Calorie / macro changes

wonkosane

I have been on a heavy calorie restriction while dropping some unwanted weight. I am now within a more reasonable weight range, and want to switch to a small calorie deficit, and prepare for maintenance.

Any tips, tricks, advice or warnings that you would want to share?

SideSteel

It wouldn't be a bad idea to make the caloric intake somewhat gradual vs doing it all at once. Depending on how low you've gone with calories you may need to make one moderate size increase and then taper it upwards.

So for example if you maintain on 2500 and you were doing an aggressive cut at 1500 you may need to do something like 1750 for a week, 2000, 2100, 2200, etc. The general idea would be to make an increase in calories, monitor change in weight, and repeat if you are not gaining. If you do gain, stay put for another week. Consider also that at some point depending on how much you are restricting you will likely gain weight from fluid increase and even additional food volume.

wonkosane

Thanks. That sounds like a frighteningly reasonable course of action.

wonkosane

So, here is the plan.

1) Cheat day. This will involve a smoked ham, chicken, bacon, pineapple, jalapeño pizza.
2) Adjust from 1800 (my current intake), to 2100 for a week.
3) Adjust through 2100, to 2200, ending at 2300. 2300 is a 15% deficit from the TDEE of goal weight. (2777 total tdee at 215).
4) Enjoy having more energy, better workouts, and possibly a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.
5) At goal weight, adjust from 15% cut to maintenance using same formula (ie: 2500, 2600, 2700, 2800)
6) Macro adjustment occurs (ideally) entirely in carbohydrates.