Wishing I hadn't switched to maintaince

Spiderkeys

Me getting to my goal was a great effort, a got there with little problems, but the last 2 months after switching has turned out out to be a complete failure, I began on 2200 (a big jump from 1500), but I slowly seemed to gaining, 2 weeks later I switched to 2000, then soon it was obvious i'll never see my goal weight again at that level, 2 weeks ago I switched to 1900 calories a day, 2 weeks later still a slight gain.

So i'm now 7-8 pounds up from my goal, I was losing weight nicely and too quickily before the switch, and I going to down my calories to almost my old weight loss score.

So it's back to weight loss mode again, I be going back to the 'General Diet and Weight Loss Help' forum and leaving this Maintaining area and this time I think I'll lose 8 pounds below my happy goal weight (if I can get there again), so the weight fluctuations won't bother me so much.

Oh well, you learn from your mistakes... was just horrible to just when I was doing so well...

sixtyinchesoffury

if you were gaining then that wasn't your true maintenance calorie level.

you have to really play around with your numbers to find the right one.

good luck!

Galatea_Stone

It's glycogen. When you go to maintenance, you gain back water weight that is depleted when you're in a prolonged deficit.

If the scale number bothers you, lose 5 pounds more than you'd planned and then go to maintenance. Personally, I say lift heavy and don't worry about the number on the scale. Worry about the image in the mirror.

editorgrrl

Maintenance takes a whole lot of trial & error to find the number of calories at which your weight will stabilize. Next time, adjust your calories by 100 calories per week.

ndj1979

It's glycogen. When you go to maintenance, you gain back water weight that is depleted when you're in a prolonged deficit.

If the scale number bothers you, lose 5 pounds more than you'd planned and then go to maintenance. Personally, I say lift heavy and don't worry about the number on the scale. Worry about the image in the mirror.

this.

tegalicious

It's glycogen. When you go to maintenance, you gain back water weight that is depleted when you're in a prolonged deficit.

If the scale number bothers you, lose 5 pounds more than you'd planned and then go to maintenance. Personally, I say lift heavy and don't worry about the number on the scale. Worry about the image in the mirror.

I second all of this!! Remember that you will have to have a weight range that you feel comfortable being at. For me that is three pounds below and three pounds above my goal weight. If I get above that three pounds up number and it stays there for longer than a week or two or continues to go up then I will take a good solid look at my calories and see what is going on and then either increase my cardio a tiny bit or take a tiny calorie deficit and see where my weight is in another two weeks. Our weight normally fluctuates. Take measurements too to see if you are gaining actual fat and not just glycogen and extra food and water weight. You should also slowly up your calories by about 100 calories a week when you are ready to move into maintenance. I will go bump the link that explains all of this but it is titled "why you gain weight when you eat more than your cut". Read that thread!

Spiderkeys

I know when you weight more, it makes me feel bigger, bad news is I havent seen my goal weight since the day I reached it, and my maintance calorie limit is going to be disappointing low, far off from MFP calculation of 2380, even 1,900 isnt doing it, maybe i'm eating more than I think, thats the only possibilty I can think off.

tegalicious

I know when you weight more, it makes me feel bigger, bad news is I havent seen my goal weight since the day I reached it, and my maintance calorie limit is going to be disappointing low, far off from MFP calculation of 2380, even 1,900 isnt doing it, maybe i'm eating more than I think, thats the only possibilty I can think off.

Are you weighing all solid food and measuring liquids with a liquid measuring cup? When I wasn't weighing, I gained 5 pounds in a month because I upped my calories to get closer to maintenance and effectively negated my small calorie deficit by eating more than I thought I was.

Galatea_Stone

I know when you weight more, it makes me feel bigger, bad news is I havent seen my goal weight since the day I reached it, and my maintance calorie limit is going to be disappointing low, far off from MFP calculation of 2380, even 1,900 isnt doing it, maybe i'm eating more than I think, thats the only possibilty I can think off.

What is your workout program? I eat more than 1900 calories on maintenance, and I'm a small female.

How long have you been eating at maintenance? You have to give your body time to adjust to these things. As I said, glycogen causes weight fluctuations when you come off a prolonged deficit.

vjohn04

It's glycogen. When you go to maintenance, you gain back water weight that is depleted when you're in a prolonged deficit.

If the scale number bothers you, lose 5 pounds more than you'd planned and then go to maintenance. Personally, I say lift heavy and don't worry about the number on the scale. Worry about the image in the mirror.

