Maintenance yo-yo

NYCNika

This seems to be the way I've been maintaining:

Go on a cheating streak (usually a weekend) --> gain 3-6lb (includes water) --> freak out --> get back to counting and eating 1,500 net --> lose the weight by the end of the week --> Start weekend again.

Is this normal?

heybales

Normal? Yes and no.

Yes that people splurge on the weekend and gain water weight, perhaps a tad more too? Sure. (add that tad more up over months and you have real weight gain).

No that you lose the water weight to do it again.

Some is probably higher than normal sodium levels, retained water.

But also, this indicates to me you are topping off glucose stores, with required water, on the weekend.

Now why would glucose stores be so low that there is a decent amount to even top off each weekend?

Because you truly aren't eating at maintenance and keeping them filled all week long.
You are slowly losing some stored every day with a tad bit of a deficit. Then on weekend, decent amount to top off.

You just need to accept the fact that water weight with glucose stores is good, it's LBM, it's increased metabolism.

Get your next increase, and don't freak out, eat normal all week, accept the higher weight which likely doesn't even show anywhere that anyone could notice anyway.
Oh wait, are you one of those that wears your scale on your back with current weight displayed, and previous weight so people know the direction of movement?

No? Then don't worry about it.
You won't gain the next weekend then, but you better start watching the other meals before the one you cheat on.
If you are having trouble all weekend with having self-control over your eating, might want to examine why, and think about how easily that could slip up and go the wrong direction.

NYCNika

Yes, I might be eating under my maintenance to compensate for eating over on weekends. Food in restaurants that is delicious tends to be over calories.
I do exercise a lot:

This week:
Tue - 30 day shred
Wed - run 4 miles
Thursday - Bari trampoline class (super intense cardio)
Friday - Personal training session
Saturday - Rock climbing
Sunday - Run 4 miles
Today - Kickboxing

Now, if I was listing what I ate... that would be scary. (cake, burgers, pasta, pizza, donuts, a tub of burrata...)

I would be too terrified to eat at maintenance after that. But 1,500-1,600 net calories is a reasonable deficit. I am barely holding the floodgates of weight gain as it is.

Keiras_Mom

Yes, I might be eating under my maintenance to compensate for eating over on weekends. Food in restaurants that is delicious tends to be over calories.
I do exercise a lot:

This week:
Tue - 30 day shred
Wed - run 4 miles
Thursday - Bari trampoline class (super intense cardio)
Friday - Personal training session
Saturday - Rock climbing
Sunday - Run 4 miles
Today - Kickboxing

Now, if I was listing what I ate... that would be scary. (cake, burgers, pasta, pizza, donuts, a tub of burrata...)

I would be too terrified to eat at maintenance after that. But 1,500-1,600 net calories is a reasonable deficit. I am barely holding the floodgates of weight gain as it is.

I had to Google burrata, and I do believe I've found my next issue with maintenance! :laugh:

I think it's perfectly normal to go up and down a bit in maintenance, but not necessarily eating at a deficit all week to splurge every weekend. Sometimes yes, but not all the time. I like heybales response.

heybales

Yes, I might be eating under my maintenance to compensate for eating over on weekends. Food in restaurants that is delicious tends to be over calories.
I do exercise a lot:

I would be too terrified to eat at maintenance after that. But 1,500-1,600 net calories is a reasonable deficit. I am barely holding the floodgates of weight gain as it is.

Then that is a totally valid method of doing it.

The refill over the weekend reset the hormones from a deficit, increases metabolism, all good stuff.

It's the opposite method of the 5/2 fasting - much funner.

lporter229

This seems to be the way I've been maintaining:

Go on a cheating streak (usually a weekend) --> gain 3-6lb (includes water) --> freak out --> get back to counting and eating 1,500 net --> lose the weight by the end of the week --> Start weekend again.

Is this normal?

I am pretty much the same way. Not necessarily the gain 3-6 lbs/ freak out part, but I mostly eat under on calories during the week and over on the weekends (usually in the form of wine, but, hey, what can I say...it's my vice). I do not worry too much about it because a) I exercise a lot and am generally very active b) I log every day, the good and the bad. Exercise and logging gives me the control I need to not let things get out of hand. If my weight fluctuates by 1-3 lbs, so be it.

CJ_Holmes

I have a feeling this is what will work for me. I have a pretty erratic schedule involving days with a lot of food-filled social events and some days with huge burns. I'm starting to focus on my weekly average calories, and realizing I need some light days early in the week to avoid my weekends ruining my progress each week.

edit=typo