Find your weight maintenance calories
Calculate your maintenance calories - the exact number of calories needed to stay at your current weight. Also known as TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), this is your metabolic baseline for any fitness goal. Knowing your calories to maintain weight is essential whether you're planning to lose, gain, or stay the same.
+ ~210 cal for snacks
Maintenance calories (also called TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns in a day. This includes:
Basal Metabolic Rate - calories burned just existing: breathing, pumping blood, maintaining body temperature, cell production.
Exercise, walking, standing, fidgeting - any physical movement throughout your day.
Thermic Effect of Food - calories burned digesting and processing the food you eat.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis - daily movements like typing, cooking, cleaning that aren't formal exercise.
When you eat exactly your maintenance calories, your weight stays stable. Eat more = weight gain. Eat less = weight loss. This is the fundamental principle of energy balance.
Eat 300-500 calories below maintenance. A 500 cal deficit = ~0.5kg (1lb) loss per week. Don't go below BMR for safety.
Eat at your maintenance calories. Perfect for those happy with current weight or transitioning between cut/bulk phases.
Eat 300-500 calories above maintenance. Combined with strength training, surplus builds muscle. ~0.25-0.5kg gain per week is ideal.
Maintenance calories is the total number of calories your body burns daily - also called TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). Eating this exact amount keeps your weight stable. It's calculated from your BMR (metabolism at rest) multiplied by your activity level.
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which is considered the most accurate formula for most people. However, individual metabolism varies. Use this as a starting point, then adjust based on real-world results over 2-4 weeks.
Maintenance calories are the foundation of any diet goal. Without knowing your baseline, you're guessing how much to eat. Whether losing, gaining, or maintaining weight, this number is your starting point for creating an effective nutrition plan.
Yes! Your maintenance calories change as your weight, age, muscle mass, and activity level change. Recalculate every 5-10 lbs of weight change, or every few months. Metabolic adaptation also occurs during prolonged diets.
Track your weight and food intake for 2-3 weeks. If you're gaining weight at maintenance calories, reduce by 100-200. If losing, increase. Everyone's metabolism is slightly different - use the calculator as a starting estimate.