True? The first 5 lbs gained disappears instantly on a cut?
Replies
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I ALWAYS lose 5 pounds in the first few days of a "diet."
Yeah that's what I was thinking. I don't think it is very complicated. We start eating less and our system has less junk in it. It stays that way till we stop dieting. Then our system gets filled up with stuff again, and it looks like we just gained 5 pounds.
But not really.0 -
This thread is depressing. I'm on week 7 of my first bulk and I've gained 3-4 lbs. So it's ALL water weight? :grumble:
Yup. Water and glycogen. You're guilty of the same thing I am.
And not only that...but if I were to cut right now (which would be stupid as heck) I would likely lose 2-3 lbs of muscle in addition to the 5 lbs and whatever fat I was trying to lose. In other words, I would come out weighing equal or even possibly LESS than I did when I started months ago.0 -
Depends on how dirty your bulk is. Or if you cut your carb consumption significantly. Or if you drastically change your calorie intake.
For me, I went from maintaining/slowly gaining to a very slight daily deficit. I didn't really change my diet (I always eat lower carb/higher fat/high protein) and my weight loss has been slow and steady, no big drop.0 -
This thread is depressing. I'm on week 7 of my first bulk and I've gained 3-4 lbs. So it's ALL water weight? :grumble:
If it all came on very suddenly, yes. If it's been gradual, no. Again, it depends on how drastically you changed your diet.0 -
This thread is depressing. I'm on week 7 of my first bulk and I've gained 3-4 lbs. So it's ALL water weight? :grumble:
If it all came on very suddenly, yes. If it's been gradual, no. Again, it depends on how drastically you changed your diet.
It's been gradual. About 1/2 lb. per week. Also spent a month at maintenance before I started bulking. Bulk is maintenance + 200 cals per day.0 -
If you did maintenance first, then your muscles already resupplied themselves.
ETA - again, speaking solely from experience. Also...http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/993576-why-you-gain-weight-if-you-eat-more-than-your-cut0 -
Springfield and Jo...thanks!!
Springfield- I will go for it ALL and eat for all of us! Someday when I have a wife who is pregnant and complains about how much she has to eat, I can tell her I ate about as much when I was bulking! lol.
Jo- 3600 will prob end up being realistic, at least on exercise days. Since I'm so close, I might as well keep increasing in 100 cal increments.0 -
This thread is depressing. I'm on week 7 of my first bulk and I've gained 3-4 lbs. So it's ALL water weight? :grumble:
If it all came on very suddenly, yes. If it's been gradual, no. Again, it depends on how drastically you changed your diet.
It's been gradual. About 1/2 lb. per week. Also spent a month at maintenance before I started bulking. Bulk is maintenance + 200 cals per day.
Same here. But my weight gain was tracked from when I started eating at or a bit above my MFP estimated maintenance (plus exercise calories). I would say we have a maintenance range rather than a single number...which for a guy appears to be a 400-500 calorie window.
At least I know I don't have a broken metabolism! Hehe.0 -
This thread is depressing. I'm on week 7 of my first bulk and I've gained 3-4 lbs. So it's ALL water weight? :grumble:
If it all came on very suddenly, yes. If it's been gradual, no. Again, it depends on how drastically you changed your diet.
It's been gradual. About 1/2 lb. per week. Also spent a month at maintenance before I started bulking. Bulk is maintenance + 200 cals per day.
Same here. But my weight gain was tracked from when I started eating at or a bit above my MFP estimated maintenance (plus exercise calories). I would say we have a maintenance range rather than a single number...which for a guy appears to be a 400-500 calorie window.
At least I know I don't have a broken metabolism! Hehe.
How long do you think you'll continue with your bulk? I believe you said you had been going for 7 1/2 months already?0 -
This thread is depressing. I'm on week 7 of my first bulk and I've gained 3-4 lbs. So it's ALL water weight? :grumble:
If it all came on very suddenly, yes. If it's been gradual, no. Again, it depends on how drastically you changed your diet.
It's been gradual. About 1/2 lb. per week. Also spent a month at maintenance before I started bulking. Bulk is maintenance + 200 cals per day.
Same here. But my weight gain was tracked from when I started eating at or a bit above my MFP estimated maintenance (plus exercise calories). I would say we have a maintenance range rather than a single number...which for a guy appears to be a 400-500 calorie window.
At least I know I don't have a broken metabolism! Hehe.
How long do you think you'll continue with your bulk? I believe you said you had been going for 7 1/2 months already?
