How maintenance calories are calculated
Your maintenance calories are simply your TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure — the total calories you burn in a day. Eat this amount and your weight stays roughly stable over time. It is calculated in two steps:
1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Your BMR is what your body burns at complete rest. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation:
- Men: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5
- Women: BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161
Enter your body fat percentage and it switches to the Katch-McArdle formula (BMR = 370 + 21.6 × lean mass in kg), which is more accurate for lean or muscular people.
2. Activity multiplier
BMR × an activity factor from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (athlete) = your maintenance calories. Maintenance is also the anchor for every other goal: cutting subtracts a deficit from it, bulking adds a surplus to it.
Frequently asked questions
What are maintenance calories?
Your maintenance calories equal your TDEE — the total calories you burn per day through resting metabolism, daily movement, and exercise. Eat roughly that amount and your weight stays stable; consistently eat less and you lose weight, more and you gain.
How do I find my true maintenance calories?
Use this calculator as the starting estimate, then track your food intake and morning weight for two weeks. If weight is flat, you have found maintenance. If it is drifting, adjust intake by 100–200 calories and repeat.
Why does my weight fluctuate at maintenance?
Daily swings of 1–2 lbs are normal — water, glycogen, sodium, and food volume all move the scale. Judge maintenance by the 2-week trend of morning weigh-ins, not any single day.
Do I have to eat the same calories every day?
No — the weekly average is what matters. Many people eat more on training days and less on rest days and maintain perfectly well.
How often should I recalculate my maintenance calories?
Whenever your weight changes by about 5% or your activity level shifts meaningfully. TDEE falls as you lose weight, which is why the number needs refreshing every few weeks during fat loss.