Gaining on Maintenance Calories

Jaliena4771

Hello,
So according to MFP, my maintenance calories are about 1500, and I'm eating slightly less than that. However, I've still been gaining weight over just the past couple of days. I don't know what this means and what I should actually do to try to maintain. Anyone else having this issue?
Thanks!

MikePTY

1500 sounds very low for maintenance calories. What are your stats?

Also, body weight naturally fluctuates. You can't tell anything by just a couple of days. Give it at least a month and then see.

csplatt

It's not mathematically possible that you're gaining fat if you're sticking to the numbers. It could be water weight or food sitting in your intestines (which weighs a lot actually).

sijomial

A "couple of days" is far too short a timeframe to know with any confidence what is going on - try it for more than a month and then you will have a far better idea.

I can gain 5lbs of water weight in 24hrs and lose it again in the next couple of days.

sytchequeen

One of two things occurs to me.

either you aren't eating 1500, your weighing and logging is inaccurate

or

the data your maintenance calories is calculated upon is inaccurate in some way


also, like stated above, a couple of days isn't a good timeframe to base this on.

TavistockToad

Jaliena4771 wrote: »

Hello,
So according to MFP, my maintenance calories are about 1500, and I'm eating slightly less than that. However, I've still been gaining weight over just the past couple of days. I don't know what this means and what I should actually do to try to maintain. Anyone else having this issue?
Thanks!

What are your stats?

How long have you been eating 1500 cals?

hesn92

it's been a couple days, so it's too early to know if you are actually gaining weight. Stick it out for a few weeks and then see where you are.

diannethegeek

How much weight have you gained and over what period of time? And when did you increase calories vs when you started seeing the gain? To me, this sounds like an increase in water weight and extra food hanging around in the system due to the increase in calories. That's pretty normal and should even off after a few days. Even in maintenance, weight fluctuates from day to day.

ExistingFish

A couple of days is not enough time to determine weight gain or loss.

Give it two weeks, and if you are still steadily gaining, you may need to lower your calories or increase your activity.

LivingtheLeanDream

A couple of days is not long enough...

cheryldumais

I'm guessing here but it sounds like you just went to maintenance calories? When I did I had a bit of a jump. It can have to do with your body holding water from the change or just a bit more food in your system. Over time it will level off. Give it a couple weeks and if you continue to gain you might need to cut back a bit but 1500 is pretty low.