Find My Maintenance Calories Calculator
Easily calculate your daily maintenance calories to maintain your current weight.
Enter your age in years (1-100).
Enter your current weight.
Enter your height. If using ft/in, enter feet then inches.
Select your daily physical activity level.
Maintenance Calories by Activity Level
| Activity Level | Multiplier | Estimated Maintenance Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | … |
| Lightly Active | 1.375 | … |
| Moderately Active | 1.55 | … |
| Very Active | 1.725 | … |
| Extra Active | 1.9 | … |
What are Maintenance Calories?
Maintenance calories refer to the number of calories you need to consume each day to maintain your current body weight, without gaining or losing weight. When the calories you consume (energy intake) equal the calories you burn (energy expenditure), your weight remains stable. This state is also known as energy balance or caloric balance.
Understanding your maintenance calories is fundamental for weight management. If you want to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your maintenance level (a caloric deficit). If you aim to gain weight (e.g., muscle mass), you need to consume more calories than your maintenance level (a caloric surplus).
Who Should Calculate Their Maintenance Calories?
- Individuals looking to maintain their current weight.
- People starting a weight loss or weight gain program, as it provides a baseline.
- Athletes and fitness enthusiasts managing their energy intake for performance and body composition.
- Anyone interested in understanding their body's energy requirements.
Common Misconceptions about Maintenance Calories
- It's a fixed number: Your maintenance calories can change based on activity level, body composition changes, age, and other factors. It's not static forever.
- Everyone has the same maintenance level: Maintenance calories vary significantly from person to person.
- It's only about calories in vs. calories out for weight: While calories are the primary driver, macronutrient composition (protein, carbs, fat) and food quality also play roles in body composition and health, even at maintenance calories.
Maintenance Calories Formula and Mathematical Explanation
The calculation of maintenance calories typically involves two main steps:
- Calculating Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): This is the number of calories your body burns at rest to perform basic life-sustaining functions (breathing, circulation, cell production, etc.). The most commonly used and generally accurate formula is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation:
- For Men: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) – 5 × age (years) + 5
- For Women: BMR = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) – 5 × age (years) – 161
- Applying an Activity Multiplier: Your BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor that corresponds to your average daily activity level to estimate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which is your maintenance calories.
Maintenance Calories (TDEE) = BMR × Activity Multiplier
The activity multipliers are:
- Sedentary (little or no exercise): 1.2
- Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): 1.375
- Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): 1.55
- Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): 1.725
- Extra Active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job): 1.9
Variables Table
| Variable | Meaning | Unit | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | Body weight | kg (or lbs) | 30 – 200+ kg |
| Height | Body height | cm (or ft/in) | 100 – 220+ cm |
| Age | Age in years | years | 1 – 100 |
| Gender | Biological sex | Male/Female | N/A |
| Activity Multiplier | Factor representing physical activity level | Dimensionless | 1.2 – 1.9 |
| BMR | Basal Metabolic Rate | Calories/day | 1000 – 3000+ |
| Maintenance Calories (TDEE) | Total Daily Energy Expenditure | Calories/day | 1200 – 4000+ |
Practical Examples (Real-World Use Cases)
Example 1: Moderately Active Male
John is a 35-year-old male, weighs 80 kg (176 lbs), is 180 cm (5'11") tall, and is moderately active (exercises 3-5 days a week).
- BMR = (10 × 80) + (6.25 × 180) – (5 × 35) + 5 = 800 + 1125 – 175 + 5 = 1755 Calories
- Activity Multiplier = 1.55
- Maintenance Calories = 1755 × 1.55 ≈ 2720 Calories per day
John needs around 2720 calories per day to maintain his current weight.
Example 2: Lightly Active Female
Sarah is a 28-year-old female, weighs 60 kg (132 lbs), is 165 cm (5'5″) tall, and is lightly active (light exercise 1-3 days a week).
- BMR = (10 × 60) + (6.25 × 165) – (5 × 28) – 161 = 600 + 1031.25 – 140 – 161 = 1330.25 ≈ 1330 Calories
- Activity Multiplier = 1.375
- Maintenance Calories = 1330 × 1.375 ≈ 1829 Calories per day
Sarah needs about 1829 calories per day to maintain her weight.
How to Use This Maintenance Calories Calculator
- Enter Your Age: Input your age in years.
