Basal Metabolic Rate - BMREven when you’re completely sedentary, your body is still burning calories, and the basal metabolic rate (BMR) represents the number of calories it needs to complete your most basic functions. Among those functions are:

  • Pumping blood throughout your body
  • Breathing
  • Digestion and processing nutrients
  • Cellular production

The basal metabolic rate represents the number of calories your body requires to accomplish these and other life-sustaining functions.

Your Basal Metabolic Rate Isn’t Your RMR

It’s easy to mistake your basal metabolic rate with the RMR, the resting metabolic rate, which is also known as resting energy expenditure (REE).  The RMR/REE represents the number of calories your body is burning while it’s at rest.  However, that would represent a different calorie burn than your BMR.

There are formulas for men and women to calculate their BMR, but the most convenient way to calculate it is to use a basal metabolic rate calculator. This way, you don’t have to work out the math on your own while taking into account all the appropriate variables.  The calculator tool will do that for you.

Why Calculate Your BMR

Learning your basal metabolic rate is a very useful tool when your goal is to gain, lose or maintain your current weight. When you know how many calories you body needs for its base functions, you will be able to best judge how many calories you want to consume.

With your BMR, you’ll know how many calories you need to eat every day in order to meet your goal.  There is a formula called the Harris-Benedict formula that lets you use your BMR to tell you approximately how many calories you should eat to reach your goal for gaining, losing or maintaining your weight.

Calculating Your Caloric Intake with Your Basal Metabolic Rate

Using the Harris-Benedict formula, use your calculated basal metabolic rate and typical activity level to determine how many calories you typically burn in a day.

  • Mainly sedentary – If you typically don’t exercise at all, or you do so only minimally, multiply your BMR by 1.2. That’s an estimate of your number of burned calories in a day.
  • A little active – If you exercise a bit one to three days per week, multiply your BMR by 1.375.
  • Moderately active – If you get a moderate amount of exercise from three to five days every week, multiply your BMR by 1.55.
  • Quite active – If you exercise six or seven days every week, multiply your BMR by 1.725.
  • Extremely active – If you exercise six or seven times per day with high intensity workouts or if you have a very physical job, multiply your BMR by 1.9.

With that calculation, your basal metabolic rate helps you to know how many calories you’re burning for weight maintenance.  To lose weight, your calorie intake should be lower than your total, but no lower than your BMR. To gain weight, you should consume more calories than that total.