I think it's a tough question, but here's my theory:

After a lenghty process of LCing and excercising, your body is a lean mean fat burning machine. It has reached it's optimum efficiency.

This state will continue for a while, no matter what you do. It has it's own inertia it seems

When I reached goal ~ 180, I noticed no matter how much I cheat, my metabolism handled it well. It went on for months like that, and I ended up being too care-free.

Eventually, your metabolism will slowly revert to the same state it was at, corresponding to your diet and activity level. It simply takes time to reach it's equilibrium.

Wa'il