Maintenance calorie calculator
Maintenance calories are the calories that keep your weight steady. Most adults land between 1,600 and 2,400 (women) or 2,000 and 3,000 (men). This calculator estimates yours with Mifflin-St Jeor, then shows the number for your goal weight and a protein target.
Find the calories that hold your weight steady today and at your goal weight, with a realistic range and the protein to protect muscle after Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound. Educational, not medical advice.
By Ian MacCallum, Founder · GLP-Done. Last reviewed . Read our methodology and editorial policy.
The Mifflin-St Jeor equation uses biological sex.
Adds Katch-McArdle, which uses lean mass.
Example result: 52-year-old woman, 5 ft 5 in, 172 lb, goal 150 lb, light activity
Maintenance today
1,910
kcal per day, range 1,720 kcal to 2,100 kcal
Maintenance at 150 lb
1,780
kcal per day, range 1,600 kcal to 1,950 kcal
Resting (BMR): 1,390 kcal a day. Protein at your current weight: 115 g a day, about 29 g across 4 meals. Detail in the protein calculator.
Educational only. An estimate from published equations, not medical or nutrition advice. Real needs depend on body composition, health conditions and medication. Confirm targets with your clinician or a registered dietitian, and never start, stop or change a dose based on a calculator.
How maintenance calories are calculated
The calculator first estimates your resting energy use (basal metabolic rate, or BMR) with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation: 10 x weight in kg + 6.25 x height in cm - 5 x age, plus 5 for men or minus 161 for women. If you enter a body fat percentage, it uses Katch-McArdle instead (370 + 21.6 x lean mass in kg). Maintenance is BMR times an activity factor, which accounts for movement and digestion. The page shows a range of plus or minus 10% because Mifflin-St Jeor lands within about 10% of measured resting expenditure for most adults, not all of them.
| Activity level | Factor | Rough daily steps |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary (Little exercise) | 1.2 | under 5,000 steps |
| Light (1 to 3 days/wk) | 1.375 | 5,000 to 7,500 steps |
| Moderate (3 to 5 days/wk) | 1.55 | 7,500 to 10,000 steps |
| Active (6 to 7 days/wk) | 1.725 | over 10,000 steps |
| Very active (Physical job or twice a day) | 1.9 | well over 12,000 steps |
BMR is what you burn at rest. Maintenance (also called TDEE) is what you burn in a whole day. Eating at maintenance keeps weight roughly steady; the resting metabolic rate is only the floor of it.
Worked example
A 52-year-old woman, 5 ft 5 in, now 172 lb after losing 38 lb on semaglutide, with light activity. Her BMR is about 1,390 kcal and her maintenance today is about 1,910 kcal a day (range 1,720 to 2,100). At her goal of 150 lb, maintenance drops to about 1,780 kcal (range 1,600 to 1,950). Her protein target is 115 g a day now and 100 g at goal, at 1.5 g per kg rounded to 5 g.
Why your maintenance number is lower after weight loss
A smaller body burns less, so the same meals that held you steady at a higher weight now sit above maintenance. On top of that, the body tends to burn somewhat less than its new size predicts for a while, which researchers call metabolic adaptation. Rapid loss on a GLP-1 can also include lean mass, and muscle is part of what sets resting expenditure. Strength training and enough protein help protect it. Read more in metabolic adaptation after a GLP-1.
Maintenance calories after Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound
As the medication clears over a few weeks, appetite tends to return toward where it was, so intake can drift above maintenance without feeling like overeating. See the clearance timeline for when that usually happens and the first 90 days off the pen for a plan. The lower edge of your range is a cautious planning number in that window, and everyday movement (NEAT) is a lever worth keeping. This is educational: any change to your medication is a decision for you and your clinician. Looking for a maintenance dose rather than calories? Read maintenance dose vs stopping.
