Maintenance Calorie Calculator
Calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) to determine how many calories you need to maintain, lose, or gain weight based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
Daily Calorie Goals
Metabolic Breakdown
Suggested Macros (Maintain)
Understanding Your Maintenance Calories
A maintenance calorie calculator determines the exact number of calories you need to consume daily to maintain your current weight. This calculation is based on your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which accounts for your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and physical activity level. Understanding your maintenance calories is crucial for weight management, whether you want to maintain, lose, or gain weight, as it provides the baseline for adjusting your caloric intake.
Your body burns calories continuously throughout the day, even at rest. The maintenance calorie calculator uses the scientifically validated Mifflin-St Jeor equation to calculate your BMR—the calories your body needs for basic functions like breathing, circulation, and cell production. It then multiplies this by an activity factor to account for exercise and daily movement, giving you your TDEE. Consuming calories equal to your TDEE maintains your weight, while eating below creates a deficit for weight loss, and eating above creates a surplus for weight gain.
How Maintenance Calories Are Calculated
The calculation begins with your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is considered the most accurate formula for estimating resting energy expenditure. For men, the formula is: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 5. For women, the formula is: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161. The gender difference accounts for men typically having more muscle mass and higher metabolic rates.
After calculating BMR, the result is multiplied by an activity factor to determine TDEE. Activity factors range from 1.2 for sedentary individuals (little or no exercise) to 1.9 for extremely active individuals (athletes training twice daily). For example, a 30-year-old male weighing 70kg and 170cm tall has a BMR of approximately 1,640 calories. If moderately active (exercising 3-5 days per week), his TDEE would be 1,640 × 1.55 = 2,542 calories per day. This is his maintenance calorie level.
Activity Level Definitions and Impact
Sedentary (1.2): Little or no exercise, desk job, minimal daily movement. This applies to people who spend most of their day sitting and don't engage in regular physical activity. A sedentary 70kg person with a BMR of 1,640 needs only 1,968 calories daily to maintain weight.
Lightly Active (1.375): Light exercise or sports 1-3 days per week. This includes activities like walking, light yoga, or recreational sports on weekends. The same person at this activity level needs 2,255 calories daily—287 more calories than sedentary.
Moderately Active (1.55): Moderate exercise 3-5 days per week. This includes regular gym sessions, running, cycling, or active sports. At this level, maintenance calories increase to 2,542 daily—574 more than sedentary.
Very Active (1.725): Hard exercise 6-7 days per week. This applies to serious fitness enthusiasts who train intensely most days. Maintenance calories rise to 2,829 daily—861 more than sedentary.
Extra Active (1.9): Very hard exercise twice daily or physical job plus training. This is for athletes, construction workers who also train, or those with extremely demanding physical routines. Maintenance calories reach 3,116 daily—1,148 more than sedentary. The activity multiplier has a massive impact on calorie needs.
Factors Affecting Your Maintenance Calories
Age: Metabolism naturally slows with age, decreasing by approximately 2% per decade after age 30. A 50-year-old has a BMR about 100-150 calories lower than they did at age 30, even at the same weight. This is partly due to muscle loss (sarcopenia) and hormonal changes. Regular strength training can help maintain muscle mass and metabolic rate as you age.
Body Composition: Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue—approximately 6 calories per pound of muscle versus 2 calories per pound of fat daily. Two people of the same weight can have vastly different maintenance calories if one has 20% body fat and the other has 30%. Building muscle through resistance training increases your BMR and maintenance calories.
Gender: Men typically have 10-15% higher maintenance calories than women of the same age, weight, and height due to greater muscle mass and testosterone levels. A 70kg man might need 2,500 calories daily while a 70kg woman needs 2,100 calories at the same activity level. This biological difference is accounted for in the BMR formula.
Using Maintenance Calories for Weight Goals
Weight Loss: To lose weight, create a calorie deficit by eating 300-500 calories below your maintenance level. A 500-calorie daily deficit results in approximately 0.5kg (1 pound) of fat loss per week, as 3,500 calories equals roughly one pound of fat. If your maintenance is 2,500 calories, eating 2,000 calories daily creates a sustainable deficit. Avoid deficits larger than 1,000 calories, as this can slow metabolism and cause muscle loss.
Weight Gain: To gain weight (muscle), create a calorie surplus by eating 300-500 calories above maintenance. Combined with strength training, this supports muscle growth while minimizing fat gain. If your maintenance is 2,500 calories, eating 2,800-3,000 calories daily with adequate protein (1.6-2.2g per kg body weight) promotes lean muscle gain. Larger surpluses lead to more fat gain.
Weight Maintenance: To maintain your current weight, consume calories equal to your TDEE. This is useful after reaching your goal weight or during maintenance phases between diet or bulking cycles. Your maintenance calories aren't fixed—they change as your weight, activity level, or age changes. Recalculate every 5kg of weight change or when activity levels shift significantly.
Adjusting Calories Based on Results
Calculated maintenance calories are estimates based on population averages. Individual metabolic rates vary by 10-15% due to genetics, thyroid function, and other factors. Track your weight for 2-3 weeks while eating at your calculated maintenance level. If your weight remains stable, the calculation is accurate. If you're losing weight, your actual maintenance is higher—add 100-200 calories. If gaining weight, your actual maintenance is lower—reduce by 100-200 calories.
Metabolic adaptation occurs during prolonged calorie restriction, where your body reduces energy expenditure to conserve energy. After dieting for several months, your maintenance calories may be 10-15% lower than predicted. This is why diet breaks (eating at maintenance for 1-2 weeks every 8-12 weeks) help restore metabolic rate. When reverse dieting back to maintenance after a diet, increase calories gradually by 50-100 per week to minimize fat gain.
Common Mistakes in Calorie Calculation
Overestimating Activity Level: Most people overestimate their activity level, leading to inflated maintenance calorie estimates. A 30-minute gym session 3 times per week doesn't make you "very active." Be honest about your activity—if you have a desk job and exercise 3-4 times weekly, you're likely "moderately active" at most. Overestimating by one activity level can add 300-400 unnecessary calories daily.
Not Tracking Accurately: Maintenance calorie calculations are only useful if you track intake accurately. Eyeballing portions or forgetting to log cooking oils, condiments, and beverages can add 300-500 unaccounted calories daily. Use a food scale and tracking app for at least 2-3 weeks to understand true intake. Even small measurement errors compound over time.
Ignoring Non-Exercise Activity: NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)—calories burned through daily activities like walking, fidgeting, and standing—can vary by 500-1,000 calories daily between individuals. Someone with an active job (teacher, nurse, retail worker) burns significantly more than someone with a desk job, even if both exercise the same amount. Consider your entire day's activity, not just formal exercise.
Last Updated: January 2026 | This calculator provides estimates based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Individual results may vary based on genetics, body composition, and metabolic factors. For personalized nutrition advice, consult with a registered dietitian. Related tools: BMI Calculator, Calorie Calculator, Body Fat Calculator.