Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Calculations and How to Use Them Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Weight Management Weight Loss Calculate Your Basal Metabolic Rate Use this calculator to understand how BMR affects your weight By Malia Frey Malia Frey Malia Frey is a weight loss expert, certified health coach, weight management specialist, personal trainer​, and fitness nutrition specialist. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 15, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and nutrition and exercise healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Anisha Shah, MD Medically reviewed by Anisha Shah, MD Anisha Shah, MD, is a board-certified internist, interventional cardiologist, and a fellow of the American College of Cardiology. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents What Is Resting Metabolic Rate Calculate Your BMR Use BMR to Lose Weight Basal metabolic rate (BMR) (sometimes referred to as resting metabolic rate) is the total number of calories your body needs to perform essential, life-sustaining functions. These basal functions include circulation, breathing, cell production, nutrient processing, protein synthesis, and ion transport. You can calculate the basal metabolic rate using a mathematical formula. Knowing your basal metabolic rate helps you determine the estimated baseline amount of calories your body requires to function. This works as a starting point to determine how many calories you may want to consume based on your goals. Below, learn more about basal metabolic rate and how it applies to you. What is Basal Metabolic Rate? Basal metabolic rate measures the calories needed to perform your body's most basic (basal) functions, like breathing, circulation, and cell production. BMR is most accurately measured in a lab setting under very restrictive conditions. What Is Resting Metabolic Rate Some experts interchange the terms basal metabolic rate (BMR) and resting metabolic rate (RMR). These two terms are very similar. But there is a slight difference in the definition of BMR and the definition of RMR that is helpful to understand. Resting metabolic rate is a measurement of the number of calories that your body burns at rest. Resting metabolic rate is usually measured in the morning before you eat or exercise and after a full night of restful sleep. As you can see, the definitions of RMR and BMR are almost identical. Your resting metabolic rate should accurately estimate your basal metabolic rate. Because the terms are similar, some fitness and weight loss experts use both terms to describe the same thing. But the term "resting metabolic rate" is more common. Calculate Your BMR If you are looking to reach or maintain a healthy weight may find it helpful to have a BMR calculation. You can either find the number using a formula designed by scientists, you can get your basal metabolic rate tested in a lab, or you can use an online calculator. No method is perfectly accurate, but a lab test will probably give you the best estimate. But since lab tests can be costly, many people use one of the other two methods to determine basal metabolic rate and/or the total number of calories they burn each day. Equation to Calculate Your BMR The Harris-Benedict Equation is often used to estimate basal metabolic rate.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) Online BMR Calculator Put your height, weight, and age into our online calculator to find your basal metabolic rate with the addition of daily activity. The calculator provides an estimate of the total number of calories you burn daily. Use BMR to Lose Weight Once you understand BMR and get a reasonable estimate of your number, you can use it to help you reach or maintain a balanced weight. First, you can try to increase your basal metabolic rate; then, you can increase the total number of calories you burn each day to help you reach your goal. Change Your BMR A combination of factors determines your basal metabolic rate. Genetic factors, age, gender, and body composition play a role. There's not much you can do to control genetics, age, or gender. But you can change your body's fat-to-muscle ratio to boost your metabolism. So how do you change your body composition? Build muscle! Even when your body is at rest, lean muscle mass will burn more calories than fat. And you don't even have to be a bodybuilder to see the benefits. Studies show that you may increase your resting metabolic rate with resistance training by around 5%. How to Change Your Body Composition Increase Daily Calorie Expenditure The total number of calories you burn daily heavily depends on your basal metabolic rate. But you can also burn more calories each day by making changes to your diet and activity level. Your basal metabolic rate and two other factors can give you an idea of the total number of calories you burn each day. Basal metabolic rate accounts for about 60%-75% of total calories burned daily. Increase muscle mass to burn more calories. Activity thermogenesis: (non-exercise movement and exercise) accounts for about 15%-30% of total calories burned daily. Increase daily movement to burn more calories. Thermic effect of food: (calories burned from eating and digestion) accounts for about 10% of total calories burned each day. Choose healthy protein-rich foods to make a slight difference. If you can burn more calories than you consume, you will create a calorie deficit or negative energy balance. If you burn fewer calories than you consume, you will create a positive energy balance and gain weight. A calorie deficit of 500-1000 calories per day should result in a 1-2 pound weight loss per week and an increase over maintenance of the same will lead to a 1-2 pound weight gain. How to Boost Your Daily Energy Expenditure A Word From Verywell Learning about your basal metabolic rate and the total number of calories you burn daily is a positive step in reaching or maintaining a healthy weight. The more you know, the easier it is to make changes in your life that produce actual results. Track your numbers, keep a weight loss journal, gather support from friends and family, and connect with your healthcare team to find a plan that works over the long term for you. Ways to Change Your Energy Balance and Lose Weight 4 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Mayo Clinic: Metabolism and Weight Loss: How you burn calories Aristizabal JC, Freidenreich DJ, Volk BM, et al. Effect of resistance training on resting metabolic rate and its estimation by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry metabolic map. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2015;69(7):831-836. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2014.216 Pethusamy K, Gupta A, Yadav R. Basal metabolic rate(Bmr). In: Vonk J, Shackelford T, eds. Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. Springer International Publishing; 2019:1-3. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1429-1 Ravn AM, Gregersen NT, Christensen R, et al. Thermic effect of a meal and appetite in adults: An individual participant data meta-analysis of meal-test trials. Food Nutr Res. 2013;57:10.3402/fnr.v57i0.19676. Published 2013 Dec 23. doi:10.3402/fnr.v57i0.19676 By Malia Frey Malia Frey is a weight loss expert, certified health coach, weight management specialist, personal trainer​, and fitness nutrition specialist. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Related Articles RMR: What Is Resting Metabolic Rate How Do I Change My Metabolism? Calculating the Calories Burned During Exercise for Weight Loss How to Change Your Daily Energy Expenditure for Faster Weight Loss How to Calculate Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) How Many Calories Will I Burn Doing Pilates? Using the Harris-Benedict Formula for Calculating Daily Calorie Intake How to Boost Your Daily Energy Expenditure Natural Ways to Boost Metabolism How Much Do You Need to Exercise to Lose Weight? How Many Calories Can You Burn While Walking? What Is a Calorie Deficit? The 6 Things You Need to Know About Tracking Exercise Calories How to Burn More Calories on a Treadmill The Truth About Your Fat-Burning Zone for Weight Loss How Much Protein Do You Really Need for Exercise? When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept All