Maintenance plan
Maintenance calories, then a plan
Maintenance calories are the intake that holds your weight.That number is your TDEE. A loss plan sits under it. A gain plan sits a little over it. The resting piece alone is not the meal plan.
Enter your details and read the maintenance card. That is the line you adjust.MyPlate: Calorie Deficit App can carry the same target through the week while you log food.
How a diet uses this number
Hold weight by eating near maintenance. Lose weight by eating under it. A gap of about 550 kcal a day is near 0.5 kg a week, using about 7,700 kcal per kilogram. Gain slowly with a surplus of about 250 kcal if you are lifting. Thecalorie deficit calculator turns a pace into a date. The labeled maintain tool is themaintenance calorie calculator.
A worked maintenance line
A 28-year-old man, 180 cm, 88 kg, moderate activity (1.55). Resting energy is 10×88 + 6.25×180 − 5×28 + 5 = 1,870 kcal. Times 1.55 is about 2,899 kcal. That 2,899 is maintenance. A 0.5 kg per week cut is about 2,349 kcal. After he reaches about 83 kg, run the form again. The burn drops as the body gets smaller, so the old budget is a smaller gap than it was on day one.
Pick an honest activity factor
| Week you actually live | Factor | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.2 | Desk job, little walking, no planned training |
| Light | 1.375 | Training or sport on 1–3 days |
| Moderate | 1.55 | Training on 3–5 days |
| Very active | 1.725 | Hard training on 6–7 days |
| Extra active | 1.9 | Hard daily training plus a physical job |
Two gym sessions do not make a sedentary work week "very active." If the scale does not move the way the gap predicts, change the factor before you slash the food. BMR, RMR, and TDEE are compared onBMR vs RMR vs TDEE.
Log maintenance, then the gap
Once the line is set, MyPlate: Calorie Deficit App shows calories eaten against calories left. Free to download, try every feature free. 3-day free trial. The multiplier arithmetic, written as a formula, is on theTDEE calculator at Calories Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What do I do with my maintenance calories?
Eat near that number to hold weight. To lose, subtract a deficit from it, often about 550 kcal for roughly 0.5 kg a week. To gain, add a small surplus. The meal plan always starts from maintenance, which is your TDEE.
Is maintenance the same thing as TDEE?
Yes. Total daily energy expenditure is the calories you burn across a full day: rest, digestion, walking, and training. Eating that amount is a maintenance plan.
Which activity level should a dieter pick?
Pick the week you actually live, and if you are unsure pick the lower one. A desk job plus two gym days is light or moderate, not athlete. Recheck the number after you have lost about 5 kg, because a smaller body burns less.
Should I subtract the deficit from BMR?
Subtract it from TDEE. BMR is only the resting piece. The comparison of BMR, RMR, and TDEE is on the metabolism guide. Eating at BMR ignores the rest of the day and cuts harder than the label suggests.
How do I log a maintenance plan?
MyPlate: Calorie Deficit App sets a daily target from your goal and shows calories left after each meal you photograph or scan. Free to download, try every feature free. 3-day free trial.