Maintenance Calories Calculator
Estimate adult maintenance calories (TDEE) from age, sex, weight, height and activity using the Mifflin–St Jeor BMR equation.
Calculator workspace
Enter your values, calculate, then review the assumptions shown with the result.
How this calculator helps
Estimate adult maintenance calories (TDEE) from age, sex, weight, height and activity using the Mifflin–St Jeor BMR equation. The calculator keeps the main answer with supporting values and the formula or method so the result is easier to check, compare and save.
Maintenance calories and TDEE
Maintenance calories are the estimated daily calories needed to keep body weight stable under the activity assumptions entered. The calculator first estimates basal metabolic rate with the Mifflin–St Jeor equation and then applies the selected activity multiplier to produce TDEE.
Correction to the older calculator
This calculator uses the Mifflin–St Jeor equation with the sex constant you select, validates adult age inputs, and displays the method with the result.
Activity multipliers
Activity categories are broad approximations. “Moderately active” does not mean the same workload for every person, and fitness trackers can estimate energy differently. Use the output as an initial planning number and compare it with observed intake and body-weight trends if appropriate.
Maintenance versus a calorie deficit
Maintenance is the baseline estimate. If your question is specifically about an intake below maintenance, use the Calorie Deficit Calculator, which keeps the deficit percentage visible in the result.
Health limitation
This general adult estimator is not medical nutrition advice and is not intended for children, pregnancy, breastfeeding or eating-disorder treatment. Individual needs can differ materially from formula estimates.
How to use it well
- Use values from the source that actually applies to your situation.
- Check units, dates, rates and percentages before calculating.
- Review the formula/method and supporting figures rather than relying only on the headline number.
- For changing rates, regulations or policies, verify the current official source before an important decision.
- Use Copy Result or Save Result Image to keep the assumptions with the answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are maintenance calories?
They are an estimate of daily energy intake that would match estimated total daily energy expenditure under the assumptions entered.
What formula is used?
The page uses Mifflin–St Jeor BMR multiplied by an activity factor.
Is TDEE exact?
No. It is an estimate based on population equations and broad activity categories.