Looking thoughts on my weight fluctuation (surplus/bulk)

Fithealthyforlife

I'm new to this particular group, and have not been able to read all the important posts yet.

I would just like some reassurance that I am not special and there is nothing wrong with me!

I had accidently been eating a deficit for a long time (say 500 cal).

I started meticulously weighing all food and logging calories and macros on July 15th.

Initially, I made it a goal to eat the calories that MFP recommended for me at moderately active. I set the weight to 140 lbs, because I thought that was my weight. I've continued to up calories, and I keep getting more and more hungry as I do so. I'm now making sure I eat back all exercise calories, plus 250-300 extra calories. This brings me to 3000-3100 cal per day for the past 2 days. I believe this is entering into the sweet spot of TDEE +10% (eyeballing the numbers).

I started doing serious lifting about 2 weeks ago. I'm currently working with loads that are around 55-75% of projected 1RM for exercises I've been doing a long time, and going lighter/easier on exercises that are new to me.

The thing that is disconcerting, is that I've been tracking morning weight for 2 days now, and first of all my weight was 4 lbs lower than I thought, and second of all, today (second day weighing in) my weight decreased by half a pound. I've heard that weight fluctuates.

I am often under for fat per day according to MFP. (Not intentional.) Protein is about 1.1-1.5 g/lb. Sufficient carbs +.

Please reassure me that I'm NOT special, and I'm NOT going to need like 4000 cal per day or something like that.

5'9, Male, age 27; 6-11% bf; morning weight: 135.5-136 lbs. End of day: 139.0 lbs.

Thanks!

SideSteel

Welcome to the group.

Nobody here can assure you what your necessary caloric intake will be for you to effectively gain weight.

That being said, log your weight daily and start looking at weekly average weight and potentially consider looking at a rolling 7 day average in weight. Give it about 3-4 weeks initially and if those averages aren't trending upwards, add another 100 calories and repeat for 1-2 weeks until you start showing a gain.

Fithealthyforlife

Welcome to the group.

Nobody here can assure you what your necessary caloric intake will be for you to effectively gain weight.

That being said, log your weight daily and start looking at weekly average weight and potentially consider looking at a rolling 7 day average in weight. Give it about 3-4 weeks initially and if those averages aren't trending upwards, add another 100 calories and repeat for 1-2 weeks until you start showing a gain.

Sounds good, Side Steel, and thanks for the welcome. The only part that sounds hard to deal with is waiting 3-4 weeks at my current calorie level! I'm getting impatient and I think I need to cool out and slow down. Then again, what about re-evaluating the diet after 2-3 weeks instead? Is that premature?

Finally: should I absolutely be getting all the fat that MFP tells me I need the way I have it set up? I'm eating under for fat (not intentional, but I'm also afraid of overdoing that fat).

SideSteel

Welcome to the group.

Nobody here can assure you what your necessary caloric intake will be for you to effectively gain weight.

That being said, log your weight daily and start looking at weekly average weight and potentially consider looking at a rolling 7 day average in weight. Give it about 3-4 weeks initially and if those averages aren't trending upwards, add another 100 calories and repeat for 1-2 weeks until you start showing a gain.

Sounds good, Side Steel, and thanks for the welcome. The only part that sounds hard to deal with is waiting 3-4 weeks at my current calorie level! I'm getting impatient and I think I need to cool out and slow down. Then again, what about re-evaluating the diet after 2-3 weeks instead? Is that premature?

I don't think the difference between 2-3 weeks and 4 weeks is critical so if you would feel more confident about looking at 2 weeks of data then have at it. I tend to err on the side of "don't over-do it" when bulking so that's potentially some bias on my part.

Finally: should I absolutely be getting all the fat that MFP tells me I need the way I have it set up? I'm eating under for fat (not intentional, but I'm also afraid of overdoing that fat).

Would you mind opening your diary?

grantwashere

log your weight daily and start looking at weekly average weight and potentially consider looking at a rolling 7 day average in weight.

TrendWeight.com is an excllent, free resource for this that has really helped me. You have to set up a FitBit account and link it first but you don't HAVE to have any of the fancy dancy electronic stuff they support. I just hand-log my weight every day in the fitbit account and then go over to the TW site to see where I'm at. I have found it to be VERY beneficial to me being able to stay on track.

Fithealthyforlife

Thanks, Side Steel. I just friend requested you...so you will be able to view my diary soon. Please ignore the 1000 cal day...it was an incompletely logged day.

Also, good to hear that 2 weeks may be sufficient.

SideSteel

I'm not concerned with your dietary fat intake, just FYI now that I've seen your diary.

Fithealthyforlife

I'm not concerned with your dietary fat intake, just FYI now that I've seen your diary.

Awesome to hear!! Thanks!

SideSteel

Locking for administrative purposes. PM me or Sarauk2sf if you need this unlocked.