By Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN

What Does a BMI Weight Loss Calculator Measure?

BMI stands for Body Mass Index. This term is used to describe an assessment of your weight in relation to your height. The mathematical equation used to determine BMI is:

Weight ÷ (Height in feet x Height in feet)

Basically, you can use the circumference of your waist and your BMI to determine whether or not your weight falls within a healthy range. Your BMI allows you to estimate your overall body fat and the health risks associated with being overweight or obese. BMI is reliable for most people between the ages of 19 and 70 except for pregnant women, women who are breast-feeding, competitive athletes, body builders, and chronically ill patients.

You can calculate your BMI by yourself, or use an online weight loss calculator to do the math for you. Once your have your BMI, you can use the chart below to determine where you stand. The results of the BMI calculation are categorized as follows:

Health Risk According to BMI and Waist Size

It’s important to remember that calculating your BMI does not take into account your particular body composition. Therefore, if you’re a particularly muscular person, the health risks and obesity category associated with your BMI may not be accurate.
So if you’re gaining or losing muscle as part of your weight loss program, it may not be beneficial for you to track your progress using your BMI calculation. A better way to monitor your progress would be to check the fit of your clothes.

What Does A BMR Weight Loss Calculator Measure?

BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate. It’s an estimate of how many calories you would burn if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours.

BMR is also referred to as Basal Energy Expenditure or BEE. This number represents the minimum amount of energy that is required to keep your body’s major systems functioning; including your pumping blood through your heart and air through your lungs and keeping your body temperature normal.

Measurements are typically taken in a quiet, darkened room right after waking from eight hours of sleep; twelve hours of fasting (to ensure that the digestive system is inactive); and with the individual in a resting position. Your BMR will decrease in direct proportion to your weight.

When a precise measurement is not practical, you can use a weight loss calculator to determine your BMR. Most weight loss calculators will use the Harris-Benedict equation to determine one’s BMR.

The Harris Benedict Equation is a formula that uses your BMR and then applies an activity factor to determine your total daily expenditure of calories. This equation has been the standard for decades and is still the most widely used. However, as with the BMI calculation, BMR is accurate in all but the very muscular and the very fat as it does not accurately take into account the energy requirements of one’s lean muscle mass.

The Harris-Benedict equation for BMR is as follows:
Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x Weight) + (4.7 x Height) – (4.7 x Age)
Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x Weight) + (12.7 x Height) – (6.8 x Age)

Weight loss calculators can be a useful tool for tracking your weight loss progress, but remember there are limitations to their accuracy; for the best possible measurement consult with a fitness professional or your healthcare provider.

About the Author

Dr. Edward F. Group III continues to develop, sell and evaluate exclusively high-end natural and organic healthcare products to support a wide range of health conditions. The products we promote are free of toxic tag-along herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, heavy metals, fumigants, irradiation, liver-toxic glues, binders, or gelatin capsules with animal-source risk and toxic preservatives.

For all of your weight loss and obesity needs, natural remedies, tips, products, support forums and more please visit www.weightlossobesity.com or www.slimirex.com.