How to eat maintenance calories

Cassandraw3
Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Sorry if this has been asked before, but I could not find a thread on it. I'm getting close to my goal weight and am working on planning my maintenance calories. What does everyone find works best for eating back exercise calories? Do you eat them the same day you work out? Do you try to spread those out over the week and shoot for a weekly average?

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,937 Member
    I don't think it will matter one way or the other.

    I eat mine on the day, but I'm not doing any endurance sports and my exercise calories rarely exceed 500 on any given day.

    If you've been successful with one strategy in weight loss, the same will apply to maintenance.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    edited September 2018
    When I first started maintenance, many moons ago, I continued eating back my ex-cals the way I had been while losing.
    Using the NEAT method, eating back the same day, most of the time.

    Over time I switched to TDEE, my routine was steady enough.

    After that I just worked out my own personal data and did a bit of a hybrid-TDEE overall, but would add the apropriate amount of cals if I decided to pick up an extra drop-in class.

    I was never rigid in eating everything on the exact day once I had got my initial calories sorted, I just made sure my weekly goals were within range.

    I do find on lifting days, I lift about an hour before dinner, I tend to eat a little less because my stomach feels 'tight', but I usually get those cals in the next day because I am hungry.

    Everyone has to find what works for them. Carry on with the method you have used to lose until you have your maintenance established, then, if you wish, start experimenting.

    Cheers, h.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,966 Member
    It's really an individual lifestyle thing, IMO.

    I usually eat my exercise calories back 100% on the day, but will lowball my daily net goal if I have a special event coming up later in the week, to bank some extra for indulgence. (It's not specifically the exercise calories I'm banking, but having extra calories available makes it easier to stay below net goal on those days vs. on a rest day.)

    My daily net goal is also set a bit under maintenance calories (like 150-250 below) because I like to have an indulge-y day or meal once a week or so . . . leaving extra calories in the bank for a special event would be additional on top of that.
  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
    I’m approaching maintenance also, and appreciate reading all of these responses:)
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    I'd continue to do what you were doing when losing and then once you get the hang of maintenance then let hunger be your guide. I m often hungry after a day of doing more exercise than normal so will eat more but sometimes I am not. On those days I will be more hungry than normal the next day and have the available calories still. The trick is working out what works best for you and as long as you stay close to your maintenance calories over a period of time it really doesn't matter.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    edited September 2018
    I go by weekly calories - I only log my food occasionally (apart from currently when I am on my pre holiday lose a few pounds before we go mode :smiley: that way I can enjoy eating pretty much what I want knowing I'll come back no heavier than my usual weight).

    At 5ft 2/ 49/ 125lbs /lightly active my TDEE is approx 1900 cals. During the week I eat at slight deficit to bank calories for the weekend. So my Mon-Fri averages 1700-1800 and I can eat around 2200-2300 Sat/Sun. It all balances out :smile:
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    If your exercise week over week is pretty consistent, it’s easier to use TDEE. If it varies, stick with eating back calories (NEAT). Or if you wear a tracker, use your own data.

    Regardless of the method, just keep doing what you’re doing with a handful more calories and you'll nail it.
  • jrwms714
    jrwms714 Posts: 421 Member
    3 years in maintenance here ... for me, TDEE doesn't work, but a caloric range plus any exercise calories earned that day does. So some days I can eat a lot and others not so much. It evens out, and I never feel deprived and often can't even eat the amount of calories I've earned. You have to do what works for you.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
    Everyone is different, whatever works for you. As long as you're eating roughly the same amount of calories that you're burning overall, your weight will remain the same... If I were you I'd just continue doing whatever you're currently doing but with added calories to get you up to maintenance. So if you're doing things the "MFP way" (using the calorie goal plus adding in exercise calories) then keep doing that. Personally I found it easier to just find out my average calorie burn and eat that regardless of exercise. And for the last couple of months I haven't been counting calories at all and things are going well so far.
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    Currently, I am only eating back my exercise calories on the same day if I am hungry. Usually, I just let it average out over the week. I currently log my calories out/calories in into an excel spreadsheet to know my expected rate of loss. I will keep doing that to make sure I average out my CICO over the course of the week to make sure I have an accurate maintenance range.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,675 Member
    I'm a runner, who trains for long races. Some days I run 5 miles, some 15. On the short days, I eat all the calories back that day. On long run days, often I won't, unless we go out to dinner. I let hunger be my guide. If I'm not hungry, I won't eat more. If I am hungry, I'll eat to satisfy the hunger even if I don't have the calories that day. I like having flexibility so I can eat when I need to without worrying about gaining weight.

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