Knowing Your Metabolism is one of the crucial measurements we take when you join our weight loss program.
Resting Metabolic Rate, or RMR, is the amount of calories burned in a 24 hour period if you did nothing besides lay in bed and breathe. RMR makes up the largest percentage of your total calories burned in a day; way more than daily activities and even high intensity exercise. So naturally, one of the most important mechanisms for losing body fat and keeping it off is having a high RMR
When you crash diet or lose weight too quickly, your body views this is a period of starvation. Its reaction to a potentially life threatening food scarcity is to reduce RMR so that you aren’t wasting any calories.
Once your RMR has dropped (there are hormones in the thyroid that are responsible for RMR regulation which change during sever calorie restriction) it becomes impossible to return to a “normal” diet after crash dieting, without regaining weight. In order to avoid another perceived period of near starvation, the body is programmed to accumulate more body fat and more quickly than before.
The Line Graph to the left shows how one’s metabolism slows down when there is significant calorie restriction. This slowing of the RMR makes it very difficult to lose weight.
KORR Metabolic Analyzers utilize the same technology as ICU metabolic testing. Because every calorie a person consumes requires a fixed amount of oxygen to be converted to energy, the KORR Analyzer measures the oxygen you consume to calculatecalories burned. All of the air exhaled by the patient must be collected to measure oxygen consumption. Two one-way valves in the KORR MetaBreather ensure that only fresh air is inhaled and all exhaled gas passes through the hose and into the machine. A nose-clip ensures that all exhaled air is analyzed.
Preparing for the Test
In order to get the most accurate results, it is important to follow the standard protocol for a Resting Metabolic Rate test:
- You should avoid eating 4 hours before the test.
- Avoid exercising prior to your test.
- If possible, avoid the use of stimulants such as caffeine.
During the Test
During the test you will be invited to sit or recline in a comfortable position. You will be given a KORR MetaBreather mouthpiece to breathe in to. You will be breathing in air from the room, but the gas that you breathe out will go into the metabolic analyzer to measure your metabolic rate.
- Relax and close your eyes during the test.
- Keep lips sealed lightly around the MetaBreather. It is important that all the air you breathe out is analyzed.
- In just 10 minutes, your metabolic rate will be measured!
