By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
Maintenance calories are the daily intake that keeps your weight roughly stable. They combine your resting energy need with the energy cost of movement, exercise and digestion. This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor BMR estimate and a standard activity multiplier to produce a daily total.
Daily calories to maintain your weight from BMR and activity.
BMR = 10w + 6.25h - 5a + 5 (men) or - 161 (women) Maintenance = BMR x activity multiplier
Activity multipliers run from 1.2 for sedentary to 1.9 for extra active. They are broad population averages, so two people who choose the same level can still differ substantially. The result is a starting estimate, not a measured requirement.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| BMR | Basal metabolic rate in kilocalories per day. |
| multiplier | Activity factor from 1.2 to 1.9. |
| maintenance | Estimated daily calories for stable weight. |
Mifflin-St Jeor gives a BMR of 1780 kcal per day. At the sedentary multiplier of 1.2, maintenance is 1780 x 1.2 = 2136 kcal per day. At moderate activity the same person would use 1780 x 1.55 = 2759 kcal per day.
Total daily energy expenditure has several parts: resting metabolism, the energy cost of digesting food, deliberate exercise and all the movement that is not exercise. The activity multiplier is a shortcut that bundles these together. It is convenient but coarse. A person who chooses moderate because they train four times a week may still sit for most of the day, while another who chooses light may walk constantly at work. This is why the calculator should be tested against reality. Eat near the estimated maintenance for two or three weeks, weigh yourself under consistent conditions, and look at the average. If your weight is stable, the estimate is close enough. If it is rising or falling, adjust by a few hundred calories rather than making a large correction based on a single reading.
Continue with the BMR Calculator (Mifflin-St Jeor), Harris-Benedict Calculator, or the Katch-McArdle Calculator — or browse more dietary tools and all health calculators.
Also see the Calorie Calculator, TDEE Calculator and the Macro Calculator.
Choose the option that matches a typical week, not your best week. Sedentary means little exercise, light means one to three sessions, moderate means three to five, and very or extra active means near-daily training or a physical job.
Energy and nutrient estimates are population guidance, not personal prescriptions. Actual needs vary with body composition, medical conditions, medication, pregnancy and activity. Values are rounded and should be discussed with a registered dietitian or clinician when used to plan treatment.
Reference material used to build and check this calculator:
Last reviewed: September 2026. See how we build and check every tool on the about page.
Content updated: September 2026