Calories you burn doing nothing

[IntlSet]

I know everyone's metabolism is different, but I read a while back that if you just laid in bed doing absolutely nothing, just the energy it takes to keep you breathing, to keep your heart pumping, etc. is around 1,200 calories.

Does anybody know what a rough ballpark figure is? I might have remembered that wrong.

 

[Selena]

I think that number changes based on your weight. I think you take your weight and multiply it by 14 and that is how many calories you need to maintain your current weight.

Selena

 

[mariesmist]

It's called your basal metabolic rate. I dont know how to calculate it, but a google search turned up this helpful page: http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/Courses/ns421/BMR.html

 

[IntlSet]

It's called your basal metabolic rate. I dont know how to calculate it, but a google search turned up this helpful page: http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/Courses/ns421/BMR.html

Thanks! For some reason I thought the BMR was something else... like just an indicator of whether you're oveweight.

 

[IntlSet]

BMR calculator so you don't have to do the math: http://www.internetfitness.com/calculators/bmr.htm

 

[Swanky]

IS - are you thinking of BMI - Body Mass Index?

 

[IntlSet]

IS - are you thinking of BMI - Body Mass Index?

Yeah, I was confusing it with BMI, I think! The link I posted above is awesome. Apparently I turn 1300-something calories doing nothing. That sounds kinda high, but hey.

 

[abandonedimages]

Nice.

Would breathing faster do anything for me

 

[Perja]

If you're exercising, I was told that if you breathe faster, it brings oxygen faster to be used = slight increase in heart rate. So you'd burn more. But nothing out of this world

 

[Selena]

If you're exercising, I was told that if you breathe faster, it brings oxygen faster to be used = slight increase in heart rate. So you'd burn more. But nothing out of this world

I know Coughing burns TONS of calories! Stupid fact but its true.

Selena

 

[Perja]

Yeah but I think my colleagues would have me locked up if I spent the day coughing.

 

[ayla]

It also depends on the fat percentage in your body does it not ? If you have more muscle, even if you aren't doing anything, you'll burn more calories since they require more energy.

 

[blugenie]

Okay, say you're sitting down but frantically moving the computer mouse, typing quickly, nimbly switching windows, anxiously awaiting advice from other boardies, breathing fast with heart racing as you decide whether to click the button to purchase that bag online or not... how many calories is that?

(obviously I need to get out more...)

 

[Cristina]

It also depends on the fat percentage in your body does it not ? If you have more muscle, even if you aren't doing anything, you'll burn more calories since they require more energy.

It does. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism. Higher metabolism = burning more calories when you're stationary