So even though I am a ways from my goal, I'm trying to come up with a maintenance plan. If my BMR is going to be around 1400 cals a day and I plan to burn 300-350 cals a day through exercise then I could eat a little over 1700 cals a day. But let's just say I would find it wayyyy easier to maintain longterm if I ate 2000 cals a day 6 days a week and fasted for 1 day. Whataya think? Healthy or no?

I grew up in an Irish Catholic family that always fasted on Sundays for religious reasons and I always felt better/less bloated/more energetic on and after a fasting day so I don't think this would be hard for me and then I can eat out more with friends etc on the other days.

Does anyone do something similar to this? Any other out of the box ideas?

Back when you used to fast, what was your eating like on the other days? Was it much more than your body needed because of the fast day?

It seems like it could be a way for you to eat in excess on other days.

Why not have a day every week where you go for a 5 hour hike or a 3 hour walk or a 2 hour run and boost your calories output that way. You can still go out with friends and happily eat at 1700 calories per day. That's what I eat currently and I'm having sushi and wine for dinner (even though it's thanksgiving, we aren't celebrating until Saturday.)

Honestly, wait till you get there. No calculator can tell you how many calories you'll need to maintain. I maintain on around 2,000 per day average w/ 6 days of exercise. I think if you put me in a calculator it would tell me to eat less.

I agree with ncuneo. It is hard to know what level of calories will maintain for you until you get there. The calculators are way rough guides and can't factor in your specific muscle mass/ activity level/ and specific metabolism.

My personal strategy is going to be eat the same level of calories that I'm eating now (for weight loss) during maintenance. I don't want to up my calories if I'm satisfied right now with the amount of food I'm eating. At a certain point I'll stop losing weight and that is where I'll end up.