How the Weight Maintenance Calculator works

Weight maintenance sounds simple (“eat the same calories you burn”), but in real life it’s easy to overshoot. This tool makes the process practical by breaking it into two layers: BMR and TDEE. Think of BMR as your “engine idle” and TDEE as “your real daily burn” after movement, workouts, and normal life.

BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate — an estimate of calories your body uses to keep you alive (breathing, circulation, temperature regulation) if you did nothing all day. We offer two popular equations:

• Mifflin-St Jeor (recommended):
  Men: BMR = 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age + 5
  Women: BMR = 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age − 161
• Harris-Benedict (classic):
  Men: BMR = 66.47 + 13.75×weight(kg) + 5.003×height(cm) − 6.755×age
  Women: BMR = 655.1 + 9.563×weight(kg) + 1.850×height(cm) − 4.676×age

TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure: the calories you burn in a normal day. We estimate it by multiplying BMR by an activity factor: TDEE = BMR × Activity Factor. This isn’t “perfect science” — it’s a practical shortcut used in many fitness apps and coaching plans.

• 1.20 — Sedentary: desk job, little exercise
• 1.375 — Light: 1–3 workouts/week
• 1.55 — Moderate: 3–5 workouts/week
• 1.725 — Very active: 6–7 workouts/week
• 1.90 — Athlete: intense training or physical job

Numbers are nice — plans are better. That’s why the results include: maintenance calories plus a quick “what if” range: a small deficit (−250), a moderate deficit (−500), and mild surplus (+250). You can maintain weight with the maintenance number, cut with a deficit, or bulk with a surplus. If you want “recomp” (gain muscle while staying similar weight), maintenance calories plus high protein is a common starting point.

Real examples (with step-by-step math)

Seeing the math once makes the result feel “real” instead of random. Here are two examples using the same method your calculator uses.

• Person: Male, 30 years, 175 cm, 72 kg, Moderate activity (1.55)
• BMR (Mifflin): 10×72 + 6.25×175 − 5×30 + 5
  = 720 + 1093.75 − 150 + 5 = 1668.75 ≈ 1669 kcal/day
• TDEE: 1669 × 1.55 = 2586 kcal/day (rounded)
• Maintenance target: ~2586 kcal/day

• Person: Female, 28 years, 5′6″, 150 lb, Light activity (1.375)
• Convert: 150 lb ≈ 68.0 kg, 5′6″ = 66 in ≈ 167.6 cm
• BMR (Mifflin): 10×68 + 6.25×167.6 − 5×28 − 161
  = 680 + 1047.5 − 140 − 161 = 1426.5 ≈ 1427 kcal/day
• TDEE: 1427 × 1.375 = 1962 kcal/day (rounded)
• Maintenance target: ~1960 kcal/day

Notice what’s happening: BMR is your baseline. Activity is the big lever. If you accidentally pick “Very active” when you’re actually “Light,” your result will be too high. That’s why the sidebar tip (track weight trend for 2 weeks) matters — it’s how you “calibrate” your estimate.

Macros for maintenance (simple, not obsessive)

Maintenance calories tell you “how much,” but macros help with “what that looks like” in real meals. You do not need perfect macros to maintain weight, but these rules make the calorie target easier to stick to — especially if hunger or cravings are your main issue.

• Protein: 1.6–2.2 g per kg body weight (or ~0.7–1.0 g per lb). Protein is the “stability macro.”
• Fat: ~0.6–1.0 g/kg (or ~0.25–0.45 g/lb). Keep it high enough for satiety and hormones.
• Carbs: Fill the rest of your calories after protein + fat. Carbs are performance + mood fuel.

People can argue about macros all day — which is exactly why they share. The trick is to keep the tool calm: this page gives a reasonable range, not a strict rule. When someone posts “my maintenance is 2,430,” the follow-up question is always: “Okay, but what do you actually eat?” This macro guide answers that.

• Build each meal around a protein anchor (chicken, tofu, eggs, Greek yogurt, beans).
• Add a fiber carb (fruit, potatoes, oats, rice, whole grains).
• Add a fat “dial” (olive oil, nuts, avocado). If weight creeps up, reduce this dial first.
• Keep one “fun” food daily so you don’t rebound later.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are “maintenance calories”?

  Maintenance calories are the average number of calories you can eat per day while keeping your weight stable. In this tool, maintenance calories are your estimated TDEE.

• What if the calculator says 2,300 but I maintain at 2,600?

  Great — that just means your real-world activity/NEAT (non-exercise movement), muscle mass, or tracking accuracy differs from the average multiplier model. Use the calculator as a starting point, then adjust based on your 2–3 week weight trend. Real data beats any formula.

• Should I choose Mifflin-St Jeor or Harris-Benedict?

  If you’re unsure, choose Mifflin-St Jeor. It’s widely used in modern calorie estimators. Harris-Benedict is popular historically and may differ slightly for some people. The difference is usually smaller than the difference created by choosing the wrong activity level.

• Why does my maintenance number change over time?

  Maintenance calories can change with body weight, muscle gain/loss, activity changes, stress, sleep, and even seasonal routines. Re-check every few months (or after major lifestyle changes).

• Is this the same as a TDEE calculator?

  Yes — “maintenance calories” and “TDEE” are used interchangeably on most fitness sites. This page uses both terms so it’s easy to search and share.

• How do I maintain weight without tracking calories forever?

  Use the number as training wheels. For 1–2 weeks, track roughly and learn portion sizes. Then switch to a consistent meal pattern (same breakfasts/snacks) and adjust only if weight drifts. Maintenance is mostly consistency, not perfection.