BMR (Mifflin, Women)

This equation estimates a woman’s basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories her body burns each day at rest just to keep essential functions going, such as breathing, circulation, and cell repair. It was developed by fitting measured metabolic rates to common body characteristics: larger and taller bodies usually need more energy, while metabolic rate tends to decline with age. The result is an estimate in kilocalories per day, not an exact measurement for every individual.

Use this when you want a quick estimate of resting calorie needs, such as for nutrition planning, diet tracking, or comparing energy requirements between people. It is most useful as a starting point before adjusting for activity level, since daily calorie needs are usually higher than BMR.

• Using height in metres instead of centimetres
• Forgetting to subtract the age term or the 161 constant
• Treating BMR as total daily calorie needs instead of resting calorie needs