Fair enough.

But keep in mind that these maintenance calorie tools are all just ways of determining ' estimates '.

Take the guideline of 1.55 and exercise of 3-5 days/week for example. Let's say 2 people had the same BMR or 2,000. One of them trains 3 days a week for 30 minutes of moderate cardio at 60% MHR%. The other trains 5 days a week for 1 hour of moderate cardio at 80% MHR. Exercising 3 days a week and exercising 5 days a week are seen as being similar. According to the harris benedict equation, the 1.55 factor would yield the same calorie estimate for each of them when clearly, they each have expended significantly different levels of calories.

In other words, you have to accept these estimates as simply being the guidelines that they are, and not expect them to reflect some high level of accuracy as it pertains to your particular circumstances.

Well, if you think 1.725 adequately reflects your exercise frequency and if harris benedict gives you 3,400 and the equation I gave you gives you 3,700 - why not just split the difference and go with something around 3,550 or so ?

That is the point, if you decide to go with 3,700, then a 20% cut is 3,000 - not 2,500. So a level of 2,500 ( 33%deficit ) is a moot point as you'd be aiming for 3,000 a day , not 2,500.

One simple solution might be to simply try the 3,000 calories a day for a month or so , continue to train hard and see how it turns out - fat loss wise.


Well, as I said before ( above ) ' a proper maintenance ' isn't synonymous with a ' 100% accurate ' maintenance. Again, the example I gave above underscores the fact that you could vary 300 calories a day person to person or vary 2,000 calories for the week using the exact same factor of 1.55. The point being , don't get to hung up on looking for a 100% accurate maintenance level for yourself - it doesn't exist.

In my opinion the best way to use those maintance calorie calculations is just find your BMR and then add in the sedentary lifestyle activity factor...(the activity factor that just has you sitting on your couch all day)

AND THEN factor in whatever exercise you do each day.... know what I mean?

ok... like for example let's say your bmr is 1900 and the sedentary activity factor is 1.2 so your maintance is 1900 X 1.2 = 2280 if you don't exercise at all that day... that is your maintance. If you DO exercise that day, then add those on to your sedentary maintance to find your maintance that day.

I see what you mean about the variability with the equation, ive just been tryin for so long man, and i have that problem that everything I do I try to go for perfection sometimes good sometimes becomes like an obsession but thanks for the advice, now I just need a good bicep workout and i'll be ready for the summer!!! By the way I calculated my sedentary level and added in the calories roughly burned each week and I got exactly 3400 so im pretty satisfied with that number now, if anyone else has a similar mantenance question definitely give them that advice and thanks!!!