Free Health Tool
BMR Calculator
Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate — the number of calories your body burns at rest — and find your daily calorie needs for any activity level.
Your Basal Metabolic Rate
calories per day at complete rest
Daily calorie needs by activity level
Explore weight management treatments →What is BMR?
BMR stands for basal metabolic rate. It's the number of calories your body uses just to stay alive — like keeping your heart beating, lungs breathing, and organs functioning — even when you're completely at rest. Your BMR accounts for roughly 60–75% of all the calories you burn each day, making it the biggest factor in your total energy expenditure.
How is BMR calculated?
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation, the most widely validated formula for estimating BMR in adults:
Mifflin-St Jeor Equation
Women: BMR = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) − 161
To get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), multiply your BMR by your activity factor (1.2–1.9).
BMR vs. TDEE — what's the difference?
Your BMR is how many calories your body burns doing absolutely nothing. Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) includes your BMR plus calories burned from physical activity and digestion. To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your TDEE — known as a calorie deficit. Aiming for a deficit of 500–750 calories/day typically leads to safe, sustainable weight loss of 0.5–1.5 lbs per week.
Frequently asked questions
Knowing your BMR helps you understand how many calories your body needs as a baseline. This is useful if you're trying to lose, gain, or maintain weight, since it gives you a starting point for setting daily calorie goals without guessing.
Your age, sex, weight, height, and muscle mass all affect your BMR. People with more muscle burn more calories at rest. BMR tends to decrease with age, which is one reason many people gain weight as they get older even without eating more.
Once you know your TDEE (BMR × activity factor), aim to eat 500–750 calories below that number each day to lose approximately 1–1.5 lbs per week. Avoid going below your BMR as that can slow metabolism and cause muscle loss. For faster results, prescription weight loss treatments like GLP-1 medications can be highly effective alongside a calorie deficit.
Yes. For adults with a BMI of 27+ and at least one weight-related condition, GLP-1 medications like Semaglutide and Tirzepatide have been clinically shown to reduce appetite and support significant weight loss (up to 15–22% of body weight in clinical trials) when combined with lifestyle changes.
