Maintenance Calories
Maintenance Calories are the daily energy intake at which your body weight stays stable over time. They are the foundation for any adjustment — whether Clean Bulk, Lean Surplus, or a cut. Tightly connected to Basal Metabolic Rate, Metabolism, and NEAT.
What does “Maintenance Calories” mean?
Quick Definition It’s the calorie intake you consume and burn in balance — neither weight loss nor weight gain. It depends on your Basal Metabolic Rate, your activity (NEAT, training), and your Metabolism.
Why do Maintenance Calories matter?
- Baseline: Without them, Rate of Gain or a deficit can’t be set precisely.
- Flexibility: Adjustments for Clean Bulk or a cut always start here.
- Stability: Helps avoid weight whiplash from unstructured eating.
How to calculate your Maintenance Calories
- Formula baseline: Start with Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) + activity.
- Practical method: Track intake & bodyweight for 10–14 days. Weight stability ≈ maintenance.
- Adjust: Losing too fast → add +100–200 kcal. Gaining too fast → subtract −100–200 kcal.
Practice for Hardgainers
- Maintenance +250–400 kcal = Lean Surplus
- Maintenance +400–600 kcal = Clean Bulk (controlled bulk)
- Maintenance +800+ kcal without quality control = Dirty Bulk (avoid!)
- Protein splitting: 25–40 g per meal to hit the Leucine Threshold.
Common mistakes
- Relying only on formulas, no practical testing.
- Ignoring NEAT fluctuations (daily movement).
- Confusing Basal Metabolic Rate with Maintenance Calories.
- Uncontrolled increases without checking RoG.
“You have to get fat to gain muscle”
Wrong. The solution is Lean Surplus instead of Dirty Bulk: smart calories, clean macros, Food Hygiene & monitoring. Read the article: Myth Busting – Myth #5.