The Value Of Eating at Maintenance
A lot of people don’t see the value of eating at maintenance after an extended period of dieting because they can’t see any external manifestation of progress.
In reality, however, eating at maintenance is of great value. But the manifestation of results takes place on the INSIDE where you can’t actually see it happening.
After an extended period in a calorie deficit your metabolism starts to slow down to match intake. A period of eating at maintenance then serves to allow the metabolism to re-establish itself at a higher intake thereby making it easier to lose fat (and keep it off) when you move into a deficit again in the future.
Further to that, there are huge psychological advantages to having periods when you just get to eat more food and not feel like you’re dieting all the time.
As much as it might feel as though eating at maintenance is boring because you don’t see things happening on the outside, it is one of most important things you can do for the metabolic changes taking place on the inside.
But in case you’re wondering…
1) The amount of time you can diet before needing to move into maintenance is dependent on a number of variables so it is impossible to give a guideline as it is different for everyone.
But if you’re been dieting for a while and you can”t remember that last time you were eating at maintenance, that is probably a good clue. You can’t be in a deficit all year round.
2) How long you should stay at maintenance also depends on a number of variables making each person different. But a good guideline is to spend AT LEAST as much time at maintenance as you did in a deficit.
3) When you move to maintenance you should set your calorie intake somewhere between 14-16 X your CURRENT bodyweight (in pounds). If you’ve been in a deficit for a long time, it would likely be wise to start at 14 X bodyweight as your metabolism may be depressed to some degree and slowly work your way upwards.
Again, when you’re eating a maintenance you may not physically see much going on with the outside of your body, but that doesn’t negate the powerful effect that being out of a deficit has on the inside of your body.