Maintenance Calorie Calculator (TDEE)
Enter your age, sex, height, weight and activity level to find your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight. You also get your Basal Metabolic Rate, goal-adjusted calorie targets for a cut or a bulk, and an estimated macro split. Switch between metric and imperial units; results update as you type.
What are maintenance calories?
Maintenance calories, also called your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), are the number of calories you need to consume each day to keep your weight stable. Eat more than your TDEE and you will gain weight over time; eat less and you will lose it. TDEE combines your Basal Metabolic Rate (the energy your body burns at complete rest to keep organs, cells and hormones working) with the extra calories you burn through movement and exercise. Knowing your TDEE is the starting point for any structured nutrition plan, whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain or simply fueling performance.
How this calculator works: Mifflin-St Jeor and Katch-McArdle
The default formula is Mifflin-St Jeor (1990), which is considered the most accurate general-population BMR equation. For males: BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age) + 5. For females the constant changes to -161. This BMR is then multiplied by an activity factor ranging from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (extremely active) to get your TDEE. If you know your body fat percentage, toggle on the Katch-McArdle mode, which uses lean body mass directly and is often more accurate for very lean or very muscular individuals: BMR = 370 + (21.6 x lean body mass in kg). All formulas produce estimates, typically within 10% of your actual expenditure.
Setting your calorie goal: cut, maintain or bulk
Once you know your TDEE, you can set a daily calorie target based on your goal. A deficit of 500 kcal/day below maintenance creates roughly a 0.45 kg (1 lb) per week deficit in stored energy, and a surplus of 500 kcal/day above maintenance supports roughly the same rate of lean mass gain. More aggressive deficits (750 kcal/day) can accelerate fat loss but increase the risk of muscle loss and fatigue, so they are best used for short periods with adequate protein. Slower adjustments of 250 kcal/day minimize side effects and are generally more sustainable. The macro split shown is a starting point: protein at 25-30% of calories (higher during a cut to preserve muscle), fat at 25%, and the rest from carbohydrates.
Why your actual TDEE may differ from the estimate
Formula-based TDEE has several sources of error. First, self-assessed activity level is the biggest variable: most people overestimate how active they are. Second, BMR varies by genetics, muscle mass, hormonal status and diet history. Chronic calorie restriction lowers BMR through adaptive thermogenesis (the body becoming more efficient). Third, the thermic effect of food (TEF), roughly 10% of calories consumed, is baked into the activity multiplier but varies by diet composition. Use this calculator as a starting target, track your intake and weight for 2-4 weeks, then adjust by 100-200 kcal if your weight is not changing as expected.
Activity level multipliers (Harris-Benedict)
| Activity level | Description | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | Desk job, little or no exercise | 1.20 |
| Lightly active | Light exercise 1-3 days/week | 1.375 |
| Moderately active | Exercise 3-5 days/week | 1.55 |
| Very active | Hard exercise 6-7 days/week | 1.725 |
| Extra active | Physical job or 2x daily training | 1.90 |
Multiply your BMR by the factor that best describes your typical week to estimate TDEE.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I am eating at maintenance?
Track your food intake accurately for 2-4 weeks and compare to your weight trend. If your weight is stable (within normal daily fluctuation of 0.5-2 kg), you are eating at or near maintenance. If you are losing weight, increase your intake by 100-200 kcal/day; if gaining, reduce by the same amount. The number from this calculator is your best starting estimate, but only real-world data confirms it.
What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?
Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body burns at complete rest, just to sustain basic life functions like breathing, circulation and cell repair. Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) adds the calories you burn through all movement and activity. TDEE is always higher than BMR and is the number that matters for weight management. Most people have a TDEE 20-90% above their BMR, depending on activity level.
Is the Mifflin-St Jeor formula accurate?
Mifflin-St Jeor is the most validated general-population formula and performs better on average than older equations like the original Harris-Benedict (1919). It is typically within 10% of measured resting metabolic rate for healthy adults. For very lean or very muscular individuals, the Katch-McArdle formula (which uses lean body mass) is often more accurate because it removes the confounding effect of high body fat.
How many calories should I eat to lose 1 kg per week?
One kilogram of body fat stores approximately 7,700 kcal of energy. To lose 1 kg per week you need a deficit of 7,700 kcal over seven days, which works out to a 1,100 kcal daily deficit. That is an aggressive target that can be hard to sustain and risks muscle loss. Most practitioners recommend targeting 0.5-1% of body weight per week as a loss rate, which for most people corresponds to a deficit of 300-600 kcal/day.
Do I need to eat back exercise calories?
That depends on how you estimated your activity level. If you chose an activity level that already accounts for your workouts (for example, moderately active because you exercise 4 days per week), your TDEE already includes those calories and you do not need to add them back. If you set yourself as sedentary but then exercise, you would be under-eating. Most people find it simpler to pick an activity level that reflects their average week, including workouts, so the TDEE covers everything.
Can I use this calculator if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?
Not as a primary guide. Pregnancy and lactation significantly increase calorie and nutrient needs in ways that general TDEE formulas do not capture. The additional energy required varies by trimester and individual. Consult a registered dietitian or obstetrician for personalized calorie guidance during these periods.