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TDEE and maintenance calories calculator
An estimate of the calories that keep your weight steady, as a starting point to check against your weekly weight trend.
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Every figure and rating this tool shows comes from one set of tested rules, the same ones used across the Hub and our AI tools, with the method and sources named on the page.
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Estimated maintenance
2678 kcal a day
Roughly what keeps your weight steady. Check it against your weekly average weight over two to three weeks and adjust.
2678 kcal/day
Mifflin-St Jeor with an activity multiplier
Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation with a standard activity multiplier, the same method as the bulking calorie calculator. Estimates like this are usually within a few hundred calories. Your body figures stay on this device so the Hub's other calculators can fill them in for you, and are never sent anywhere.
How to calculate your TDEE and maintenance calories
Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is the calories you use in a day, including rest, daily movement and training. Eating about that amount keeps your weight roughly steady, which is why it is also called your maintenance calories.
The calculator works in two steps: it estimates your basal metabolic rate (BMR), then multiplies it by an activity factor. Treat the answer as a starting point and compare it with your average weight over two to three weeks.
BMR and the Mifflin-St Jeor formula explained
BMR is the energy your body uses at rest. Mifflin-St Jeor estimates it as 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age, then +5 for the male option or −161 for the female option.
To calculate TDEE from BMR, multiply your BMR by the activity factor that best matches your week.
Activity multipliers: sedentary to very active
- 1.2: desk-based, no training
- 1.375: light, training 1–2 times a week
- 1.55: moderate, training 3–4 times a week
- 1.725: active, training 5–6 times a week
- 1.9: very active, a physical job plus daily training
If you are between two levels, pick the lower one and adjust from your weight trend.
Using your TDEE for fat loss or muscle gain
Eat below maintenance to lose weight and above it to gain. The fat loss timeline calculator shows the daily deficit for a steady rate of loss, and the bulking calorie calculator adds a starting surplus for muscle gain.
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Not sure what to eat each day? Work out your target with the bulking calorie calculator.
Check your pace with the lean bulking rate calculator.
Scale not moving? Work out what to change.
Find easy extra calories in the bulking foods calorie table.
Need a plan to train on? Download a printable workout plan.
How the calculation works
Mifflin-St Jeor estimates resting energy from weight, height, age and the selected sex coefficient. The equation is 10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm − 5 × age, then +5 for the male option or −161 for the female option. Multiplying by your selected activity factor produces estimated maintenance calories, rounded to a whole calorie.
Worked example
For the male option, age 28, weight 75 kg, height 178 cm and activity factor 1.55, resting energy is 1727.5 kcal. The calculator returns 2678 kcal a day for estimated maintenance. These are illustrative inputs, not your personal target.
What the result cannot tell you
TDEE includes activity; resting energy alone does not. An activity multiplier cannot measure your actual expenditure, so compare the estimate with your average weight trend over two to three weeks. Do not treat a single day's scale reading as evidence that the estimate is wrong.
Frequently asked questions about TDEE
Is TDEE the same as BMR?
No. The resting-energy estimate is the starting part of the calculation. TDEE adds an estimate of daily activity through the multiplier.
Does this include a bulking surplus?
No. This tool estimates maintenance. The separate bulking calorie calculator adds the Hub's starting surplus.
Does an activity factor measure my exercise calories?
No. It is a broad estimate of your overall activity, not a measurement from a workout or wearable.
Are TDEE calculators accurate?
They are estimates. A 2005 systematic review found Mifflin-St Jeor predicted measured resting energy within 10% for more healthy adults than other common equations, but individuals still vary. Your two to three week weight trend is the real check.
How is TDEE calculated differently for men and women?
The equation is the same apart from the final constant: +5 for the male option and −161 for the female option. Weight, height, age and activity are treated identically.
Should I eat back the calories I burn in workouts?
Not on top of this result. The activity factor already allows for your usual training, so adding workout calories again would count them twice.
How often should I recalculate my maintenance calories?
Recalculate when your weight or weekly routine changes noticeably, and whenever your weight trend no longer matches the estimate.
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Educational information for adults aged 18 and over. It does not diagnose, treat or manage any medical condition. If you have a health condition, or symptoms that worry you, speak to your doctor or a health professional.