Calorie Calculator

BMR or basal metabolic rate is the energy requirement to maintain life. It is measured at rest, but not asleep in a thermo-neutral environment in the post-absorptive state. It can be measured directly or indirectly, or it can be estimated as we are doing here. We are using the equations of Harris & Benedict (1919) to estimate BMR.

To estimate your BMR, input:

Physical characteristics: BMR 
Age in years     
Weight in pounds 
Height in inches 

kcal/day for men 
kcal/day for women

BMR can also be estimated as 70 W0.75 = kcal/day, where W is body weight in kilograms.

Obviously, there is more to life than just resting in that temperature-neutral environment. You must also have energy from your diet to support your activities above basal. Once you have calculated the BMR above, you can enter the minutes you spend in your various other activities each day. We have divided these into five levels from very light to very heavy. We have included a few examples of each category to allow you to gauge where a given activity might fit. The result is only an estimate, but should give you an idea of your daily caloric needs.

Physical Activity, minutes/day Total Energy Requirement
Very Light Light Moderate Heavy Very Heavy

Examples include:
Reading
Sitting
Driving
Eating

Examples include:
Walking
Sweeping
Playing Piano
Bicycling (easy)

Examples include:
Fast walk
Dancing
Ping-Pong
Skating

Examples include:
Swimming
Running
Bicycle Race
Basketball

Examples include:
Boxing
Rowing
Mountain climbing

 kcal/day
for men

kcal/day
for women


Back to the USMRA Homepage