You have been in a fat loss phase, showing up, logging your food, and making progress. That is amazing. But now you might be wondering:
When should I stop dieting and move into maintenance?
How long should I stay there?
Am I going to gain weight if I eat more?
Let’s clear this up so you can move into maintenance with confidence and set yourself up for long-term success.
What Is a maintenance phase
A maintenance phase means eating just enough to match what your body burns. You are not gaining and not losing.
It is about fueling your body to recover, perform, and hold onto the progress you have made. It is not a break from training. You should continue your workouts exactly as before unless you are following a bodybuilding routine that requires a deload.
Note: A maintenance phase is not weight gain. It is refueling your body after a fat loss sprint so you can go again, stronger.
When should you move into maintenance
You should've move into maintenance after 12 weeks of consistent fat loss.
The key word is consistent. If you have truly been in a deficit and staying within your calorie range, then your body has adapted and needs a break.
If your tracking has been loose, or you have had many weekends or breaks where you were not in a deficit, then you likely have not completed a full 12 weeks. In that case, you can probably continue if you still feel good.
How long should you stay in maintenance
Use this guide:
4 weeks if your fat loss phase felt easy and you still feel strong
6 weeks if you notice fatigue, hunger, or a mild plateau
8 weeks or more if you feel burnt out, exhausted, or have lost a large amount of weight
The more aggressive your deficit was, the longer your body needs in maintenance.
What if eating more makes you nervous
Many people feel uncomfortable about increasing calories after seeing progress. Here’s how to ease in if you'd like:
Increase your calories by 100–200 per week until you reach your full maintenance target.
You can keep tracking as before, just with a slightly higher target.
Why maintenance is so important
A common myth is that eating more means gaining all the weight back. That is not true. If you are truly eating at maintenance, you will not gain fat. Maintenance means eating the same amount of calories you burn.
Taking a proper maintenance phase:
Prevents metabolic slowdown
Improves energy, mood, and performance
Makes future fat loss easier
Locks in your results
This is how you avoid burnout and plateaus. This is what makes your fat loss results stick.
How to switch to maintenance in the App
Go to your Profile
Tap your current Goal
Change it to Maintenance
Your targets will update automatically
If your training changes, update your Activity Level too
How to return to fat loss later
After your maintenance phase:
Go to your Profile
Set your Goal to Lose Body Fat
Your targets will update to match your new starting point
This is not starting over. It is continuing with a stronger, more fueled body.