BMR and TDEE Calculator — Calories you burn at rest, your daily total, and a protein, fat and carb split
Calculate basal metabolic rate and total daily energy expenditure from sex, age, height, weight and activity level. Shows calorie targets for losing, maintaining and gaining weight, plus a protein, fat and carbohydrate split in grams.
Knowing your resting and daily calorie burn is the first step to managing your weight with numbers instead of guesswork.
Before you rely on thisThe figures shown are statistical estimates based on height, weight, age and sex. Real basal metabolic rate depends on muscle mass, individual physiology, health and medication, and can only be measured with specialist equipment. This is not medical or dietary advice. Before losing or gaining weight or changing your diet, talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian, especially if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are still growing.
BMR Calculator: tips and things to know
- Basal metabolic rate falls with age, which is why the same diet can add weight as you get older.
- TDEE is your BMR multiplied by an activity factor: the calories you actually burn in a day.
- A deficit of about 500 kcal a day, or 0.5 to 1 kg a month, is the pace most people can sustain.
How to use the BMR Calculator
Enter your details
Choose your sex and enter age, height and weight.
Pick an activity level
Choose the level of the five that best matches your week.
Read the result
BMR, TDEE, calorie targets for losing, maintaining and gaining, and a PFC split in grams.
What basal metabolic rate is
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the energy your body uses while lying completely still: breathing, keeping your heart beating, maintaining body temperature and running your organs.
It accounts for roughly 60 to 70 percent of the energy you use in a day. Most of what you burn goes to simply staying alive, not to exercise.
The formula this tool uses
This tool uses the revised Harris-Benedict equation (Roza and Shizgal, 1984), one of the most widely used estimates. It takes height, weight, age and sex.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare publishes reference BMR values by age and weight that ignore height. The two methods do not give identical answers; both are estimates.
From BMR to daily calories
BMR is the resting figure. Multiplying it by an activity factor gives total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), the number of calories that keeps your weight steady at your current activity level. The factors used here are:
- Little or no exercise: 1.2
- Light exercise 1 to 3 days a week: 1.375
- Moderate exercise 3 to 5 days a week: 1.55
- Hard exercise 6 to 7 days a week: 1.725
- Very hard exercise or physical work: 1.9
Reading the PFC split
PFC stands for protein, fat and carbohydrate. The tool splits your maintenance calories 30 percent protein, 25 percent fat and 45 percent carbohydrate and converts each to grams.
This split is a common recommendation for people who train regularly, not an official guideline. It differs from the ranges in Japan's Dietary Reference Intakes, so treat it as one reference point among several.
BMR declines with age
BMR drops gradually as you get older, which is one reason eating the way you did at 25 can add weight at 45.
Claims that you can "boost your metabolism" quickly are overstated; it cannot be changed much in the short term. Chasing the number with severe restriction tends to backfire. If you want to change your intake, do it with professional guidance.
Sources
- Roza AM, Shizgal HM (1984), revised Harris-Benedict equation
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, e-Health Net, "Basal metabolic rate" (基礎代謝量)
BMR Calculator FAQ
What is BMR?
The energy your body burns at complete rest to stay alive: breathing, temperature, organ function. It is about 60 to 70 percent of your daily calories.
What is TDEE?
Total daily energy expenditure: BMR multiplied by an activity factor. Eating about your TDEE keeps your weight stable.
What is the PFC balance?
The share of calories from protein, fat and carbohydrate. This tool uses 30/25/45 percent to estimate grams of each.