A professional tool to calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and determine exactly how many calories you need to maintain your current weight.
Calculate Your Maintenance Calories
Valid range: 10 – 100 years
Please enter a valid age.
Kilograms (kg)
Pounds (lbs)
Please enter a positive weight.
Centimeters (cm)
Feet
Inches
Please enter a valid height.
Sedentary (Little or no exercise)
Lightly Active (Exercise 1-3 days/week)
Moderately Active (Exercise 3-5 days/week)
Very Active (Exercise 6-7 days/week)
Extra Active (Very hard exercise/physical job)
Be honest for best results
Daily Calories to Maintain Weight
2,500
Calories / Day
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
1,700
Calories burned at rest
Mild Weight Loss
2,250
(-0.25 kg/week)
Mild Weight Gain
2,750
(+0.25 kg/week)
We use the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to estimate your BMR based on your inputs. We then multiply this BMR by your Activity Factor of 1.55 to find your maintenance calories.
A calories calculator to maintain weight is a specialized financial-grade tool designed to estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). Unlike generic diet calculators that focus solely on aggressive weight loss, this tool identifies the precise caloric "equilibrium point" where your energy intake equals your energy expenditure.
For individuals focused on body recomposition, performance maintenance, or recovering from diet fatigue, knowing this number is critical. It serves as the financial baseline of your body's energy budget. Consuming calories at this maintenance level ensures that your body weight remains stable over time, neither gaining fat nor losing muscle mass.
This tool is essential for:
Athletes looking to optimize performance without altering body composition.
Individuals who have reached their goal weight and want to sustain it.
Dieters taking a "diet break" to reset hormonal baselines.
Common Misconception: Many people believe maintenance calories are a static number. In reality, your maintenance level fluctuates based on daily activity, stress, and hormonal changes. This calculator provides a scientifically accurate baseline to work from.
The Formula and Mathematical Explanation
To accurately calculate the calories to maintain weight, we utilize the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation, widely considered by clinical nutritionists to be the most reliable formula for determining Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).
The calculation is a two-step process:
Step 1: Calculate BMR
Your BMR represents the energy your body needs just to exist (breathing, circulating blood, cell production) at complete rest.
For Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 5
For Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161
Step 2: Calculate TDEE (Maintenance Calories)
Once BMR is established, we apply an Activity Factor multiplier to determine your Total Daily Energy Expenditure.
Maintenance Calories = BMR × Activity Factor
Variables Used in Calculation
Variable
Meaning
Typical Range
Weight (W)
Total body mass
45kg – 150kg+
Height (H)
Stature in centimeters
150cm – 210cm
Age (A)
Chronological age
18 – 80+ years
Activity Factor
Multiplier for physical movement
1.2 (Sedentary) to 1.9 (Athlete)
Practical Examples (Real-World Use Cases)
Example 1: The Office Worker (Sedentary)
Profile: John is a 35-year-old software engineer. He is 180cm tall and weighs 85kg. He drives to work and sits at a desk all day, doing little to no exercise.
Interpretation: Despite weighing significantly less than John, Sarah's high activity level means her maintenance calories are nearly the same.
How to Use This Calories Calculator to Maintain Weight
Follow these steps to get the most accurate result from the calculator:
Select Your Units: Choose between Metric (kg/cm) or Imperial (lbs/ft) depending on what you are comfortable with.
Enter Physical Stats: Input your accurate age, gender, weight, and height. Do not estimate these numbers; measure them if possible.
Choose Activity Level: This is the most common source of error. Be realistic. If you exercise 3 days a week but sit the rest of the time, choose "Lightly Active" or "Moderately Active" rather than "Very Active".
Review Results: The primary number is your maintenance target. The intermediate values show your BMR and hypothetical targets for weight change.
Monitor and Adjust: Use this number for 2 weeks. If your weight trends up or down, adjust your intake by 100-200 calories accordingly.
Key Factors That Affect Your Results
While the calories calculator to maintain weight provides a highly accurate estimate, several biological and environmental factors influence your actual needs:
1. Muscle Mass vs. Fat Mass
Muscle tissue is metabolically expensive. A person with 85kg of lean muscle burns significantly more calories at rest than a person with 85kg of higher body fat. The standard formula does not account for body fat percentage.
2. Age-Related Metabolic Decline
As you age, your BMR naturally decreases due to hormonal changes and sarcopenia (muscle loss). This means your maintenance calories at age 50 will be lower than at age 20, even if your weight stays the same.
3. TEF (Thermic Effect of Food)
Different foods require different amounts of energy to digest. Protein has a high TEF (20-30%), meaning you burn more calories digesting protein than fats or carbs. A high-protein diet may effectively increase your maintenance ceiling.
4. NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)
This refers to fidgeting, standing, walking to the printer, and other small movements. NEAT can vary by up to 500 calories between individuals, significantly impacting maintenance needs.
5. Hormonal Fluctuations
Thyroid levels (T3/T4), cortisol (stress hormone), and sex hormones can speed up or slow down metabolic rate. Conditions like hypothyroidism will lower your actual maintenance calories below the calculated estimate.
6. Adaptation History
If you have been chronically dieting for a long time, your body may have adapted by lowering its metabolic rate (metabolic adaptation). In this case, your true maintenance might be lower than the calculator predicts until you "reverse diet" back to normal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is this calorie calculator 100% accurate?
No calculator can be 100% accurate because of individual metabolic differences. However, the Mifflin-St Jeor equation used here is accurate within 10% for most people, making it an excellent starting point.
Should I eat back my exercise calories?
Generally, no. The "Activity Level" multiplier already accounts for your exercise. Adding exercise calories on top of this usually leads to overeating and unwanted weight gain.
How often should I recalculate my maintenance calories?
You should recalculate whenever you lose or gain significant weight (more than 2-3 kg) or if your daily activity levels change drastically (e.g., switching from a desk job to a labor job).
What happens if I eat slightly over my maintenance?
Eating slightly over maintenance occasionally will not cause instant fat gain. The body often dissipates small surpluses as heat or increased fidgeting (NEAT). Chronic overeating, however, leads to weight gain.
Does the type of calorie matter for maintenance?
For weight maintenance strictly, total calories matter most. However, for body composition (muscle vs fat) and satiety, macronutrient balance (protein, fats, carbs) is crucial.
Why is my weight fluctuating if I am eating at maintenance?
Weight fluctuates daily due to water retention, sodium intake, glycogen storage, and digestion. Look for long-term trends (weekly averages) rather than daily spikes.
Can I build muscle while eating maintenance calories?
Yes, this is called body recomposition. It is most effective for beginners or those returning to training. Advanced athletes typically need a slight surplus to build muscle efficiently.
How do I know if I have a slow metabolism?
True "slow metabolism" is rare. Most cases are due to underestimating calorie intake or overestimating activity. However, medical conditions like hypothyroidism should be ruled out by a doctor.
Related Tools and Internal Resources
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