Gaining Weight on Maintenance Calories

hnaquin280

Hi! So I've recently lost 35 pounds by eating 1200 calories a day. Once I hit my goal weight, my calorie allowance increased to 2300 a day. I haven't been eating quite that much yet, but just by increasing to 1500 a day I've gained 3 pounds in a week! I don't want to keep losing but I really don't want to gain it all back. I know that 1300 or something like that can't possibly be a maintenance calorie allowance for me. I'm a female, 5 foot 7 at 150 pounds. Thanks!

Iron_Feline

Water weight from upping your calories and/or normal fluctuations.

Stop panicking. Your body takes time to adjust and a fluctuation of around 5lbs is to be expected.

jharb2

eating an extra 300 calories a day for a week does not mathematically add up to 3 lbs. It is likely water weight, sodium intake or just your bodies temporary adjustment to the extra calories. give it a little time. and 1500 calories for 5ft 7" and 150 lbs for a young person is low.

gothchiq

3 lb water tends to bounce back on when ppl change to maintenance. IDK why.

hnaquin280

Thanks! I figured it was mostly water because I spent a few days at home with my moms salty southern cooking haha but regardless of that, if it was only 3 pounds of water weight that would mean I'm maintaining at 1500 calories and that just seems wrong. Should I increase my calorie intake gradually or is it possible that 1500 is just my maintenance level?

gainer39911

Given your height, weight and age, your Basal Metabolic Rate is about 1500 cal/day. That's the amount you need to maintain your weight if you were completely inactive, essentially lying in bed all day. To get your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), you need to multiply that by an "activity level" factor. The list below is what MFP uses when you determine your calorie goals. If you were to select "sedentary", your TDEE would be about 1875. To get a TDEE of 2300 you would have to select a factor in the "lightly active" to "active range". If you choose a higher activity level, be sure not to log any activities as exercise that you considered in determining your activity level. For example, if you conclude you are "active" because you go to the gym for an hour each day, do not log those exercise calories in MFP because you would be double counting them. I think the simplest thing is to select "sedentary" (unless you truly have an active occupation, like mail carrier) and then log all exercise.

Activity Level
Sedentary 1.25
Lightly Active 1.4
Active 1.6
Very Active 1.8

hnaquin280

Thank you!!