Reached my goal & now have gained a little back

sararose39

I reached my goal weight (lost about 20 lbs) and managed to maintain it for a while - now in the past 2 months or so my body has seemed to change - I typically eat one "cheat meal" per week (I did throughout my entire weight loss journey) - and before I would eat it and maybe gain 2 lbs but then loose it right away plus some. Now it seems like if I put on a lb or two it doesnt go away, or it takes much longer to loose it. Right now I am up about 2-3 lbs from my goal weight, which doesnt seem like a lot but when you work really hard it is frustrating. I did start incorporating much more strength training, circuit training & different types of exercises in the last month or so - so I'm not sure if I'm gaining muscle...it's so confusing & hard to know if your actually gaining "weight" or not. My clothes don't fit any tighter, but It's only 3 lbs so who knows - I'm really not worried about 3 lbs as much as I am about continuing to gain more. I feel like I've been pushing myself in my work outs much more also - Everytime I work out (usually 5-6 times per week) I am sweating my butt off! I'm starting to wonder if I am not eating enough calories...I am averaging about 1400-1500 per day and typically not eating the carlies MFP gives you back for working out...I never really adjusting my calories when I reached my goal weight because I was scared going up to 1600 per day (what it recommended to maintain) would cause me to gain - so I left it at about 1410 per day...I usually burn 300-400 calories during my workout.

Not sure if I'm rambling...sorry! just looking for some advice / help Thanks!!

nxd10

Not to be obvious - I know you know this - but I would drop your cheat meal.

Typically people regain weight after they lose because they go back to old habits. You may be sneaking in a few more extras that don't get logged now than before. Your cheat meal could be bigger. If you didn't recalculate your calories after losing weight MFP has not adjusted them for the new svelte you and your relative deficit is smaller now than it was before. You could be less active.

Unless you're working out a lot an putting on muscle, if you're gaining not losing, you are eating too much.

TavistockToad

I reached my goal weight (lost about 20 lbs) and managed to maintain it for a while - now in the past 2 months or so my body has seemed to change - I typically eat one "cheat meal" per week (I did throughout my entire weight loss journey) - and before I would eat it and maybe gain 2 lbs but then loose it right away plus some. Now it seems like if I put on a lb or two it doesnt go away, or it takes much longer to loose it. Right now I am up about 2-3 lbs from my goal weight, which doesnt seem like a lot but when you work really hard it is frustrating. I did start incorporating much more strength training, circuit training & different types of exercises in the last month or so - so I'm not sure if I'm gaining muscle...it's so confusing & hard to know if your actually gaining "weight" or not. My clothes don't fit any tighter, but It's only 3 lbs so who knows - I'm really not worried about 3 lbs as much as I am about continuing to gain more. I feel like I've been pushing myself in my work outs much more also - Everytime I work out (usually 5-6 times per week) I am sweating my butt off! I'm starting to wonder if I am not eating enough calories...I am averaging about 1400-1500 per day and typically not eating the carlies MFP gives you back for working out...I never really adjusting my calories when I reached my goal weight because I was scared going up to 1600 per day (what it recommended to maintain) would cause me to gain - so I left it at about 1410 per day...I usually burn 300-400 calories during my workout.

Not sure if I'm rambling...sorry! just looking for some advice / help Thanks!!

if you eat 1400-1500 cals and dont eat exercise calories? unless you are very very very very tiny, that is not your actual maintenance.

the 'weight' gain is probably water retention from the new workout regime.

sararose39

Thanks after doing some research & reading some stuff on here that is what I'm starting to think too - because I've been between 130-133.5 now since August 18th - I looked at MFP and I started strength training on August 24th - So i guess it makes sense. I think I am going to try to eat 1600 cals a day and continue my cardio/strength training and see what happens...I'm hoping soon enough I will lose the 3ish lbs that seem to be from adding strength....it looks like a lot of people gain a little and then it comes off once their bodies are used to the new workout.

ktsimons

Totally the same thing for me. I had essentially stopped logging and weighing and I started eating more than I thought. I have once again, started weighing my food and logging and the "sneak eats" (which happends to be my biggest downfall) went away. I had actually gained TEN pounds and it is starting to come off again.

Grab control now and don't let it get as out of control as i did!!! Three is easy to loose - TEN is just dumb.

BigGuy47

I started strength training on August 24th...
...it looks like a lot of people gain a little and then it comes off once their bodies are used to the new workout.

It's very common to put on a few pounds when staring a new program. When you beat up your muscles your body will hang on to water for muscle repair. The muscles will also store glycogen to fuel your workouts. These are good things, nothing to worry about.