Maintenance Calorie Calculator
Find the calories that keep your weight steady, then confirm your real number in 3 weeks.
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Short answer
Your maintenance calories are the calories that keep your weight steady. That's the same as your TDEE. The calculator gives you a strong estimate; your real number comes from eating a steady amount for 2–3 weeks and watching your weekly average weight.
Find your true maintenance in 3 weeks
- Eat your estimate. Use the number above every day, weekends included. Consistency matters more than being perfect.
- Weigh in 3–4 mornings a week. After the bathroom, before eating or drinking. Write it down.
- Compare weekly averages. Ignore single days. Your weight can swing 2–4 lb from salt, carbs and water alone.
- Adjust if needed. Use the table below, then hold the new number for another two weeks.
| Your weekly average | What to do |
|---|---|
| Steady (within ½ lb / 0.25 kg) | You found it. Keep going. |
| Dropping more than ½ lb a week | Add 150–200 calories a day |
| Rising more than ½ lb a week | Cut 150–200 calories a day |
Example
A 30-year-old man who is 5 ft 10 in, 180 lb and exercises 3–5 days a week gets an estimate of about 2,763 calories a day. The calculator shows a likely range of 2,490–3,040, because formulas can be off by about 10% for any one person. Say that after three weeks at 2,763, his weekly average keeps dropping by about 1 lb. His true maintenance is higher than the estimate, so he adds about 200 calories, eats about 2,950 a day, and checks again two weeks later.
When your maintenance changes
- After you lose or gain weight. A smaller body burns less. Recalculate every 10–20 lb (5–10 kg).
- When your activity changes. A new job, an injury, a new training plan or a big change in daily steps.
- As you age. Resting burn slowly declines, partly from losing muscle. Strength training helps.
Coming off a diet?
Expect the scale to rise 1–3 lb in the first week back at maintenance. That's water and stored carbs (your body holds about 3 grams of water with each gram of stored carbohydrate), not fat. Hold steady for two weeks before you judge it. Moving up in one step or in 100–200 calorie steps over a few weeks both work; pick whichever feels easier.
More calculators
Not medical advice. These numbers are estimates for healthy adults aged 18–80, based on published equations. They aren't reviewed by a doctor or registered dietitian. Talk to one before making big changes to how you eat, especially if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, have a history of disordered eating, have a medical condition, or take medication that affects appetite or weight. Medical disclaimer
Sources
You're a 30-year-old man, 5 ft 10 in and 180 lb, moderately active.
You burn about
2,763
calories a day
Likely range 2,490–3,040 · 19,341 a week
This already counts your workouts, so don't add your watch's exercise calories on top.
for a more accurate number.
Your goal
How fast, per week
to lose about 1 lb a week
Daily macros
Protein is set from your body weight. The style changes how the rest splits between carbs and fat.
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Your body
BMI can't tell muscle from fat. If you lift, your waist size says more.
All calorie targets
Calories by activity level
Ideal weight formulas
For lifters: your muscle potential
BMR and formula
Tools that make tracking easier
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Food scaleThe fastest way to stop under-counting food.View Bathroom scaleWeigh in weekly to check your number is right.View Body fat calipersKnow your body fat % for a sharper estimate.ViewEstimates for healthy adults, typically within 10–15%. Track your weight for 2–3 weeks and adjust by 100–200 calories if needed. Recalculate every 10–20 lb (5–10 kg). Not medical advice.
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