How to Calculate Your Real Maintenance Calories

What Are Maintenance Calories?

Maintenance calories refer to the number of calories your body needs to maintain your current weight. This value is essential for creating a balanced diet plan because it helps you determine how many calories you should consume to stay at your current weight.

Your maintenance calories are influenced by several factors including your age, gender, height, weight, and activity level. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is one of the most accurate formulas for calculating maintenance calories, as it provides a more precise estimate than the older Harris-Benedict equation.

How to Calculate Maintenance Calories

Calculating your maintenance calories involves several steps. First, you'll need to gather some basic information about yourself, including your age, gender, height, and weight. Once you have this information, you can use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation to estimate your maintenance calories.

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation takes into account your gender, weight, height, and age to provide a more accurate estimate of your maintenance calories. The formula is as follows:

Once you have your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), you can use it to estimate your maintenance calories. The BMR represents the number of calories your body needs to perform basic functions like breathing, circulation, and digestion while at complete rest.

The Formula

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is widely regarded as one of the most accurate formulas for estimating maintenance calories. The formula takes into account your gender, weight, height, and age to provide a more precise estimate of your maintenance calories.

The formula is as follows:

Once you have your BMR, you can use it to estimate your maintenance calories. The BMR represents the number of calories your body needs to perform basic functions like breathing, circulation, and digestion while at complete rest.

To calculate your maintenance calories, you can use the following formula:

The activity factor is a multiplier that takes into account your level of physical activity. The activity factors are as follows:

• Sedentary (little or no exercise): 1.2
• Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): 1.375
• Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): 1.55
• Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): 1.725
• Athlete (very hard exercise/sports and a physical job): 1.9

Example Calculation

Let's walk through an example calculation to illustrate how to determine your maintenance calories. Suppose you are a 30-year-old woman who weighs 68 kg (150 lbs) and is 165 cm (5'5") tall. She is moderately active, engaging in moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days a week.

First, we'll calculate her BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation for women:

Next, we'll calculate her maintenance calories by multiplying her BMR by her activity factor. Since she is moderately active, we'll use an activity factor of 1.55.

Therefore, this woman's estimated maintenance calories are approximately 2163 kcal/day.

Interpreting Your Results

Once you have calculated your maintenance calories, it's important to understand what this number means and how it can help you with your weight management goals. Your maintenance calories represent the number of calories your body needs to maintain your current weight.

If you want to lose weight, you'll need to consume fewer calories than your maintenance calories. Conversely, if you want to gain weight, you'll need to consume more calories than your maintenance calories. The amount of calories you need to adjust by will depend on your specific goals and the rate at which you want to lose or gain weight.

It's important to note that maintenance calories are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to weight management. Other factors, such as your diet, exercise routine, and overall health, can also play a significant role in your ability to achieve your weight loss or gain goals.