Basal Metabolic Rate calculation

Question

I am 48, male, 5ft 9 inches tall, and weigh 225 lbs.

My daily calorie intake is approximately 2200 calories...this is a balanced diet, high in protein and fibre, not high in carbs, low in fat...I don't snack apart from fruit in the morning and some chocalate in the evenings (and that's been factored into the 2200 calories)

I have low muscle mass, and have always had a low metabolism...

As I understand it from LiveStrong - How to lose 10 lbs a month I can caculate my metabolic rate as below:

66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds):

66 + (6,23*225) = 1449.06

add 12.7 * height in inches

12.7 * 69 = 876.3

subtract 6.8 * my age (48)

- 6.8 * 48  =324.6

So this totals up to 1998.96

Then it says to multiply that by either 1.35 (for lightly active) or 1.55 for very active....

and these give either 2748 or 3098 calories needed to maintain weight...

Now, I am walking 35 miles a week in total, walking around 3.5 miles per hour...this is my only exercise as I have a shoulder injury that will take some months to fix with physio and injections

So my question is, am I lightly active or very active?

I am guessing I am something between the two, it would certainly make me feel better if I could put very active considering that I am only taking in around 2200 calories a day

Or do I need to ramp up the daily walking to 7 miles a day, around 50 miles a week before I can call myself very active and calculate my BMA as 3098?

To clarify, I am aware that I am obese/morbidly obese - trying to do something about it.

Thanks

Answer 1

I would classify you as moderately to very active, depending on how vigorously you are walking. However, I would caution you a bit on rigidly adhering to a specific number, at least once you get a little more into your routines.

Take a look at this wiki page and run your numbers using each of the equations, and a moderately active level. Average them all out. When you track calories, make sure you do it rigorously, as it is easy to get extra calories without realizing it. This may mean weighing your food for the first few weeks until you get a good idea of your intake.

However, I would let the scale be your guide. Weigh your self under the same conditions each day, and track it. Watch for trends, not day to day fluctuations. Daily weight can vary by pounds. If the trend is downward, you're good. If it stagnates or creeps up, then you need to adjust activity or calories.

I would also suggest getting with a doctor to make sure you're healthy, and then a personal trainer to get some solid basic weightlifting routines built. Muscle mass will accelerate the weight loss.