Are You Eating Enough To Burn Fat As Energy?

When it comes to your body's ability to use fat as energy and reduce body fat correctly, you need to be eating the proper amount of calories. It has been my experience, that when it comes to trying to transform one's body through diet and exercise, most people are eating too few calories. How do you know? Below are some simple equations you can use.

You first have to know these two numbers: Your Resting Basal Metabolic Rate and your Active Basal Metabolic Rate.

First the Resting Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)...the number of calories your body needs just to maintain life (lying in bed all ay without moving a muscle) relateing to keeping the heart beating, the circulation working, respiration in order, digestive processes operating smoothly, and elimination flowing.

To find this resting BMR, divide your body weight in pounds by 2.26. Then multiply that number by 24 and round off that number to a whole number.

Your body Weight:______lbs divided by 2.26 x 24 = ________ (your resting BMR)

Next your Active Basal Metabolic Rate (ABMR)...this number is higher because it takes into account your BMR + your daily activities (things like walking,driving, shopping, exercising etc).

Males: Your BMR:_____ x 1.15 = _______(Your ABMR)

Females: Your BMR:_____ x 1.1 = _______(Your ABMR)

This ABMR number is the amount of daily caloric heat your body ideally needs to utilize fat efficiently and to repair muscle tissue. Run the numbers for yourself...and see if you are eating enough to burn fat as energy. Chances are if you are dieting on your own, you will be below this number...thus putting your body in fat storing mode versus fat burning mode.

An excellent way to track what you are eating and stay on track to your goals is to use something like MyFoodDiary.com. It is a very thorough online service which costs about $9/month. If you haven't checked it out, give it a gander. It requires a little bit of elbow grease inputing data initially but in my experience, if you stick with it, you will be more than happy with the results.

Be well,
Adam Brewer
Your Santa Monica bootcamp coach