Estimate the daily calorie intake that may help you maintain your current body weight at your selected activity level.
Maintenance calories are an estimate. Day-to-day expenditure changes with movement, training, sleep, body composition and other factors, so use the result as a starting point rather than an exact requirement.
Your maintenance calories are the number of calories you need each day to stay at your current weight — not gaining, not losing. Think of it as your body's daily energy budget: the energy burned by basic body functions (breathing, circulation, digestion) plus everything burned through movement, exercise, and daily activity. Eat roughly this amount and your weight stays stable; eat consistently more and you gain; eat consistently less and you lose. That is why knowing your maintenance level is the starting point for almost every fitness goal — it is also known as your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the formula most dietitians and researchers consider the most accurate for the general population. It first estimates your basal metabolic rate (BMR) — the calories you would burn at complete rest:
It then multiplies your BMR by an activity factor based on the level you select:
| Activity Level | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Sedentary — little structured exercise | BMR × 1.2 |
| Lightly active — exercise 1–3 days/week | BMR × 1.375 |
| Moderately active — exercise 3–5 days/week | BMR × 1.55 |
| Very active — hard exercise 6–7 days/week | BMR × 1.725 |
| Extra active — very hard training or physical work | BMR × 1.9 |
For example, a 30-year-old man weighing 185 lbs (84 kg) at 5'11" (180 cm) has a BMR of about 1,820 calories. Moderately active, his maintenance calories come out to roughly 1,820 × 1.55 ≈ 2,820 calories per day. Want to dig into each component? Try our BMR calculator and TDEE calculator.
A calculator gives you a starting point — your real life confirms it. Here is how to dial it in:
Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimate for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult your doctor before making major diet changes.
Maintained by Live Fitness Check. Last updated: August 13, 2026. How we test our calculators .
Maintenance calories are the approximate daily energy intake that would match your energy expenditure closely enough to keep body weight relatively stable over time.
Energy expenditure varies from day to day, so a small range better reflects real life than treating one calculated number as perfectly exact.
Use it as a starting point, then compare your intake with your weight trend over several weeks and make gradual adjustments if needed.
