Maintenance Calorie Calculator

Maintenance Calorie Calculator: Know Your Daily Calorie Needs

Our Maintenance Calorie Calculator helps you figure out how many calories you should eat each day to maintain your current weight. This number is also known as your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). It combines the calories you burn at rest with the energy you use through eating, moving, and exercising.

What Makes Up Your TDEE?

Your daily maintenance calories come from four main components:

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Calories burned at rest to keep your body alive
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): Energy used to digest and process food
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): Calories burned through daily movement like walking or fidgeting
Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT): Energy burned during workouts or structured physical activity

Activity Multipliers

The calculator uses activity multipliers to estimate your daily calorie burn more accurately. Be honest when selecting your activity level—overestimating will give you inflated numbers.

Activity Level	Description	Multiplier
Sedentary	Little or no exercise, desk job	1.2
Lightly active	Light exercise 1–3 days/week	1.375
Moderately active	Moderate exercise 3–5 days/week	1.55
Very active	Hard exercise 6–7 days/week	1.725
Extremely active	Very hard exercise, physical labor job	1.9

Note: This Maintenance Calorie Calculator provides an estimate. Individual differences in metabolism mean your true needs may be slightly higher or lower.

How to Use Your Maintenance Calories

Once you know your daily maintenance calories, you can adjust your diet based on your goal:

Maintain weight: Eat roughly your maintenance calories
Lose weight: Create a moderate deficit of 300–500 calories per day
Build muscle: Add a small surplus of 200–300 calories per day

For sustainable progress, aim for gradual changes—about 1–2 pounds lost or gained per week.

Finding Your True Maintenance Calories

Every calculator is just a starting point. The most accurate way to discover your true maintenance calories is by tracking and adjusting:

Start with your calculator result
Track your food intake and weight daily for 2–3 weeks
Take weekly averages to smooth out fluctuations
If your weight stays stable, you’ve found your maintenance
If you’re gaining, lower intake by 100–200 calories
If you’re losing, raise intake by 100–200 calories

Beyond Calories: What About Macros?

Knowing your maintenance calories is step one. To fine-tune your nutrition, it helps to balance your macros—protein, carbs, and fats:

Protein: Aim for 0.7–1.0g per pound of body weight to support muscle repair and satiety
Carbs: Typically 40–55% of total calories, depending on activity level
Fats: Usually 20–30% of total calories, important for hormones and overall health

Once you know your calorie target, you can divide it into macros to match your goals.

Maintenance Calorie Calculator FAQ

Here are some common questions about using a Maintenance Calorie Calculator and understanding your TDEE:

Why do maintenance calories change over time?

They change as your weight, activity level, and metabolism shift. Losing weight lowers calorie needs, while building muscle or becoming more active raises them. Aging can also slow metabolism.

How often should I recalculate my maintenance calories?

Check every 3–6 months, or whenever you experience a major change—such as a 10+ pound difference in body weight, a new exercise routine, or a lifestyle shift.

Can two people with the same stats have different maintenance calories?

Yes. Genetics, hormone levels, muscle mass, and even unconscious movement (NEAT) can create big differences between individuals with the same height, weight, and age.

How accurate is this Maintenance Calorie Calculator?

Most calculators are within 10–15% of real needs. Use the number as a baseline, then adjust based on how your body actually responds over time.

Do I need different calories on workout days vs. rest days?

Some people prefer eating more carbs on training days and fewer on rest days, but your weekly calorie balance matters most. Keeping protein consistent every day is key.

Will my metabolism slow down if I stay in a calorie deficit?

Yes, long-term calorie restriction can lower your energy expenditure slightly (a process called metabolic adaptation). This is why gradual changes and periodic reassessments are recommended.