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BMR Calculator

Calories your body burns at complete rest.

Reviewed by the Calculation Machine team · How we check our maths

Your values

ⓘ Live results

Results
BMR
1,711 kcal/day
Maintenance if moderately active
2,653 kcal/day
Per hour at rest
71 kcal
Activity levelDaily calories
Sedentary2,054 kcal
Lightly active2,353 kcal
Moderately active2,653 kcal
Very active2,952 kcal
Athlete3,252 kcal

Quick answer

Basal metabolic rate is the energy your body uses at rest; the Mifflin-St Jeor equation is the most accurate common estimate.

The formula

BMR = 10·kg + 6.25·cm − 5·age + s (s = +5 male, −161 female)

Worked example

Worked example

Using the values the calculator loads with.

Inputs

  • UnitsImperial (lb, in)
  • Weight170
  • Height69
  • Age32 years
  • SexMale

Result

  • BMR1,711 kcal/day
  • Maintenance if moderately active2,653 kcal/day
  • Per hour at rest71 kcal

How to use the BMR Calculator

  1. 1Enter weight, height, age and sex.
  2. 2Read your BMR.
  3. 3Pick your activity level from the table for daily needs.

Frequently asked questions

BMR vs TDEE?

BMR is rest-only energy use. TDEE multiplies BMR by an activity factor to include movement, exercise and digestion.

Why Mifflin-St Jeor?

It has been validated as more accurate for modern populations than the older Harris-Benedict equation.

About this calculator

What your BMR number means

Basal metabolic rate is the energy your body uses at complete rest — breathing, circulation, keeping warm. For most adults it is 60–70% of daily calorie burn, so it is the foundation for any calorie target.

The calculator uses the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, which research has found to be the most reliable of the common formulas for healthy adults. It can still be off by about 10% for an individual, especially for very muscular people or people with obesity.

Example

A 35-year-old woman who weighs 70 kg and is 165 cm tall has a BMR of 10 × 70 + 6.25 × 165 − 5 × 35 − 161 = 1,420 kcal a day. Multiplied by a light-activity factor of 1.375, her maintenance intake is about 1,950 kcal.

Using BMR sensibly

  • Do not eat below your BMR for long periods without medical supervision; it makes diets harder to sustain.
  • Most people overestimate their activity level. Start with a lower multiplier and adjust after two to three weeks of real-world results.
  • Recalculate after every 5 kg of weight change — BMR falls as body weight falls.

Sources

More questions

Is BMR the same as RMR?

Nearly. Resting metabolic rate is measured under slightly less strict conditions and is usually a few percent higher.

Does muscle raise BMR?

Yes, but modestly — roughly 13 kcal per kg of muscle per day, compared with about 4.5 kcal for fat.