Maintenance and Exercise calories

kblue2007

I'm not on maintenance yet but I only have a few pounds to go (but we all know how hard those last couple of pounds are to lose) and I'm just mentally preparing myself for when that day comes......Do you still eat back you execise calories once you are on maintenance????
Thanks

kdiamond

Yes, you need to refigure your maintenance calories. And if you work out a lot, please eat all of them, otherwise you'll start losing precious muscle.

NikkisNewStart

Yes and prepare yourself.. it is hard. Going into maintenance is like driving a car full speed ahead then slamming on breaks and putting it in reverse. All of a sudden every single calorie counts and you must eat them or use supplements to get them in or like the previous poster stated- you will keep losing. It is a struggle for me to get in sometimes in upwards of 2400-2500 calories a day when I eat clean, etc. I've included a protein supplement so it is helping me get the protein I need for muscle repair without adding carbs, sugar, or fat. Maintenance is tough but just like losing weight- you'll figure it out!

melaniecheeks

I don't, but then I've only just got to maintenance level. I'm keeping an eye on how my body reacts, and preparing myself to make adjustments.

knacarelli

Once you are where you want to be you keep things the same don't do anything drastic! lol Just increase your calories slowly to see what happens. If you gain weight at least it will only be a little and you can quickly lose it. It's sooooooo much easier to maintain than it is to lose.

webbed1

Niki, wow, you eat2400-2500 cals a day?

I am close to 200 lbs at 11% bodyfat (5'9", 43 yo male) and I have been slowly losing fat weight and slowly adding muscle on about 2000 cals a day. Everything I can find online suggests I should be consuming more, like any where from 2600-3600, but I know at higher cal levels I begin to add fat. Other weight training guys say I'll gain more muscle too, but I am skeptical and don't want to add any more fat cells then I already have, especially given my goals, get to 210 or so and still reduce bodyfat to 7-8% for photo shoots 2-3x a year.

By the way, my calories are 39% protein, 39% carbs, 22% fat, with fat having over 75% of fat calories as non-saturated sources. I'm getting about 7-9 grams daily from saturated sources, fewer than 50-60 grams overall daily--and I eat clean. I could get this cleaner but I would have to substitue more. I have very intense weight training sessions 4x weekly and feel amply energetic; I have very few cravings and by and large, I am hunger free. I do a little zig zagging but not as systematically as the real devotees say).

How has everyone else determined what they think they need daily, BMR and net for exercise? How well do you think you actually match what all the calculators tell you? How do you go about aportioning your calories?

girlruns

I also can get up to 2400-2500. I think I had close to 3000 on Easter (after a 20 mile run). I eat every one of them I can, and depending on how my fuel starved body feels, I eat more. This is mainly from my marathon training, but I was maintaining before the tough workouts started and I still ate them then. It feels quite strange to be eating that many calories after doing 1200+exercise at the end, but you quickly adapt! Just follow the same styles you did to lose weight, throw in a few healthy snacks, and you are there!

webbed1

what are your percentage of total calsby source?