Until I either reach my first major goal weight or get real fat. Somehow I don't think the latter is going to happen. ;-)
I started eating maintenance on July 15th or so, and other than a 10-12 week period of not tracking and not eating enough to bulk because I wasn't lifting (so why bother), a 4-week period of being sick with food poisoning and losing 2-4 lbs, and another 4-week period of accidently eating at the high end of maintenance and not gaining (due to improperly estimated exercise burns) last month, I've been gaining about half a pound a week (sometimes more, sometimes less). But I now know that only 3 lbs of that is likely real weight (2 lbs muscle, 1 lb fat).
Now here's the question. I'm at 140-141 right now. First real major goal weight is a shredded 166 lbs. Does that mean I need to hit 171-176 before cutting? That may take...a while. And I don't really want to "permabulk" either. I hear maintenance needs can raise a LOT over time if you do that (because the body gets used to your intake and burns more off). Best to give the body some breaks, I think.0 -
OP, what is your average daily exercise calorie burn? I'm struggling to understand why at 140 lbs. you need 3,600 cals per day to gain. At the end of the day, you need to eat as much as it takes to get the scale to move, but that calorie level sure seems high.0
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Now here's the question. I'm at 140-141 right now. First real major goal weight is a shredded 166 lbs. Does that mean I need to hit 171-176 before cutting? That may take...a while. And I don't really want to "permabulk" either. I hear maintenance needs can raise a LOT over time if you do that (because the body gets used to your intake and burns more off). Best to give the body some breaks, I think.
You will know when it's time to cut. If you are naturally lean, you'll just 'feel' fat. And if you're lucky and have a good P-ratio, keep bulking as long as fat % stays in check.0 -
OP, what is your average daily exercise calorie burn? I'm struggling to understand why at 140 lbs. you need 3,600 cals per day to gain. At the end of the day, you need to eat as much as it takes to get the scale to move, but that calorie level sure seems high.
First, I never said I eat 3600 on a typical day. Don't know where you're getting that from. Right now, it's 3060 calories on a non-exercise day. That doesn't mean I sit on my butt all day long though. I'm not the sort of person who enjoys that. I get achey if I sit too much.
I have no idea how much I'm really burning...but apparently it's more than I thought it was. I have a whole thread on this topic. Apparently it's at least 400 cal per hour.
I do an hour or so of stronglifts about 3x/week. All other intense movement/exercise also gets logged.0 -
And what's freaky is that in high school (ten years ago), I ate only about 2500 (best guess since I didn't track intake back then) when I lifted and ran track. Of course, I was sore all the time and felt like crap...but I weighed 10 lbs more than I do now.
I feel great. Have tons of energy. And all my bloodwork is perfect.0 -
This thread is depressing. I'm on week 7 of my first bulk and I've gained 3-4 lbs. So it's ALL water weight? :grumble:
Not necessarily. The reason people lose that first 5 so quickly (IMHO) is that their cut is almost always necessarily low carb. I didn't intend for my cut to be, but by the time I hit my protein and fat minimum, carbs were necessarily lower than usual (~120ish g, usually). When I transition to *maintenance*, I will see a gain that is mostly water weight...but when I resume a bulk, assuming all else remains equal, I won't necessarily see a water weight increase.0 -
I ALWAYS lose 5 pounds in the first few days of a "diet."
Yeah that's what I was thinking. I don't think it is very complicated. We start eating less and our system has less junk in it. It stays that way till we stop dieting. Then our system gets filled up with stuff again, and it looks like we just gained 5 pounds.
But not really.
If by "junk" you mean "glycogen and related fluid", then yeah, I agree.
If by "junk" you mean something else, then no.0 -
Hey Jo,
I accidently maintained at 138-139.5 lbs last month for about 4-6 weeks at 2960 calories on non-workout days and 3160 or so on workout days. I would say that's the high end of my real maintenance range, give-or-take.
Knowing what I now know, I'd say that the most recent increases over the past few weeks are putting me solidly into lean bulk territory now (finally). But it's still not quite enough.
And this whole time I was wondering why I still looked the same, give-or-take, after gaining 8 lbs (it's because 5 lbs was water/glycogen!) And why I only gained about a pound of fat in 7 months of on and off "bulking" (b/c it wasn't enough food). Now I know!
