Maintenance Calories
Calories and Weight Nutrition Metabolism
Maintenance calories are the daily energy intake at which your body weight stays stable over time. They are the reference for any steering—Lean Surplus, Clean Bulk, or a cut—linked to Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), NEAT, and metabolism.
Notice
Term and System Framing
In short Maintenance = intake ≈ expenditure → no gain/loss. Within TDEE, maintenance reflects BMR, NEAT, planned exercise (EAT), and TEF.
- Reference point: the start for massing/cutting and for rate of gain.
- Dynamic: shifts with activity, body mass, season/job, stress/sleep.
- Profile vs. point value: the trend matters more than a one-off estimate.
Measurement and Operationalization
Direct measurement is rare; practical execution combines a formula start with 10–14+ days of empirics.
- Formula start: BMR + activity factor (NEAT/EAT) + TEF (~10% of intake).
- Empirics: log AM bodyweight, steps, and calories; work with weekly averages.
- Calibration: stable weight ≈ maintenance. Drifting down: +100–200 kcal; up: −100–200 kcal.
Practice Guardrails (Orientation, not a prescription)
- Lean Surplus: maintenance +150–250 kcal → ~0.25–0.5%/week; quality over junk volume.
- Step corridor: e.g., 7–9k/day in massing; repeatedly >10k? Add +150–250 kcal or bring steps back to corridor.
- Structure training: 2–4 hard stimuli/muscle/week in the right SRA window; steer via RIR/RPE.
- Protein & tolerance: 25–40 g per meal; hit the leucine threshold; use easy-to-tolerate caloric density.
Hardgainer Calorie Calculator – TDEE, NEAT and lean surplus in one system
Find your real calorie needs as a hardgainer and translate them into a controlled lean surplus – tuned to your activity, training and everyday life.
What you enter
- Bodyweight, height, age and sex
- Daily activity and training frequency
- Goal: maintenance, lean surplus or cut
What you get
- BMR, NEAT, EAT and TEF clearly broken down
- TDEE and a recommended calorie range for a lean surplus
- Macro recommendations with a focus on protein and carbs
How it fits into the system
- Directly combinable with the Hardgainer MealPlan Generator
- Linked to Metabolism System, NEAT, TDEE and lean surplus
- Ideal starting point for long-term progress tracking
Practice link: Use the results directly in the Hardgainer MealPlan Generator to translate your calories and macros into concrete meals.
Typical Mistakes
- Relying on formulas only—no empirics (weight/calories/steps).
- Ignoring NEAT drift (day-to-day variability; season/job).
- Confusing BMR ≠ maintenance.
- Adjusting without tracking RoG.
“You have to get fat to gain”
False. Progress happens in the effective window between MEV and MRV—with a Lean Surplus instead of a dirty bulk, clean protein distribution, and monitoring. Read the deep-dive: Myth Busting – Myth #5.
Metabolism System – BMR, NEAT, EAT, TEF and TDEE at a glance
🔎 View Metabolism SystemFurther Reading and Resources
Relevant glossary entries and helpful resources—for context, monitoring, and applied practice.