Skip to content
WarriorBabe
Apply now

Answered in 5 episodes

When should I stop dieting and eat at maintenance?

Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated

The short answer

Nikkiey says it's time to move to maintenance when you've reached your goal, hit a plateau that won't budge for weeks, or your body starts pushing back. That means energy and gym performance drop, hunger is constant, mood or sleep suffer, or you're mentally burned out from dieting, often after months in a deficit.

Hear it from the show

Tap play to start right where it's answered. It keeps playing while you browse.

  1. Nikkiey on the signs that six months of dieting means it's time for maintenance

    Plays from 22:47 · Ep. 390: Why Eating Less Isn't Helping You Lose Fat After 40

  2. Why it's better to end a cut early than push through the warning signs

    Plays from 21:18 · Ep. 199: How to Do a Cut: When to Start and When to Stop

  3. Low energy and dropping gym performance as a signal to move up to maintenance

    Plays from 22:21 · Ep. 143: How to Switch From a Cut to Maintenance or a Build

  4. Burnout as a reason for maintenance, and how long to stay there

    Plays from 20:37 · Ep. 232: What Is a Maintenance Phase and How Long Should It Last?

The full answer

Across several episodes, Nikkiey returns to the same warning signs that a cut has run its course:

  • Your workouts feel weak, recovery is harder and you're sluggish.
  • You're constantly hungry or thinking about food all day. She notes some hunger during a cut is normal, but feeling like you could gnaw your hand off is a sign of stress that can lead to bingeing.
  • You're irritable, moody or sleeping poorly.
  • You've plateaued for several weeks and there's no sensible room left to cut.
  • You're mentally fatigued and ready for a new goal.

On Ep. 390, she puts it plainly: if you've been dieting for around six months and you have those symptoms, you don't need another fat loss phase. You need to sit around your maintenance intake. On Ep. 199, she adds that you shouldn't stay in a cut until you hit your goal no matter what. Pushing through risks the opposite of what you want, including regaining weight. Going in and out of phases is how the process is meant to work.

Maintenance is not a free-for-all. Nikkiey says you don't jump to 3,000 calories. You raise intake intentionally toward what supports your current body, and on Ep. 143 she stresses increasing gradually. Then the focus shifts to training, recovery, consistency and getting your energy back. On Ep. 285 she describes it as a strategic phase where you stabilize your new weight, reinforce your habits and settle into the identity of the woman you've become. It's not coasting, and it's where she says you'll spend most of your time.

How long to stay? On Ep. 232, Nikkiey says there's no one-size answer. A rule of thumb is to spend at least as long in maintenance as you did in your previous phase. If you've under-eaten for years, a coach can speed that up. If another fat loss phase makes sense later, you start it from a much better place.

From The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey Stott. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

Women also ask

More questions →

  • Metabolism, Eating More & Reverse Dieting

    Will I gain weight when I start eating more?

    Probably a little, and that's expected. Nikkiey explains that when you start eating more during a retrain or reverse diet, your weight will usually fluctuate about two to five pounds from water, glycogen, food volume and salt, not fat. If the gain keeps climbing or holds around five pounds, the increase was likely too fast.

    Read the answer →

  • Metabolism, Eating More & Reverse Dieting

    Can you lose weight by eating more?

    Yes, according to The WarriorBabe Show. Nikkiey says almost every WarriorBabe success story involves eating more food, and members like Amy, Debbie, Lisa and Erin lost weight after raising their calories from chronic lows. The key, she explains, is eating enough to fuel strength training and build muscle, which is active tissue that burns calories even at rest.

    Read the answer →

  • Metabolism, Eating More & Reverse Dieting

    How long does it take to repair your metabolism?

    It depends on how adapted your metabolism is. Nikkiey's ranges: about six to 12 weeks for mild adaptation after a few months of moderate dieting, closer to three months after a year or more of restriction, and six months to a year after many years of chronic dieting. Your body's response sets the timeline, not a calendar.

    Read the answer →

Watch the full episodes

More episodes →

Free Body
Transformation Assessment

Apply now