How BMR is calculated
Your basal metabolic rate is the energy your body uses at complete rest to breathe, circulate blood and keep organs working. It's usually 60% to 70% of the calories you burn in a day.
Example: a 30-year-old man who is 5 ft 9 in (175.3 cm) and 165 lb (74.8 kg) has a Mifflin-St Jeor BMR of 748.4 + 1,095.6 − 150 + 5 = 1,699 calories a day. Harris-Benedict gives 1,762.
BMR vs TDEE
BMR is what you'd burn lying still all day. Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) adds digesting food, moving around and exercise, from about 1.2 × BMR if you're sedentary to 1.9 × if you're very active, as in the table above. To set a calorie target, use the TDEE calculator or the calorie calculator.
Muscle burns more energy than fat, so two people of the same weight can have different BMRs. If you know your body fat percentage, Katch-McArdle accounts for that.
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal BMR?
For most adults, about 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day for women and 1,500 to 1,900 for men. It depends mainly on size, age, sex and muscle mass.
Can I raise my BMR?
Building muscle through strength training raises it modestly. BMR falls slowly with age and when you lose weight, because there's less of you to maintain.
Should I eat my BMR to lose weight?
Not usually. Eating only your BMR is a big deficit for anyone who moves around. Most people lose weight steadily eating about 500 calories below their TDEE.
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