Maintenance Calorie Calculator
Find the exact calorie range you need to maintain your current weight
Your Maintenance Calories
Stay within this range to maintain your current weight. Small daily fluctuations are normal and expected.
Understanding Maintenance Calories
Maintenance calories represent the total number of calories your body needs each day to sustain your current weight without gaining or losing. This figure is often referred to as your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and encompasses every calorie your body burns through basic organ function, digestion, daily movement, and structured exercise. When you consume calories equal to your TDEE over time, your weight stays stable because energy input matches energy output.
Rather than a single fixed number, your true maintenance intake is best understood as a range. Daily calorie needs fluctuate based on sleep quality, stress levels, hydration status, hormonal cycles, and how much you move outside of planned exercise. A window of approximately 200 calories above and below your calculated TDEE accounts for these natural variations. Eating anywhere within this range on any given day will still keep your weight stable over the course of a week.
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is widely considered the most accurate formula for estimating Basal Metabolic Rate in healthy adults. It factors in your weight, height, age, and biological sex to determine how many calories your body burns at complete rest. That resting value is then multiplied by an activity factor that reflects your typical weekly exercise and daily movement habits, producing a personalized TDEE estimate.
Knowing your maintenance calories is the foundation of any nutrition goal. If you want to lose fat, you eat below this range. If you want to build muscle, you eat above it. And if you are transitioning off a diet or simply want to hold your results, eating within the maintenance window helps you stabilize without regaining. Use the calculated range as a starting point, then monitor your weight over two to three weeks and adjust by 50 to 100 calories if needed.
How to Use This Calculator
- Select your preferred unit system (Metric or Imperial) using the toggle at the top of the form.
- Enter your age in years, your current body weight, and your height in the corresponding fields.
- Select your biological gender, as this affects the underlying BMR equation.
- Choose the activity level that most accurately describes your typical week, from sedentary to extra active.
- Click "Calculate Maintenance Calories" to see your personalized maintenance range, BMR, and a visual calorie window.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are maintenance calories?
Maintenance calories are the total number of calories you need to eat each day to keep your body weight stable. This figure equals your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which includes your Basal Metabolic Rate (the energy your body uses at rest), the thermic effect of food (calories burned digesting meals), and all physical activity throughout the day. When your calorie intake matches your TDEE over time, you neither gain nor lose weight.
Why does this calculator show a range instead of a single number?
Your body does not burn exactly the same number of calories every day. Factors like sleep quality, stress, hydration, ambient temperature, hormonal fluctuations, and incidental daily movement all cause small day-to-day changes in energy expenditure. Providing a range of plus or minus 200 calories around your calculated TDEE gives you a realistic target window. As long as your average intake over the week falls within this range, your weight will remain stable.
How is this different from a TDEE calculator?
A TDEE calculator typically gives you a single calorie number and may also provide targets for weight loss or weight gain. This maintenance calorie calculator is focused specifically on weight stability. It highlights the maintenance range, gives you a clear visual window showing your lower bound, target, and upper bound, and is designed for people whose primary goal is to stay at their current weight rather than change it.
How accurate is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation?
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is accurate to within about 10 percent for most healthy adults, making it the most reliable widely available estimation method. However, it does not account for individual differences in genetics, body composition (muscle-to-fat ratio), metabolic conditions, or medications. For the highest precision, use this calculator as a starting point and adjust based on real-world weight changes over two to three weeks.
Should I eat exactly this many calories every day?
No. It is perfectly normal and healthy for your daily intake to vary. What matters most is your average intake over the course of a week. Some days you might eat closer to the lower end of your range, and other days you might eat near the upper end. As long as your weekly average stays within your maintenance window, your weight will remain stable. Rigid daily targets often lead to unnecessary stress around food.
How often should I recalculate my maintenance calories?
You should recalculate your maintenance calories whenever your body weight changes by more than 2 to 3 kilograms, when your activity level changes significantly (for example, starting or stopping a regular exercise program), or roughly every three to six months as part of a general check-in. Age-related changes in metabolism also mean your maintenance calories will gradually decrease over the years.
Can I use maintenance calories to reverse diet after weight loss?
Yes. After a prolonged calorie deficit, gradually increasing your intake toward your maintenance range is known as reverse dieting. Instead of jumping straight to full maintenance calories, increase your intake by 50 to 100 calories per week until you reach the calculated range. This approach helps minimize fat regain by giving your metabolism time to adjust upward, and it often improves energy levels, sleep quality, and training performance along the way.
