Is BMR the same as TDEE?

No. TDEE includes all your daily activity and digestion, while BMR is only the at-rest energy — so TDEE is always higher.

How accurate are these formulas?

They are estimates, usually within about 10% for most people. Track your weight over a couple of weeks and adjust the number to what you observe.

Which do I use to lose weight?

Use TDEE — it is your maintenance level, and eating a moderate amount below it creates the deficit that drives weight loss.

BMR vs TDEE: What's the Difference?

Published 10/20/2025 · 2 min read · Health calculators

Sofia Nunes — Health & wellness writer at Allin

Nutrition · Hydration

Checked against 2 sources

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In short

BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the energy your body burns at complete rest just to stay alive. TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is BMR plus everything else you do — moving, digesting, exercising. TDEE = BMR × an activity factor (about 1.2 sedentary to 1.9 very active). BMR is the floor; TDEE is what you actually burn in a day.

BMR is what you burn at rest; TDEE is what you burn in a whole day. Here's how they relate, how the activity multiplier works, and which to use.

What BMR is

Your basal metabolic rate is the energy needed just to keep you alive at rest — running your organs, brain and body temperature. It is the biggest single slice of daily burn, often 60–70% of the total, and it rises with more muscle and body size. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation estimates it from weight, height, age and sex.

What TDEE is

TDEE is everything BMR plus the calories you burn moving through the day: deliberate exercise, incidental activity like walking and fidgeting, and the energy used to digest food. It is your true daily number, and for most people it lands well above BMR because even a quiet day involves a lot of small movement.

The activity multiplier

To turn BMR into TDEE, multiply by an activity factor: about 1.2 for sedentary, 1.375 lightly active, 1.55 moderately active, 1.725 very active and 1.9 for extremely active or physical jobs. So a 1,600 kcal BMR at a moderate 1.55 gives a TDEE near 2,480 kcal. Pick the factor honestly — most people overestimate their activity.

Which to use for goals

TDEE is the number that matters day to day: it is your maintenance level, so eating below it loses weight and above it gains. BMR is useful as context — a floor you should rarely eat under — and it explains why bigger, more muscular people can eat more. Treat both as estimates: track your weight for a couple of weeks and adjust.

BMR vs TDEE
Aspect	BMR	TDEE
Measures	Energy at rest	Total daily energy
Includes activity?	No	Yes
Typical formula	Mifflin-St Jeor	BMR × activity factor
Use it to	Understand your baseline	Set eating targets

Worked with our own calculator

Daily calorie calculator (TDEE)

Given

Sex: Male
Weight (kg): 63
Height (cm): 158
Age: 15
Activity level: Sedentary

Result

Maintain: 1,857 kcal
Lose weight: 1,357 kcal
Gain weight: 2,357 kcal

These figures are produced by the calculator below, not typed in by hand — they are recomputed whenever the tool changes.

Run it on your own figures →

Frequently asked questions

Is BMR the same as TDEE?: No. TDEE includes all your daily activity and digestion, while BMR is only the at-rest energy — so TDEE is always higher.
How accurate are these formulas?: They are estimates, usually within about 10% for most people. Track your weight over a couple of weeks and adjust the number to what you observe.
Which do I use to lose weight?: Use TDEE — it is your maintenance level, and eating a moderate amount below it creates the deficit that drives weight loss.

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This is general information, not medical advice. These formulas are estimates — a doctor or dietitian can give guidance suited to your health and goals.

Sources

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