Find exactly how many calories you need to maintain your weight. Powered by Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict, and Katch-McArdle formulas. Includes BMI, macro split, and goal calories for cutting or bulking.
🔥 Maintenance Calories Calculator
Biological Sex
ft
in
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BMR Formula
Mifflin-St Jeor (1990) is the most accurate formula for most adults, validated in a study of 498 subjects across all ages and BMIs. Recommended by most dietitians.
Maintenance calories are the number of calories you need to consume each day to maintain your current body weight — neither gaining nor losing. This number is also called your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).
The concept is simple: if you eat exactly your maintenance calories, your weight stays stable. Eat less → lose weight. Eat more → gain weight.
Key insight: Most people significantly underestimate how many calories they actually need. A moderately active 30-year-old man at 75 kg needs roughly 2,600–2,800 calories per day to maintain weight — not the commonly quoted 2,000.
Your TDEE is made up of three components:
BMR (60–70%) — calories burned at complete rest to keep organs functioning
Physical activity (20–30%) — exercise plus all daily movement (NEAT)
Thermic effect of food (10%) — energy spent digesting and processing food
How to calculate maintenance calories
Maintenance calories are calculated in two steps: first estimate your BMR, then multiply by an activity factor.
The activity multiplier is the biggest source of error in TDEE calculations. People consistently overestimate their activity level. Here's how to choose accurately:
Level
Multiplier
Who this is for
Examples
Sedentary
1.2
Little to no exercise, mostly sitting
Office worker, minimal walking
Lightly Active
1.375
Light exercise 1–3 days/week
3 gym sessions, mostly desk job
Moderately Active
1.55
Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week
5 gym sessions, some walking
Very Active
1.725
Hard exercise 6–7 days/week
Daily intense training, active job
Extra Active
1.9
Physical job + daily training
Construction worker + 2-a-day training
Common mistake: Most people who go to the gym 3–4 times a week are Lightly Active if they have a sedentary day job — not Moderately Active. Overestimating activity is the #1 reason why "eating at TDEE" doesn't maintain weight.
BMR formula comparison
Three widely-used formulas exist for calculating BMR. The calculator above supports all three:
Formula
Year
Inputs
Best For
Accuracy
Mifflin-St Jeor ⭐
1990
Weight, height, age, sex
Most adults — general use
±10%
Harris-Benedict
1919 (rev. 1984)
Weight, height, age, sex
Historical reference
±15%
Katch-McArdle
1996
Lean body mass only
Athletes, known body fat %
±8% (if BF% accurate)
Which formula to use? Mifflin-St Jeor is the clinical gold standard for most people. If you know your body fat percentage accurately (from a DEXA scan or calipers), Katch-McArdle is more precise for athletic populations because it ignores fat mass, which doesn't burn calories.
Macronutrient breakdown for maintenance
Once you know your maintenance calories, split them into protein, carbohydrates, and fat based on your goal:
Goal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Notes
Maintain weight
25–30%
45–50%
25–30%
Balanced — supports health and performance
Lose fat (cut)
35–40%
30–35%
25–30%
High protein to preserve muscle while in deficit
Gain muscle (bulk)
25–30%
45–55%
20–25%
High carbs for energy; moderate protein
Protein priority: Regardless of goal, aim for 1.6–2.2g of protein per kg of body weight (0.7–1g per lb) to support muscle retention and satiety. Protein also has the highest thermic effect — about 25% of protein calories are burned during digestion.
How to use your TDEE in practice
For weight loss
Create a deficit of 300–500 calories below TDEE. A 500 cal/day deficit = approximately 0.5 kg (1 lb) of weight loss per week. Avoid going below 1,200 cal/day (women) or 1,500 cal/day (men) without medical supervision.
For weight maintenance
Eat at TDEE. Track weight for 2–3 weeks — if weight is consistently rising, reduce by 100–150 cal/day. If consistently falling, increase by 100 cal/day. TDEE calculations are estimates; real-world adjustment is always needed.
For muscle gain (bulking)
Eat 200–500 calories above TDEE. A 250 cal/day surplus = approximately 0.25 kg (0.5 lb) gain per week. Start at the low end (250 cal surplus) to minimize fat gain, especially for beginners.
Recalculate regularly: As your weight changes, your TDEE changes. Recalculate every 4–6 weeks or after losing/gaining more than 3–4 kg (7–9 lb). A common plateau cause is forgetting to recalculate after weight loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Maintenance calories are the number of calories you need to eat daily to maintain your current weight. This is also called your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). Eat below this number to lose weight, above it to gain weight.
It depends entirely on your size, age, and activity level. A moderately active woman typically needs 1,800–2,200 calories, while a moderately active man typically needs 2,200–2,800. Use the calculator above for a personalized estimate based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body burns at complete rest — lying still, not eating, in a comfortable temperature. TDEE adds all movement, exercise, and digestion on top of BMR. Your maintenance calories = TDEE, not BMR. A common mistake is eating at BMR level, which creates a severe deficit even for sedentary people.
TDEE calculators are estimates with ±10–15% accuracy. Common reasons the calculation may be off: overestimating activity level, underestimating food intake, metabolic adaptation from previous dieting, or inaccurate inputs. Use the calculated TDEE as a starting point — eat at it for 2–3 weeks, track your weight trend, then adjust by ±100–200 cal/day based on results.
Generally no — body recomposition (losing fat while gaining muscle at the same calorie intake) is possible but very slow and mainly occurs in complete beginners, people returning after a break, or those with significant fat to lose. For most people, a modest deficit (300–500 cal/day below TDEE) with adequate protein and resistance training is the most effective approach.
Yes — age is a direct input in all BMR formulas (Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict, and Katch-McArdle). As you age, BMR naturally decreases due to muscle mass loss (sarcopenia) and hormonal changes. On average, BMR declines about 1–2% per decade after age 30. The calculator reflects this through the age variable in the formula.