Calculator Guide
BMR vs. TDEE: what's the difference?
These two numbers are the foundation of every calorie and macro target on this site — here's what each one actually measures.
BMR: energy at complete rest
Basal Metabolic Rate is the number of calories your body burns just to stay alive — breathing, circulating blood, maintaining body temperature — if you did nothing but lie still for 24 hours. Our calculator estimates it using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, a widely used, research-validated formula:[1]
Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5
Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
TDEE: your real daily number
Total Daily Energy Expenditure adds everything else on top of BMR: digesting food, daily movement, and exercise. It's estimated by multiplying BMR by an activity multiplier, ranging from about 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (very high activity, physical job plus training).[2] TDEE — not BMR — is the number that represents "maintenance calories," and it's the starting point for setting a deficit (fat loss) or surplus (muscle gain) goal.
Keep reading: Full macro calculator · Macros for fat loss · Macros for building muscle