Anyone maintained after trying to gain weight?

Hamsibian

I became severely underweight after an autoimmune flare last year, and I have been dealing with yo yo weight since my teens when I first got sick. Thankfully, I gained 33lbs (now 125), and my goal weight for now is at 140-145. I know I have ways to go, but I can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel. A bulk/cut cycle will cause too much stress on my body and mind, but most of the posts on here discuss maintenance after losing weight. Has anyone decided to maintain/recomp after gaining?

I'm 5'11", 30 year old female, and weight lift full body sessions 3x a week.

Hamsibian

bump

brendanwhite84

I'm about 10 weeks away from my current goal of 173 lbs (BMI 22). I'm entertaining the idea of bulking up to 180-185 or so after that depending on how I feel about my physique.

I'll be maintaining / recomposing at whichever goal weight I remain at. I am a frequent runner and cyclist in the warm months however so I think maintaining above 180 with good musculature could be a bit tedious (3200 calories a day + exercise calories back). I'm also not sure if I want to weigh in excess of 180 for when I have to do hills on my bike. I did some Category 4 hills at 148 and they were tough enough.

Hamsibian

Wow that's awesome! It makes sense to be under a Certain weight for the hills. I love Biking, but had to limit my cardio for the time being. I can't wait to incorporate it as I get closer to maintenance, and my overall health is better.

Hamsibian

I am not set on my maintenence range, but I don't want to be under 140 again. I just remember looking my best around this weight without lifting. I plan to recomp for a while and then decide if i need to go to 150 instead. I am sure my doctor would like me to be more in the middle of a healthy BMI in case I get sick again - praying that I don't for a long, long time!

brendanwhite84

Agreed - if you've had experiences with sudden drops in weight before I'd definitely suggest as high a BMI as reasonably possible, for the sake of a little padding.

sardelsa

The first time I bulked I did maintain for a few months. But I typically don't stay there very long. In your case, my best advice would be similar to someone coming from weight loss to maintaining... continually monitor and not let things slide. So basically you have track your weight, and perhaps your intake (at least for a while until you get the hang of it) to make sure you are maintaining and not sliding into weight loss again. You are doing amazing with the weight gain btw, keep it up

Hamsibian

Thank you @sardelsa! That means so much coming from you

And thanks for the advice! You're right, it would be really easily to get lazy and let things slide. I check my weight every morning, and I plan to continue that pattern well into maintenance. I won't do anything different in regards to exercise right away. I love lifting, so that will be my priority until I figure out my maintenance calories. Then I might slowly add in more leisure biking/walking (the only cardio I like lol). The tricky thing for me will be swapping the fatty meats for some lean ones - I like the juicy stuff! Maybe mix two different cuts when making certain dishes like burgers could work...I'll have to hunt some more in this forum for ideas.

@brendanwhite84 I could use the extra padding for sure My issue is purely asthetics. I was given the green light to gain about 1.5 pounds a week for a while, and of course that all went to the abdomen area. I know that it's the body preserving the organs, but I am over the, "When are you due?" comments . Luckily my new job is somewhat active, so I am gaining at a slower rate.

It's flubbing with my maintanence calories though - I don't know what they are anymore. And my calories will keep readjusting the more I heal/recover (fingers crossed) and the more nutrients I can absorb. Sorry if I sound a little nutty, but this is the first time I am actively tracking every number and pattern, so making all of the connections is overwhelming at the moment. I still have some time to figure things out. Thanks again to you both!