^this

Iron_Feline

Why did you chose to lose on 1500? That's very low for a man.

I lose on 1600-1700 a day and I'm a 5'2 35yo woman.

Cranquistador

I know when you weight more, it makes me feel bigger, bad news is I havent seen my goal weight since the day I reached it, and my maintance calorie limit is going to be disappointing low, far off from MFP calculation of 2380, even 1,900 isnt doing it, maybe i'm eating more than I think, thats the only possibilty I can think off.

Are you weighing all solid food and measuring liquids with a liquid measuring cup? When I wasn't weighing, I gained 5 pounds in a month because I upped my calories to get closer to maintenance and effectively negated my small calorie deficit by eating more than I thought I was.

this.
are you using a food scale and weighing everything possible?

SunofaBeach14

I can't think of any scenario where a dude should be eating 1500 calories a day

Spiderkeys

Cause I let MFP adjust it, Ill switch it up later, I never weighed foods, yet my estimates must had been good because I was always losing, but I eat the same foods as before, just more of them.

gypsy_spirit

Why did you chose to lose on 1500? That's very low for a man.

I lose on 1600-1700 a day and I'm a 5'2 35yo woman.

This. That would be my first step - to figure out what you should be eating in calories. I'm 5'6" and 56 years old and I also eat between 1600 - 1800 a day depending on exercise.

editorgrrl

Cause I let MFP adjust it, Ill switch it up later, I never weighed foods, yet my estimates must had been good because I was always losing, but I eat the same foods as before, just more of them.

The margin of error is so much smaller in maintenance. Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Weigh your food.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Cranquistador

Cause I let MFP adjust it, Ill switch it up later, I never weighed foods, yet my estimates must had been good because I was always losing, but I eat the same foods as before, just more of them.

if you are frustrated with your results the best way to figure things out is to grab a food scale...i got mine at bed bath & beyond for like fifteen dollars. It has a button that switches back and forth between grams and ounces which is nice.

I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it really isnt....and you would have a more accurate idea of what is really going on with you instead of guessing

good luck

Iron_Feline

Cause I let MFP adjust it, Ill switch it up later, I never weighed foods, yet my estimates must had been good because I was always losing, but I eat the same foods as before, just more of them.

The margin of error is so much smaller in maintenance. Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Weigh your food.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Yes read this

If you follow MFP you are suppose to eat at least some of your exercise calories back as well.

LiftAllThePizzas

I know when you weight more, it makes me feel bigger, bad news is I havent seen my goal weight since the day I reached it, and my maintance calorie limit is going to be disappointing low, far off from MFP calculation of 2380, even 1,900 isnt doing it, maybe i'm eating more than I think, thats the only possibilty I can think off.

Is your goal a number, and that's the final purpose of your efforts, to achieve a number on a scale? Or is your goal ultimately to be healthy?

Does healthy actually depend on the scale saying some arbitrary number you chose back when you started?

How much lean mass did you lose from where you started? And how much of your gain is lean mass that's now being rebuilt since your body has enough intake to do so?

If you want to increase the number of calories you can eat in a day without gaining fat, then add some lean mass.

If you just lose/gain/lose/gain without adding any lean mass, you are doing the opposite of bodybuilding: increasing the proportion of fat on your body with each cycle. That isn't going to get you to where you want to be.

tegalicious

Cause I let MFP adjust it, Ill switch it up later, I never weighed foods, yet my estimates must had been good because I was always losing, but I eat the same foods as before, just more of them.

The margin of error is so much smaller in maintenance. Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Weigh your food.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

This! I went from consistently losing to stalling and gaining all in one month when I went from a 1lb/week lloss to a 0.5lb/week loss calorie goal because I wasn't weighing my food!!

ndj1979

I can't think of any scenario where a dude should be eating 1500 calories a day

for realz….I am 5-10 173 and I am cutting on 2100 to 2200 a day ….

heybales

Glycogen stores with water would explain 2-3 lbs of it gained fast, like the first week. But not the rest. You were over 500 cal over prior eating level, that's good for a lb a week gain, and if lifting well, not even all fat.

Your liver can store about 300-400 cal worth, blood another 100 cal worth, and that is always going to be maintained except for normal between meal and after activity lowering.

Your body can store 1500-2000 cal worth depending on how much cardio you do. You've probably been living depleted down at 1000, maybe 500 cal level.

I use cal's above, because every 500 cal stored is 1 lb, glycogen with the water together.

