178. Maintenance Calories 101: Building Strength, Hormonal Health & Food Freedom

Let’s talk about maintenance calories , because I get this question super often. What the heck are they? Will I gain weight? Lose weight? Eat more? Should I be tracking them? I know this can feel confusing as hell, so I wanted to break it down in this episode! This time of year, sooo many women feel pressure to be in a cut or build phase, but…there IS another option: maintenance. Here’s the thing though - you don’t NEED to be dieting or trying to build muscle 24/7. Sometimes life is extra busy, things are chaotic, and adding a calorie deficit or extra pressure to perform just isn’t it. Maintenance is not a pause button, but actually a powerful phase that gives your body the fuel it needs to THRIVE! Eating in maintenance is giving your metabolism the love it deserves. You can expect benefits like stronger workouts, better recovery, stable hormones, and awesome energy to LIVE.YOUR.LIFE. If you’ve been thinking maintenance means ‘stuck’, I hope this episode helped unf*ck that mindset. Maintenance is fuel, freedom, and choosing long-term success over quick-fix BS. I’m so proud of you for educating yourself AND showing up for yourself in this way!! In this episode, we cover: Why choosing maintenance calories when life is chaotic isn’t a failure, but a smart strategy What maintenance calories *actually* are + why they matter The truth behind why you don’t *need* a surplus to build muscle Benefits of eating at maintenance Why finding your maintenance calories can feel confusing + what to do instead What it *really* looks like to reverse out of a ‘cut’ and land in maintenance Choosing maintenance over cutting Links/Resources: Ep. 162 | Calculating Calories + Tailoring Your Macros to Align with Your Fitness Goals Join IT GIRL Community Membership Join FIT CLUB , my monthly membership with workouts you can do at home or the gym PRIVATE COACHING is my 1:1 program (choose 3 or 6 month option) Connect with me on Instagram @kristycastillofit and @unfuckyourfitnesspodcast so we can keep this conversation going-be sure to tag me in your posts and stories! Join my FREE Facebook group, Unf*ck Your Fitness Click HERE for my favorite fitness & life things! Send me a text with episode ideas or just to say hi! Support the show