Eight weeks in and I’m still sitting around that 10-pound loss mark, give or take. Here’s the interesting part though — I spent this entire week eating more than I have in two months, and that was completely intentional.
Week 8 was maintenance week. The idea is simple: instead of staying in a calorie deficit every single week indefinitely, you occasionally reset to the calorie level you’d eat at your goal weight. More food, two snacks instead of one, bigger protein portions. The theory is it keeps your metabolism from adapting to the deficit so that when you go back to cutting, the weight starts moving again. We’ll find out if it worked when we check the scale next week.
From a food standpoint, maintenance week was honestly great. Shrimp scampi was on the menu — something I’d never made or even really thought about before — and it turned out to be a hit. Butter, garlic, shrimp — basically the same flavor profile as lobster. That’s exactly the kind of dish AI keeps throwing at me that I never would’ve cooked on my own. Lemon chicken orzo also made an appearance and was well received, though happy healthy daughter would’ve preferred rigatoni over the orzo.
One thing that’s become clear over these eight weeks: this works long-term because AI handles the mental load. Before, planning a week of meals was something I had to figure out myself. Now I just tell it what I want, what flavors I’m after, and it builds the whole thing around our portions and goals. I’m going to keep using it even after the diet is done.
Next week is back to the calorie deficit — Memorial Day barbecue included, with 90/10 lean beef patties and chicken dogs. Also coming up: broccoli beef, kung pao chicken, miso glazed salmon, and chicken quesadillas made from rotisserie chicken leftovers. Back to feeling a little hungry, but that’s the deal.
