BMR in 3 steps
- Enter your detailsPick sex, age, height, weight and your usual activity level.
- BMR10 x weight + 6.25 x height - 5 x age, then +5 (men) or -161 (women)
- TDEEBMR x activity factor (1.2 to 1.9)
TDEE = BMR x activity factor
How to use it
Choose your sex, enter age, height (cm) and weight (kg), pick your usual activity level and press Calculate. The calculator accepts ages 15 to 100, heights 120 to 220 cm and weights 30 to 250 kg, and shows a message when a value is outside that range. Everything is computed in your browser.
The formula
BMR is estimated with the equation published by Mifflin, St Jeor and colleagues in 1990 (Am J Clin Nutr 1990;51:241-247).
- Men:
BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age + 5 - Women:
BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age - 161 - Daily calorie burn:
TDEE = BMR x activity factor
Activity factors are not a single standard fixed by research; they are commonly used conventional values. This page uses 1.2 (sedentary), 1.375 (light), 1.55 (moderate), 1.725 (active) and 1.9 (very active). Official intake guidance is published by national health authorities, for example the Korean Dietary Reference Intakes from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Nutrition Society, which are worth reading alongside this estimate.
Choosing an activity level
- Sedentary (1.2): desk work and little or no exercise
- Light (1.375): light exercise or walks one to three days a week
- Moderate (1.55): exercise three to five days a week
- Active (1.725): hard exercise six or seven days a week, or a physically demanding job
- Very active (1.9): training twice a day, or heavy physical work plus exercise
If you are unsure, choose the lower level. People tend to overestimate how active they are.
Worked examples
A 30-year-old man, 175 cm and 70 kg, has a BMR of 10 x 70 + 6.25 x 175 - 5 x 30 + 5 = 1,648.75 kcal. At a moderate activity level (1.55) his TDEE is about 2,556 kcal: about 2,556 kcal to maintain, about 2,256 kcal with a 300 kcal cut and about 2,056 kcal with a 500 kcal cut.
A 30-year-old woman, 160 cm and 55 kg, has a BMR of 10 x 55 + 6.25 x 160 - 5 x 30 - 161 = 1,239 kcal. At light activity (1.375) her TDEE is about 1,704 kcal. A 500 kcal cut would give 1,204 kcal, which is below her BMR, so the calculator shows 1,239 kcal instead.
Cautions when losing weight
- Staying below your BMR for long stretches with an extreme low-calorie diet can cost muscle and nutrients, and is not recommended.
- Losing roughly 0.25 to 0.5 kg a week is easier to sustain.
- If you have a condition such as diabetes or a thyroid disorder, take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are still growing, do not cut calories on your own; talk to a doctor or dietitian first.
- The result is a rough estimate for reference, not medical advice or a diagnosis.
To check your weight status from height and weight, try the BMI calculator as well.