Weight-loss concepts: What is BMR? What is PAL? What is TDEE?

Weight-loss concepts – What is BMR? What is PAL? What is TDEE?

Lots of acronyms but basically the BMR is a way to understand the calories needed to keep you alive (or your base metabolic rate). Add to this a measure of your physical activity levels (PAL) and you have your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) in calories. These are useful concepts when understanding the energy requirements you need each day and setting a reasonable weight-loss goal.

Basal Metabolic Rate = BMR

Physical Activity Level = PAL

Total Daily Energy Expenditure = TDEE

The Harris-Benedict BMR shows the amount of energy (in calories) that your body needs to function, allowing for individual factors such as height, weight, age and gender.

The BMR is a measure for adults only. Here’s how it works…

Create your basic BMR figure…

• 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)Then you need to account for your Physical Activity Levels (PAL) as follows…

  Multiply your BMR above by PAL below…

  • 1.2 = you are sedentary and do little or no exercise
  • 1.375 = you exercise lightly or do sport 1-3 days/week
  • 1.55 = you are moderately active and do exercise or sport 3-5 days/week
  • 1.725 = you are very active with hard exercise or sport 6-7 days a week
  • 1.9 = you are extremely active with very hard exercise or sport and a physical job or training twice a day

  Most people are at the 1.2 or 1.375 level.

  Multiply your BMR by your PAL to get your total TDEE. TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure.

  An example of BMR/TDEE use is as follows…

  BMR case study – A woman aged 43, 171 centimetres tall, weighs 70 kilos and does a light level of physical activity.

  • BMR = 655 + (9.6 x 70 kilos) + (1.8 x height 170cm) – (4.7 x 43 years)
  • BMR = 655 + (672) + (306) – 202.1 = 1,430.9
  • 1,430.9 x PAL of 1.375 = 1,967 calories/day TDEE

  This case study shows a need to reduce calorie intake anywhere from 1,967 per day to achieve a weight-loss goal.

  This is a method of telling you the number of calories you need for your current lifestyle, but to achieve a weight-loss goal you need to go below your TDEE.

  Weight-loss measures like BMR, TDEE and PAL can be used to help you observe and learn about your body. They are not gospel to live by but are useful observational tools.

  For a WellBeing Wikki Weight-Loss Sheet on setting weight-loss goals click here.

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