Waiting for the scale to move....

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cnbbnc
cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I admit that I'm freaked about that initial scale increase. In a deficit I ate around 1350cals a day. Since I switched to maintenance 5 days ago I've been eating between 1450-1500. My scale hasn't moved a bit either way!

My calorie allotment now is supposed to be 1680. I guess I just find it weird because I expected to start seeing fluctuation reflecting not eating enough (or too much) to hold steady.

Replies

  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
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    You aren't giving it enough time. It's only 5 days. I can stay the same for 2 weeks and eat at a deficient before the scale will move.

    Relax.
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
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    I know the impossibly slow moving scale when in a deficit very well. LOL! Just expected some sort of jump up from increasing more than anything.... Ok. I'll try to calm down.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
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    Patience indeed.
    but also, when i look at your diary i get the impression that you dont weigh everything
    ( the cup entries and the genetic entries and the serving sizes)

    Now when you have a small deficit this could wipe it out, because you eat more than you think

    But like said before...bit more patience after all small deficit means also slower losing....and weight fluctuations can play a role too.

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  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
    edited January 2016
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    No, I do weigh every single thing I eat. Sometimes my entries say a cup, but i do measure by grams and ensure the calories are right. I lose my patience sometimes looking for exact database entries to reflect some foods.

    I'm not supposed to be in a deficit anymore as I've hit my goal. I've just been expecting to see some weight increase since starting to bump up my calories.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    edited January 2016
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    yeah i didnt had the move upwards when i was switching over.
    I have my weight / water fluctuations after a high salty day ( intake) or TOM, exercise etc.
    But i didnt had the lbs up at all

    I think this is mainly because you add slower your calories...so the up is maybe there but spread over weeks and weeks for me. So instead of losing half a pound i lost 3 ounce etc.

    My weight went downward with some ounces some days. The last 4 months i lost about 10 pound. I started to slow down 1 of September. I upped my calories bit by bit while i still wanted to lose.
    And i did. Slowly but i did.

    So i think that upward fluctuation for many who switch to maintaining is build in there somewhere. In that time frame. My salt intake i did up to 2000mg ( i dont eat added salt at all for my BP) And as long my BP stay stable i keep it doing that. So the fluctuation of water back in...which you see when people go up in calories in a big jump...went slowly by me.

    Better for my kidneys that way ;)

    So yeah you maybe never noticed it.


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  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Mine never moved out the zone. It's been several years.
  • jeepinshawn
    jeepinshawn Posts: 642 Member
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    Dang I can't imagine 1600 being my maintenance cals. I'd be in a 1000 Cal deficit at that point.
  • tiernan12
    tiernan12 Posts: 15 Member
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    jeepinshawn wrote: »
    Dang I can't imagine 1600 being my maintenance cals. I'd be in a 1000 Cal deficit at that point.

    Be thankful you're a man :)
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    I'm assuming your maintenance calories were given to you by either MFP or some other calculator. Aside from it only being 5 days as others have pointed out, the thing you have to remember are these are estimates.

    You're maintenance could be lower than the estimate it gives you.
  • pinkteapot3
    pinkteapot3 Posts: 157 Member
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    I didn't get a jump when I entered maintenance. Not everyone does. :)
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    cnbbnc wrote: »
    I know the impossibly slow moving scale when in a deficit very well. LOL! Just expected some sort of jump up from increasing more than anything.... Ok. I'll try to calm down.

    Lot's of reasons NOT to see an immediate jump.
    I certainly didn't but I had a slow rate of final loss, steady increase in calories and made sure I wasn't glycogen depleted.

    "Calm down" is a good motto for maintenance as is "don't let the number on the scales control you", "don't panic when you see an explained or unexplained blip in weight", "think long term not day to day"......

    The emotional side does get easier as maintenance becomes the new normal.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    edited January 2016
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    sijomial wrote: »
    cnbbnc wrote: »
    I know the impossibly slow moving scale when in a deficit very well. LOL! Just expected some sort of jump up from increasing more than anything.... Ok. I'll try to calm down.

    Lot's of reasons NOT to see an immediate jump.
    I certainly didn't but I had a slow rate of final loss, steady increase in calories and made sure I wasn't glycogen depleted.

    "Calm down" is a good motto for maintenance as is "don't let the number on the scales control you", "don't panic when you see an explained or unexplained blip in weight", "think long term not day to day"......

    The emotional side does get easier as maintenance becomes the new normal.

    This for sure.

    And with the more food intake you get stronger too, more energy.
    Well for me. I was already very good and did well on any amount while i was losing.
    But since i upped it and came above the 1700 there is a difference. And advantage is that i exercise more intense so burn a bit more.
    I had the guideline to get 250 NET a day. Now i hit 300 or above.
    So win win situation.


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  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
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    Give it more time. Maintaining isn't an overnight thing. You'll get this. Simply, eat, watch and enjoy the higher calorie level that you now have thanks to all of your hard work during the weight loss phase of your journey.
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    That's great, though, right? That's the goal of maintenance :)
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
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    Cortneyrenee04 wrote: »
    That's great, though, right? That's the goal of maintenance :)

    Absolutely. :smile: It took sooooo much work to get to where I am now that it is making me a bit emotional. It feels great though. And I do feel a lot better getting to eat more now. LOL!

    How are your arms doing now Cortney? You look fabulous! I wish I could do the same thing for mine.

  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
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    Well....I'm three weeks in now and I'm still at the same weight, which is making me feel that I've found my maintenance spot.

    With that being said, I never hit eating my "lightly active" maintenance estimate of 1680/day. I'm staying the same at around 1550, which is making me feel that I'm more "sedentary". Sedentary gives me 1500/day, so I think I'm going to change my activity level and start eating back some workout calories.

    I didn't think my work day was considered sedentary, but now I think I may have been mistaken.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I lose weight ones about ones a month..so you are not there yet ...winks
    About 4 months it took for me.

    A couple of periods ( because of some hormone issues )

    But lost a pound after 35 days before it was 30 days So meaning i lost 0.25 pound on average per week in about two months.

    But maybe not you will see. I found out that my Misfit is pretty consistent too and trying to trust that process instead of the data i have.

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