Maintenance Question

bethrs

Hi All.
For folks who have switched to maintenance- do you eat your exercise calories still?
Thanks!

erickirb

Yes, if you don't you will continue to lose as your exercise will be your deficit. If you burn say 500 cals/day 4 days per week and don't eat them back you will lose a pound in just under 2 weeks. If your goal is maintenance it is best to eat most of them.

bbygrl5

If you are in full maintenance mode with no additional weight to lose, then yes. If you don't you will be at a calorie deficit and will lose weight.

I plan on not being so rigid with my maintenance once I'm done with these last few pounds. I may go over calories one day and might not eat all my exercise calories another.

I will see how that works for me to be a little flexible.

bethrs

Yes, this makes sense. I totally get the calories in /calories out thing for losing but I guess after slowly losing weight for two years the idea of not shooting for that trips my brain.

bbygrl5

It might be helpful to you to step it up slowly. It is weird the idea of adding that many calories suddenly. I know many people who start introducing maintenance before they reach goal. I myself have even put myself on maintenance, but am counting exercise as my deficit until I reach goal.

Doing it that way now has increased my calories a bit. The purpose has been twofold: a) slows/reduces losing lean muscle mass b) not shocking my system with a sudden huge jump in calories on maintenance.

bmontgomery87

Yes I'd eat them back.

Just keep an eye on changes to decide if you need to eat a little more or less.