TDEE and BMR calculator
Enter sex, age, weight and height, pick an activity level, and the basal metabolic rate and total daily energy expenditure show up right away, using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Free, no sign-up.
Result
- Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
- Daily energy expenditure (TDEE)
To see the result, enter: sex, age, weight, height, and activity level.
Are you a trainer or nutritionist? Save this to your client's profile.
Create a free accountFind a professionalHow it's calculated
Basal metabolic rate
The calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, published in 1990 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by Mifflin, St Jeor and colleagues. Weight goes in kilograms, height in centimeters and age in years.
- Men: BMR = 10 × weight + 6.25 × height − 5 × age + 5
- Women: BMR = 10 × weight + 6.25 × height − 5 × age − 161
Total daily energy expenditure
TDEE is the BMR multiplied by the activity factor, from 1.2 for someone who sits most of the day to 1.9 for someone who trains twice a day.
- TDEE = BMR × activity factor
Activity factors
| Level | Factor |
|---|---|
| SedentaryDesk job and little or no exercise. | 1.2 |
| LightLight exercise 1 to 3 times a week. | 1.375 |
| ModerateModerate exercise 3 to 5 times a week. | 1.55 |
| ActiveHard exercise 6 to 7 times a week. | 1.725 |
| Very activeTraining twice a day or heavy physical work. | 1.9 |
Example
A 32-year-old man, 78 kg and 178 cm tall, who trains 3 to 5 times a week:
- BMR = 10 × 78 + 6.25 × 178 − 5 × 32 + 5 = 1,737.5 kcal
- TDEE = 1,737.5 × 1.55 ≈ 2,693 kcal
Limits
These are estimates for healthy adults and don't replace an assessment by a professional. For any one person the real figure can be higher or lower, especially for very muscular athletes and people with obesity.
Frequently asked questions
What is basal metabolic rate (BMR)?
It's the energy the body uses at complete rest just to keep running: breathing, holding its temperature, keeping the heart beating. For most people it's the largest share of the calories they burn in a day.
What's the difference between BMR and TDEE?
TDEE adds what you burn moving and training on top of your BMR. It's the BMR multiplied by an activity factor, from 1.2 if you're sedentary to 1.9 if you train twice a day or do heavy physical work.
Why does this calculator use Mifflin-St Jeor?
In a 2005 systematic review (Frankenfield and colleagues), it was the equation that most often came within 10% of measured resting metabolic rate, in people with and without obesity. The older Harris-Benedict equation tends to give slightly higher numbers.
Is the result exact?
No, it's an estimate: the exact figure can only be measured with indirect calorimetry. To fine-tune it, eat the calculated calories for 2 to 3 weeks and track your weight. If it goes down, your real expenditure is higher; if it goes up, it's lower.