Maintaining a healthy weight means first achieving a healthy weight and then keeping it within a stable range.

Maintaining a healthy weight means first achieving a healthy weight and then keeping it within a stable range. Although many techniques overlap, maintaining weight isn’t the same as losing weight. 

Sticking to your weight goals can be worth it, since a healthy weight can help improve overall health, longevity, and daily energy levels. After all, extra pounds and inadequate nutrition can strain your body. 

Understanding how to keep your weight consistent is a logical first step. We’ll break it down for you in the following categories:

• Your specific caloric intake needs
• Meal planning
• Exercise
• Lifestyle and habits
• Challenges to anticipate
• Setting a sustainable goal

Remember to consult your healthcare professional before adopting a new weight management plan to ensure it is safe and appropriate for your individual health needs.

How many calories do you need to maintain your weight?

Before going too deep, let’s recall what a calorie is: a unit of energy.^[1] Your body uses these units of energy to do everything from thinking to running a marathon.

Individual factors impact how many calories you need (or need to avoid), too. It mainly comes down to how old you are, how efficiently your body processes its food, and how much you move your body.^[2] 

While some of these factors are typically out of your control, remember that most will change over time, and you can control how you monitor and prepare for the changes in your body. 

Factors that affect your maintenance weight 

Start by understanding a few key factors that influence your caloric intake, including:

• Age
• Muscle mass and metabolism
• Average physical activity level
• Biology (sex and genes)
• Meal composition (makeup of nutrients and food groups)
• How much food makes you feel satiated

These influence not just how much your body needs but how well it processes what goes in. 

As the human body ages, its ability to efficiently turn food into energy and muscle (and everything else it needs) diminishes. Closely linked to age, metabolism is the chemical process inside your body that converts the food’s energy to your own. Metabolism peaks—or turns the most food into the most energy in the least amount of time—as a young adult.^[3] 

Your average level of physical activity impacts the calculation of weight maintenance and caloric balance, too. Your body gets used to what it’s put through and learns to prepare accordingly. Be it regular exercise or a sedentary lifestyle, the body and its metabolism typically adjust. 

Men and women have different metabolisms, and certain genetics and hormone imbalances can lead to challenges in losing, gaining, or maintaining weight.^[4] 

How to calculate your daily caloric needs

You can estimate your caloric needs by using basal metabolic rate (BMR) or resting metabolic rate (RMR) formulas. Several factors influence your BMR, and the rate is different for everyone. Certain equations can help you estimate your BMR based on your sex, weight, height and age. Whereas BMR is the minimum number of calories you need to perform basic functions at rest, RMR is the number of calories your body burns while at rest. While they differ in nuance, your RMR will typically also be an accurate measure of your BMR.^[5]

The Harris-Benedict and Mifflin-St. Jeor equations are two of the more widely used methods of calculating these figures.^[6][7][8] More recently developed, Mifflin is sometimes considered the most accurate equation. It’s important to note that both provide only estimates; thus, individual variations may exist.

Your BMR is the number of calories your body needs to function at rest. Here’s how to determine that figure with the Harris-Benedict equation:

• Female BMR = 655 + (9.563 × weight in kg) + (1.850 × height in cm) − (4.676 × age in years)
• Male BMR = 66 + (13.75 × weight in kg) + (5.003 × height in cm) − (6.75 × age in years)

And here’s how to calculate RMR, also known as resting energy expenditure (REE), using the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation:

• Female RMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) – 161
• Male RMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) + 5

Generally, an average midlife woman’s BMR could be around 1,400-1,500 calories, while men are closer to a BMR of 1,800-2,000 calories. 

If you prefer not to do the math yourself (let alone mess with the metric conversions), plenty of online calculators exist to calculate and track your BMR. 

Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) accounts for your kind of lifestyle, be it high or low in physical activity on the daily.^[9][10] Calculating your recommended caloric balance means multiplying your BMR by your TDEE factor, which increases with the frequency and intensity of physical activity:

• Sedentary, with little to no exercise, would only require a 1-1.2 TDEE multiplier
• Lightly active (1-3 days/week): 1.4
• Moderately active (3-5 days/week): 1.6
• Highly active (6+ days/week): 1.7
• Extremely active (such as intense training or a physically demanding job): 1.9

As your activity rate increases, so would the calories you need to consume, hence why a sedentary person needs far fewer calories (TDEE multiplier of only 1-1.2x BMR) than a highly active one (TDEE multiplier of 1.9x BMR). 

