TDEE vs. BMR: What Is the Difference?

BMR and TDEE are often confused, but mixing them up can leave you eating far too little.

BMR: your resting energy

Basal Metabolic Rate is the energy your body needs at complete rest for breathing, circulation and cell repair. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation estimates it:

• Men: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5
• Women: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161

TDEE: your real daily burn

Total Daily Energy Expenditure is BMR plus everything else: movement, exercise and digesting food. In practice you multiply BMR by an activity factor:

• 1.2: sedentary
• 1.375: lightly active (1–3 days a week)
• 1.55: moderately active (3–5 days a week)
• 1.725: very active (6–7 days a week)
• 1.9: extra active (physical job plus training)

Which one should you use?

Use TDEE to plan your eating. Eat around it to maintain weight, below it to lose, above it to gain. BMR is a floor for understanding your metabolism, not a target to eat at.

Try it with the calorie & macro calculator.

This guide is for education only and is not medical advice. Consult a licensed professional before changing your diet or exercise routine.