Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the number of calories your body needs to perform essential functions while at rest—like breathing, circulating blood, and maintaining body temperature.

RMR is important because it accounts for the largest portion of your total daily energy expenditure. Knowing your RMR helps you understand how many calories your body burns when you’re not active, which is key for:

• Creating accurate calorie targets for weight loss, maintenance, or gain

• Designing personalized nutrition plans based on your unique metabolism

• Optimizing your energy balance to support overall health and wellness

By measuring your RMR through metabolic testing, you get a personalized snapshot that can guide more effective and sustainable nutrition and fitness strategies.

Yes. To ensure the most accurate results, please follow these guidelines before your metabolic test:

• Fast for at least 4 hours prior to your appointment

• Avoid stimulants, including caffeine and cold medications

• Do not exercise on the day of your test, as your body should be at rest during testing

• Take prescription medications as prescribed, unless otherwise directed by your provider

Following these instructions helps ensure the most accurate assessment of your resting metabolism.

What should I expect during the metabolic test?
You’ll be invited to sit and relax in a comfortable position. A nose clip will be placed to ensure you breathe only through your mouth, and you’ll be given a personal MetaBreather mouthpiece to breathe into.

You’ll inhale fresh room air, while the air you exhale will travel through a tube into the metabolic analyzer. This allows us to measure your resting metabolic rate based on the gases you breathe out.

To ensure accurate results:

• Make a firm seal with your lips around the mouthpiece so all exhaled air is captured

• Remain still, quiet, and relaxed throughout the test

After about 10 minutes, the device will beep to signal completion. That’s it—quick, simple, and completely noninvasive!

The metabolic test itself takes about 10–15 minutes to complete.

Metabolic testing is typically scheduled alongside a 30-minute follow-up nutrition counseling session, during which your dietitian will review your results and incorporate them into your personalized nutrition and wellness plan.

Evergreen’s Baseline Metabolic Testing Package | $100

This package includes:

• One baseline metabolic test

• One follow-up test (scheduled 4 to 12 weeks later based on your personalized nutrition and wellness plan)

Additional testing may be recommended depending on your progress and goals. Each extra test is $40.

Metabolic testing is not billable to insurance at this time. However, we are happy to accept payment through Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).

To get the greatest benefit from your metabolic testing results, it’s important to integrate the data into a personalized nutrition and wellness plan. Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) provides valuable insight into how many calories your body burns at rest, which helps guide:

• Targeted calorie and macronutrient recommendations

• Adjustments for weight loss, maintenance, or performance goals

• More accurate portion planning and fueling strategies

Your dietitian will review the results with you during your follow-up counseling session and help translate the data into actionable steps that align with your health goals, lifestyle, and preferences. Regular follow-up and repeat testing can also track progress and fine-tune your plan over time.

Even if you don’t count calories, knowing your resting metabolic rate provides valuable insight into how your body uses energy at rest. This information helps your dietitian tailor nutrition recommendations and meal plans specifically to your body’s needs and goals.

By understanding your RMR, your dietitian can:

• Design a personalized nutrition plan that supports your energy levels and wellness goals without requiring you to track every calorie

• Recommend portion sizes and food choices that align with your metabolism

• Adjust your plan if your metabolism is faster or slower than average to help manage weight, improve energy, or support overall health

In short, RMR testing gives your dietitian important data to create a nutrition strategy that fits your lifestyle—helping you feel your best without the pressure of calorie counting.

Yes. Both perimenopause and post-menopause bring hormonal changes that often affect metabolism, energy levels, and body composition. These shifts can make weight management and maintaining overall health more challenging.

Metabolic testing provides personalized insight into your resting metabolic rate during these phases, allowing your dietitian to:

• Tailor nutrition and wellness plans to your current metabolic needs

• Develop strategies to support healthy weight management and energy balance

• Adjust recommendations to help maintain muscle mass and counter hormonal influences

By understanding how your metabolism is evolving, metabolic testing empowers you to manage these changes effectively with a customized plan designed to optimize your health and well-being.