do you lower your deficit when you are close to goal?

kindrabbit

The title says it all really. I am 9 or 10 lbs from my first target. I think I'll want to loose another 7 or so when I get there, depends how my mummy pooch looks! I have my deficit set to 1lb a week and am averaging that at the moment. I read here that when you are close to your goal you should have a smaller deficit, but that would presumably raise my calorie allowance for the day?

How close is close? Should I wait until the loss stops/slows?

ahoy_m8

Yes and yes. Most would say 250 kcal/day deficit (.5lb/wk) within 10 or 15 lb of goal. At goal, add 100kcal/day for a week or two. Then add another 100 for a couple weeks. Then add another. At some point you will find your maintenance empirically. You will continue losing slowly until then.

Other people eat as if at their goal weight, so they have no adjustment to maintenance at all. E.g. If I maintain 115lb at 1700kcal/day, then I eat 1700 until my weight settles around 115.

congrats on being close to goal!

Christine_72

I eat at my goal weight maintenance calories. The weight loss is slower, but i only have 7ish lbs left to go. The constant restricting was doing my head in

arditarose

Yeah, shoot for .5 lbs per week weight loss.