Raise your hand if the transition to find maintenance calories after a caloric deficit has been, or is currently, intimidating to you.
…just me?
If the thought of moving out of caloric deficit for fear that you’ll “lose your progress” when you find maintenance calories is something you resonate with, you’re not alone.
When you were in a caloric deficit, odds are you were seeing progress in your physique goals. And seeing that kind of progress is a bit addicting. You see your clothes fit loser, you start to see new muscle definition, and maybe you even see a drop on the scale. These progress markers feel good, especially when you’ve been working hard to remain in a deficit. But our bodies need seasons of maintenance too!
You see, sustained seasons of caloric deficits can lead to a slowdown in metabolism. What’s more, that slowdown can last well into your maintenance season. That’s why, for most athletes, seasons of deficit are only around 8-12 weeks unless otherwise guided by a trainer or nutritionist. The length of your deficit would be determined by your activity level and how much of a deficit you’re functioning out of. Generally speaking, the more intense the deficit the shorter the athlete might remain in that deficit.
But, as with many things in fitness, how long a person stays in a deficit is highly nuanced and dependent upon their specific needs and history. What does remain the same is that any athlete who consumes at a deficit will eventually need to transition out of a deficit into maintenance and find their maintenance calories.
So, How Do You Find Maintenance Calories?
First things first, we make a game plan.
To find your ideal maintenance calories you must consider what your life looks like.
Maybe you’re transitioning out of a deficit because you’ve reached your desired physique goal.
Or, are you transitioning out of deficit because your brain needed a healthy break from restriction?
Maybe you’re moving into a maintenance phase because you have a strength goal you’re working toward that will require more energy.
Or, maybe, you’ve booked a show and need every ounce of energy you can get to perform at your highest capacity.
Let’s say you’ve both reached a physique goal and you’re looking to get strong.
Go ahead and decide how often you’ll be working out, and yes, weigh yourself.
From here, we recommend using an energy calculator to help you estimate a starting point for macros. We have a free one, here, that you can use!
Once you have these macros calculated take a couple of weeks to adjust to the new program. Hit your workouts, eat well, and then re-evaluate.
Are you feeling stronger? Are you recovering well? If both of these answers are yes, you’re on the right track!
What If I Don’t Want to Track?
Once you find maintenance calories that work for you there are a few ways to ensure you stay on course.
Yes, of course, you could always track. But, ideally, you’re not tied to My Fitness Pal or Cronometer for the rest of your life.
Eventually, we want you to feel free to trust that your body knows what it needs and will tell you.
The maintenance phase is an excellent time to distance yourself from tracking and start listening to your hunger and fullness cues.
“But what about making sure I have a balance of carbs, fats, and proteins?”
I’m so glad you asked. Here at DWL we love to utilize the hand method.
I outline this method in detail here.
But, TLDR?
One serving of protein should be about the size of your palm.
A serving of veggies should be the size of your balled fist.
One serving of starchy vegetables or carbohydrates will fill a cupped hand.
And finally, one serving of fat will be about the size of your thumb.
Now, you don’t need to live by this, but if you build your plate this way, you’ll know you’re consuming a well-balanced meal.
From here, chew mindfully, taking note of flavor, and texture, and ensuring you’re chewing thoroughly. This gives your brain enough time to communicate with your body and send you fullness cues.
Chewing thoroughly also gives you time to tune into how your body feels.
Are you feeling like you’re ready for a new texture or flavor?
Great. It’s okay to shift from your main meal to other foods on your plate or save room for something else.
Are you beginning to feel full?
No? Great, keep enjoying your meal!
Do you feel the impulse to take a deep breath and sit back from the table?
Honor that. Sit back and take a moment to reflect on whether you feel full, satisfied, and finished, or if you’d like a bit more.
Learning to ask yourself these questions throughout your meal can teach you a great deal about your eating habits.
Many of us were taught to clean our plates.
Others of us were taught that stopping before we were full was the trick to staying lean.
And, in case no one has told you, neither of these methods teaches you to listen to what your body needs.
But, What If I Gain Weight Again?
First of all, if you’re goal was to get stronger, you may see the number on the scale rise as you build muscle. However, this likely won’t be a huge jump as long as you’re consuming maintenance calories rather than growth calories. (It’s more likely that you’ll see a bit of body recomposition – but more on that in another blog post!)
But let’s say you have been eating a bit more than maintenance and you do see a scale jump.
You are now armed with the knowledge to healthily train your body for any goal.
No matter what happens next, you have the tools and the support to reach whatever goal you set your eyes on.
Just remember, our bodies are made to shape-shift throughout our lives.
But, no matter what, your body wants you to win.
Listen to the cues it’s giving you, couple that with everything you’ve learned about fueling yourself for success, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for finding maintenance calories you can sustain.
And listen if you want more support, reach out to us at dancerswholift@gmail.com or send us a DM @dancerswholift on Instagram. We’d love to answer any questions you might have.
If you’re looking for more answers about nutrition, check out these favorites from the blog: Protein Packed! How To Eat More Protein Daily, Are Foods Good And Bad? Building a Healthy Relationship with Food, What Are Macros? A Simplified Breakdown
