If it helps you maintain a calorie deficit it will work. There’s nothing magical about incline walks or any form of exercise for that matter. To maintain muscle lift heavy and hit your protein goals.

1

You maintain because the incline stretches more muscles and tendons in your leg as well as geometrically making the walking take more force/effort from your legs to walk the same distance or same amount of time under stress. So you lose fat like regular but also build some muscle

-2