Body and calories

Maintenance Calories Calculator

Maintenance calories are the daily intake at which your weight stays put. Know them before any cut or bulk.

Want to turn these numbers into a plan you will actually follow?

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Calorie Deficit CalculatorDaily target for a chosen weekly loss, and how long to your goal. Macro CalculatorGrams of protein, carbs and fat for your calories. TDEE CalculatorYour total daily energy expenditure by activity level.

Example

A 40-year-old man, 5 ft 10 in, 190 lb, lightly active, maintains at about 2,500 kcal a day, about 17,500 kcal a week.

Method and formula

Maintenance = BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor) × activity multiplier. It is the same number as TDEE; this page exists because people search for it under this name.

Limits

• A formula gives a starting point; your real maintenance is the intake at which your weight is stable over 2 to 3 weeks.
• Maintenance drops as you lose weight: recalculate every 5 to 10 lb.

FAQ

How do I find my real maintenance calories?

Eat the estimated amount for two weeks, weigh yourself daily and average by week. Stable weight means you found it; adjust by 100 to 150 kcal otherwise.

Are maintenance calories the same as TDEE?

Yes. TDEE is the expenditure, maintenance is the intake that matches it.

Free educational tool. Body composition, calorie and heart rate values are estimates from published formulas, not medical measurements. They do not replace a professional assessment. No weight-loss recommendation is intended for people under 18.