Your BMR. And your daily total.
Enter your physical basis, age, height, weight and everyday activity: you see your basal metabolic rate by Mifflin-St Jeor, your total daily energy expenditure and, for comparison, the Harris-Benedict value.
Guidance for healthy adults, not medical advice.
How it is calculated
- BMR by Mifflin-St Jeor: 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age, then + 5 for men or − 161 for women. Example: woman, 34 years, 170 cm, 72 kg gives 1,452 kcal.
- Total daily energy expenditure = BMR × activity factor. myfoody uses 1.4 for mostly sitting, 1.6 for moderately active, 1.8 for active and 2.0 for very active – within the range of the DGE values for everyday life.
- For comparison: Harris-Benedict as revised by Roza and Shizgal (1984). In a systematic review, Mifflin-St Jeor came within 10 % of the measured value in healthy adults more often than other equations – which is why myfoody uses it.
What the value does not show
- Equations estimate. For individual people the real BMR can be more than 10 % off; only indirect calorimetry measures it exactly.
- A lot of muscle raises your BMR. The equation only knows weight, height, age and sex.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding, illness and thyroid conditions change your needs.
- The activity factor is a rough step. Watch your weight for a few weeks and then adjust.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the energy your body needs at complete rest – for breathing, heart, brain and body heat. Everyday life, movement and exercise come on top. Together they make your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).
How many calories do I burn without exercise?
That is your total with “mostly sitting” (factor 1.4): BMR plus normal everyday life such as walking, standing and working.
Which equation is right?
None is exact. In a systematic review, Mifflin-St Jeor was most often close to the measured value in healthy adults, Harris-Benedict somewhat less often. That is why myfoody uses Mifflin-St Jeor.
Can I eat less than my BMR?
Not for long without medical supervision. That is why myfoody never sets your weight-loss target below your BMR or below 1,500 kcal – the calorie deficit calculator shows you what that looks like.
Sources
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST et al. (1990): A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 51(2).
- Roza AM, Shizgal HM (1984): The Harris Benedict equation reevaluated: resting energy requirements and the body cell mass. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 40(1).
- Frankenfield D, Roth-Yousey L, Compher C (2005): Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 105(5).
- German Nutrition Society (DGE): Reference values for energy intake.
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