maintenance calories

[momoftwins]

I was just curious, when I was dieting I had to take my calories closer to 11 times my body weight to get the ball rolling in losing weight/fat. That is after starting at 12xmy weight. Now that I am going back up to maintenace calories I was wondering since I needed to lower my calories more than the standard for weight loss (12xbodyweight) would the same hold true for bringing it up to maintenance calories? I know normally that is 14-15xbodyweight, but would it be less for me since my deficit calories were less than the norm?

Hope this makes sense.

[Erik]

Could be yes, but the caloric difference b/w 14 and 15XBW really isn't that great. Go to the lower number at 14 and sit there and see what happens. It's normal for maintenance to be slightly depressed after a period of dieting. I'm at maintenance now and am at about 14X BW on off days and 15X bodyweight on training days.

[momoftwins]

OK, thanks, I'll work my way up to that and hang there a bit :)

[jsantilli]

I have a question regarding this same topic. I've been carb/calorie cycling for about 4 months now and really don't want or can't afford to lose any more weight. I LOVE my current results. I would like to stay at maintenence myself. My question is, if I want to continue carb cycling could I just only cycle carbs without cycling calories? I've read on 02 forum there is a benefit to cycling them both.

What I want to know is...will my body "stay in current condition" if I start eating the same amount of calories each day vs. cycling them as I've been doing., continue carb cycling and stay on the same workout regimen? For me at 5'8" around 127-128 lbs x 14 would have me eating around 1,792 (1,800) for maintenence calories per day, does this sound right? Also, do you eat more calories on maintenence on weight training days than say a HIIT or SS cardio day with no weights at all?

If you're going to stay at maintenence is it pointless to carb cycle as well? Just confused a bit on what I want to do. Each day my weight, like everyone else's, seems to flucuate a few pounds, so I cannot tell if I'm actually still losing or staying the same without even dropping to maintenence yet.

Thanks.

[Erik]

Just figure it out so your 7-day average averages out to maintenance. You could have some days at, above or below maintenance and still average out to maintenance.

[jsantilli]

Originally posted by Thunder@Jun 7 2006, 01:13 PM
Just figure it out so your 7-day average averages out to maintenance. You could have some days at, above or below maintenance and still average out to maintenance.
Okay so to figure out my average for the week I would divide all my calories consumed for the week x 7 then?

And, as part of my question....do you think it's still beneficial for someone who wants to go to maintenence to continue carb cycling, but not cycling calories? So, if I'm reading this right---you're saying to still cycle calories daily, but figure out each day how many calories I need to be at maintenence by the end of the week?