For a moderately active 35-year-old woman weighing 150 pounds and 5 feet, 5 inches tall, her BMR is approximately 1,472 calories. Multiplying her BMR by the activity factor of 1.6 gives a TDEE of about 2,318 calories. This means she might need an estimated 2,318 calories per day to maintain her current weight. 

You can monitor your caloric maintenance range to see if your real-life results match formulaic recommendations. Monitoring your weight and caloric intake can be easier if you stick to a consistent diet. 

Create a sustainable meal plan

Sticking to your goal weight primarily means maintaining a consistent and healthy meal and exercise plan. . 

Stick to the simple meal plan of enjoying a mix of:

• Lean animal and plant protein (includes legumes, nuts, seeds)
• Non-starchy vegetables
• Fruit and starchy vegetables
• Whole grains
• Healthy fats

The fresher, the better, too. The more processed a food is, the less useful it is for healthy bodily functions.^[11] 

An average adult with a maintenance range of about 2,000 calories per day might eat those healthy foods through a menu like:

• Eggs scrambled with veggies, plus a side of whole-grain toast and a cup of fruit for breakfast (roughly 500 calories)
• Protein-topped salad (think grilled chicken, salmon or tofu), including avocado and vinaigrette dressing, with a side of fruit or grains for lunch (aim for 600 calories)
• Baked fish, grilled lean meat, or bean-rich stew for dinner with whole-grain rice or quinoa, plus a side of roasted veggies for dinner (around 700 calories)
• Nuts, fruit, and yogurt throughout the day for a snack or dessert (up to 200 calories)

You can spice up the menu to suit your palate, but it’s typically best to avoid oversalting or going too heavy on calorie-rich condiments. It’s generally best to stick to water and avoid drinks like soda that contain a lot of calories, sugar, and unhealthy ingredients. 

Understand macronutrient balance for weight maintenance

The meal plan described above can promote your overall health because it sticks to the right balance of macronutrients. What are macronutrients?^[12] They’re the broad categories of nutrients, or good stuff your body needs, including:

• Proteins to build and repair tissues, muscles, skin, and organs, as well as produce adequate and balanced enzymes and hormones our bodies need
• Carbohydrates for energy (as glucose, or sugar) that’s used throughout the body, from your brain to your feet
• Fats to build healthy cells, absorb necessary vitamins, and store energy for later

A weight-maintenance diet should balance these, but that doesn’t mean eating equal caloric amounts. These are solid percentages to aim for:

• 10-30% protein
• 50-60% carbohydrates
• 20-30% fats

While protein and carbs generally have about 4 calories of energy in each gram of food, fats have more than double that—9 or more calories per gram.^[13] 

Work with your doctor to determine the best breakdown for your body. Remember, eating a consistent, caloric-aligned, macro-balanced diet likely means you’re already doing work to maintain your weight. Adding exercise and healthy habits can supplement your efforts. 

Understand how physical activity impacts weight maintenance

It’s time to get moving! One of the best ways to maintain your weight with exercise can be to incorporate more opportunities to move throughout the day. Physical activity can also improve your metabolism, and your heart, lungs, and other critical systems function better, too. Standing up, walking, using your arms and legs—even quick, simple moments of movement throughout the day can help break up a sedentary lifestyle.

On a weekly basis, working in 2-3 hours of constant physical movement can be beneficial. You might also try to build in a few opportunities every week to do something like yoga, weightlifting, or another exercise that focuses on strength and flexibility.^[14]  It can be helpful for post meal blood sugar to enjoy some movement after most meals^[15] (like a 10 minute walk or quick dance party in your kitchen).

Other lifestyle habits that play a role in maintaining your weight

Buying healthier groceries, planning your meals, balancing macros, and integrating workouts into your schedule often require a shift in mindset. So do these other steps you can take to maintain your weight:

• Sleep: You need around 8 hours. If you don’t get enough good-quality sleep, you can actually disrupt digestion and hunger hormones that can throw off your weight and appetite.^[16] 
• Relaxation: Stress can be a silent killer because it wreaks havoc on our organs and our mental state—which also leads to overeating and poor metabolism.^[17]
• Hydration: Water doesn’t contain calories, so opt for it when possible—your body is composed of mostly water, and it also comes in handy to cool you off during a workout (as sweat).
• Mindfulness: Eating and exercising thoughtfully means doing so slowly enough to listen to your body’s natural cues of fullness, tiredness, and other signals.
• Avoidance: If you don’t buy it, you can’t eat it, so avoiding unhealthy foods and drinks at the store is a major battle won.

Beyond these, you should also prepare for the challenges nearly everyone faces on their weight loss, weight gain, and weight maintenance journeys.  