Calibrate your number in 2 weeks
Any equation is a starting guess. Your two-week weight trend is the real answer. Weigh daily under the same conditions, look at the weekly average rather than single days (2 to 4 lb day-to-day swings are normal), and compare. The Hold the Line weighing strategy explains the routine, and the regain risk calculator covers the other habits that matter.
| Your 14-day trend | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| Flat (within about 1 lb) | Your number is about right. |
| Up about 0.5 lb a week | Roughly 250 kcal a day above maintenance. |
| Up about 1 lb a week | Roughly 500 kcal a day above maintenance. |
| Down about 1 lb a week | Roughly 500 kcal a day below maintenance. |
Typical maintenance calories by weight and activity
For a 45-year-old woman at 5 ft 4 in, in kcal per day:
| Weight | Sedentary | Light | Moderate | Active | Very active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 140 lb | 1,520 | 1,740 | 1,960 | 2,180 | 2,400 |
| 160 lb | 1,630 | 1,860 | 2,100 | 2,340 | 2,580 |
| 180 lb | 1,740 | 1,990 | 2,240 | 2,500 | 2,750 |
| 200 lb | 1,840 | 2,110 | 2,380 | 2,650 | 2,920 |
| 220 lb | 1,950 | 2,240 | 2,520 | 2,810 | 3,090 |
| 240 lb | 2,060 | 2,360 | 2,660 | 2,960 | 3,270 |
| 260 lb | 2,170 | 2,490 | 2,800 | 3,120 | 3,440 |
For a 45-year-old man at 5 ft 9 in, in kcal per day:
| Weight | Sedentary | Light | Moderate | Active | Very active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 140 lb | 1,810 | 2,080 | 2,340 | 2,610 | 2,870 |
| 160 lb | 1,920 | 2,200 | 2,480 | 2,760 | 3,040 |
| 180 lb | 2,030 | 2,330 | 2,620 | 2,920 | 3,210 |
| 200 lb | 2,140 | 2,450 | 2,760 | 3,070 | 3,390 |
| 220 lb | 2,250 | 2,580 | 2,900 | 3,230 | 3,560 |
| 240 lb | 2,360 | 2,700 | 3,040 | 3,390 | 3,730 |
| 260 lb | 2,470 | 2,830 | 3,180 | 3,540 | 3,900 |
Mifflin-St Jeor estimates rounded to 10 kcal. Enter your own numbers above for a personal result.
Pair this with the GLP-1 protein calculator for per-meal grams, and read about energy expenditure in the glossary.
Questions about this tool
What are maintenance calories?
Maintenance calories are the daily energy intake that keeps your weight stable. This tool estimates them with the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, then multiplies by an activity factor.
Why do maintenance calories matter after a GLP-1?
As a GLP-1 clears, appetite tends to return toward baseline, which can push intake above your maintenance number. Knowing that number helps you notice drift early and lean on protein, strength, and habits. Confirm any target with your clinician or dietitian.
Is this a weight-loss calorie target?
No. It estimates the calories to maintain your current or goal weight, not a deficit. It is educational and not a substitute for personalized advice from a professional.
Do maintenance calories change after weight loss?
Yes. A smaller body burns less, and for a while the body may burn somewhat less than its new size predicts (metabolic adaptation). Recalculate at your new weight rather than reusing an old number.
How accurate is this calculator?
Mifflin-St Jeor lands within about 10% of measured resting expenditure for most adults, which is why the page shows a range. Your two-week weight trend is the best way to calibrate it.
Should I eat at the low end after stopping a GLP-1?
The lower edge of the range is a cautious planning number while appetite returns, but there is no single right answer. Talk it through with your clinician or a dietitian, and use your weight trend to adjust.
What is the difference between BMR and maintenance calories?
BMR is the energy you burn at complete rest. Maintenance calories (TDEE) add daily movement, exercise and digestion, so they are always higher than BMR.
How many calories should I eat to maintain my weight after Ozempic?
Enter your current weight, or the weight you want to hold, and activity level above. The result is an estimate to start from; your trend over the next two weeks tells you whether to adjust. Never change a medication dose based on a calculator.
Read more
Sources & further reading
Every claim on this page is drawn from peer-reviewed research, clinical trials, or recognized health authorities. Read the source before making any decision about your health.
- [1]A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individualsPubMed
- [2]Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic reviewPubMed
- [3]Metabolic adaptation is not a major barrier to weight-loss maintenanceNIH/PMC
- [4]Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis in Human Energy HomeostasisNIH/NCBI
- [5]Impact of Protein Intake During Weight Loss on Preservation of Fat-Free Mass, Resting Energy Expenditure, and Physical FunctionNIH/PMC