Maintenance Calories Calculator

About this calculator

Maintenance calories, or TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), is the number of calories you would need to eat each day to keep your weight stable — eat above it and you gain, eat below it and you lose. This calculator estimates it in two steps: first it computes your Basal Metabolic Rate with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (BMR = 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age + 5 for men, or −161 for women), then multiplies that by an activity factor ranging roughly from 1.2 (sedentary, little or no exercise) to 1.9 (very hard physical work or training twice a day).

Mifflin-St Jeor is the equation the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends over the older Harris-Benedict formula because it tracks measured resting energy expenditure more closely in modern populations. Dietitians, personal trainers, and fitness apps use this TDEE figure as the baseline for setting a calorie deficit for fat loss or a surplus for muscle gain; this tool is for general estimation only and is not medical advice.