BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR)...
The scientifically based concept that is at the foundation of the CUPS
diet® is the resting Basal Metabolic Rate. It helps to determine the
amount of food that can be eaten on a daily basis. This recommended
amount is called the Adjusted Individual Measurement - AIM. It
helps to achieve optimum weight loss and successfully maintain your
program of weight management (losing, gaining, or maintaining).
BMR represents the minimum amount of calories necessary to sustain
many bodily functions such as respiration, cardiovascular systemics, and
maintenance of body temperature. It is lowest at rest after sleep and
after a 12-hr. fast. It accounts for about 60% of total daily energy
expenditure and is the one greatest single component used in
determining the “daily” resting metabolic rate.
A number of factors influence your BMR. Many interact with each other.
Some of these can be controlled and some are natural processes which
we can do little to alter. However, by following the CUPS diet® and its
guidelines for consistent weight loss, you will help keep your BMR at a
level that will promote that weight loss. Four of these factors (age,
height, weight, and gender) are used in the BMR calculation itself. BMR
can be determined by using a number of different mathematical formulas,
equations, and procedures.
The Revised Harris-Benedict Equation is used by the CUPS diet®:
BMR (kcal/day) for men
88.362 + (13.397 x W) + (4.799 x H) - (5.677 x A)
447.593 + (9.247 x W) + (3.098 x H) - (4.33 x A)
W = weight (kg), H = height (cm), A = age (yrs.)
*SPECIAL NOTE: When using the CUPS diet® it will never be
necessary for you to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate, as this will be
done for you automatically with every update in your weight.
Below is a partial list of some of the factors that influence the BMR.
Our Basal Metabolic Rate decreases as we age. This is due to loss in
muscle tissue, as well as hormonal and neurological changes. Adults
have less demand for caloric requirements per pound than children as
adults need less energy to help support growth needs. BMR will lower
by about 0.2-0.3% every year after the age of about thirty. This BMR
reduction will inevitably lead to weight gain unless food intake is reduced
or physical activity (especially strength training) is increased. In other
words, even if you were to remain at the same activity level for your
entire life, and you were to eat exactly the same amount of food every
day, you would still be prone to weight gain as you age.
the CUPS diet® helps manage the effects of aging as it is related to
the gaining of body weight. An appropriate amount of food intake, AIM,
that is, your Adjusted Individual Measurement, is recommended based
on your own current BMR, year in and year out, with the CUPS diet®.
2. Body Composition
Lean muscle tissue burns calories at a quicker rate than that of adipose
(fat) tissue. the CUPS diet® helps by reducing fat and increasing the
ratio of lean muscle mass, in turn increasing your BMR with the resultant
continued weight loss.
3. Dietary Restrictions
Excessive weight loss occurs through Starvation, Extreme Dieting (crash),
Malnutrition, and even Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD), and the result is
often times a large volume of fluid loss. A significant loss of muscle tissue
may also be seen with VLCDs. As muscle mass drops, so does Basal
Metabolic Rate. The body then responds by trying to replace the lost
fluids, and weight loss can slow, stop, or even reverse, while metabolism
reduces and the body compensates. The body will respond to caloric
deprivation within about two days, with up to a 45% reduction in the
BMR. Extreme dieting (crash) lowers the BMR as much as 15-30%. Diets
low in iodine may reduce thyroid function which will also lower the BMR.
“the CUPS diet® is a Low to Moderate Calorie Diet and does not promote extreme
fluid loss or significant muscle tissue loss such as can be seen with Very Low Calorie
Diets (VLCDs). The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) have defined
VLCDs as diets providing fewer than 800 calories per day”.
4. External Temperature
Extremes of hot or cold external temperatures tend to produce changes
in the BMR. These changes can be about 5- 20% higher than those
found in moderate temperatures. In tropical settings, (but not extremes
of temperatures) BMR can actually decrease by as much as 20%.
Extreme external temperatures can also increase the internal body
temperature. An increase of 1 degree in body temperature (in Centigrade)
can raise the BMR as much as 13%. In arctic conditions, the Basal
Metabolic Rate can increase by as much as 20%.
5. Gender
Females usually have a lower BMR (by 5-10%) than males, due to the
fact that females usually have a lower percentage of lean body mass
than males. This is not always the case, however, as women can have
a higher percentage (especially female athletes), and thus a higher BMR.
6. Height
Total body surface area exposure is partially determined by height and
thus, height is a factor in calculating an individual’s Basal Metabolic Rate.
This is due to the fact that a tall individual has a larger exposure of skin
surface and thus will experience a higher rate of heat loss from the body.
This must be compensated for by a higher Basal Metabolic Rate.
7. Hormones
Thyroid hormones, thyroxin (T4) in particular, as well as triiodothyronine
(T3) can affect Basal Metabolic Rate. In hypothyroidism (underactive
thyroid) weight gain can occur due to a reduction in the BMR. There is
also an increased risk in women for Hypothyroidism, near or after
menopause. Stress related hormones, such as epinephrine (adrenaline),
norepinephrine and cortisol can also influence an individual’s BMR.
Testosterone levels can affect the BMR and, because women have
only about 5-10% of the levels as men, they are more likely to
experience weight gain due to having less muscle mass.
8. Menstruation
About two weeks before menstruation begins, it is not unusual to see
an increase in food intake due to an increased appetite. During
menstruation, BMR increases by about 10%, but this increase does not
offset the increased food consumption. Food intake must be controlled
or weight gain will occur.
9. Overall Health Status
Fevers and illnesses, can increase body temperature. As noted previously
in “External Temperature” an increase of 1 degree of body temperature
can raise BMR up to 13%.
10. Physical Activity
Caloric restrictions alone reduce the Basal Metabolic Rate. However when
physical activity is added, this lower BMR will begin to increase again.
Metabolism increases for up to twenty four hours after physical activity,
and is dependent upon the level of that activity. Therefore it is not
uncommon to experience a period of slower weight loss as fat is lost and
replaced by muscle tissue, which weighs more. As muscle becomes more
prominent with lean body mass, an increase in BMR occurs because lean
body mass burns calories at a higher rate than non-lean tissues.
To assist with weight loss, try 30 minutes of moderate physical activity
(beyond your normal routine) most days of the week. Appropriate
activities include; walking, jogging, running, weight lifting, swimming,
or biking. These recommendations are from the 1996 Surgeon General’s
report on Physical Activity and Health and are stressed in the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans 2005, from the Department of Health & Human
Services and the Department of Agriculture. It is also recommended
that, whatever type of exercise you choose, a diary be kept of your
activities.
11. Weight
As body weight increases, cardiovascular and respiratory systems must
work harder to support more mass. This results in the need for additional
caloric intake and an increase in BMR. The converse is also true in that as
weight is lost, BMR will decrease. With the CUPS diet® the food intake
recommended will adjust based on this new BMR so as to assist with
further weight loss.