You may have seen the term BMR used regularly in our descriptions of the Evolve Diet. But what does it mean, and why is it important in the EVOLVE DIET APP?
For the uneducated, BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate. Also known as your Resting Metabolic Rate, it is a basic indicator of how many calories you burn each day doing absolutely nothing.
You see, even if you did no physical activity whatsoever, your body burns calories just keeping you alive. This comes from energy released keeping your heart beating and the host of other bodily functions.
Wait, does this mean I can lose weight doing nothing at all?!
Absolutely right! The average person burns around 100 calories an hour by just sitting on their backside!
Now, it is widely accepted that 1 pound of fat equals about 3500 calories.
So, if you were to do absolutely nothing at all, and not eat or drink any calories, it would take approximately 1.5 days to lose 1 pound of fat.
That’s 3500 calories (1 pound of fat) divided by 100 calories/hour (burned doing nothing) = 35 hours
Of course, this is somewhat of an oversimplification (it varies slightly by age, gender, muscle mass, daily actviity etc), but the science is undisputed.
And in addition, that 100 calories/hour is for a healthy weight person. The more overweight you are, the more calories you burn an hour doing nothing. This is because the bigger you are, the more energy is needed to maintain your mass. This is why people with a lot of weight to lose, shred fat so quickly when they go on a fast. They could be burning up to 150 calories an hour doing nothing at all.
Why your BMR is needed for the Evolve Diet
When the EVOLVE DIET APP works out your BMR it allows us to calculate an appropriate calorie deficit for you over a 10 day cycle (the size of the calorie deficit is determined by the program level you choose – Aggressive, Moderate or Light).
The app then takes your total calories (after deficit calculation) and allocates them to you in random amounts each day of the cycle. Overall, it means you will have been in a calorie deficit but experienced it in a fun and trackable way, under a fixed timescale – drastically increasing your successful adherence to the program.
What is more, the randomisation element of the EVOLVE DIET APP turbo charges your weight loss achievements because it incorporates elements of intermittent fasting. It can lead to unpredictable (and longer) periods of time between meals that keeps your insulin levels lower and forces a greater reliance on stored fat for energy rather than glucose in your blood stream.
Download a free 10 day trial of the EVOLVE DIET APP today to start your own weight loss journey. Be happier, healthier and more confident.