Maintenance Calorie Calculator UK 2025

Calculate your daily calorie needs to maintain your current weight. Our UK-focused calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (considered most accurate) with NHS-aligned activity levels. Get your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), and personalised macro breakdown.

Basic Maintenance Calorie Calculator

Enter your details to calculate your daily calorie needs using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula.

Age (years)

Biological Sex

Weight (kg)

Height (cm)

Activity Level

Activity Level Guide

×1.2

Sedentary

Desk job, no regular exercise, minimal walking

×1.375

Lightly Active

Light exercise 1-3 days/week, 30 min walks daily

×1.55

Moderately Active

Moderate exercise 3-5 days/week, active job

×1.725

Very Active

Hard exercise 6-7 days/week, sports training

×1.9

Extra Active

Very hard exercise twice daily, physical labour job

Detailed TDEE Calculator

Get a more accurate TDEE by specifying your exact weekly exercise hours.

Age (years)

Biological Sex

Weight (kg)

Height (cm)

Job Type

Cardio Exercise (hours/week)

Strength Training (hours/week)

Average Daily Steps

Weight Goal Calculator

Calculate calories needed to reach your target weight safely.

Current Weight (kg)

Target Weight (kg)

Height (cm)

Age (years)

Biological Sex

Activity Level

Weight Change Rate

Macro Calculator

Calculate your optimal macronutrient breakdown based on your goals.

Daily Calorie Target

Primary Goal

Body Weight (kg) - for protein calculation

Weekly Calorie Planner

Plan your weekly calories with flexibility for different days.

Weekly Maintenance Calories (calculated from BMR × activity) Typically 7 × your daily maintenance (e.g., 2000 × 7 = 14,000)

Weekly Goal

Distribution Pattern

How the Maintenance Calorie Calculator Works

What Are Maintenance Calories?

Maintenance calories (also called TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure) represent the total number of calories your body needs each day to maintain your current weight. This includes energy for:

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Calories burned at complete rest for basic body functions (breathing, circulation, cell production) - typically 60-75% of total daily calories
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): Energy used to digest, absorb, and process nutrients - about 10% of calories consumed
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): Calories burned through daily activities like walking, fidgeting, standing - highly variable
Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT): Calories burned during deliberate exercise

The Mifflin-St Jeor Formula

This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, developed in 1990 and considered the most accurate for estimating BMR. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends this formula over older alternatives like Harris-Benedict.

Gender	BMR Formula
Men	BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age) + 5
Women	BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age) - 161

Activity Multipliers

Your TDEE is calculated by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor:

Activity Level	Multiplier	Description
Sedentary	1.2	Little or no exercise, desk job
Lightly Active	1.375	Light exercise 1-3 days/week
Moderately Active	1.55	Moderate exercise 3-5 days/week
Very Active	1.725	Hard exercise 6-7 days/week
Extra Active	1.9	Very hard exercise, physical job

UK Calorie Guidelines 2025

NHS Recommended Daily Intakes

The NHS provides general calorie guidelines for the average UK adult:

Adult women: 2,000 calories per day
Adult men: 2,500 calories per day
Children 5-10: 1,200-2,000 calories (varies by age and activity)

These are averages - your actual needs depend on age, height, weight, and activity level. This calculator provides personalised estimates based on your specific details.

Safe Weight Loss Guidelines

The NHS recommends losing weight at a rate of 0.5 to 1 kg (1-2 lbs) per week. This translates to a daily calorie deficit of approximately:

500 calories/day for 0.5 kg/week loss
1,000 calories/day for 1 kg/week loss (more difficult to sustain)

Minimum Safe Calorie Intakes

The NHS advises against consuming fewer than:

1,200 calories/day for women
1,500 calories/day for men

Going below these levels without medical supervision can lead to nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, metabolic slowdown, and other health issues.

UK Physical Activity Guidelines

For weight maintenance and general health, the UK Chief Medical Officers recommend:

150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week (brisk walking, cycling)
OR 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity (running, swimming laps)
Strength exercises on 2+ days per week
Reduce sedentary time - break up long periods of sitting

Expert Tips for Accurate Calorie Calculation

1. Be Honest About Your Activity Level

Most people overestimate how active they are. If you're unsure, start with a lower activity level and adjust based on results. A desk job with 3 gym sessions per week is typically "Lightly Active" not "Moderately Active".

2. Track for 2-3 Weeks Before Adjusting

Calculator results are estimates. Track your intake and weight for 2-3 weeks before making adjustments. If weight is stable, you've found your true maintenance. If gaining, reduce by 100-200 calories; if losing, increase.

3. Account for NEAT Variation

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) can vary by 200-900 calories daily based on how much you fidget, stand, and move throughout the day. Office workers with gym habits may burn fewer calories than active workers who never formally exercise.

4. Recalculate After Weight Changes

Your maintenance calories decrease as you lose weight (smaller body = fewer calories needed). Recalculate every 5-10 kg lost or every 2-3 months to avoid plateaus.

