Estimate your maintenance calorie level (TDEE) with multiple methods. Includes NEAT variation ranges and macro planning references.
Maintenance calories, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), are the calories you need to roughly hold body weight steady. That makes maintenance the reference point for cutting, bulking, or setting a recomposition plan.
TDEE includes basal metabolic rate, the thermic effect of food, non-exercise activity, and formal exercise. Non-exercise activity varies the most from person to person, which is why any calculator output should be treated as a starting estimate rather than an exact intake.
This page uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation and gives a maintenance range that can be refined with a few weeks of real weight-trend data.
This calculator is useful when you need a starting maintenance estimate before setting a deficit or surplus. A range is often more practical than a single number because daily movement, appetite, and training volume do not stay perfectly constant.
BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor): • Male: 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5 • Female: 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161 BMR (Katch-McArdle, if BF% known): 370 + 21.6 × Lean Body Mass (kg) TDEE = BMR × Activity Factor Activity Factors: Sedentary 1.2, Light 1.375, Moderate 1.55, Very Active 1.725, Extreme 1.9 NEAT Range: TDEE ± 10–15% (represents daily variation)
Result: ~2,530 kcal/day (range: 2,280–2,780)
A 30-year-old male, 175 lbs (79.4 kg), 5'10" (178 cm), moderately active. Mifflin-St Jeor BMR: 1,748 kcal. Katch-McArdle BMR (using 18% BF, LBM = 65.1 kg): 1,776 kcal. Average BMR: ~1,762. TDEE at 1.55 activity: ~2,530 kcal. NEAT variation range: 2,280–2,780 kcal. These are your maintenance calories — eat here for 2 weeks, track weight, and adjust.
Your total daily energy expenditure breaks down into four components. BMR accounts for the largest share and powers basic life functions. TEF (thermic effect of food) uses energy to digest, absorb, and process food. NEAT is the wildcard: it includes all non-exercise movement and can vary substantially between people. EAT (exercise) is often the smallest component for most people.
A 30-minute gym session may burn 150–300 kcal, but NEAT accumulated over waking hours can easily reach several hundred calories more or less depending on the person and the day. That is why daily step count and general movement can influence TDEE as much as formal training for many people.
Use your maintenance calories as a reference point for all goals. For fat loss, many people start by subtracting a moderate amount of calories. For lean muscle gain, a smaller surplus is often used. For body recomposition, some people stay near maintenance with higher protein intake. Recalculate every 4–8 weeks as your weight changes, since body size shifts the estimate over time.
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This page estimates resting energy expenditure with Mifflin-St Jeor, optionally compares it with Katch-McArdle when body-fat percentage is supplied, and multiplies the result by the selected activity factor to estimate TDEE. The maintenance range is intentionally broad because NEAT, training load, and day-to-day activity can shift actual expenditure away from the midpoint. The output is a planning reference, not a clinical metabolism measurement.
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the energy your body uses at complete rest — breathing, circulation, cell repair. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) includes BMR plus all activity: digesting food, walking, exercising, fidgeting, etc. TDEE is always higher than BMR. For weight management, TDEE is the relevant number.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is one of the most studied options for adults and is commonly used in nutrition practice. The Katch-McArdle formula can be a useful comparison if you know your body fat percentage, since it accounts for lean body mass directly. This calculator shows both when body fat is provided.
Your actual TDEE fluctuates daily based on NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) — the calories burned through fidgeting, walking, posture, and other unconscious movements. NEAT can vary widely between days. The range reflects that reality and helps you understand that maintenance is a zone rather than a single number.
Eat at the estimated TDEE for 2–4 weeks while weighing yourself daily at the same time (morning, fasted). Calculate weekly averages. If the average is stable (±0.5 lb), you have a good maintenance reference. If trending down, add 100–200 kcal. If trending up, subtract 100–200 kcal.
Yes, but less than commonly believed. BMR decreases over time partly because body composition and activity change. Resistance training can help offset some of the decline by maintaining muscle mass.
Not necessarily. Some people prefer calorie cycling: eating more on training days and less on rest days, while keeping the weekly average at maintenance. This can feel more natural for many people. What matters for weight maintenance is the weekly average.