BMR Calculator
Discover how many calories your body burns at rest and your daily maintenance needs.
Discover how many calories your body burns at rest and your daily maintenance needs.
Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body requires to perform its most basic, life-sustaining functions while at rest. This includes breathing, circulation, nutrient processing, and cell production. Even if you stayed in bed all day without moving, your body would still burn this number of calories.
Our free online calculator uses the widely respected Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is considered by most nutrition and health professionals to be the most accurate method for estimating BMR:
While BMR calculates calories burned at absolute rest, your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) factors in your physical activity. By multiplying your BMR by your activity level (sedentary, active, highly active), you get your TDEE, which is your maintenance calories. If you eat fewer calories than your TDEE, you will lose weight; if you eat more, you will gain weight.
To lose weight, you generally need to be in a caloric deficit. A common and safe approach is to subtract 300 to 500 calories from your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) to lose about 1 pound per week. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting a restrictive diet.
Yes. Your BMR decreases as you age. However, you can increase your BMR by building lean muscle mass, as muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue.
Calculators based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation provide highly accurate estimations for the average adult. However, extremely muscular individuals, pregnant women, and people with specific metabolic conditions may have different actual caloric needs.