Calorie Maintenance Calculator

Calorie maintenance (TDEE) calculator for daily calories

If you want to maintain your current weight, the key number you are trying to estimate is your maintenance calories, often called TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). TDEE is your estimated daily calorie burn when you combine what your body uses at rest with the energy you spend moving, working, training, and doing normal life. This calculator estimates your maintenance calories using your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level, then shows a practical daily target you can use for meal planning.

The calculation starts with BMR (basal metabolic rate), which is the energy your body needs to keep you alive at rest. From there, the calculator multiplies BMR by an activity factor to estimate TDEE. The activity factor is the largest source of error for most people, because two people can both “work out 4 days per week” but have very different jobs, step counts, and total movement. Treat your first result as a strong starting estimate, not a perfect measurement.

If you also want simple macro targets, you can select a macro split (balanced, high protein, or lower carb). Macros do not change whether you gain or lose weight on their own, but they can change how easy it is to stick to your plan and how you feel. Protein helps with satiety and muscle retention, fat supports hormones and makes meals satisfying, and carbohydrates often support training performance. The macro output in this calculator is optional, designed to help you turn a calorie number into practical grams per day.

Assumptions and how to use this calculator

• Formula: Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate BMR, then multiplies by an activity factor to estimate TDEE.
• Activity is an estimate: Choose the activity level that matches your average week, including your job and daily movement, not only gym sessions.
• Units: Metric uses centimeters and kilograms. Imperial uses feet, inches, and pounds, then converts internally.
• Maintenance means stable body weight: Real maintenance is a range, not a single number. Daily intake can vary while weekly averages matter more.
• Best practice: Use the output for 2–3 weeks, track scale trend (weekly average), and adjust by 100–200 kcal/day if weight drifts up or down.

Common questions

What is the difference between BMR and TDEE?

BMR is the energy your body needs at rest. TDEE is your estimated total daily calorie burn after adding daily activity and exercise. Maintenance calories are based on TDEE, not BMR, because most people are not lying still all day.

Which activity level should I choose?

Pick the option that matches your average movement across the whole week. If you have a desk job and train 3 times per week, “lightly active” is usually closer than “moderately active” unless you also walk a lot daily. If you have a physically demanding job or high step counts most days, “very active” or “extra active” may be more accurate.

Why does my maintenance calories estimate feel too high or too low?

Two reasons dominate: the activity multiplier and your true body composition. Activity multipliers are blunt averages, and equations do not directly measure muscle mass vs fat mass. If your weight trend changes over a couple of weeks while eating near the estimate, your real maintenance is different. Adjust in small increments and keep your tracking consistent.

Should I eat the same calories every day?

Not necessarily. Many people do better by aiming for a weekly average. For example, you might eat slightly less on rest days and slightly more on training days, as long as the weekly average is near maintenance. This approach can be easier to stick to and may better match your training schedule.

Do macro splits matter if calories are the same?

Calories drive weight change over time, but macros affect hunger, energy, and performance. Higher protein can help with satiety and muscle retention. Higher carbohydrate intake can support training volume and recovery. Higher fat intake can make meals more satisfying for some people. If you are unsure, start with a balanced split and only change it if you have a practical reason.