Actual RMR vs Fitbit guess of BMR

[k4gpsc]

Is there a way to adjust the Fitbit App to use an actual RMR that was measured by a registered dietician? Trying to be as accurate as possible and it seems that my eating habits were keeping me from losing weight because I was eating too little and not frequently enough, My RMR is 2448 and I am shooting for the typical 500-700 cal deficit, I would do 1000 but I want to keep as much muscle mass as possible, 

[Dominique]

The only way I can think of would be to "lie" about yourself, i.e. pretend you are older/younger, taller/shorter, heavier/lighter until the standard equation (Mifflin-St. Jeor) produces the same number obtained from your dietician. I’m not sure it would be such a good idea, but if it’s what you want to do, you can use an online calculator such as this one. 

Just out of interest: what method / equipment was used by your dietician to determine your RMR, and how does the number compare to the BMR calculated using the standard equation? 

[bikerhiker · Accepted solution]

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@k4gpsc wrote:

Is there a way to adjust the Fitbit App to use an actual RMR that was measured by a registered dietician? Trying to be as accurate as possible and it seems that my eating habits were keeping me from losing weight because I was eating too little and not frequently enough, My RMR is 2448 and I am shooting for the typical 500-700 cal deficit, I would do 1000 but I want to keep as much muscle mass as possible, 

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Use the Fitbit app as your food guide, because it has ways to determine your 3 macros and how much calories you take in.  That's important to determine how much food you consume each day and how much calories you need to cut combining both exercise and eating less but consistent enough.

Part of the difficulty of weight loss is not that you do not eat enough, but you do not consume enough of the necessary nutrients, minerals, vitamins, dietary fat, protein and complex carbs that allow the body to function properly.  When the body sensed this, it will usually go into preservation mode.  Meaning it sensed that you are in a hunger state and hence will do what is necessary to preserve whatever stored energy in a form of body fat it has left to keep you alive.  This is a normal human function and you can't easily over ride it.  Worse, the body will start to break down muscles known as "gluconeogenesis" turning lean muscle mass into glucose for the body to be used as energy.

Know your RMR and how much you need to consume based on your dietician recommendation and you use the Fitbit app to track your food consumption.  You need to retrain your mind and body to consume good quality nutritious food on a consistent basis and this will take a period of time of adjustment before the body will start to use more of its body fat as part of the energy consumption.  Remember the body does not like to use body fat as much as carbs, which is why it would rather breakdown muscles and turn it into glucose before it wants to burn its own reserve body fat.  The key is to consume enough to tell the body that it has what it needs; then when you start loosing weight you are loosing body fat and not loosing muscle mass as you as you do some form of resistance exercise along with your diet.

In your case; it's really not about calories in and calories out but rather the quality of food you are consuming to satisfy the body needs.  The body does not operate solely in calories, as it needs other things like appropriate level of minerals, nutrients, vitamins and proper amounts of 3 macros to work properly and regulate your metabolism.  If you simply operate in calories and ignore the minerals, nutrients and vitamins -- well you can but you will be deficient in those and hence you will be right back where you started.  I highly suggest following the recommendation of your RD and go from then fine tune that recommendation.  Each human body is unique and Fitbit can not know that.  Your RD can.

[k4gpsc]

Yesterday was a good day, I actually went to a local college Kinisetology department and volunteered myself and my wife as lab rats, was not too local but the closest place to us 1hr away. The students there were great and placed us thru a VO2 test and also a BMI/RMR test device that was quite advanced. It actually detected my wife’s ACL surgery in the correct leg and that I was more hydrated than she was, I am the one in the family that drinks the most. Afterwards since we were in the city I had my 2nd dietician appointment and she gave me my meal plan. Biker.. you were right on based on what she stated. Since my post my weight started sliding down quickly, I guess at my age my body took longer to respond to my initial diet than it had in round #1 18 years ago. The wife is out shopping for the new meal plan, jury is still out since I eat out of a cooler for all but breakfast and dinner but after a week I will make notes and email the RD for tweaking, meal prep is a must for this family schedule and cooler friemdly is a must for me.  My problem now above diet is my VO2 !! I am in the 5th percentile at 25% and my attempt to run is failing even following the C2K program. A run longer than 30 seconds floors me and a jog longer than 1m or 90 seconds is brutal. A year ago my Pulminologist said I was fine, I think I need to bring him these tests and have him relook at this, I know running is my best bet and I want to do it but just can’t physically. I want him to tell me why and how I can fix it... this walking to jog interval technique is not working it’s been over a month with little progress...make that NO progress. 

[bikerhiker]

@k4gpsc

Congratulations on your weight loss progress and I am happy to hear that you are benefiting from your RD's plan.  Meal plans definitely need some tweaking in order to work well for each individual and to maximize weight loss while maintaining proper safe nutritional intake which is important.

In regards to Vo2 Max training; do you mind if you can share with me your given run prescription?  How many days/week are you run+walk?  And what is your run to walk interval (10 to 1; 5 to 1) and with the 30 sec run; what is your HR during your 30 sec interval and what is your determined HR (Heart Rate) based on your Vo2Max testing?

And how do you feel after your 30 sec interval run? 

Thanks!