noun

1. the rate at which the body uses energy while at rest to keep vital functions going, such as breathing and keeping warm.

So, essentially what your body burns every day without you doing anything.

I looked at a bunch of calculators and got a low of 2081 from MyFitnessPal and 2298 from active.com

So, if I take the lowest number and and ingest only 1500 calories a day I’m burning over 500 a day.  That means I would lose a pound a week without exercise.  With my walking that would get even better.

A friend gave me a copy of Tim Ferris’s’ book The 4-Hour Body.  I’ve only skimmed through it but it seems like it has a lot of silly stuff in it.  When I finish it I will do a full review.  It is fun.  I do like the disclaimer he puts at the beginning.

TIM’S DISCLAIMER
Please don’t be stupid and kill yourself. It would make us both quite unhappy.
Consult a doctor before doing anything in this book.