HOW TO FIND YOUR MAINTENANCE
So you’ve decided you want to try tracking your macros. You’ve got your food scale ready and have downloaded a tracking app. But what numbers are you shooting for?!
Whether you are new to tracking or have experience with multiple nutrition phases, you might wonder how many calories your body needs to maintain its current weight. Whether you’re looking to lose fat, build muscle, or simply feel more in control of your nutrition, knowing your maintenance caloric intake is an important starting point. This number (a range, actually) represents the balance — where you're eating enough to fuel your body without gaining or losing weight. Read below for the steps you’ll want to take to determine that range.
WHAT IS “MAINTENANCE”?
Your maintenance caloric intake is the amount of energy (calories) your body requires to keep your weight stable. Think of it as a balance scale: on one side, you have the calories you consume from food, and on the other, the calories you burn through daily activities and exercise. If both sides are equal (calories in = calories out), you’re at maintenance.
Everyone’s maintenance level is different, and your maintenance needs can change over time. This is because it’s influenced by a variety of factors — age, gender, body composition, activity level, and metabolism, to name a few. So, while you can’t rely on a one-size-fits-all number, you can calculate an estimate to get a starting point, and fine-tune that baseline over time to suit your body’s unique needs.
WHY KNOWING YOUR MAINTENANCE CALORIES IS IMPORTANT
Understanding your maintenance caloric intake helps you:
SET REALISTIC GOALS: Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply feel more energetic, knowing your maintenance calories helps you determine how much you should eat to reach your goals. If you want to lose fat, for example, you’ll aim for a calorie deficit — eating slightly below maintenance. If you’re looking to build muscle, you’ll need to eat in a slight surplus.
AVOID THE GUESSWORK: Many people try to lose weight or change their body composition by randomly cutting calories or following fad diets. But without knowing where your maintenance is, you’re essentially guessing — and that can lead to frustration, fatigue, and stalled progress.
FIND BALANCE: Even if you’re not pursuing a specific weight-related goal, finding your maintenance intake can help you establish a healthier, more balanced relationship with food. It allows you to fuel your body properly without feeling restricted or overindulged.
STEP-BY-STEP: HOW TO FIND YOUR MAINTENANCE CALORIES
What you’ve been reading on for, right?! Let’s dive into the steps to discover your maintenance intake. It’s not an exact science, but with patience and consistency, you can pinpoint a range that works for you and your current needs.
1. TRACK YOUR INTAKE
Track you food for 1-2 weeks; use a food journal or tracking app, and try to be as accurate as possible. Find your average intake over the course of the time you spent tracking: this is your current average intake.
2. FIND AN ESTIMATE OF YOUR MAINTENANCE
There are plenty of online calculators (like this one) that can give you a rough estimate of your maintenance calories after you provide some basic data (age, height, weight, etc.). This can be a good place to start – keep in mind that the computer doesn’t know you as an individual, and you still might need to play around with this number just a bit.
3. MONITOR AND ADJUST
If there’s a difference between your current intake and your suggested intake, you’ll want to close that gap. Do this by gradually increasing or decreasing your calories from where you are to where you want to be.
Throughout all of this, it is really helpful to weigh yourself – my recommendation is daily. You can expect to see fluctuations on the scale from day to day, even if calories aren’t changing: this is normal and not a bad thing. Once you’ve been eating at your suggested maintenance for a few weeks, check out the weekly averages of your weight. During the time you’ve been consistently and accurately tracking at maintenance, has your weight stayed about the same? (Great! You found an ideal range!) Did your weight consistently increase? (You are likely in a calorie surplus.) Did your weight consistently decrease? (You’re likely in a calorie deficit.)
This process takes time (weeks to months) and some trial and error – it’s the best way to truly understand how your body responds to different levels of food intake and to understand what the specific caloric needs of your body are.
THE LONG GAME: MAINTENANCE AS A TOOL
Once you’ve found your maintenance caloric intake, you can use it as a powerful tool for reaching your goals. If you want to lose fat, create a small calorie deficit by reducing your intake by 10-20% from maintenance. On the other hand, if your goal is to gain muscle, increase your intake by a similar percentage to ensure you’re eating enough to fuel growth.
And if you’re happy where you are? Fantastic! Stay at maintenance and focus on nourishing your body with a balanced, nutrient-dense diet.
I know this process can sound intimidating, but remember — this is about building awareness, not creating more stress in your life. I’ve had many clients who, after finding their maintenance intake, felt a huge sense of relief. They no longer had to guess how much they should be eating or follow strict, restrictive diets. Instead, they could make informed decisions about their nutrition, enjoy their food more, and reach their goals without constant anxiety and unknowns around calories.
You don’t have to be perfect with this. You don’t have to hit the exact same number every day (a great rule of thumb is to be within a 200-calorie range, +/- 100 from your maintenance target). What matters most is that you’re learning more about your body and its needs, and that knowledge will empower you to make the right choices moving forward.
Want an even deeper dive into finding your maintenance, or looking for an even more individualized experience and the support of a coach? I’ve got your back.
