Upping calories, gonna gain?

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speedy740
speedy740 Posts: 141 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I've upped my calories from 1250 to 1580 over the last week, do u think I'm gonna gain some weight back? If so will it just be temporary? I'm very scared/worried about this decision.
It's been almost a year at 1250 and went from 120lbs down to 102lbs. It's been a loooong road so I really hope not to lose my progress ????

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  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    Yes, you might gain 2-5 lbs (or more depending on your genes, hormones, etc...) as your fuel stores are replenished, you depleated these when you were losing weight so your body will restore these. Which that will add a few pounds, so it is time to turn attention away from weight and to body fat %, focus on that and inches instead of what the scale says.
  • kathyms13
    kathyms13 Posts: 497 Member
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    ive gained a few but everyone tells me i look better for it.
  • crevices
    crevices Posts: 226 Member
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    i increased my cals by about 400 straight up, not 100 per week etc just +400 the next day. first week, i gained 4 lbs. i was really discouraged and honestly felt like restricting calories just to lose those pounds. but i kept reading that it was just water weight and because my metabolism was so screwed up for eating too low (under 1200), it would take a while to restore it and get used to more calories. a few days later after i stepped on the scale and those 4 lbs gained were gone, and i was right back to my goal weight. my advice is just stick to it and see what happens, as long as those are your accurate maintenance calories you should be fine. what's the worst that can happen? it's not like you'll gain back every pound unless you were eating like +3000 a day.
  • darwinwoodka
    darwinwoodka Posts: 322 Member
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    I'm not tracking as closely these days and know my calories have gone up the days I do keep track. Also not really working out as much with winter, etc. But still at same weight. So no, you may not necessarily gain much. The body is pretty good at maintaining as long as you don't significantly overeat.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    I didn't gain any when I upped, but I had been basically stable for several months at the 500 calorie deficit before I did it. This is a good weight for me - my body has always liked to sit here.
  • salvyhead
    salvyhead Posts: 66 Member
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    The thing to remember about maintenance is that your body still wants to be its former, heavier weight - so it's better to be conservative with BMR/TDEE once you've lost.

    Using me as an example - my TDEE is 2600 according to Scooby's calculator. That's based on my new weight of 180 but it's a pipe dream. If I eat 2600, I gain. That's because I was over 200 for so many years - that's my 'set point,' so to speak, and my body will do everything in its power to get back there. So 2600 for me is like 3000! This phenomenon has been observed by researchers like Rudolph Leibel, et al, at Columbia and other places. You can read more at http://tinyurl.com/laq3ncp

    So I try to keep my maintenance net at around 2000. Cold, hard truth but it is what it is. This was a revelation to me - a double whammy on top of the realization that the smaller you are, the less you can eat. The body is in a changed metabolic state after weight loss and - at least according to Liebel's team - it could last six years.

    YIKES!

    It's cliche - but it's the old adage - your mileage may vary. And it's the reason it's a good idea to take the numbers you get from online calculators with a grain of salt. In my case, 2600 would be completely appropriate for a guy who's been 180 for the past 20 or 30 years. But that number is no good for me. I know that now that I've been on maintenance since June.

    -Sal
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Depends if the higher amount still has you at deficit? I've went from 1200 + exercise cals to 1800 (still a small deficit) and haven't gained, recently.

    It's normal to gain a few lbs though, replenishing glycogen stores.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Ooh and be strict with your logging - it's really easy to eat way over target as you tell yourself, 'I've got loads more calories than before' - I did that last year :/
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
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    Most people will find that when they replenish their glycogen stores, they will look more lean compared to being depleted of glycogen.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Most people will find that when they replenish their glycogen stores, they will look more lean compared to being depleted of glycogen.

    Is that one reason I've continued to lose inches, though not pounds (despite just walking for exercise)? That was particularly true right at the beginning.
  • speedy740
    speedy740 Posts: 141 Member
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    Thanks for the info all, I'm gonna stick with my raised count and see what happens over the next month. I'll update in a month or two to let u know what happens!
  • elkahallick
    elkahallick Posts: 1,138 Member
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    I've upped my calories from 1250 to 1580 over the last week, do u think I'm gonna gain some weight back? If so will it just be temporary? I'm very scared/worried about this decision.
    It's been almost a year at 1250 and went from 120lbs down to 102lbs. It's been a loooong road so I really hope not to lose my progress ????


    Too many variables to tell, have you researched reverse dieting to bring your eating to maintenance??? Also, research carb refeeds, they will help jump start your metabolism which is possibly at a stand still if you have been dieting for a while..

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