hi, right now im on a calorie deficit and beginning to know my body very well but cutting is such a hard work i came from being obese to 23% body fat and i dont want to go trough this again my question is once im done cutting can i make gains with just eating enough calories to maintain my weight? it takes time to build muscle right so gaining 1 pound per week be to much right?

any advice be apreciated.

figuring out cutting is easy figuring out your maintance calories is a bit harder figuring out your calories for muscle gain is extreme hard lol.

Aaron,

Building muscle or losing fat is based on a calorie surplus or deficit from maintenance level. To lose fat, you need a 250-500 calorie deficit. To gain muscle, you need a 250-500 calorie surplus. In regards to your question, eating your maintenance level of calories will mantain the status quo - no gains, no losses. It is like have just enough electricity to power everything in your house as it is now. You now want to add an additional device - you won't have enough electricity to power it. The easiest way to figure out your maintenance calorie level is multiply your lean weight times 15 or just use the meal plan calculator on the MEAL PLANS tab on this website.

Many people get frustrated because they want fast results. Losing body fat and gaining lean muscle (lean gains) is a complete physique transformation that not only takes time to do correcty but also is a lifestyle - how you eat, what you eat, how you train. Going from obese (which I am assuming is over 35% BF) down to 23% is an amazing achievement. While it is hard to run a slight calorie deficit, given time you will get down to the BF percentage you want and you will also be building the muscle you have. The more toned and active muscle you have the more calories you burn even at rest. It is a positive cycle where over time you burn more fat faster as your musculature gets bigger and stronger.

John

thanks john i apreciate you feedback once im done cutting ill figure out for myself how many calories i need but you gave me a good idea

Check out the @mealplan page @pelgrin21! The video there will help you figure out your caloric numbers :)

Jordan