Maintenance Calorie Calculator
The intake that holds your weight steady — the number every other target is built from.
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Maintenance calories
Maintenance is a moving target
Maintenance calories — your total daily energy expenditure — is what you burn across a whole day, and eating that amount holds weight steady. It has four components: basal metabolic rate, which is 60-70% of the total and is what you burn doing nothing at all; thethermic effect of food, around 10%; deliberate exercise; andnon-exercise activity — fidgeting, walking, standing — which varies enormously between people and is the main reason two similar individuals can differ by several hundred calories.
The calculation here uses Mifflin-St Jeor for BMR and multiplies by an activity factor. That equation is the most accurate of the general-purpose formulas, and it is still an estimate with a typical error of ±10%. Treat the result as a starting point to test, not a measurement: eat at it for two to three weeks, track weight, and adjust by 100-200 calories based on what actually happens.
The figure moves as you do. Losing weight lowers maintenance, because there is less of you to carry and to keep warm; gaining raises it. Activity level is also the input people most often overestimate — most desk workers who train three times a week sit closer to 1.375 than 1.55. When in doubt, pick the lower multiplier and let the scale correct you.
Medical disclaimer. This calculator is for general information and education only. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for professional care. Estimates assume a healthy adult; thyroid disorders, some medications, pregnancy and breastfeeding all shift requirements substantially.Speak to a doctor or another qualified clinician about any health decision.Last reviewed .
Frequently asked questions
What are maintenance calories?
The daily intake at which your weight stays stable — total daily energy expenditure. It is the sum of your basal metabolic rate, the energy used digesting food, deliberate exercise, and incidental daily movement.
How accurate is this estimate?
Typically within about 10% for healthy adults, which on a 2,400 calorie maintenance is a range of roughly 240 calories. Use it as a starting point, eat at it for two to three weeks while tracking weight, then adjust from what actually happens.
Which activity level should I pick?
Most people overestimate. A desk job with three gym sessions a week is usually light to moderate, not very active. If two levels seem plausible, choose the lower one — the scale will tell you within a few weeks if you were wrong.
Do maintenance calories change as I lose weight?
Yes, they fall. A smaller body costs less to move and to keep warm, and there is some additional adaptive reduction beyond the size change. Recalculate every few kilograms rather than following one figure throughout.
Why is my real maintenance different from the estimate?
Non-exercise activity varies several hundred calories between people of identical size, and formulas cannot capture it. Body composition matters too — muscle costs more at rest than fat, so the estimate reads low for very muscular people.