This BMR calculator tells you how many calories your body burns every day just to keep you alive — before any movement, exercise, or activity is counted. That number is your Basal Metabolic Rate. It is the foundation underneath every calorie target, every diet plan, and every fitness goal. Without knowing it, everything else is just a guess.
What your BMR number means:
This is the minimum calories your body needs daily to function — breathing, circulation, digestion, and everything that keeps you alive. Eating below your BMR for extended periods causes muscle loss, fatigue, and slows your metabolism. Your BMR is not your eating target — it is your absolute floor. To find your actual daily calorie need, use our TDEE Calculator.
What is BMR — and what does it actually tell you?
BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate. It is the number of calories your body burns in 24 hours if you did absolutely nothing — no walking, no exercise, no movement of any kind. Just lying still and breathing. Your organs never stop working. Your heart keeps beating, your lungs keep expanding, your liver keeps processing, your brain keeps running. All of that burns calories constantly — and your BMR measures exactly how much.
For most people, BMR accounts for 60 to 75 percent of all the calories they burn in a day. That means even on a completely rest day, your body burns more calories through basic function than through any workout. This is why people who crash diet below their BMR feel exhausted, lose muscle, and find the weight comes back the moment they stop. The body treats severe restriction as a threat and slows everything down to compensate. Knowing your BMR stops you from making that mistake.
How this calculator finds your BMR
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation — the same formula recommended by nutritionists and used in clinical settings worldwide. Here is the formula behind the result:
For men:
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age in years) + 5
For women:
BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age in years) − 161
Research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to be more accurate than the older Harris-Benedict formula for estimating resting metabolic rate in most adults. You do not need to do any of this manually. Enter your details above and the result comes out instantly.
How to use this BMR calculator
Weight
Enter your weight in kilograms. For the most consistent reading, weigh yourself in the morning after using the bathroom and before eating or drinking anything. This removes daily fluctuations from food and water and gives you your true body weight. If you know your weight in pounds, divide by 2.2 to convert to kilograms.
Height
Enter your height in centimeters. If you know your height in feet and inches, here is a quick way to convert: Multiply your feet by 30.48, then multiply your remaining inches by 2.54, then add both together. Example: 5 feet 4 inches = (5 × 30.48) + (4 × 2.54) = 152.4 + 10.16 = 162.56 cm
Age
Enter your age in full years. Age matters because metabolism naturally slows as the body gets older. After age 30, resting metabolic rate gradually decreases — which is why calorie needs change over time even when weight stays the same.
Gender
Select male or female. Men generally carry more muscle mass than women of the same weight and height, and muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue does. The formula accounts for this difference through the final constant — plus 5 for men, minus 161 for women.
What to do with your BMR result
Use BMR as your absolute minimum
Your BMR is not a calorie target — it is a floor. Never eat below your BMR consistently. Doing so forces your body to break down muscle for energy, slows your resting metabolism over time, and creates the exact conditions that lead to weight regain the moment normal eating resumes. Even on rest days, your body needs at least your BMR in calories just to function properly.
Use BMR to calculate your real daily calorie need
Your BMR on its own only tells half the story. To find out how many calories you actually need each day — accounting for your lifestyle and activity level — you need your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). TDEE = BMR × Activity Multiplier Your activity multiplier depends on how much you move each day. A sedentary person multiplies by 1.2. A moderately active person multiplies by 1.55. A very active person multiplies by 1.725. Use our TDEE Calculator to get this number automatically — it uses your BMR as the base and does the rest for you.
Use BMR to understand why your diet stopped working
Most failed diets have one thing in common — the person was eating below their BMR without realising it. When calorie intake drops too low for too long, the body responds by lowering its own metabolic rate. BMR drops. The deficit disappears. Weight loss stops — even on the same diet that was working before. If your weight loss has stalled, check whether your current intake is close to or below your BMR. If it is, eating slightly more — not less — is often the fix.
BMR reference ranges for average Filipino men and women
These numbers are based on typical Filipino body measurements and can serve as a general reference before you calculate your own. Average Filipino male (age 25, 65 kg, 165 cm): BMR — approximately 1,620 calories per day Average Filipino male (age 35, 70 kg, 165 cm): BMR — approximately 1,660 calories per day Average Filipino female (age 25, 55 kg, 155 cm): BMR — approximately 1,310 calories per day Average Filipino female (age 35, 58 kg, 155 cm): BMR — approximately 1,310 calories per day These are estimates only. Your personal result from the calculator above is the to work with — not these benchmarks. number
Frequently asked questions
What is a good BMR for my age?
There is no single “good” BMR — it varies based on your weight, height, gender, and age, and none of those factors alone makes a BMR good or bad. What matters more is understanding what your BMR means for your specific situation. A higher BMR means your body burns more calories at rest. A lower BMR means it burns fewer. Both can be healthy. The number is a tool for planning — not a grade.
Why is my BMR lower than I expected?
The most common reasons are lower body weight, shorter height, older age, or being female — all of which the formula accounts for. Beyond the formula, actual BMR can also be affected by factors this calculator cannot measure — such as thyroid function, muscle-to-fat ratio, and long-term dieting history. If your result feels very low and you are experiencing symptoms like constant fatigue, feeling cold, or difficulty losing weight despite eating very little — speaking to a doctor about thyroid function is worth considering.
Does BMR change as I lose weight?
Yes — and this is one of the most important things to understand about long-term weight loss. As you lose weight, your body becomes lighter and requires fewer calories to maintain itself. Your BMR decreases alongside your body weight. This is completely normal and not a sign that something is wrong. It simply means your calorie target needs to be adjusted every few weeks as your weight changes. Recalculate your BMR every time your weight shifts by 3 to 5 kilograms.
Is BMR the same as resting metabolic rate?
They are closely related but not exactly the same. BMR is measured under very strict conditions — complete physical rest, fasted state, neutral temperature, fully awake. Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is measured under slightly less strict conditions and is typically 10 to 20 calories higher than true BMR. In everyday use and in most calculators — including this one — the two terms are used interchangeably. The practical difference for daily calorie planning is minimal.
Can exercise increase my BMR?
Yes — and this is one of the strongest arguments for strength training alongside any diet. Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue. When you build muscle through resistance training, your BMR gradually increases — meaning your body burns more calories even on days you do not train. This is why people who combine a moderate calorie deficit with strength training tend to get better long-term results than those who rely on diet alone.
How is BMR different from TDEE?
BMR is the calories your body burns with zero activity — at complete rest. TDEE is your BMR multiplied by how active you are throughout the day. It represents your actual total calorie burn. BMR is the starting number. TDEE is the number you actually use for meal planning. Think of BMR as the engine running at idle, and TDEE as the fuel used during the full day of driving.