Calorie Calculator — Maintain Weight
The maintenance view estimates the calories needed to hold your current weight steady — your Total Daily Energy Expenditure with no deficit or surplus applied. It preselects a moderate activity level so you can see the Mifflin-St Jeor baseline your body burns each day before any goal adjustment, a useful anchor for tracking intake against output.
Daily calorie needs estimate
Estimated daily calorie target
2,662kcal/day
How the estimate breaks down
Calories are estimated with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation scaled by an activity factor (TDEE), then adjusted for your goal — lose subtracts 500 kcal/day, gain adds 300 kcal/day. This is a screening estimate, not medical, nutritional, or dietary advice. Consult a qualified professional before changing your diet. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Holding weight steady
Maintenance is the calorie level where intake roughly matches what you burn, so your weight tends to hold rather than rise or fall. This view applies no deficit or surplus — your target is simply your estimated Total Daily Energy Expenditure from the Mifflin-St Jeor baseline scaled by a moderate activity level.
Use it as a reference point. Knowing your maintenance estimate makes it easier to read the loss and gain targets, since each of those is just this number with an offset applied. Because it is a screening estimate, confirm it against your own weight trend over a few weeks rather than treating it as exact.
Questions
- What does maintenance calories mean?
- It is the estimated number of calories that keeps your weight roughly steady — your Total Daily Energy Expenditure with no deficit or surplus. Eat consistently around this figure and weight tends to stay level, though real maintenance shifts with activity and body composition.
- How do I find my true maintenance level?
- Start with this estimate, then track your weight and intake over two to four weeks. If your weight is stable, the figure is close; if it drifts, adjust intake gradually. For a tailored target, consult a registered dietitian rather than relying on the formula alone.
More ways to use this calculator
Start with the main calorie calculator or compare the other published scenarios.
Related calculators on Category Index