Health & Fitness
BMR Calculator
Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate — calories burned at complete rest.
Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body burns to maintain basic life functions — breathing, circulation, cell repair — if you did nothing but rest all day. It is the starting point for any nutrition plan.
Basal Metabolic Rate
1750 cal
- tdee
- 2713 cal (TDEE)
- weight Loss
- 2213 cal/day (lose ~1 lb/week)
- weight Gain
- 3013 cal/day (lean gain)
Formula and method
BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor): Male = 10W + 6.25H - 5A + 5; Female = 10W + 6.25H - 5A - 161
Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, considered the most accurate of the commonly-used BMR formulas. TDEE is BMR multiplied by an activity factor.
Worked examples
Average male, moderately active
- Weight (lbs):
- 185
- Height (inches):
- 71
- Age:
- 35
- Biological Sex:
- Male
- Activity Level:
- Moderately Active
Basal Metabolic Rate: 1796 cal
Active female athlete
- Weight (lbs):
- 140
- Height (inches):
- 65
- Age:
- 28
- Biological Sex:
- Female
- Activity Level:
- Very Active
Basal Metabolic Rate: 1366 cal
Assumptions and limits
- Mifflin-St Jeor equation
- Activity factors from Harris-Benedict revision
This tool provides an educational estimate. Rules, rates and personal circumstances can change the answer. Review the assumptions before relying on a result. Report a correction.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing BMR with TDEE — BMR is at complete rest, TDEE includes all daily movement.
- Using TDEE as a hard ceiling — TDEE estimates have ±10-15% individual variation.
- Not recalculating after significant weight change — BMR decreases as body weight decreases.
Frequently asked questions
What is TDEE?
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor. It represents total calories burned per day including exercise and daily movement. Eating at TDEE maintains weight.
How accurate is this formula?
Mifflin-St Jeor is accurate within ±10% for most people. Lean athletes will have higher actual metabolic rates (more muscle burns more calories). Body composition measurements are more precise.
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