BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest — just for breathing, heartbeat and basic functions. TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is BMR multiplied by an activity factor — how much you burn once you add movement, training and digestion. In short: BMR is the baseline, TDEE is the full picture. To lose or gain you start from TDEE: a deficit (below TDEE) drops fat, a surplus (above TDEE) builds muscle. BMR is calculated with the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, and TDEE by multiplying it by ≈1.3–1.85 depending on activity.
Calculate your BMR & TDEEThe calories for basic functions (heart, lungs, brain) if you rested all day. It depends on sex, age, height and weight. Usually 60–70% of total daily burn.
BMR plus everything you do: walking, training, work, digesting food. You get it by multiplying BMR by an activity factor (≈1.3 sedentary to ≈1.85 very active).
Plug your sex, age, height and weight into the formula: 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age, then add +5 (male) or −161 (female).
Sedentary ≈1.3, lightly active ≈1.45, moderate ≈1.55, active ≈1.7, very active ≈1.85 — the more you train and move, the higher the factor.
The result is your total daily energy expenditure — how many calories maintain your current weight.
To lose fat, subtract 15–20% from TDEE (a deficit); to build muscle, add 8–15% (a surplus). The calculator does it all automatically.
Skip the math: calorie & macro calculator does BMR and TDEE instantly · calorie deficit · meal plan.
BMR is the calories you burn at complete rest; TDEE is BMR multiplied by an activity factor — your total daily burn including movement, training and digestion.
Basal metabolic rate — the calories your body burns at rest for basic functions. It's calculated with the Mifflin-St Jeor formula from sex, age, height and weight.
Total daily energy expenditure: BMR × an activity factor. It's how many calories you burn in a day overall and the starting point for any nutrition plan.
TDEE. Subtract 15–20% from it for a sustainable deficit. Never use BMR as your calorie target — it's too low and not sustainable.
From ≈1.3 for a sedentary lifestyle to ≈1.85 for very active people. The more you train and move through the day, the higher the factor.
Yes: calculate BMR with the formula, then multiply by an activity factor. Or use our calculator, which does it instantly from your measurements.
MicroPlan turns your measurements into BMR, TDEE, calories and macros, builds a plan and tracks your progress — free, no account.
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