- Select Your Gender: Choose between Male and Female.
- Enter Your Weight: Input your weight and select the unit (kg or lbs).
- Enter Your Height: Input your height and select the unit (cm or ft/in). If using ft/in, the inches field will appear.
- Select Your Activity Level: Choose the option that best describes your typical weekly activity.
- Calculate: The calculator will automatically update, or you can click "Calculate".
How to Read the Results
The calculator displays:
- Your Estimated Maintenance Calories: The primary result, showing the daily calories needed to maintain your weight.
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Calories burned at rest.
- Activity Multiplier: The factor used based on your selected activity level.
The table and chart also visualize how your maintenance calories vary with different activity levels based on your BMR.
Decision-Making Guidance
Use your maintenance calories as a starting point. To lose weight, aim for a consistent daily calorie deficit (e.g., 300-500 calories below maintenance). To gain weight, aim for a surplus (e.g., 300-500 calories above maintenance). Monitor your weight over a few weeks and adjust your intake based on the results, as these are estimates. Consider using a weight loss calculator for more specific guidance.
Key Factors That Affect Maintenance Calories Results
Several factors influence your daily maintenance calorie needs:
- Age: Metabolic rate generally decreases with age due to muscle loss and hormonal changes, lowering maintenance calories.
- Sex: Men typically have more muscle mass and a higher BMR than women of the same age and weight, leading to higher maintenance calories.
- Weight: Heavier individuals require more energy to move and maintain their body mass, thus have higher maintenance calories.
- Height: Taller individuals generally have a larger surface area and more lean body mass, contributing to a higher BMR and maintenance calories.
- Body Composition: Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue. Individuals with more muscle mass will have a higher BMR and maintenance calories than those with more fat mass at the same weight. Our body fat calculator can help estimate this.
- Activity Level: This is one of the most significant factors. The more active you are, the more calories you burn, and the higher your maintenance calories.
- Genetics: Genetic factors can influence your metabolic rate and how your body uses energy.
- Hormones: Hormones like thyroid hormones play a crucial role in regulating metabolism and can affect maintenance calories.
- Diet-Induced Thermogenesis (DIT): The energy expended to digest, absorb, and metabolize food also contributes to total energy expenditure, though it's a smaller component. Protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs or fats.
- Climate: Living in very cold or very hot environments can increase energy expenditure as the body works to maintain its core temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- 1. How accurate is this maintenance calories calculator?
- The calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, which is generally considered one of the most accurate BMR prediction equations. However, it's still an estimate. Individual variations can be up to 10-20% due to genetics, body composition, and other factors not fully captured by the formula.
- 2. Why are maintenance calories different for men and women?
- Men and women have different formulas because, on average, men have more muscle mass and less body fat than women of the same weight and height, leading to a higher BMR and maintenance calorie needs.
- 3. How often should I recalculate my maintenance calories?
- You should recalculate your maintenance calories if you experience significant changes in weight (e.g., more than 5-10% of your body weight), activity level, or body composition.
- 4. Can I eat the same number of maintenance calories every day?
- While you can aim for a daily average, it's more practical to look at your weekly average. Some days you might eat slightly more, some days slightly less, but if the weekly average is around your maintenance level, your weight should remain stable.
- 5. What if I want to lose or gain weight?
- To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit by eating fewer calories than your maintenance level. To gain weight, you need a calorie surplus by eating more. Use your calculated maintenance calories as a baseline to adjust from. Our TDEE calculator can provide more insight into total daily energy expenditure.
- 6. Does the type of food I eat affect my maintenance calories?
- The type of food (macros) doesn't directly change your BMR or maintenance calorie number calculated here, but it affects how your body uses those calories and your body composition. A high-protein diet, for example, has a higher thermic effect of food (DIT) and can be more satiating, potentially helping with weight management even around maintenance calories.
- 7. What is BMR?
- BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories your body needs to perform basic, life-sustaining functions at rest. You can use a BMR calculator to find this value specifically.
- 8. How does muscle mass affect maintenance calories?
- Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue. This means it burns more calories at rest. People with more muscle mass will have a higher BMR and therefore higher maintenance calorie needs.
- 9. Can I increase my maintenance calories?
- Yes, by increasing your muscle mass through strength training and by increasing your overall physical activity level, you can increase your BMR and TDEE, thus your maintenance calories.