How the maintenance calorie calculator works
Maintenance calories, also called Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), are the number of calories per day that keep your body weight roughly stable. This calculator gets there in two steps: first it estimates your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then it scales BMR up by an activity multiplier. These are evidence-based population estimates - individual variation means real needs may be 10-15% higher or lower, so use the output as a starting point rather than an exact figure.
How the math works
- BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): calories your body burns at complete rest, with no movement factored in. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is: men, BMR = 10 x weight(kg) + 6.25 x height(cm) - 5 x age + 5; women, BMR = 10 x weight(kg) + 6.25 x height(cm) - 5 x age - 161. It is the general-population equation most commonly recommended over older formulas such as Harris-Benedict.
- Maintenance calories (TDEE): BMR x activity multiplier. Sedentary desk workers use about 1.2x; light exercise 1-3 days/week uses 1.375x; moderate exercise 3-5 days/week uses 1.55x; heavy training 6-7 days/week uses 1.725x; and very hard daily training uses up to 1.9x.
- Maintenance range: because the formula is a population average, this calculator also shows a +/-10% band around TDEE to reflect normal person-to-person variation in metabolism.
Common calibration mistakes
- Overestimating activity level - many people select "moderately active" when their true weekly activity is closer to sedentary or lightly active.
- Tracking calories burned from exercise and adding them on top of TDEE - the activity multiplier already accounts for typical exercise, so adding exercise calories again creates an unintended surplus.
- Treating the output as exact. Use it as a starting point for 2-3 weeks, then adjust up or down based on your observed weight trend.
This tool performs the standard arithmetic for education and planning only. It is not medical advice - pregnancy, breastfeeding, chronic illness, disordered eating, and certain medications can change energy needs significantly, so consult a doctor or registered dietitian before making major changes to your diet.