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Whether you want to maintain your ideal weight, lose weight, or gain weight, understanding how many calories your body requires each day is an important element in setting your calorie goals.

The calorie requirements your goal dictates depend on several different things. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is perhaps the one that is most contingent upon your current state of fitness. Understanding BMR before you set your proposed calorie limits is crucial.

BMR is defined as the amount of calories your body expends for vital functions, and is usually expressed in the amount of calories necessary in a 24 hour period. Put more simply, your BMR is the number of calories you burn in a day when doing absolutely nothing. Measuring true BMR is a complex process that must be performed under controlled laboratory conditions, but calculating an approximate BMR can be accomplished by using a formula. One such formula is the Harris-Benedict equation, which is the basis for many BMR calculators online.

BMR is different from person to person, as it depends on an extremely variable set of factors. Body composition, for example, affects your BMR, as do age and gender. Aerobic fitness and stress levels also may impact your personal BMR.