5. Don't Trust Exercise Machine Calorie Counts

Treadmills, bikes, and fitness trackers often overestimate calories burned by 15-30%. Use these as rough guides only, not precise measurements.

6. Factor in Your Metabolic Adaptation

If you've been dieting for a long time, your metabolism may have adapted to lower calories. Consider a "diet break" at maintenance for 1-2 weeks every 8-12 weeks of dieting to reset hormones and metabolism.

7. Consider Protein Intake for Preservation

When losing weight, consuming adequate protein (1.6-2.2g per kg bodyweight) helps preserve muscle mass. Muscle is metabolically active - losing it reduces your future maintenance calories.

8. Use Food Scales for Accuracy

Eyeballing portions typically underestimates intake by 20-40%. Using a food scale, at least initially, provides much more accurate tracking and helps calibrate your portion sense.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Overestimating Activity Level

Mistake: Selecting "Very Active" because you go to the gym 3 times a week. Reality: If you have a desk job and workout 3x/week for an hour, you're "Lightly Active" at best. Most people are more sedentary than they think.

2. Using a Single Formula Result as Gospel

Mistake: Assuming the calculator result is exactly right for you. Reality: Formulas predict average metabolic rates - individual variation can be ±10-15%. Use results as starting points and adjust based on real-world weight changes.

3. Eating Back All Exercise Calories

Mistake: Adding 500 calories to your day because your fitness tracker said you burned 500 calories exercising. Reality: Exercise calorie estimates are often 20-40% too high. If eating back exercise calories, only eat back 50-75% of reported burns.

4. Setting Too Aggressive a Deficit

Mistake: Cutting 1,000+ calories below maintenance for faster results. Reality: Extreme deficits lead to muscle loss, metabolic adaptation, nutrient deficiencies, and are unsustainable. A 500-calorie deficit (0.5kg/week) is more sustainable long-term.

5. Not Accounting for Weight Loss

Mistake: Using the same calorie target for months without recalculating. Reality: As you lose weight, your body needs fewer calories. A person who has lost 10kg needs to recalculate their maintenance to continue losing weight.

6. Ignoring Liquid Calories

Mistake: Not tracking drinks like coffee with milk, fruit juice, alcohol, or smoothies. Reality: Liquid calories add up quickly - a daily latte can add 150+ calories, a large glass of wine 200+ calories. Track everything you consume.

Frequently Asked Questions

Maintenance calories (also called TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure) are the number of calories you need to consume daily to maintain your current weight. This includes your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) plus calories burned through daily activities and exercise. For UK adults, this typically ranges from 1,800-2,500 calories depending on age, sex, and activity level.

The Mifflin-St Jeor formula is considered the most accurate BMR equation, with studies showing it predicts actual metabolic rate within 10% for most people. It was developed in 1990 and is recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. However, individual metabolism varies based on factors like muscle mass, hormones, and genetics not captured by the formula.

The NHS recommends a calorie deficit of 500-600 calories per day for safe weight loss of 0.5-1kg per week. Men should not go below 1,500 calories and women should not go below 1,200 calories daily without medical supervision. A sustainable approach is reducing by 10-20% of your maintenance calories rather than extreme restriction.

Activity levels are based on weekly exercise and daily movement: Sedentary means desk job with little exercise; Lightly Active means light exercise 1-3 days/week or walking 30 mins daily; Moderately Active means moderate exercise 3-5 days/week; Very Active means hard exercise 6-7 days/week; Extra Active means very hard exercise twice daily or physical job. Be honest - most people overestimate their activity level.

Men typically need more calories than women due to having more muscle mass on average, larger body size, and higher testosterone levels which increases metabolic rate. Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue, so someone with more muscle mass has a higher BMR regardless of gender.

If using maintenance calories for weight maintenance, exercise calories are already factored into your activity level selection. If using TDEE for weight loss, eating back some exercise calories can help fuel performance, but be cautious - fitness trackers and gym machines often overestimate burn by 20-40%. If eating back, only count 50-75% of reported exercise calories.

Weight loss plateaus happen for several reasons: (1) Your metabolism has adapted to lower calories (metabolic adaptation); (2) You've lost weight so your body now needs fewer calories; (3) You're retaining water which masks fat loss; (4) You're underestimating food intake or overestimating exercise. Recalculate your TDEE, take a diet break, or check tracking accuracy.

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body burns at complete rest - just to keep you alive (breathing, circulation, brain function). TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is BMR plus all activity calories - it represents your total daily calorie needs including movement, exercise, and digesting food. TDEE is what matters for weight management.

Reviewed by Sarah Mitchell

BSc Nutrition, ANutr Registered, Level 3 Personal Training

Sarah is a registered Associate Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition (AfN) and certified personal trainer. She has 10 years of experience in clinical nutrition settings and sports performance nutrition, helping UK clients achieve sustainable weight management through evidence-based approaches aligned with NHS guidelines.

Maintenance Calorie Calculator UK 2025 | TDEE & Daily Calorie Needs