How do I find my maintenance calories?

Estimate your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiply by an activity factor (1.2 sedentary to 1.9 very active). The result is your TDEE — your maintenance calories. For a faster estimate, use a TDEE calculator and then verify against 1-2 weeks of stable weight.

What are my maintenance calories if I want to lose weight?

Find maintenance first, then subtract a deficit. Maintenance is the break-even number where weight holds steady; eat below it to lose, above it to gain. A 300-500 calorie daily deficit from maintenance is the standard sustainable target.

Why are my maintenance calories different from the calculator?

Equations estimate a population average and carry a 5-10% error for any individual. NEAT (non-exercise movement), muscle mass, age, and adaptive thermogenesis all shift your true number. The most accurate method is tracking intake against stable weight for 2-3 weeks.

Do maintenance calories change over time?

Yes. They fall as you lose weight (less mass to move plus adaptive thermogenesis) and with age, and rise with more muscle or activity. Recalculate after a 5%+ change in body weight or a major change in training.

What Are Maintenance Calories and How Do You Find Yours?

Maintenance calories are the number of calories you burn in a typical day — eat that amount and your weight holds steady. It is the single most useful number in nutrition, because every goal is defined relative to it: eat below maintenance to lose fat, above it to gain. Most people chase a target intake without knowing their maintenance, which is like setting a thermostat without knowing the room temperature.

The technical name is TDEE — Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It has four components, and the proportions matter.

The four parts of maintenance

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) — energy to keep you alive at rest. The largest piece, usually 60-70% of the total.
TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) — energy spent digesting. Roughly 10%, and higher on protein than carbs or fat.
EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) — deliberate workouts. Often smaller than people assume.
NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) — fidgeting, walking, posture. The most variable component; Levine’s research at the Mayo Clinic showed NEAT can differ by 2,000 calories/day between individuals.

Calculate it

Start with BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, the most accurate of the common formulas (Frankenfield et al., 2005):

Men: BMR = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) + 5 Women: BMR = (10 × kg) + (6.25 × cm) − (5 × age) − 161

Then multiply by an activity factor to get maintenance:

1.2 — sedentary (desk job, little exercise)
1.375 — light (1-3 days/week)
1.55 — moderate (3-5 days/week)
1.725 — active (6-7 days/week)
1.9 — very active (physical job + training)

A 32-year-old woman, 68 kg, 165 cm, moderately active: BMR ≈ 1,422; maintenance ≈ 1,422 × 1.55 ≈ 2,204 calories/day. Skip the arithmetic with the TDEE calculator.

The estimate is a starting point, not the truth

Equations predict a population average and miss your individual number by 5-10%. The only way to know your maintenance is to measure: log intake honestly for 2-3 weeks and watch the scale’s weekly average. If weight is flat, you’ve found maintenance. If it drifts, adjust by 100-150 calories and re-check.

This is where logging accuracy decides everything — and where most people fail, since eyeballing portions underestimates intake by 20-40%. Photographing meals and resolving portions against USDA data removes that guesswork.

Using maintenance to hit a goal

Once you have the number, a goal is simple subtraction or addition:

Fat loss: maintenance − 300 to 500
Lean gain: maintenance + 150 to 300
Recomposition: at or near maintenance, with high protein and resistance training

Map a target rate of loss to a daily number with the weight loss calculator. And remember: maintenance is a moving target. Recalculate it after any meaningful change in weight, training, or age.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my maintenance calories?: Estimate your BMR with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiply by an activity factor (1.2 sedentary to 1.9 very active). The result is your TDEE — your maintenance calories. For a faster estimate, use a TDEE calculator and then verify against 1-2 weeks of stable weight.
What are my maintenance calories if I want to lose weight?: Find maintenance first, then subtract a deficit. Maintenance is the break-even number where weight holds steady; eat below it to lose, above it to gain. A 300-500 calorie daily deficit from maintenance is the standard sustainable target.
Why are my maintenance calories different from the calculator?: Equations estimate a population average and carry a 5-10% error for any individual. NEAT (non-exercise movement), muscle mass, age, and adaptive thermogenesis all shift your true number. The most accurate method is tracking intake against stable weight for 2-3 weeks.
Do maintenance calories change over time?: Yes. They fall as you lose weight (less mass to move plus adaptive thermogenesis) and with age, and rise with more muscle or activity. Recalculate after a 5%+ change in body weight or a major change in training.