Maintenance calories are the number of calories you need to eat each day to keep your weight stable. Enter your details below to find your personal maintenance level.
Calorie Targets β your maintenance is highlighted
Macro Breakdown at Maintenance (30 / 40 / 30 split)
Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimate based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation. Results are not a substitute for advice from a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian. Individual calorie needs vary based on muscle mass, metabolic health, medications, and sleep quality.
Maintenance calories are the number of calories you need to eat each day to keep your weight stable. They are equal to your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) β the total energy your body burns through metabolism, movement, and activity combined.
Your BMR is the calories your body burns at complete rest β to keep your heart beating, lungs breathing, and cells functioning. It accounts for roughly 60β70% of your total daily energy use and is determined primarily by your body size, age, and sex.
On top of your BMR, your body burns calories through all physical activity β from walking to your desk to a full gym session. The activity multiplier (ranging from 1.2 for sedentary to 1.9 for extremely active) scales your BMR up to your true daily expenditure.
The result β TDEE β is your maintenance calorie level. If you eat exactly this amount each day, your weight stays the same. Eat more and you gain weight over time. Eat less and you lose it.
Every nutrition goal β fat loss, muscle gain, or weight stability β is defined relative to maintenance. You cannot set a meaningful deficit or surplus without first knowing where your starting point is. Maintenance is the foundation of any effective nutrition plan.
Mifflin-St Jeor Formula
Men: BMR = 10W + 6.25H − 5A + 5
Women: BMR = 10W + 6.25H − 5A − 161
W = weight in kg · H = height in cm · A = age in years
| Activity Level | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Sedentary (desk job, no exercise) | Γ1.20 |
| Lightly active (1β3 days/week) | Γ1.375 |
| Moderately active (3β5 days/week) | Γ1.55 |
| Very active (6β7 days/week) | Γ1.725 |
| Extra active (physical job + daily training) | Γ1.90 |
Whether your goal is to lose fat, build muscle, or simply not gain weight unintentionally, your maintenance calorie level is the number everything else is calculated from.
Before you can create a meaningful deficit or surplus, you need to know your baseline. Most people who struggle with their weight have never accurately measured how many calories their body actually needs β leading to guesswork, frustration, and inconsistency.
Research consistently shows that people underestimate the calories in their meals by 20β40%. Knowing your maintenance level gives you a concrete target. Even rough daily tracking helps most people avoid the slow, invisible weight gain that accumulates over months and years.
After a fat-loss phase, returning to your maintenance level is how you preserve your results without rebounding. Eating at maintenance after a cut is not "going off plan" β it is a deliberate, necessary phase for metabolic recovery and long-term weight management.
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Common questions about maintenance calories, TDEE, and how to use your result.
Maintenance calories are the number of calories you need to eat each day to keep your weight stable. They are equal to your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) β the total energy your body burns through metabolism, daily movement, and exercise. When your calorie intake matches your expenditure, your weight does not change.
If your weight stays consistent over 2β3 weeks while tracking your food intake, you are likely eating at or near maintenance. Small day-to-day fluctuations of 0.5β1 kg are normal and caused by water retention, sodium intake, and digestive contents β not actual fat changes. Look at the 2-week trend, not a single weigh-in.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body burns at complete rest β just to keep organs functioning. Maintenance calories are higher: they account for BMR plus all the energy used for movement, exercise, and daily activity. Maintenance is calculated by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor between 1.2 and 1.9.
Yes. Your maintenance calorie level changes with age, weight, and activity. As you lose weight, your maintenance decreases because there is less body mass to fuel. As you gain muscle, maintenance can increase slightly. Recalculate every 4β6 weeks if your weight or activity level changes significantly.
Estimates based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation are accurate within Β±10% for most healthy adults. Individual variation due to muscle mass, metabolic rate, sleep, and genetics means your actual maintenance may be slightly higher or lower. Treat the result as a starting estimate and adjust based on real-world weight trends after 2β3 weeks of consistent tracking.
Yes. Set your daily calorie goal in Nutrido to your maintenance estimate. Log your meals daily using AI photo analysis or manual entry. Nutrido shows your running calorie balance throughout the day so you can adjust your meals to stay within your target β without obsessing over every bite.
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You know your maintenance number. Now make it a daily habit. Nutrido logs your meals in seconds with AI photo analysis β so you can stay within your calorie range without spreadsheets or guesswork. Free to download on iOS & Android.
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