Oh no, plateau: Common weight maintenance challenges

One of the most frustrating challenges you might encounter in maintaining a healthy weight is the plateauing, or flattening, of your progress or metabolism. Once your body gets used to its new inputs, it might not react the same. Adjusting your diet and varying your exercises can keep your brain and body surprised and engaged, which kickstarts metabolism.^[18][19]

Social gatherings, holidays, and peer pressure are other common challenges. These all come down to the same things: lots of good-tasting but unhealthy food around and plenty of people to enjoy it with. You might try to avoid falling off track by satiating your appetite with healthy snacks before you venture out. 

You can also try to stick to small portions to still enjoy special foods without overindulging. Finally, bringing your own healthy options can keep you included while inspiring others with new flavors, too. 

Stay aware of two more common life scenarios that can throw off your weight, too. Emotions and change often go hand in hand. Whether a slight adjustment to your routine or a life-changing shift, these moments can push your commitment to its limits. Incorporating exercise as a coping tool can help maintain weight and support healthy emotional balance through stressful times. 

Make weight maintenance a sustainable goal

Set yourself up for success by first setting realistic goals. Maintaining your healthy weight requires balance, consistency, and a positive yet forgiving mindset. Focus on:

• Eating healthy meals (and avoiding unhealthy snacks) and minimizing empty calories from beverages (like sweet drinks and alcohol)
• Sticking to exercise routines (and integrating movement into your daily life)
• Building healthy habits (and commending yourself for your progress)

Remember to celebrate every win, find what works for you, and strive for progress over perfection. 

Sincerely Health is also here to help you meet your health goals. Sign up for the program and get rewarded for eating healthy, buying fresh ingredients, and keeping up with your health needs. You can redeem these points as grocery rewards and save on shopping through the grocery app.

Download your app on the App Store today

How to maintain weight FAQ

What daily calorie intake is recommended to maintain weight? 

A roughly 2,000-calorie diet is the generally accepted standard, but that could be as low as 1,500 or as high as 3,000 calories depending on age, sex, genetics, and other factors. 

How can physical activity help in maintaining weight?

Physical activity (exercise) promotes weight maintenance by burning excess energy stored as fat, strengthening muscles and organs, and improving mental health and focus. 

Sources

[1] National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information. Calories. Last reviewed September 12, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499909/

[2] U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. Last reviewed December 2020. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf 

[3] National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Energy Balance and Obesity. Last reviewed February 13, 2013. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/healthy-weight-basics/balance.htm

[4] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Risk Factors for Obesity. Last reviewed March 18, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/risk-factors/risk-factors.html

[5] Healthline. What Is Basal Metabolic Rate? Last reviewed May 5, 2023. https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-basal-metabolic-rate#bmr-vs-rmr

[6] PubMed. Comparison of the Harris-Benedict Equation, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, and Indirect Calorimetry for Measurement of Basal Metabolic Rate among Adult Obese Filipino Patients with Prediabetes or Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Last reviewed September 10, 2018. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7784146/

[7] PubMed. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Last reviewed February 1990. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2305711/ 

[8] Medscape. Mifflin-St. Jeor Equation. Last reviewed 2020. https://reference.medscape.com/calculator/846/mifflin-st-jeor-equation

[9] Science Direct. Energy Expenditure. Last reviewed December 1996. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889852905703571

[10] Medscape. Mifflin-St. Jeor Equation. Last reviewed 2020. https://reference.medscape.com/calculator/846/mifflin-st-jeor-equation

[11] U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025. Last reviewed December 2020. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf 

[12] National Institutes of Health (NIH). Breaking Down Food. Last reviewed August 2023. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2023/08/breaking-down-food

[13] U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agriculture Library. Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) Breaking Down Food. https://www.nal.usda.gov/programs/fnic

[14] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Physical Activity Basics and Your Health. Last reviewed March 26, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/index.htm 

[15] Cleveland Clinic. How Walking After Eating Impacts Your Blood Sugar. Last reviewed November 17, 2023. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/walking-after-eating

[16] National Institutes of Health (NIH). Sleep and Health. Last reviewed April 2021. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/04/good-sleep-good-health

[17] Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. Why stress causes people to overeat. Last reviewed February 15, 2021. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-stress-causes-people-to-overeat

[18] Healthline. The 11 Best Foods to Boost Your Metabolism. Last reviewed December 4, 2023. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/metabolism-boosting-foods 

[19] Medical News Today. How to Increase Your Metabolism. Last reviewed May 15, 2024. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323328

---