STEADFAST TRAINING GLOSSARY
Definition
Maintenance calories are the average energy intake that supports a broadly stable body weight over time at a person’s current activity level and circumstances.
What it means
Maintenance is an estimate rather than a permanent number. Changes in body size, activity, health and routine can change energy needs. Daily scale fluctuations still occur at maintenance.
A practical example
A client might use a calculator as a starting point and review several weeks of consistent intake and weight observations. One unusually high or low measurement is not enough to establish a trend.
Putting it into practice
In coaching, maintenance can be a useful reference for planning a change or taking a period of weight stability. Record what is actually sustainable instead of treating a calculator output as a rigid rule.
Related terms
Energy Balance · Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) · Calorie Deficit
Explore further
Calorie calculator and daily energy estimates · Browse the glossary