BMR & TDEE Calculator

Basal metabolic rate, maintenance calories (TDEE) and a fat-loss target.

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Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
BMR (cal/day)
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TDEE (maintenance)
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To lose 0.5kg/wk
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Mifflin-St Jeor equation
Male: 10W + 6.25H − 5A + 5
Female: 10W + 6.25H − 5A − 161
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body burns just to stay alive — breathing, circulating blood, brain function. You'd burn this many calories even if you lay still all day.
1
BMR = your bare minimum calorie need at rest
2
TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier (your actual daily need)
3
Deficit = Eat ~500 cal/day below TDEE to lose ~0.5kg/week
💡 Tip: TDEE is the number to focus on for weight management — it's BMR adjusted for your lifestyle. Eating at TDEE = weight maintenance.

How many calories your body needs

Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest just to keep you alive — powering your heart, lungs, brain, and the maintenance of every cell. It is the single biggest component of your daily energy use, typically 60–70% of the total, and it is the foundation of any sensible plan to lose, gain, or maintain weight.

How to use the BMR calculator

Enter your weight, height, age, and sex, then choose your activity level. The calculator returns your BMR, your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure — your real-world maintenance calories), and a suggested intake for gradual weight loss.

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, widely regarded as one of the most accurate for the general population: men = 10W + 6.25H − 5A + 5, and women = 10W + 6.25H − 5A − 161, where W is weight in kg, H is height in cm, and A is age in years. Your TDEE is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor from 1.2 (sedentary) up to 1.9 (very active).

Using the numbers

Eating at your TDEE keeps your weight stable. To lose roughly half a kilogram a week, aim for about 500 calories a day below your TDEE, since a kilogram of body fat stores around 7,700 calories. These figures are estimates — real metabolisms vary — so use them as a starting point and adjust based on how your weight actually responds over a few weeks.

Frequently asked questions

How is BMR calculated?

Using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation: men = 10W + 6.25H − 5A + 5; women = 10W + 6.25H − 5A − 161 (W in kg, H in cm, A in years).

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is the calories you burn at complete rest. TDEE multiplies BMR by an activity factor to estimate your real daily need. Eating at TDEE maintains weight.