Calories & Nutrition
Maintenance Calories vs Weight Loss Calories
How to tell the difference, and why guessing wrong is the most common reason a diet stalls.
6 min read·Updated 25 June 2026
HG
HealthGood Editorial Team
Last updated 25 June 2026
Reviewed by HealthGood Editorial Standards Board
Maintenance calories are the level at which your weight is stable over weeks. Weight loss calories are below that — by a deliberate amount.
Find true maintenance first
Track intake honestly for 2–3 weeks. If weight is stable, that's your real-world maintenance regardless of what the calculator predicted.
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References
- World Health Organization — Body mass index (BMI). https://www.who.int
- NHS — Healthy weight and BMI. https://www.nhs.uk
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — Healthy Weight, Nutrition, and Physical Activity. https://www.cdc.gov
- Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure. Am J Clin Nutr (1990).