But you know something...it was a lot easier to increase calories slowly over time! And I have my maintenance range pretty figured out. So there is a positive side. And hopefully I'm near the end of needing to add 100-200 calories for every 2-3 lbs of gain!
maybe you should just eat 3160 every day…?0 -
Hey Jo,
I accidently maintained at 138-139.5 lbs last month for about 4-6 weeks at 2960 calories on non-workout days and 3160 or so on workout days. I would say that's the high end of my real maintenance range, give-or-take.
Knowing what I now know, I'd say that the most recent increases over the past few weeks are putting me solidly into lean bulk territory now (finally). But it's still not quite enough.
And this whole time I was wondering why I still looked the same, give-or-take, after gaining 8 lbs (it's because 5 lbs was water/glycogen!) And why I only gained about a pound of fat in 7 months of on and off "bulking" (b/c it wasn't enough food). Now I know!
But you know something...it was a lot easier to increase calories slowly over time! And I have my maintenance range pretty figured out. So there is a positive side. And hopefully I'm near the end of needing to add 100-200 calories for every 2-3 lbs of gain!
maybe you should just eat 3160 every day…?
Yes! That's exactly what I've started doing...adding another hundred on non-exercise days as of today in fact. That will make a net gain of about 50 cal per day. If after another week it's still not enough with the added 400 per week, I'll increase more. And so-on. I feel like I'm doing a chemical titration experiment! Or maybe I'll increase by 100 every single day to start with! I feel like my life the past few months is about increasing calories every so often!
Been eating 3460 on lifting days, though...for a couple of weeks now. So maybe just increasing to 3260 on off-days is the best bet...and then eat back any other burns on top of that. That'd be another 600 cal per week!0 -
What about your workouts and daily activity? Usually the biggest dudes in the gym just get it done and sit on it. Muscle failure, eat and rest. Not even cardio. Hypertrophy (8-12 rep range) seems to be optimal for size. What are your goals? If you're just doing chest and arms or something then it's going to take a while so make sure your workout split is good.
It doesn't have to be that complicated for a bulk. You just want to have x amount of body fat while weighing more, confirmation that it's muscle weight added. Eat like a horse and pack on the pounds, fat included and throw up some weight you've never done before. Then do a slow cut (I'm doing one now). Bulks are supposed to be fun. Good luck, man!0 -
What about your workouts and daily activity? Usually the biggest dudes in the gym just get it done and sit on it. Muscle failure, eat and rest. Not even cardio. Hypertrophy (8-12 rep range) seems to be optimal for size. What are your goals? If you're just doing chest and arms or something then it's going to take a while so make sure your workout split is good.
It doesn't have to be that complicated for a bulk. You just want to have x amount of body fat while weighing more, confirmation that it's muscle weight added. Eat like a horse and pack on the pounds, fat included and throw up some weight you've never done before. Then do a slow cut (I'm doing one now). Bulks are supposed to be fun. Good luck, man!
Thanks! Not much cardio right now (actually none) but that'll change as there's yardwork to do...trust me. That means eating back more cardio calories.
I'm actually not doing hypertrophy training right now. I'm doing stronglifts, which is geared toward strength. After I get to a certain point with this, I will switch to hypertrophy. I plan to go back and forth between the two every few months.0 -
Upped by 100 cal yesterday; weighed in the lowest I've been in the past 2 weeks this morning. A pound and a half less than yesterday.
So...once I find the right calorie range to consistently gain 1/2 to 1 lb every week or so, I should just be able to eat that amount...and no longer have to increase by 100 calories every 3 lbs or so???0 -
So...once I find the right calorie range to consistently gain 1/2 to 1 lb every week or so, I should just be able to eat that amount...and no longer have to increase by 100 calories every 3 lbs or so???
yes- ish.
As you get bigger and the metabolism jumps up- you probably need to increase as well. Gain is like loss- meaning NOT LINEAR.
You'll probably bulk just fine at a certain # for a few weeks- or even a month or two- and then you'll need to push upwards. It's a range and it's a moving target- the bigger you get the more you have to eat- so as you gain- you have to push that upper limit up as well- same when you are losing- as you lose- that "losing" number becomes maintenance and then you have to drop calories to keep the trend downward.0 -
So...once I find the right calorie range to consistently gain 1/2 to 1 lb every week or so, I should just be able to eat that amount...and no longer have to increase by 100 calories every 3 lbs or so???
yes- ish.
As you get bigger and the metabolism jumps up- you probably need to increase as well. Gain is like loss- meaning NOT LINEAR.
