Health & Fitness Calculator
Maintenance Calorie Calculator
Find the exact calories your body burns each day. Pick a goal and get calorie targets plus a full macro breakdown.
Your Maintenance Calories (TDEE)
BMR
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TDEE
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Goal Calories
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Surplus / Deficit
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Calorie Targets by Goal
Click a goal to update the macro breakdown below
Macro Breakdown
Based on your selected goal: Maintain
Macros are a starting point. Adjust based on your training style and how your body responds.
TDEE at Each Activity Level
| Activity Level | Multiplier | Daily Calories | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | × 1.2 | -- | – |
| Lightly Active | × 1.375 | -- | – |
| Moderately Active | × 1.55 | -- | – |
| Very Active | × 1.725 | -- | – |
| Extra Active | × 1.9 | -- | – |
These are estimates. Real TDEE varies based on metabolism, muscle mass, NEAT, and other factors.
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Why FileReadyNow
One Calculator for Calories, Goals, and Macros
Three BMR formulas, five goal tiers, and a macro breakdown. No account needed and nothing to install.
Metric & Imperial
Switch between cm/kg and ft/lbs at any time. All conversions happen automatically.
3 BMR Formulas
Choose Mifflin-St Jeor (default), Harris-Benedict, or Katch-McArdle (if you know your body fat %) for a more precise result.
5 Goal Tiers
See calorie targets for every goal in one place: aggressive cut, mild cut, maintenance, mild bulk, and aggressive bulk.
Macro Breakdown
Protein, carb, and fat targets in grams and calories, adjusted for your goal rather than a generic 40/30/30 split.
Activity Comparison
A table shows your TDEE at every activity level, so you can see the calorie impact of moving from sedentary to very active.
100% Private
All calculations run in your browser. Nothing is sent to any server. Your health data stays on your device.
What Are Maintenance Calories?
Maintenance calories (also called TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure) are the number of calories your body burns in a day when your weight stays the same. Eat below this number and you lose weight. Eat above it and you gain. It is the anchor for any nutrition plan.
What Is BMR?
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the energy your body needs just to keep you alive: breathing, pumping blood, repairing cells. That is before any movement. TDEE multiplies your BMR by an activity factor that accounts for how much you move each day.
The Three BMR Formulas
- Mifflin-St Jeor (recommended): The most validated formula for most people. Uses age, gender, height, and weight.
- Harris-Benedict: The classic formula from 1919, revised in 1984. Slightly higher estimates than Mifflin-St Jeor.
- Katch-McArdle: Uses lean body mass instead of total weight, making it more accurate if you know your body fat percentage. Ignores gender because it operates on lean mass directly.
Activity Multipliers Explained
- Sedentary (× 1.2): Desk job, no intentional exercise
- Lightly Active (× 1.375): Light walking or 1–3 gym sessions per week
- Moderately Active (× 1.55): 3–5 sessions per week, moderate intensity
- Very Active (× 1.725): Hard training 6–7 days per week
- Extra Active (× 1.9): Physical job plus daily training, or twice-daily sessions
Understanding the Goal Tiers
- Aggressive Cut (−500 kcal): Roughly 0.5 kg/week fat loss. Sustainable for short periods but can affect muscle retention.
- Mild Cut (−250 kcal): Slower ~0.25 kg/week loss. Better for preserving muscle.
- Maintain: Eat at TDEE to keep weight stable.
- Mild Bulk (+250 kcal): Slow ~0.25 kg/week gain, mostly muscle with minimal fat if training hard.
- Aggressive Bulk (+500 kcal): Faster gain but higher fat accumulation.
How Macros Are Calculated
Protein targets are set higher during a cut (2.0 g/kg) to protect muscle, and slightly lower during maintenance and bulk phases (1.8 g/kg and 1.6 g/kg). Fat is fixed at 25% of goal calories. Carbohydrates fill the remaining calories. These ratios are evidence-based starting points — adjust them based on your training style and how your body responds.
Step by Step
How to Use the Calorie Calculator
Choose your unit system — Metric (cm/kg) or Imperial (ft/lbs).
Enter your age, gender, height, and weight. Select your daily activity level.
Click Calculate My Calories to see your BMR, TDEE, and all five goal targets.
Click a goal tier (e.g. Mild Cut) to update the macro breakdown for that target.
Use Advanced Options to enter body fat % and switch to the Katch-McArdle formula for a more accurate result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Maintenance calories are the number of calories your body needs each day to maintain your current body weight without gaining or losing weight.
The calculator provides estimates based on commonly used scientific formulas. Results are generally accurate for most users but may vary depending on metabolism and lifestyle.
Yes. Many users first calculate maintenance calories and then reduce daily intake slightly to create a calorie deficit for weight loss.
Yes. Physical activity significantly impacts how many calories your body burns each day. More active individuals usually require higher calorie intake.
Yes. Athletes, gym users, and fitness enthusiasts can use the calculator as a starting point for nutrition and performance planning.
Yes. Factors like age, weight changes, muscle gain, and activity levels can affect your daily calorie needs, so recalculating periodically is recommended.