A few years ago I developed a little javascript Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) and BMI calculator with the help of a great Indian programmer and using data kindly supplied by the Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management, University of Kansas Medical Center.
It is a fun and easy tool to use. It helps you discover approximately how much energy you expend during the day doing all sorts of different physical activities. And it is very surprising to find out your energy consumption just doing absolutely nothing.
The tool estimates your total daily energy expenditure or use (TDEE). We have included current MET values for many physical activities so that your TDEE can be calculated as accurately as possible.
MET (Metabolic Equivalent) Values are defined as
The ratio of the work metabolic rate to the resting metabolic rate. One MET is defined as 1 kcal/kg/hour and is roughly equivalent to the energy cost of sitting quietly. A MET value is also defined as oxygen uptake in ml/kg/min with one MET equal to the oxygen cost of sitting quietly, equivalent to 3.5 ml/kg/min.
Don’t worry – it’s very simple on the calculator.
Full instructions are on the Calculator
To get started…
Tape measure, scales, and truth about your age.
You can toggle between Metric/Imperial and Male/Female
Enter Weight, Height and Age FIRST
The estimating of your energy expenditure during the day has been made much simpler with the use of MET values (Metabolic Equivalent) published in the Compendium of Physical Activities and included here in this calculator.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure – TDEE
To estimate the amount of energy you consume during a 24hr day while performing various activities, just enter the MET value of the activity (sleeping has already been done for you) and the hours spent on each activity. You can use parts of an hour (i.e. 0.5hrs). Keep going till you reach 24 hours in TOTAL.
Press the ADD button to give more options. MET values for many common daily activities are shown in the expandable tables below. Your TDEE is EQUIVALENT to how many calories you need to eat during the day to meet your energy needs.
The Compendium of Physical Activities was developed for use in epidemiologic studies to standardize the assignment of MET intensities in physical activity questionnaires. Dr. Bill Haskell from Stanford University conceptualized the Compendium and developed a prototype for the document.
The Compendium was used first in the Survey of Activity, Fitness, and Exercise (SAFE study – 1987 to 1989) to code and score physical activity records. Since then, the Compendium has been used in studies worldwide to assign intensity units to physical activity questionnaires and to develop innovative ways to assess energy expenditure in physical activity studies. Version 1 of the Compendium was published in 1993. An updated version was published in 2000.
Instructions are included, and we welcome any feedback or suggestions. We think it’s the most innovative RMR, BMI and TDEE calculator on the web. Enjoy.
Special thanks to Stephen Herrmann, Ph.D. at the Dept. of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management, University of Kansas Medical Center. For the latest evidenced based information and research on MET values see The Compendium of Physical Activities
See Part 2 Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), Body Mass Index (BMI) and Total Daily Energy Use
REF: Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Herrmann SD, Meckes N, Bassett Jr DR, Tudor-Locke C, Greer JL, Vezina J, Whitt-Glover MC, Leon AS. The Compendium of Physical Activities Tracking Guide. Healthy Lifestyles Research Center, College of Nursing & Health Innovation, Arizona State University. Retrieved Our energy based articles that mention the calculator – Cover image by Silke Otten – Ich krieg`Dich from Flickr
https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/
