BMR vs TDEE: Understanding Your Daily Calorie Needs

Your body burns calories continuously, even at complete rest. BMR and TDEE are the two key numbers for understanding your daily energy needs.

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body burns at complete rest to maintain vital functions — breathing, blood circulation, temperature regulation, and cell repair. BMR accounts for 60–75% of your total daily energy expenditure. It is determined primarily by your body size (more mass = more energy to maintain), age (BMR decreases with age), and sex (men average higher BMR due to greater muscle mass).

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is your BMR plus all additional calories burned through movement and digestion. It is calculated by multiplying BMR by an activity factor: 1.2 (sedentary), 1.375 (light activity), 1.55 (moderate), 1.725 (very active), 1.9 (extra active/athlete).

How to use these numbers: Your TDEE is your estimated maintenance calories — eat this amount to maintain your current weight. For fat loss, consume 300–500 fewer calories than your TDEE. For muscle gain, consume 200–300 more. Adjust based on actual results after 2–4 weeks of consistent tracking.

Use Tooler's Calories Calculator to estimate your BMR and TDEE using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate predictive formula for the general population.