BMR ~ Basal Metabolic Rate

Everyone has a  BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate.  This is the amount of calories that your body burns on a metabolic level on a daily basis.  It is the amount of calories that your body burns by just breathing, digesting food, keeping your heart beating, and other internal processes.

In other words it is the amount of calories that your body would burn if you laid in bed all day and did nothing.

Everybody's BMR is different depending on gender, height, weight, and age.

There is an equation that is used in order to calculate your BMR. (There are two different equations, one for men and one for women.) Be sure to choose the correct one for you.

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )

Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

The number that you come up with at the end is your pesonal BMR. It is the amount of calories that your body needs for internal processes, NOT CONSIDERING ANY OTHER EXERCISE THAT YOU DO INCLUDING TAKING A SHOWER, WALKING THE DOG, CHEWING GUM, FIDGETING, MOVING YOUR ARMS, WASHING DISHES, IRONING, COMBING YOUR HAIR, EXERCISING, etc. (I think you get the picture by now.)

Not only is this number important to know because it gives you an idea of how many calories you can eat if you barely do any exercise or movement some day, but it is just plain interesting and fun to know because each person's BMR is unique and personal.