Maintenance Calorie Calculator
Maintenance calories hold your weight steady. They also change as your weight does: after losing 7 kg, the intake that kept you stable before will now make you regain. Enter a goal weight to see your maintenance at both weights.
Calories to maintain weight (kcal/day)
| Formula | Now | At goal ( kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Mifflin-St Jeor | ||
| MET |
Maintenance = BMR × . Mifflin-St Jeor and MET are two different formulas, shown separately.
At your goal weight, your maintenance changes by about kcal/day (Mifflin-St Jeor) or kcal/day (MET). That's the intake that holds the new weight.
Your results are attached to the form below
These figures are estimates for general awareness only and are not medical advice or a diagnosis. Read our Medical Disclaimer.
Want a Plan Built Around Your Numbers?
A certified dietitian will turn these figures into a diet that fits your routine and your food.
How this is calculated
Maintenance = BMR × activity factor, with BMR shown two ways, separately — Mifflin-St Jeor (1990) and the MET method (24 kcal per kg per day for men, 22.5 for women) — and the same activity ranges as our homepage calculator, so today's figure matches it. The goal-weight column repeats the calculation at your goal weight with everything else unchanged.
Why your maintenance number moves
A smaller body needs less energy to run, so every kilo you lose lowers your maintenance a little. This is one reason weight loss slows over time, and why people regain when they go back to their old portions after a diet.
Planning the "after" phase
Knowing your maintenance at your goal weight means you can step up from your diet calories to a steady, sustainable intake rather than guessing. A dietitian can then build meals around that number.
Related calculators
To compare BMR equations and see where your calories go, use the TDEE Calculator. To plan the weight loss itself, use the Calorie Deficit Calculator.
More Diet & Nutrition Calculators
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- Calorie Deficit Calculator See your maintenance calories and a daily calorie target for weight loss, with two BMR formulas side by side.
- Macro Calculator Split your daily calories into grams of protein, carbohydrate and fat — balanced, higher-protein or your own ratio.
- Calorie Calculator How many calories do you need a day? See three recognised methods side by side — the clinic's, the US standard and India's ICMR-NIN.
- TDEE Calculator Your total daily energy expenditure with four BMR equations compared, and a breakdown of how much goes on rest, digestion and activity.
- Calorie Intake Calculator (Simple) The quickest estimate: your weight × ICMR-NIN 2020's calories per kg for your type of work. Includes pregnancy and breastfeeding.