You'll probably bulk just fine at a certain # for a few weeks- or even a month or two- and then you'll need to push upwards. It's a range and it's a moving target- the bigger you get the more you have to eat- so as you gain- you have to push that upper limit up as well- same when you are losing- as you lose- that "losing" number becomes maintenance and then you have to drop calories to keep the trend downward.
I get that. But it's not going to be a moving target *just* from eating more (assuming no gain for a week or two), right??? Sometimes it seems like that's how it's been. But I know what the real explanation for the slow gains is...thanks to you all.0 -
So...once I find the right calorie range to consistently gain 1/2 to 1 lb every week or so, I should just be able to eat that amount...and no longer have to increase by 100 calories every 3 lbs or so???
yes- ish.
As you get bigger and the metabolism jumps up- you probably need to increase as well. Gain is like loss- meaning NOT LINEAR.
You'll probably bulk just fine at a certain # for a few weeks- or even a month or two- and then you'll need to push upwards. It's a range and it's a moving target- the bigger you get the more you have to eat- so as you gain- you have to push that upper limit up as well- same when you are losing- as you lose- that "losing" number becomes maintenance and then you have to drop calories to keep the trend downward.
Damn. I totally forgot that getting fat increases your metabolism. Well, I knew that but didn't associate it with bulking. Thanks for that!0 -
So...once I find the right calorie range to consistently gain 1/2 to 1 lb every week or so, I should just be able to eat that amount...and no longer have to increase by 100 calories every 3 lbs or so???
yes- ish.
As you get bigger and the metabolism jumps up- you probably need to increase as well. Gain is like loss- meaning NOT LINEAR.
You'll probably bulk just fine at a certain # for a few weeks- or even a month or two- and then you'll need to push upwards. It's a range and it's a moving target- the bigger you get the more you have to eat- so as you gain- you have to push that upper limit up as well- same when you are losing- as you lose- that "losing" number becomes maintenance and then you have to drop calories to keep the trend downward.
Damn. I totally forgot that getting fat increases your metabolism. Well, I knew that but didn't associate it with bulking. Thanks for that!
I read in studies that most of the change is due to LBM. I think very little is due to the fat itself compared to LBM. Most people lose substantial LBM when dieting...they simply don't lift weights.0 -
So...once I find the right calorie range to consistently gain 1/2 to 1 lb every week or so, I should just be able to eat that amount...and no longer have to increase by 100 calories every 3 lbs or so???
yes- ish.
As you get bigger and the metabolism jumps up- you probably need to increase as well. Gain is like loss- meaning NOT LINEAR.
You'll probably bulk just fine at a certain # for a few weeks- or even a month or two- and then you'll need to push upwards. It's a range and it's a moving target- the bigger you get the more you have to eat- so as you gain- you have to push that upper limit up as well- same when you are losing- as you lose- that "losing" number becomes maintenance and then you have to drop calories to keep the trend downward.
I get that. But it's not going to be a moving target *just* from eating more (assuming no gain for a week or two), right??? Sometimes it seems like that's how it's been. But I know what the real explanation for the slow gains is...thanks to you all.
I had to increase cals after gaining approx. 10 lbs. I bumped it 200-300 to get the scale moving again. For me, the more I gain, the slower the gains come, even with increased cals.0 -
So...once I find the right calorie range to consistently gain 1/2 to 1 lb every week or so, I should just be able to eat that amount...and no longer have to increase by 100 calories every 3 lbs or so???
yes- ish.
As you get bigger and the metabolism jumps up- you probably need to increase as well. Gain is like loss- meaning NOT LINEAR.
You'll probably bulk just fine at a certain # for a few weeks- or even a month or two- and then you'll need to push upwards. It's a range and it's a moving target- the bigger you get the more you have to eat- so as you gain- you have to push that upper limit up as well- same when you are losing- as you lose- that "losing" number becomes maintenance and then you have to drop calories to keep the trend downward.
I get that. But it's not going to be a moving target *just* from eating more (assuming no gain for a week or two), right??? Sometimes it seems like that's how it's been. But I know what the real explanation for the slow gains is...thanks to you all.
I had to increase cals after gaining approx. 10 lbs. I bumped it 200-300 to get the scale moving again. For me, the more I gain, the slower the gains come, even with increased cals.
Thanks.
Well, considering when I started I was eating in the low 2000s (and losing LBM), my maintenance range is apparently wide. I may just bite the bullet and increase by a total of 200 more calories over the next week. I don't want to prolong this anymore. Proper meal spacing helps with getting it all in. Until yesterday, I was usually cramming the last 2000 cal (2/3) into the last 4-5 hours of the day!0
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