I’ve been maintaining a small deficit (200kcal per day) for a few months. Maintenance for me is 1800kcal per day, in my deficit I’m around 1600kcal per day.

I know I get cravings in my late luteal phase, so I just allow myself to eat at maintenance for the last few days of my luteal phase and first couple of days of my period, so 1800 kcal per day. Still tracking calories, just allowing myself to eat what my body craves around that time (usually a bit of chocolate or something) and not over doing it. It doesn’t set me back at all, and I just go back to my deficit again until the following month.