What to do - either losing or gaining... Not staying put!

Jmgkamp

Hi All. So I started in March and I'm down 74 pounds. I was down 80. Then Thanksgiving came. Then Xmas. Then NYE. Yikes. I seem to be able to jump off and back on, but I can't seem to maintain. I want to lose another 10, but it seems that as soon as I stop and switch to maintenance calories I immediately (I mean IMMEDIATELY) gain 5-6 pounds.

What gives?

galgenstrick

Sounds like normal fluctuation in water retention to me. Think less of how much you weight and more of body composition. You probably should start tracking your BF% with a caliper, while not entirely accurate, it is precise after practicing and a good tool to show trends in your body fat and LBM.

loulamb7

A slight gain can be normal when transitioning from a deficit to maintenance. This is your body restoring its glycogen stores to normal levels. Also maintaining weight is not staying at an exact weight but a weight range of 3-5 lbs. Finally when you switch to maintenance, monitor the changes over a period of 3-4 weeks, not days. Otherwise you'll drive yourself nuts.

middlehaitch

Drop a couple of pounds below your ideal weight,
then slowly start adding your maintenance calories each week add 50 -100 cals to your day.
Ie: Deficit cals 1500
Week 1 1550 each day
Week 2 1600 each day
Week 5 1750 each day maintenance

Of course keep doing your work outs and continue eating your exercise calories on top of your daily MFP cals.

Increasing to maintenance this way is easier both mentally and physically.

The natural water weight gain will not be as alarming either.

The sudden weight gains you have are mostly water and body waste, little is fat, but still can be upsetting.

This method also gives you a chance to explore what your actual maintenance calories are. MFP gives you a goal, but you may have a 100 cal swing either way. Keep in mind your TOM fluctuations when observing you weight as you are upping to maintenance but once you start seeing a constant weight stop and monitor for a month. Increase or decrease your calories from there.

Being very tight with your logging will help too.

You are not alone in finding the transition to maintenance frustrating, a lot of us do.
I have found, once I established my maintenance that having a 5 lb range very helpful. I can enjoy food on special occasions and not worry. I have only gone over once and under twice in 6 years.

If you feel lost not having a weight loss goal in maintenance, make keeping within your range your goal- it will hold your focus just as well.

Hope all this has been some help or reassurance.

Cheers, h.