New Year's Resolution: Body Fat Reduction & Metabolism Calculation

It's New Year's Resolution time yet again! For many of us, we will focus on getting healthier and reducing body fat (two goals that can certainly go hand and hand). For most people, it is beneficial to determine an organized baseline for initial measurements and implement a consistent and detailed record of progress. Determining body weight, body fat, metabolic rate, and other medical figures (cholesterol, blood pressure, triglycerides, insulin, etc) is a good first step. 

When you are trying to lose or gain weight in a healthy manner, it is important to remember that there are many factors affecting bodyweight. Some of these variables include activity level, gender, age, height, weight, and obviously genetics. It is also good to keep in mind that a pound of fat is about 3,500 calories so to burn fat you must create enough of a caloric deficit through exercise and/or dieting. Utilize the Harris-Benedict Equation which uses your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and incorporates an activity factor to determine your total daily energy expenditure in calories The main factor omitted by the Harris-Benedict Equation is lean body mass. Leaner bodies typically need more calories than those with a higher body fat percentage. Because of this, the Harris-Benedict Equation will be very accurate in all but the very muscular (underestimating calorie requirements) and those with very high levels of body fat (overestimating calorie requirements). The first step is to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR):

1. Calculate Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR):

Standard BMR Formula

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 )

Metric BMR Formula

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 9.6 x weight in kilos ) + ( 1.8 x height in cm) – ( 4.7 x age in years ) Men: BMR = 66 + ( 13.7 x weight in kilos ) + ( 5 x height in cm ) – ( 6.8 x age in years )

2. Apply the Harris-Benedict Principle:

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows: Sedentary: (little or no exercise): BMR x 1.2 Lightly Active: (light exercise 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375 Moderately Active: (moderate exercise 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55 Very Active: (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week):  BMR x 1.725 Extremely Active: (very hard exercise, double training): BMR x 1.9

(bmicalculator . net, 2010)

Please remember to just use this as a guideline and consult your physician before beginning a weight loss or fitness regimen. Best of luck with all of your New Year's Resolutions, and I hope Frugal Fitness can be a valuable resource for you! Remember that patience, hard work, and smart decisions are most important.

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More Personal Opinions on "The Biggest Loser" Show and Other Weight Loss Challenges

I've already posted an article about my thoughts on "The Biggest Loser" and other weight loss competitions. I have mixed opinions on shows like "The Biggest Loser". I'll start with the good aspects of it. The Biggest Loser is a very motivating show so anything that gets people off of their butts and into a workout regimen is just fine with  me. There are Biggest Loser competitions all over the country, probably in other countries as well. I've even run several Biggest Loser competitions at gyms I've worked at. People get very motivated and the enthusiasm is contagious. It proves that even somebody that has been unhealthy their whole life, or gone down the wrong path, can change their lives with the power of exercise and nutrition. 

Then there are the negative aspects of it. The contestants on the show are embarrassed in front of millions of people at the start of the show. The contestants workout about 4 hours a day and 6 days a week which is not even close to healthy or realistic for the average person. This is also dangerous for sedentary and severely overweight individuals. I disagree with a lot of the high impact exercises and challenges that they have the contestants do because the risk-benefit ratio is way too high for injury or health risks. The contestants are weighed every week which is not necessarily the best way to do things. 1-2 lbs of fat loss per week is normal healthy weight loss for the average person, usually a little higher if the individual has a lot of weight to lose. Some contestants lose 10-20 lbs in 1 week which means that they are losing water and muscle weight, very unhealthy. Also, the focus is solely on scale weight and not overall bodyfat percentage which gives you a better picture of their progress. Because the workouts that the contestants go through are designed almost purely for weight loss and minimal muscle gain, once they contest is over the contestants can easily put the weight back on very quickly. The low amount of muscle mass they have from their workouts causes a reduced metabolism and they are more susceptible to weight gain. There is also a lot of blatant product placement and supplements used on television that may not be the best choices for everyone. The show is now a cash cow and everyone from female trainer Jillian Michaels to the network are trying to get as much money from it as possible.

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The Good and Bad of "Biggest Loser"

Lightning Fast & Incredible Transformations Can Be Risky

For Participants and Viewers (physically and psychologically)

       Now what could be bad about the extraordinarily successful "The Biggest Loser" you may ask. Yes it is a very emotional and motivating show for a lot of people out there and I think it has done a lot of good overall. It does show that major changes and improvements have to be made for a long time to improve your health and physique. Some people still have the idea that getting in shape will or should happen overnight. It doesn't work like that and it takes real sacrifice to achieve your goals. The contestants on the show put their blood, sweat, and tears into making their lives and bodies better. Many of them are forever improved from their being on the show.

       What people don't always realize is the incredible time commitment these people have to put it in everyday so they can lose so much weight each week. The average healthy weight loss for a person is 1-2 lbs of fat per week and contestants often lose 5-10 times more than that! Sure, most of them are larger and have more weight to lose but it is still a little extreme and borderline (if not clearly) unhealthy. Also, the 1 hour show doesn't go into the 2-4 hours a day of exercise that these people go through, 6 days a week. That is completely unrealistic for the average working class person and again is pretty unhealthy. Taking somebody that is so overweight, unhealthy, and sedentary for so long and then working them out 15-20 hours a week is a great recipe for a heart attack, stroke, orthopedic injury, or other chronic injuries.

I know they have physicians monitoring everything and they are provided with nutrition but it is still quite extreme. Not only that, but when you lose all that weight so quickly and work out that much, you also lose a lot of muscle or at least prevent any significant muscle gain. If you lose muscle mass, then your metabolism will suffer in the long run.

      The other issue that I want you to think about is should we be glorifying and awarding people that work so hard for 6 months to lose a ton of weight after 40 years of being a fat slob? To an extent, I think it is sending the wrong message to people who see that it's ok to completely ignore their health and body for most of their life and then they can reverse it all in 6 months. That isn't the complete story and that isn't what happens to the majority of people. Some of the contestants that did not have the best experience on the show may not be very vocal about it because they signed contracts of silence or the money-train of the Biggest Loser franchise silences their complaints. I guarantee several contestants over the years have been hurt, gotten sick, or ended up gaining all the weight back. While it is still a good show overall, people just need to be aware that losing 12 lbs in a week is not common in the real world and losing 250 lbs in 6 months is ludicrous. Let the show motivate you to improve your own health and physique but don't let it give you delusions quick fixes and miraculous turnarounds.

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