Understanding BMR and TDEE
Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the amount of energy your body needs to function at rest. This includes breathing, circulation, cell production, nutrient processing, and protein synthesis. It is essentially the number of calories you would burn if you stayed in bed all day.
The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation
Our calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is considered the most accurate for estimating BMR in modern populations.
Men: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 5
Women: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161
Women: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
BMR alone does not account for physical activity. To find out how many calories you actually burn in a day, we multiply your BMR by an Activity Factor.
- Sedentary (x1.2): Little to no exercise.
- Lightly Active (x1.375): Light exercise 1-3 days/week.
- Moderately Active (x1.55): Moderate exercise 3-5 days/week.
- Very Active (x1.725): Hard exercise 6-7 days/week.