight loss.

As a fitness trainer who specializes in Charleston resting metabolic rate testing, I can tell you this is an invaluable tool in times of a weight loss plateau. If you get stuck with the scale not budging although you’ve been eating healthy and exercising, it may be time to look at your individual caloric needs.

The majority of people I conduct RMR tests on are surprised to discover that they’re actually not eating enough calories! Typically when a weight loss plateau occurs it’s because of a down-regulation in your metabolism. Cut back your calories low enough and after a while you’ll see an adjustment by your body. Thyroid hormone secretion lowers in a response to the decreased caloric intake.

Think about it as a primal self-preservation mechanism that’s built into your body. If your metabolism didn’t down-regulate, you’d burn up lean muscle at a rapid pace in times of famine or food scarcity.

Another benefit of doing a RMR test is to see if hormonal balances have shifted to cause a decrease in your metabolic rate. Not only will you discover the pinpoint number of calories you should be eating to support your metabolism, but you’ll also find out if your metabolism has slowed.

The resting metabolic rate test is so valuable that I include it for my clients on every body transformation program at my personal training studio. It eliminates the guesswork with calories and helps a person see first hand how their eating habits impact metabolism.

Once you’ve determined the appropriate number of calories for your unique needs and body type, it’s all about putting together an eating plan for success. You won’t have to count calories forever but if you have no idea how many calories you’re consuming in a day you’re going about the whole process blind-folded.

I recommend keeping a detailed food journal for a week prior to a RMR test so you can get an accurate assessment of your current caloric intake. Continue journaling for 2-3 weeks after your test so you can have the necessary information to check that you’re within your ideal caloric zones. This will also help you build a conscious awareness of the foods you’re eating and assist you with developing new habits.