A maintenance calorie calculator shows the daily intake that leaves your weight where it is, neither up nor down. It multiplies your resting energy use by your activity level, the same maths as a TDEE calculator, and is the anchor for every other goal.
Maintenance matters most at two points: before starting a diet, so the deficit is set from a real base, and after reaching a goal, so the new weight stays put. This page covers both.
Quick numbers
Formula
Mifflin St Jeor BMR × activity factorWoman 30, 55 kg, 158 cm, light
about 1,686 kcalMan 30, 72 kg, 172 cm, moderate
about 2,558 kcalCheck period
2 to 3 weeks of steady weighingNormal daily swing
0.5 to 1.5 kg from water
Maintenance calorie calculator formula
Maintenance = BMR × activity factor
BMR (Mifflin St Jeor) = 10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age, then + 5 for men or − 161 for women
Factors: 1.2 desk job, 1.375 light, 1.55 moderate, 1.725 very active, 1.9 hard physical work
The BMR page explains the resting part and offers two other formulas; the TDEE page breaks down what makes up daily energy.
Calorie maintenance by age
| Age | Woman 158 cm, 55 kg, light | Woman, moderate | Man 172 cm, 72 kg, light | Man, moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1,755 | 1,979 | 2,338 | 2,635 |
| 30 | 1,686 | 1,901 | 2,269 | 2,558 |
| 40 | 1,618 | 1,824 | 2,200 | 2,480 |
| 50 | 1,549 | 1,746 | 2,131 | 2,402 |
| 60 | 1,480 | 1,669 | 2,062 | 2,325 |
Every ten years of age trims about 50 kcal from the estimate. Staying active and keeping muscle offsets most of that.
Find your true maintenance in three weeks
- Eat close to the calculator's number every day for 14 to 21 days.
- Weigh yourself each morning after the toilet, before food or drink.
- Average each week's weights.
- If the weekly average holds within about 0.3 kg, you have found maintenance.
- If it rises, cut 150 kcal; if it falls, add 150 kcal, and test again.
Daily weight jumps by 1 kg or more after a salty dinner or a heavy training day. Only weekly averages tell the real story.
Maintenance after weight loss
After a diet, the body burns a little less than the formula predicts because you are lighter and, for a time, slightly more efficient. Move back up in steps: add 100 to 150 kcal a week until your weight is steady.
This slow return, sometimes called reverse dieting, makes regain less likely than jumping straight back to old eating. Keep protein high and stay active; the protein tool gives a target.
Using maintenance to plan loss or gain
Once maintenance is known, any goal is simple arithmetic. Subtract 300 to 500 kcal to lose about 0.3 to 0.5 kg a week with the deficit calculator. Go 250 to 500 kcal over it to gain with the weight gain tool.
Things that move maintenance
- Changing jobs from active to desk work, or the reverse.
- A new training plan or a new sport.
- Illness, injury or a long rest.
- Shift work and short sleep.
- Some medicines, including certain antidepressants and steroids, and thyroid changes.
If your weight keeps climbing while you eat at maintenance and stay active, ask a doctor to look for medical causes before cutting food further.
Calorie maintenance calculator vs calorie calculator
They use the same inputs. The general calorie calculator shows maintenance alongside loss and gain targets; this page focuses on finding and holding the steady number.
Frequently asked questions
What are maintenance calories?
The daily intake at which your weight stays level, with no gain and no loss.
How do I calculate my maintenance calories?
Start from BMR (Mifflin St Jeor) and multiply by your activity factor. Then test the figure against a fortnight or more of morning weigh-ins.
What is the maintenance calorie calculator formula?
Maintenance = BMR × activity factor, where BMR = 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age + 5 for men or − 161 for women.
Why is my weight changing at maintenance?
Water, salt, hormones and food in the gut move daily weight by up to 1.5 kg. Look at weekly averages before changing calories.
Should I eat at maintenance after a diet?
Yes, after reaching your goal. Raise calories slowly, about 100 to 150 kcal a week, until your weight is steady.
Is maintenance the same as TDEE?
Yes. Both name the full daily energy spend, which is also what you need to eat to keep weight steady. Different websites simply prefer one term or the other.
Sources
- Mifflin St Jeor equation