Sunday, February 15, 2015

Body Fat % (feat. BMR & TDEE)

It has always been important for me to record my progress in some way. For example, I record what weights I used the last time I did a particular workout and how many times I moved said weight from point A to point B. If I don't have a planned workout where I can document my progression day to day and week to week, I cannot feel motivated. I think it's important to have not only an objective but also, inherent with many goals, the ability to observe success. There should be some relatively consistent metric of success that is directly pertinent to your objective.

What is your objective in fitness? What goals do you have in mind, and how are you measuring your success?


I mentioned this in an earlier post, but my current immediate goals strictly pertaining to my natural fitness are simply:


My Goals

  • Gain strength (gain 5-10 pounds muscle in as many months)
    • Maintain BF%
  • Discover a diet (read long term changes in nutritional health) that works for me
  • 3-5 days of exercise a week
  • 2-3 hours of cardio. a week
My first goal may seem very broad or generic, and that's why I included the parenthesis including a potential indirect measurement. I believe that increasing my strength is probably the most realistic and important thing I can focus on right now regarding my fitness and what I'm looking to achieve (here's looking at you, Captain America). I fluctuate in weight daily by about 1-3 pounds, and someone that is larger than me and wanting to lose weight will differ even more day to day. Additionally, for someone who is looking to gain healthy weight, the truth is that one can expect maybe 1-2 pounds of muscle gain a month with proper and dedicated nutrition coincident with a consistent workout regiment.

For the past four weeks, I've increased my caloric intake (trying for lots of protein and some carbs on workout days, and protein and fruits and healthy fats on off/cardio days) and have spent a minimum of 3 days at the gym a week, with strength training workouts that last typically 1 hr 45 min to 2 hours. I have gone from a weekly average weight of 171 lbs to 170 lbs. So, I don't believe that using weight as a readout on it's own is a very accurate or healthy way to gauge success. At least for me. I am getting stronger, and my musculature in general is looking a little more defined, so there is a better way to determine my success. In my research thus far, aka reading endless opinions, blogs, and forums on the internet (and inevitably Nerd Fitness), diet seems to be the #1 aspect of success regardless of what your goals are (lose fat, gain muscle, perfect djent crab-core rocker stance). Following that, the next integral ingredient is just unpasteurized, calcium-laden determination. I'll get there!


I want to include here, as if this wasn't obvious (though I think we do all forget from time to time), that everyone is different. Genetic predispositions can lead one to retain fat at a much higher rate than others, while for others gaining muscle seems to happen in their sleep. What's important is that we discover for ourselves what we've been given at the starting line, and not use any of it as an excuse. We all have different propensities in all areas of fitness, and if something comes more arduously and painfully for us than for others, it's important we get our mental attitude about it right. It doesn't mean we can't do it, or it just isn't fair, but instead simply means we have to work that much harder for it. The truth is, you are the only one that can live your life. It doesn't matter if someone else can "eat whatever they want and stay so thin without even trying!", they're playing a different game of life, and their rules don't apply to you.


So now I'll describe what I've decided to try as my metrics for success. Firstly, my goals are to gain strength and get bigger. I don't want to ride 200 miles on a bike, or run a 6 minute mile, or lose 10 pounds, or do a back-flip. Maybe do a back-flip. Regardless, I won't be gauging my success by how well I can do those things - makes sense, right? 


My Metrics For Success

  • Am I lifting heavier weights?
    • Use a couple benchmark lifts (bench press, dead lift, squat...)
  • Measurements
    • Chest, waist, thighs, biceps, etc... I use this tape measure.
    • Body Fat (BF) %
    • Weight (yes, weight so I can get a calculation for BF)
  • Progress Pics
    • Sometimes it's hard to see the changes in the short term.
  • Attitude
    • Am I happy? Gotta be honest with yourself.

Now brace yourself. What follows is a series of screen shots detailing what I use to calculate my BF%, my basal metabolic rate (BMR; how many calories my body needs to stay alive and function optimally), and my total daily energy expenditure (TDEE; how many calories I need to maintain the weight I am at). Also, my opinions. So, if you're interested in these things for curiosity sake or to try yourself, here it is.

The site I use for the calculations is falled Fat2FitTools.com





























The first of these tools we'll be looking at is the Military Body Fat calculator. I've tested other versions of tape-measure based body fat calculations, and I have found that the Military Body Fat calculator tends to lie in the middle, and from what I've read, is typically only ~1 % off of the more accurate caliper measurement methods. For the absolute best BF % calculations, you will need to find a facility where they do submersion analysis, where you float in a tank. Yes, it does sound like fun!




Here are my measurements:




























The math if you're interested: 

Male = 495/(1.0324-0.19077(log(w-n))+0.15456(log(h)))-450
Female = 495/(1.29579-0.35004(log(w+h-n))+0.22100(log(h)))-450
Variables: n = neck, h = height, w = waist, h = hips

And the readout:























Here is a chart of what your body fat calculation means, according to the American Council on Exercise: 





Mine was 12.6% last week, and 13.4% this week, but that difference could be simply be because I took measurements at different times of the day. So, consistency is key - for me, I am choosing to take my measurements on Saturday mornings, after coffee but before food from now on.

Now, onto the calorie stuff! Again, everyone is different - a unique snowflake of predisposition, predilection, and environment. Our bodies interact with calories differently from each other, but the basic premise of more calories out than in (for weight loss; reverse that for weight gain) stands true for everyone. Some individuals have inefficient fat cells, which means when your body needs energy, they are greedy and won't let energy (fat) out, make you crave more input (food). Luckily, I learned from my favorite fitness site that several studies have demonstrated that regardless of genetic differences, we all fall within 200-300 kcal of each other on the scale of metabolic efficiency

Moving on.


Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

Your BMR is how many calories everything in your body burns excluding your fat tissue (aka, lean body mass). These are the calories you need to live. TDEE, is a calculated estimate of how many calories you need to consume in order to maintain or achieve increased/decreased weight. Now that I have my BF%, I can calculate these numbers.


























The reason you put in your CURRENT weight into both the CURRENT and GOAL weight section is to determine your TDEE. If you want to lose weight at a certain activity level, aim for calories below that number. For example, my BMR and TDEE:












It's the Katch-Mcardle Formula that takes into account your lean body mass based on your BF%. 


[Maths, because Seth likes that sort of thing]

Harris-Benedict Formula: 

  • MenBMR = 66.473 + (13.7516 x weight in kg) + (5.0033 x height in cm) – (6.7550 x age in years)
  • WomenBMR = 655.0955 + (9.5634 x weight in kg) + (1.8496 x height in cm) – (4.6756 x age in years)

Katch-McArdle Formula:

  • P = 370 + (21.6*LBM)


My understanding of the derivation of these coefficients and combinations of numbers is that they were formed based on indirect measurements of metabolism via gas exchange rates amongst large populations. Additionally, the TDEE calculations are based on multiplying the Harris-Benedict results by some coefficient depending on which activity level category you fall into.

I'm not big into calorie counting, though I've tried it at times, like when I used to think I needed to lose weight, and it was unhealthy for me. But, in my quest of building mass now, I may need to start paying a little more attention to it again.

This has already become a very long post, so I will sign off for now. I hope some of you are able to use this information to form an adequate series of metrics to measure your success towards your fitness goals. For me, this is my starting point. In a few months, or maybe even sooner, I plan to post some progress pictures.

Thanks for reading! Go forth and be fit.

~Michael

3 comments:

  1. Hey what a brilliant post I have come across and believe me I have been searching out for this similar kind of post for past a week and hardly came across this. Thank you very much and will look for more postings from you. TDEE

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