BMR vs. TDEE: What’s the Difference?

Understand the difference between BMR and TDEE, and why both are crucial for reaching your fitness goals.

Two Numbers, One Goal

When you’re trying to lose weight, build muscle, or simply maintain a healthy lifestyle, you’ll often come across two important terms: BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). They might sound similar, but they play very different roles in your nutrition journey.

What Is BMR?

BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest to perform basic functions — breathing, circulation, cell production, and so on. In short, this is what your body needs to survive if you did absolutely nothing all day.

Factors like age, weight, height, and gender influence your BMR. The most common formula used to calculate it is the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation.

BMR (men) = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) – 5 × age + 5
BMR (women) = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) – 5 × age – 161

What Is TDEE?

TDEE builds on your BMR by adding the energy you burn through movement — from daily steps to workouts and even digestion (called the thermic effect of food). It's the full picture of how many calories you need to maintain your current weight.

Your TDEE depends on your activity level. Use our TDEE Calculator to get a personalized estimate.

Quick Comparison

BMR: Your body’s energy need at complete rest
TDEE: BMR + energy used for physical activity and digestion
Use BMR: For baseline understanding of your metabolism
Use TDEE: To set calorie goals for weight loss, maintenance, or gain

Why It Matters

Understanding both numbers empowers you to make informed decisions. Want to lose weight? Create a deficit from your TDEE. Want to maintain weight? Eat close to your TDEE. Want to bulk? Eat above it — but know your BMR helps you avoid under- or overestimating.

Example: If your BMR is 1,400 and you're moderately active (×1.55), your TDEE would be ~2,170. To lose weight, you might aim for 1,700–1,900 calories/day.