Prior to going to maintenance, how much had you still been losing the 2 weeks before?
That would have been best indication of maintenance.

Because eating that little for a guy as active as you, I'm sure you did some of this to yourself.

http://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/truth-about-metabolic-damage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i_cmltmQ6A

But, to that last video as to the why and how long and why maintenance so difficult, another study has shown slight recovery after even 3 months of eating at true maintenance, if they had done what was suggested above about increasing slowly, who knows what they could have increased to.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/heybales/view/reduced-metabolism-tdee-beyond-expected-from-weight-loss-616251

Otterluv

Glycogen stores with water would explain 2-3 lbs of it gained fast, like the first week. But not the rest. You were over 500 cal over prior eating level, that's good for a lb a week gain, and if lifting well, not even all fat.

Your liver can store about 300-400 cal worth, blood another 100 cal worth, and that is always going to be maintained except for normal between meal and after activity lowering.

Your body can store 1500-2000 cal worth depending on how much cardio you do. You've probably been living depleted down at 1000, maybe 500 cal level.

I use cal's above, because every 500 cal stored is 1 lb, glycogen with the water together.

Prior to going to maintenance, how much had you still been losing the 2 weeks before?
That would have been best indication of maintenance.

Because eating that little for a guy as active as you, I'm sure you did some of this to yourself.

http://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/truth-about-metabolic-damage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i_cmltmQ6A

But, to that last video as to the why and how long and why maintenance so difficult, another study has shown slight recovery after even 3 months of eating at true maintenance, if they had done what was suggested above about increasing slowly, who knows what they could have increased to.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/heybales/view/reduced-metabolism-tdee-beyond-expected-from-weight-loss-616251

Wow, this is great information.


OP: I suspect that you have a combination of things going. You have increased waterweight/glycogen and you are eating above your maintenance. When you increased your portions you just underestimated a bit.

Weigh and measure your food for a bit until you can see what your portions really look like, and to get a better idea of what your maintenance calories area at this point.

ninerbuff

In just to say that if you look the way you want, fit the clothes you want, get the compliements you want, and are as fit ans healthy as you want...................................does it really matter what the scale says?

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

3laine75

It's glycogen. When you go to maintenance, you gain back water weight that is depleted when you're in a prolonged deficit.

If the scale number bothers you, lose 5 pounds more than you'd planned and then go to maintenance. Personally, I say lift heavy and don't worry about the number on the scale. Worry about the image in the mirror.

Yes, this one.

Also, try climbing up to maintainance gradually next time. I've had the same issue during, this, my first bulk. Instead of gaining gradually 0.5, I packed it on too quickly at the start, then it eased off, then I was losing instead of gaining.

Well done in getting to goal in the first place, I'm sure you'll have no problems getting back there again - like others have said, try shooting for slightly lower to allow for glycogen stores building back up.

nxd10

Good luck. Hopefully we'll see you again here soon.

nxd10

I know when you weight more, it makes me feel bigger, bad news is I havent seen my goal weight since the day I reached it, and my maintance calorie limit is going to be disappointing low, far off from MFP calculation of 2380, even 1,900 isnt doing it, maybe i'm eating more than I think, thats the only possibilty I can think off.

I am maintaining at 250 under what MFP says - but that's where I am. And yes, it's low. GOOD news is that I know how to happily eat at that level and feel full. (I'm at 1440 in maintenance.) And it motivates me to exercise and eat back those calories.

If you don't have one, try adding a fitbit. It has helped me by pushing me to walk more because every step of 4000 I get to eat more food. 200 calories extra a day feels like a lot. And 500 even more!

Kelly_Runs_NC

It's glycogen. When you go to maintenance, you gain back water weight that is depleted when you're in a prolonged deficit.

If the scale number bothers you, lose 5 pounds more than you'd planned and then go to maintenance. Personally, I say lift heavy and don't worry about the number on the scale. Worry about the image in the mirror.

^Exactly this...

KariOrtiz2014

YOU CAN GET THERE!!

Laura3BB

Cause I let MFP adjust it, Ill switch it up later, I never weighed foods, yet my estimates must had been good because I was always losing, but I eat the same foods as before, just more of them.

well -there you go - you are not estimating your intakes correctly. That's why you put on weight.

Spiderkeys

It suprised me after switching from maintaince to weight loss mode, my weight fell down very quickily, I'm suddenely 3 and a half pounds below my goal weight, and well lost over 8 pounds since I switched back, looks like I be back here maintaining again much sooner than I thought, only another 2 more pounds will do it.