BMR Calculator | How Much Energy Do You Need?
Basal Metabolic Rate, also known as BMR, describes the amount of energy that the human body burns daily to maintain its vital functions just to survive.
Weight Loss Calculators
The Weight Loss Calculators section holds our interactive BMI (Body Mass Index) and BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) tools, plus the plain-language guides that go with them. BMI classifies weight-for-height against the standard WHO cutoffs (under 18.5, 18.5 to 24.9, 25 to 29.9, 30 and above); BMR estimates the calories your body burns at rest using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
BMI Calculator (Body Mass Index Calculator)
By Franco Cuevas, MD (author and medical reviewer). Editorial support: Damla Sengul, Food Editor. Last updated: August 1, 2026.
About this collection
The Weight Loss Calculators section holds our interactive BMI (Body Mass Index) and BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) tools, plus the plain-language guides that go with them. BMI classifies weight-for-height against the standard WHO cutoffs (under 18.5, 18.5 to 24.9, 25 to 29.9, 30 and above); BMR estimates the calories your body burns at rest using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
We use Mifflin-St Jeor for BMR because it tracks measured resting energy expenditure more closely than Harris-Benedict in modern adult populations, and we multiply by a PAL factor of 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (very active) for total daily energy expenditure. A moderate cut runs at 300 to 750 kcal/day below TDEE; a gain runs at 250 to 500 kcal above. We are direct about BMI's limits: it does not read body composition, so lifters and older adults should cross-check with waist-to-height ratio and body-fat percentage.
Calculator formulas and the interpretation guides are reviewed by a Registered Dietitian on our team, Brenda Peralta, Kerly Cordova, Marita Radloff, or Karolina Peterova, and medically reviewed by Franco Cuevas, MD. These tools are estimates, not diagnostics; your clinician has the fuller picture. Report a bug or a math issue at social@dietsmealplan.com.