Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) - the calories your body burns at rest - and your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
Basal Metabolic Rate is the minimum calories your body needs to sustain vital functions - breathing, circulation and cell production - while at complete rest.
The most accurate widely used formula (1990). Men: 10×W + 6.25×H − 5×A + 5. Women: 10×W + 6.25×H − 5×A − 161. (W=kg, H=cm, A=age).
Total Daily Energy Expenditure = BMR × Activity multiplier. This is the true calorie target for maintenance. Eat less to lose weight, more to gain.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest to sustain essential life functions - breathing, circulation, cell repair, hormone production, and temperature regulation. It represents the floor of your daily energy expenditure and typically accounts for 60-75% of total daily energy use. BMR was first systematically studied by Max Rubner in 1883 and later quantified through the foundational 1919 Harris-Benedict equations, which were revised and updated by Mifflin and St Jeor in 1990.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation, published in 1990 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is now considered the most accurate predictor of BMR for most adults, with a mean error of approximately 10%. The older Harris-Benedict formula (revised 1984) tends to overestimate BMR by 5% on average. Both formulas use weight (kg), height (cm), age (years), and sex as inputs. Multiplying BMR by an activity factor (sedentary 1.2, lightly active 1.375, moderately active 1.55, very active 1.725) gives TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure.
India faces a dual nutritional burden: the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019-21) shows 22.9% of adults are overweight or obese, while 32.1% of women remain undernourished. Dietitians registered with the Indian Dietetic Association (IDA) use BMR calculations as the starting point for therapeutic diet plans. Fitness apps popular in India like HealthifyMe and GOQii incorporate BMR-based calorie targets. Understanding your BMR helps set realistic calorie goals for weight management without the risk of metabolic adaptation from extreme restriction.