Everybody requires a minimum number of calories to live. This minimum number is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is the number of calories your organs need to function while you perform no activity whatsoever—like if you stayed in bed all day.
If you're looking to lose weight, build muscle, or maintain your weight, this information can help you calculate the number of calories you need so you can make more informed decisions about your nutrition and exercise. Use this calculator to learn your BMR and the next steps to move toward your fitness goals!
Basal Metabolic Rate Calculator
Age
Sex
Height
Weight
Now that you know the approximate number of calories your body needs to survive, here are your next steps.
Unless you're stuck in bed, your BMR isn't how many calories you're burning. Bodybuilding.com's calorie calculator can help you get a more accurate picture of your calorie needs based on your lifestyle and fitness goals.
3. Learn About the Best Fat-Loss Supplements.
Supplements can help you accelerate your results once you have your calories and training in place. Krissy Kendall, Ph.D., shares her recommendations in the article, "5 Ways to Up Your Fat-Loss Supplement Game."
4. Join a fitness community.
For over 10 years, members of BodySpace have been helping each other build their best bodies. Join a fitness community that's over 2 million people strong!
Bodybuilding.com's calculator uses the Harris-Benedict equation, which is considered by many experts to be the most accurate BMR calculation for most types of people. Here's how it works:
For men: BMR = 66.5 + (13.75 x weight in kg) + (5.003 x height in cm) - (6.755 x age in years)
For women: BMR = 655.1 + (9.563 x weight in kg) + (1.850 x height in cm) - (4.676 x age in years)
Bear in mind that this doesn't take your activity level into account!
What Is a Healthy BMR?
This will vary person by person. Since your basal metabolic rate is based largely on involuntary functions like breathing and pumping blood, changes in your day-to-day activity don't do much to raise or lower this number. However, increasing muscle mass does increase BMR, because muscle is metabolically "hungry" and it takes more energy to maintain more muscle. This means that when you have a lot of muscle mass, you'll burn more calories at rest.
The overall number of calories your body uses on a daily basis is referred to as your "total daily energy expenditure" (TDEE). It's determined based on your BMR as well as your activity level throughout the day. This varies significantly based on your activity level, age, and sex.
You can use a TDEE calculator or calorie calculator to find this number to get a more specific result. Keep in mind, though, that it's impossible to know your exact TDEE, as your activity levels will change day to day, and the only way to get 100 percent accurate BMR numbers is through laboratory testing.
What's the Difference Between BMR and RMR?
The term BMR is sometimes used synonymously with RMR, which stands for "resting metabolic rate." The difference is that while BMR only measures basic processes of breathing, blood circulation, and temperature regulation in a completely resting state, RMR also includes energy expended by digestion and non-exercise daily movements, like getting dressed and lifting your fork to your mouth.
BMR and RMR numbers are typically close enough to be interchangeable, but if you're calculating your needs in order to gain or lose weight, pay attention to which number an equation calls for. If it's based on BMR, you can use the calculator above to get an estimate. If the equation uses RMR, use our RMR calculator, which will give you a slightly higher number.
How Can I Use My BMR to Lose Fat or Gain Muscle?
Once you use your BMR to determine your TDEE, you can make sure that the nutrition plan you follow is appropriate for your level of energy expenditure and that it isn't giving you too many or too few calories. Being armed with this knowledge, rather than guesstimating or blindly following a plan without scaling it to your individual needs, can make or break your muscle gains or fat loss.
Get Systematic About Your Results
Once you have your BMR, it's time to take the same kind of strategic approach to the rest of your training and nutrition. These popular calculators can help you dial in your plan!
Your basal metabolism rate is produced through the following basal metablic rate formula: Men: BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 x weight in kg) + (4.799 x height in cm) – (5.677 x age in years) Women: BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 x weight in kg) + (3.098 x height in cm) – (4.330 x age in years)
Of these equations, the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation is considered the most accurate equation for calculating BMR with the exception that the Katch-McArdle Formula can be more accurate for people who are leaner and know their body fat percentage.
Will You Lose Weight if You Eat Your BMR? Short answer: yes, but it's not sustainable. Remember, your BMR is just the number of calories your body burns at rest and does not account for the calories you need to walk, talk, exercise, etc.
How Many Calories Should I Eat to Lose Weight? For example, if your BMR is 1,400 (the average for American women) and you are moderately active, your AMR would be 2,170 (1,400 x 1.55). Since a pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories, you would need to cut 500 calories per day to lose a pound per week.
At a baseline, knowing your BMR provides a caloric goal your body needs to perform basic functions. For example, a BMR of 1,500 means you need to consume at least 1,500 calories to help your body work efficiently. This knowledge is important if you plan to gain, lose or remain the same weight.
What is my average BMR? Most men have a BMR of about 1,600 to 1,800 kCals a day. Most women have a BMR of 1,550 kCals a day. If you are above 40, your average BMR is probably only 1,200 kCals a day.
You should never eat less than your BMR as this is the basic number of calories your body needs to perform basic functions like breathing and digestion. Use your BMR to calculate your TDEE, and then you can eat less than your TDEE to lose weight.
If you were to eat 900 calories every day for a week, you would lose an average of 1.8 to 3 pounds. This is based on the general rule of thumb that you can lose about 1 to 2 pounds per week for every 500 calories you cut from your daily calorie intake.
Your BMR score is a number which refers to how many calories you burn at rest. Most people's BMR is between 1000 – 2000. This means that they need to take in between 1000 – 2000 calories each day to fuel their basic functions while in a resting state.
Most people burn around 30-40 calories per 1,000 steps, which means they will burn around 300-400 calories by walking 10,000 steps. But this is just an estimate. Though every step you take burns calories, the exact amount is highly individualised.
There isn't a "good" or "bad" BMR. “Each individual has a different BMR and cannot be compared to one another,” says Carmichael. What is considered to be “healthy” varies depending on the person and their goals. The average BMR for women is around 1400 kcal and about 1700 kcal for men, she says.
A person who's BMR is 1700 and is looking to lose ½ a lb.a week should be eating 250 calories less than their BMR a day. This means if this person eats 1,450 calories a day. Without exercising, they will be able to lose on average 2 lbs.
Our bodies are also programmed to sense a lack of food as starvation. In response, our BMR slows down, which means fewer calories burned over time. That's one reason why losing weight is often difficult. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about all of this is how little our weight tends to change from day to day.
Men's BMR tends to be around 1600 - 1800. This means men burn 1600 – 1800 kcal during the day at complete rest. However, remember BMR is based on your own height, weight and age, so it's not advisable to go off average numbers. Most women have a BMR of around 1550 calories a day.
What is my average BMR? Most men have a BMR of about 1,600 to 1,800 kCals a day. Most women have a BMR of 1,550 kCals a day. If you are above 40, your average BMR is probably only 1,200 kCals a day.
You should eat at least 1200kcal and try to burn 500kcal by exercise. The deficit of 500kcal created will cause You to lose 500x7=3500kcal = 1 pound per week. Dropping your calorie intake below 1200kcal is not a healthy, sustainable way to lose weight.
In order to lose at least a pound a week, try to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days, and reduce your daily calorie intake by at least 500 calories. However, calorie intake should not fall below 1,200 a day in women or 1,500 a day in men, except under the supervision of a health professional.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
