Your body is constantly burning calories, including while you sleep. Basic body processes require energy, so something as simple as breathing still requires a few calories of stored energy to continue. Knowing your body's basic caloric needs can help you pinpoint how much you need to eat to gain, lose or maintain weight. The basic, bare-bones need for staying alive is called the Basal Metabolic Rate. It's also sometimes referred to as the Basal Energy Expenditure, and the equation used to calculate it is the Harris-Benedict Equation. The mathematical calculation for this is standardized estimates; to calculate your exact BMR/BEE, you must see a medical professional.
Step 1
Convert your weight to kilograms. Divide the number of pounds by 2.2.
Step 2
Multiply your weight in kilograms, from Step 1, by 13.7 if you are male, and by 9.6 if you are female.
Step 3
Convert your height to centimeters. Multiply your height in inches by 2.54.
Step 4
Multiply your height in centimeters, from Step 3, by 5 if you are male, and by 1.7 if you are female.
Step 5
Multiply your age by 6.8 for males and 4.7 for females.
Step 6
Add the height and weight amounts from Steps 2 and 4.
Step 7
Add the total you got in Step 6 to 66.5 if you're male, and 655 if you're female. Note that the figure for males is much smaller than the figure for females--don't forget that decimal point.
Step 8
Subtract the age figure you calculated in Step 5 from the number you calculated in Step 7. This is your estimated BMR/BEE.
Tips and Warnings
- You might hear the term "Resting Metabolic Rate," or RMR, too. This is closely related to the BMR, but Weber State University notes it is not considered a "basal" amount. The climate, any food you're currently digesting and, if female, pregnancy status can affect your BMR. Your daily level of activity requires more than the calories required for your BMR. This total is called the Total Energy Expenditure, and it's calculated by multiplying your BMR by factors that vary depending on the activity. To find the factors that apply to you, speak with your doctor. Hospitals often use their own set of factors to find the TEE for patients.
- The Maryland Cooperative Extension warns that you should not eat fewer than 800 calories daily without medical supervision. The extension suggests 1,200 calories as a daily minimum amount.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
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