Maintenance calorie calculator

What is a maintenance calorie calculator?

A maintenance calorie calculator is a free online tool that estimates how many calories you need to eat each day to keep your current weight steady. This number is your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) — the sum of all the energy your body uses in a day, from keeping you alive at rest to fuelling your movement and exercise. Eat roughly this many calories and your weight stays the same; eat fewer and you lose weight, eat more and you gain.

The calculator turns five everyday numbers — your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level — into a single, personalised maintenance figure. It is the natural starting point for any nutrition plan, because once you know your maintenance level you can decide how big a deficit or surplus you want to run for weight loss or gain.

How does the calculator work?

The calculator works in two stages:

1. Estimate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) — the calories your body burns at complete rest to sustain breathing, circulation, and cell repair — using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
2. Scale BMR up to your maintenance calories (TDEE) by multiplying it by an activity factor that reflects how much you move during a typical day.

Activity levels

Your activity level converts your resting BMR into a real-world daily total:

• Sedentary (1.2): little to no exercise.
• Light exercise (1.375): light exercise or sports 1–3 days/week.
• Moderate exercise (1.55): moderate exercise or sports 3–5 days/week.
• Heavy exercise (1.725): hard exercise or sports 6–7 days/week.
• Extra active (1.9): very intense exercise or a physical job.

Formula

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation estimates BMR from weight in kilograms, height in centimetres, and age in years:

For men:

$$\text{BMR} = (10 \times \text{weight}) + (6.25 \times \text{height}) - (5 \times \text{age}) + 5$$

For women:

$$\text{BMR} = (10 \times \text{weight}) + (6.25 \times \text{height}) - (5 \times \text{age}) - 161$$

Your maintenance calories (TDEE) are then BMR multiplied by the activity factor:

$$\text{TDEE} = \text{BMR} \times \text{Activity Factor}$$

Examples

Example 1: 30-year-old woman, sedentary

Individual: 30 years old, 60 kg, 165 cm, sedentary.

• Calculate BMR:

$$\text{BMR} = (10 \times 60) + (6.25 \times 165) - (5 \times 30) - 161 = 1320.25$$

• Calculate maintenance calories (Sedentary factor = 1.2):

$$\text{TDEE} = 1320.25 \times 1.2 = 1584$$

Her daily maintenance level is about 1584 calories per day.

Example 2: 30-year-old man, moderate exercise

Individual: 30 years old, 80 kg, 180 cm, moderate exercise.

• Calculate BMR:

$$\text{BMR} = (10 \times 80) + (6.25 \times 180) - (5 \times 30) + 5 = 1780$$

• Calculate maintenance calories (Moderate factor = 1.55):

$$\text{TDEE} = 1780 \times 1.55 = 2759$$

His daily maintenance level is about 2759 calories per day.

Notes

• Maintenance calories are an estimate based on a population-average equation; your real needs can vary with muscle mass, genetics, sleep, and stress.
• Recalculate whenever your weight or activity level changes meaningfully, since both shift your maintenance level.
• To lose weight, eat below maintenance; to gain weight or build muscle, eat above it. A change of about 300–500 calories per day is a common, sustainable starting point.
• For specific health goals or medical conditions, consult a registered dietitian or healthcare provider for personalised advice.

FAQs

What are maintenance calories?

Maintenance calories are the number of calories you need to eat each day to keep your body weight stable — your total daily energy expenditure. At this intake, the energy you consume matches the energy you burn.

How are maintenance calories different from BMR?

BMR is the energy your body uses at complete rest, while maintenance calories (TDEE) include the extra energy you spend moving, exercising, and digesting food. Maintenance calories are always higher than BMR because BMR is multiplied by an activity factor greater than one.

Which formula does this calculator use?

It uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate BMR, then multiplies by an activity factor to find your maintenance calories. Mifflin-St Jeor is widely regarded as one of the most accurate predictive equations for the general population.

How accurate is my maintenance calorie estimate?

It is a solid starting point but not exact. Track your weight over two to three weeks at your estimated maintenance level; if it drifts up or down, adjust your intake by 100–200 calories until your weight holds steady.

Should I eat my maintenance calories every day to lose weight?

No. To lose weight you need to eat below your maintenance level so your body draws on stored energy. Maintenance is the baseline you subtract a deficit from, not the target for weight loss itself.