I’m not sure I agree, unless we leave room for “maintaining as progress.” It’s hard to balance calories in vs out while pursuing strength and other fitness goals, e.g. running. For me this might represent increased sprint training, for @unicornsandrainbows, competitive distance running. Either way, there’s a point at which you’ve achieved weight loss goals and are eating to fuel activity. Maintaining can feel like trying to balance on a paddle board in whitewater. Doing it well IS progress. Women are not going to be able to put muscle on like you do, particularly without hormone assistance, which is not a look most women want anyway, so “progress” is something different.
I’ve been able to attain this balance in the past, and was pretty happy. My progress/regress was manageable as a weekly or monthly thing, so I never had to endure a giant cut, just brief pull-backs. During “trampoline season,” when my teenager and I were playing trampoline tag every day in addition to my runs and lifting, I ate more. When graduate school forced reductions in activity during finals, I ate less. Fitness goals had to fit in alongside other life stuff, so there were ebbs and flows there, too.
This conversation now spans what, three logs? Maybe I’ll bring this back to my log, so you don’t get overwhelmed by it, @throwawayfitness.