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Calorie maintenance refers to the number of calories you need to eat each day to keep your body weight stable.
At maintenance, the calories you consume are equal to the calories your body burns, meaning you are neither gaining nor losing weight.

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How Maintenance Calories Work

Your maintenance calories are made up of several components:
  • Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): The calories your body burns to keep you alive at rest, such as breathing, circulation, and organ function.
  • Physical Activity: Calories burned through exercise, walking, work, and other daily movement.
  • Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): The energy your body uses to digest, absorb, and process the food you eat.
Together, these make up your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which represents your maintenance calorie intake.

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The Formula

Your maintenance calories can be summarized with the following equation: Maintenance Calories = Calories Burned Per Day (TDEE) = Calories Consumed Per Day Or simply: Calories In = Calories Out For example:
  • You burn 2,400 calories per day.
  • You eat 2,400 calories per day.
2,400 Calories In = 2,400 Calories Out Because your energy intake matches your energy expenditure, your body weight should remain relatively stable over time.

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Why Maintenance Calories Matter

Knowing your maintenance calories is the starting point for any nutrition goal.
  • To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your maintenance level.
  • To gain weight or build muscle, you need to eat more calories than your maintenance level.
  • To maintain your current weight, continue eating around your maintenance calories.
Our Free Calorie Deficit Calculator estimates your maintenance calorie intake first, then calculates a suitable calorie target for your chosen weight loss goal. From there, GetFIT App can help you stay consistent with calorie tracking, recipes, meal plans, and workout plans.
The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and is not medical or health advice. Calorie calculations are estimates, and you should use the information on this website and its tools at your own discretion and risk.
Last modified on August 2, 2026