Maintenance Calorie Calculator - Daily Calorie Needs
Calculate your daily maintenance calories to keep your current weight stable based on your body composition and activity level.
Enter your age, gender, weight, height, and activity level to calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — the calories needed to maintain your current weight.
Maintenance Calorie Calculator - Daily Calorie Needs
Calculate your daily maintenance calories to keep your current weight stable based on your body composition and activity level.
About the Maintenance Calorie Calculator
Maintenance calories refer to the total number of calories you need to consume each day to maintain your current body weight. This is also called Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — the sum of all calories your body burns through basic metabolic processes, physical activity, and the energy cost of digesting food.
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most widely validated predictive equation for Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) in the general population. For males: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age + 5. For females: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age − 161. If body fat percentage is provided, the more precise Katch-McArdle formula is applied instead: BMR = 370 + 21.6 × Lean Body Mass (kg), where Lean Body Mass = weight × (1 − body fat%).
BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor to estimate TDEE. The activity factors are: sedentary (1.2), lightly active (1.375), moderately active (1.55), very active (1.725), and extra active (1.9). These multipliers account for the calories burned through exercise and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) — the energy expended in all daily movement outside formal exercise.
Understanding your maintenance calories is the foundation of any effective nutrition strategy. To lose body fat, you must create a calorie deficit — consuming fewer calories than your TDEE. A deficit of 500 kcal/day produces approximately 0.5 kg of fat loss per week. To gain muscle, a calorie surplus of 250–500 kcal/day above TDEE is generally recommended to support muscle protein synthesis while minimizing fat gain.
Maintenance calories are not static. They change as your body weight changes (muscle and fat mass influence BMR), as your activity level changes, and as you age. Metabolic rate naturally declines with age due to reduced muscle mass and hormonal changes, typically at a rate of about 2–3% per decade after age 30. Recalculating your maintenance calories every 6–8 weeks or after significant weight changes ensures your nutrition plan remains calibrated.
Individual variation means that calculated TDEE is an estimate with an accuracy of roughly ±10–15%. Factors such as genetics, metabolic efficiency, sleep quality, thyroid function, and gut microbiome composition all influence actual calorie expenditure. Use this calculator as a starting point, then track your weight over 2–3 weeks and adjust your intake based on observed results.
Maintenance Calorie Calculator Examples
Estimated maintenance calories for different profiles based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
| Profile | Maintenance Calories | BMR |
|---|---|---|
| Female, 30 yrs, 65 kg, 165 cm, Sedentary | 1,644 kcal/day | BMR ≈ 1,370 kcal (Mifflin-St Jeor). Desk job with no exercise. |
| Male, 25 yrs, 80 kg, 180 cm, Moderate activity | 2,798 kcal/day | BMR ≈ 1,805 kcal. Regular gym sessions 3–5 days/week. |
| Male, 65 yrs, 75 kg, 170 cm, Light activity | 2,052 kcal/day | BMR ≈ 1,493 kcal. Senior with reduced metabolic rate; light daily walking. |
| Female, 28 yrs, 60 kg, 170 cm, Very Active, 18% body fat | 2,722 kcal/day | BMR ≈ 1,433 kcal (Katch-McArdle, LBM 49.2 kg). Competitive athlete. |
How to Use the Maintenance Calorie Calculator
- Enter your age in years, weight in kilograms, and height in centimeters.
- Select your gender and your current activity level based on your typical weekly routine.
- Optionally enter your body fat percentage for a more precise estimate using the Katch-McArdle formula.
- Click Calculate to see your BMR and daily maintenance calorie target (TDEE).
- Use the calorie context table to find intake targets for weight loss or weight gain goals based on your maintenance calories.
Maintenance Calorie Calculator FAQ
What are maintenance calories?
Maintenance calories are the total number of calories you need to consume daily to keep your current body weight stable — neither gaining nor losing weight. This is equivalent to your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which includes your basal metabolic rate plus calories burned through all physical activity and food digestion. Eating above this amount leads to weight gain; eating below leads to weight loss.
How do I choose the right activity level?
Choose the activity level that best describes your typical weekly routine including both formal exercise and general daily movement. Sedentary applies to desk jobs with no or minimal exercise. Lightly active covers casual walking and light workouts 1–3 times per week. Moderately active suits regular gym-goers training 3–5 days per week. Most people slightly overestimate their activity level, which can lead to overestimating maintenance calories.
Why does maintenance calorie intake change over time?
Maintenance calories change because TDEE depends on body weight, muscle mass, and activity level — all of which can change. As you lose weight, your BMR decreases because you have less tissue to maintain. Muscle mass increases BMR more than fat mass, so gaining or losing muscle shifts maintenance calories. Age-related muscle loss also reduces BMR over decades, necessitating periodic recalculation.
How many calories below maintenance do I need for weight loss?
A deficit of 500 kcal/day below your maintenance calories typically produces approximately 0.5 kg (1 lb) of fat loss per week. A deficit of 1,000 kcal/day would theoretically double this rate, but very large deficits increase the risk of muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, fatigue, and metabolic adaptation. A deficit of 20–25% of TDEE is generally considered aggressive but sustainable for most people.
Is maintenance the same as TDEE?
Yes, maintenance calories and TDEE are the same concept. TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure and represents all calories your body burns in a day. When you consume calories equal to your TDEE, your weight remains stable — hence the term maintenance calories. The terms are used interchangeably in nutrition and fitness contexts.
How accurate is this calculator?
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation has an average error of approximately 10% compared to measured metabolic rates in research settings. In practice, individual variation means your actual maintenance calories may differ from the estimate by 200–300 kcal/day. The best approach is to use this calculator as a starting point, then track your body weight for 2–3 weeks and adjust based on whether your weight is stable, rising, or falling.