Estimate maintenance calories using 4 BMR equations. Includes TDEE, macro breakdown, meal split, and calorie goals for cutting and bulking.
Your maintenance calorie level — technically called Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — is the number of calories you need to eat each day to keep your weight stable. It is a useful baseline in nutrition: eat below it to lose fat, above it to gain weight, and at it to maintain. Getting this number wrong by even 300–500 calories per day can lead to unintended weight changes of 2–4 pounds per month.
This Maintenance Calorie Calculator uses up to four validated BMR equations — Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict (revised), Katch-McArdle, and Cunningham — and averages their results to provide a balanced starting estimate. Each equation has strengths: Mifflin-St Jeor is a common general-population baseline, while Katch-McArdle uses lean body mass and can be more informative for athletic builds. Combining them helps show the likely range instead of relying on any single formula.
Beyond the raw number, the calculator provides a balanced macro split (30% protein, 35% carbs, 35% fat), calorie targets for different goals (aggressive cut to bulk), a visual BMR equation comparison, meal frequency distribution, and an activity factor reference. Whether you are reverse-dieting out of a cut, calibrating a new meal plan, or simply curious about your calorie needs, this tool gives you a structured estimate to refine over time.
Every diet plan starts with a maintenance estimate, because cutting and bulking only make sense relative to that baseline. This calculator combines several common equations and turns the result into goal-based calorie targets and a meal split you can actually use.
Mifflin-St Jeor: Males = 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age + 5; Females = 10×weight(kg) + 6.25×height(cm) − 5×age − 161. Harris-Benedict (revised): Males = 88.362 + 13.397×weight(kg) + 4.799×height(cm) − 5.677×age; Females = 447.593 + 9.247×weight(kg) + 3.098×height(cm) − 4.330×age. Katch-McArdle = 370 + 21.6×LBM(kg). Cunningham = 500 + 22×LBM(kg). TDEE = BMR × Activity Factor.
Result: Maintenance: ~2,825 kcal/day
A 30-year-old male (180 lbs, 70″) has a Mifflin-St Jeor BMR of about 1,782 kcal and a Harris-Benedict BMR of about 1,863 kcal. Averaged together, that is roughly 1,823 kcal. Multiplied by 1.55 (moderate activity) gives about 2,825 kcal/day for maintenance.
No BMR equation can perfectly predict your metabolism because individual variation is significant. Genetics, thyroid function, gut microbiome, sleep quality, stress, and NEAT all influence your actual energy expenditure. The calculated number gets you within 10% — close enough to start, but not precise enough to blindly follow. The real magic happens in the next 2–3 weeks: weigh yourself daily, average weekly, and adjust by 100–200 kcal if weight isn't tracking as expected.
Extended calorie deficits cause metabolic adaptation ("metabolic damage" is a misnomer — it's adaptation). BMR drops 5–15% beyond what weight loss accounts for, NEAT decreases, and hormones (leptin, thyroid, testosterone) downregulate. Reverse dieting — gradually increasing calories by 50–100 kcal/week after a cut — helps restore metabolic rate without rapid fat regain. This calculator provides the baseline for planning a reverse diet.
About 10% of your TDEE comes from the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) — the energy cost of digesting what you eat. Protein has the highest TEF (20–30%), followed by carbs (5–10%) and fat (0–3%). This is one reason high-protein diets are effective for body composition — you "waste" more calories processing protein.
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This page calculates BMR with the available equations for the inputs provided, then averages those BMR estimates before applying the selected activity factor. If body fat percentage is supplied, the lean-mass-based Katch-McArdle and Cunningham equations are added to the comparison. The calorie goals below maintenance are simple percentage-based planning adjustments, not an individualized diet prescription.
BMR equations are typically within ±10% of actual measured values. Using this as a starting point and adjusting based on 2–3 weeks of weight tracking is usually the most practical refinement step. If your weight is stable, your intake matches your TDEE.
There is no single best equation for every person. Mifflin-St Jeor is a common starting point for many adults, while Katch-McArdle can be useful when body fat percentage is known. This calculator averages the available equations to give a practical starting range rather than depending on one formula alone.
If your goal is fat loss, eat 15–25% below maintenance. For muscle gain, eat 10–20% above. For body recomposition (simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain), eat at or slightly below maintenance with high protein (1g/lb).
Water retention, sodium intake, carbohydrate intake, menstrual cycle, and bowel contents cause daily fluctuations of 1–4 lbs. Judge trends over 2+ week averages, not daily readings.
Total daily intake matters more than meal timing for body composition. However, distributing protein evenly (25–40g per meal) optimizes muscle protein synthesis. The calculator provides example meal splits for 2–6 meals.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) includes all movement that is not formal exercise: fidgeting, walking, standing, household chores. NEAT varies by 200–2,000+ kcal/day between individuals and is the largest source of TDEE variation beyond exercise.