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How to get an accurate result from the BMR Calculator

WhiteUI · A plain-English guide to BMR

An accurate result starts with accurate inputs. The calculator cannot improve on the numbers you give it: a rate guessed to the nearest percent, or a measurement rounded to the nearest ten, carries that roughness straight into the answer. Spend the effort on the inputs, not on the arithmetic.

Worked example: A 30-year-old man, 70 kg, 175 cm: BMR = 10 × 70 + 6.25 × 175 − 5 × 30 + 5 = 1,649 kcal a day. Those numbers are exact, so the result is exact too — to the rounding shown. If your inputs are rounded, your result is rounded by at least as much, and saying otherwise would be false precision.

Rounding is the second thing to watch. The calculator shows money rounded to the nearest rupee and other results to two decimals, which is plenty for planning. Do not quote more digits than your inputs justify: a result of ₹34,713 from an estimated rate is really “about ₹35,000”, and presenting it as exact overstates what you know.

A second check worth doing: run the calculation once more with slightly different inputs — a rate one point higher, a measurement a little larger — and see how much the answer moves. If it barely moves, your answer is robust. If it swings wildly, the input that swings it is the one to pin down properly.

Frequently asked questions

What matters most for accuracy?

The inputs. A carefully measured input gives a trustworthy result; a guessed input gives a guessed result, however precise the arithmetic looks.

How many decimal places should I quote?

No more than your inputs justify. Two decimals are plenty for planning, and quoting more is false precision when the inputs are estimates.

Should I run the calculation twice?

Yes, with slightly different inputs. If the answer barely moves, it is robust. If it swings, the input that swings it is the one to pin down.

More guides on the BMR Calculator

Try it yourself

Enter your age, weight, height and sex to see your basal metabolic rate in calories a day.

Open the BMR Calculator