To break a plateau how long should you eat at maintenance

[Lao Tzu]

i posted this on the diet board but its slow there and i dont anticipate any responses. so here we are. My main concern is how long do i need to eat at maintenance? Maintenance is about 3800 with my current cardio load. However, i think (not sure) my metabolism may be slowed so it may be lower. I am trying to get around 3500 a day during this maintenance phase. Should i cut cardio down to 2-3x a week instead of 4-5 during the maintenance phase?

right now i am eating about 2800 calories a day and doing about 40 min cardio 4-5 times a week. the cardio burns roughly 600 calories per session.

I am going to eat maintenance for a week or so, then when that week is over i will start green tea extract (for a metabolism boost), 45 min. cardio 4-5 days/week and 2700 calories a day in the hopes that these 3 things, which provide about a 300 calorie deficit extra a day will rejump weight loss.

How long should my maintenance phase before i restart dieting be? i have heard 1 meal, 2 days and 2 weeks on EF so far. Does anyone have any scientific (preferably) or personal stories of how long i should eat maintenance?

should i eat at maintenance or above maintenance (by 200 calories or so).

[ripper2]

if you are trying to cut then you need to start eating below maintenance. if you have stopped losing weight at the current calorie intake its time to drop it another notch or up your energy expenditure each day

[galaxy]

Off topic, but I know for bulking Chris Aceto recommends upping calories for several days and then going back to normal diet. States this is best way to put on quality mass. I myself follow a bulking diet m-f and then cheat on weekends, so I basically follow the same principle...................................galaxy

[mic79]

I was in the same situation earlier this year where i hit a fat loss plateau.My method of platea busting has served me well.Two weeks maintenance calories then cycle the calories from day to day when u go back to cutting.Btw the effects these fat loss supplements have on metabolism is minimal at best.Appreciate them for their energy boost.

[Lao Tzu]

ripper2 - i intend to do that. however i want to eat at maintenance for a bit before i do that. After i go back to dieting i should be running a 300 calorie deficit higher than i was running at my plateau.

mic79 - what do you mean cycling calories? like day 1 maintenance, then days 2 cutting, then maintenance, then cutting?

[mic79]

Calorie cycling basically tricks tour body into thinking your consuming more calories than you actually are.Play about with figures that are to your needs.for example im 210 lbs id eat an average of 2300 on keto/day.Some days 2100 others 2500 etc.You get the picture.I have a carb up also so i have even more of a metabolic boost.

[Toozee]

Originally posted by galaxy
Off topic, but I know for bulking Chris Aceto recommends upping calories for several days and then going back to normal diet. States this is best way to put on quality mass. I myself follow a bulking diet m-f and then cheat on weekends, so I basically follow the same principle...................................galaxy

I do something very similar to this. On the weekends, my calories are a lot lower.