Gaining weight in Maintenance

mkeznor12

Last year I started my weight loss and ended up losing 22 pounds total. I've been in maintenance mode for about 10 months since, with my weight fluctuating about +/- 2 pounds when I would weigh myself monthly. This past January I decided to start adding protein shakes to my diet for muscle definition. Since then I've had a large weight gain that I'm not very happy about. I don't want to stop drinking the protein shakes because I don't want to lose muscle, but I want to lose the weight that I gained. How should I go about this? I realize I have slacked in my diet recently and should get back on a better track, but I exercise 5 to 6 days a week. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

MityMax96

Sounds to me like you are not tracking/weighing/logging your food intake properly.

If for example, you to maintain is 2500 calories.....
And you were happy there....
And all you did was shift your macros.....but stayed at 2500, then you should still be maintaining weight.

If your fat macro was on point for your needs, then the shift in macros should have been a drop in carbs and bump in protein.
Both of those are = 4 calories/1 gram

SnuggleSmacks

No need to give up the shakes. Just track everything and eat at a slight deficit until the weight is gone.

wilsoje74

Last year I started my weight loss and ended up losing 22 pounds total. I've been in maintenance mode for about 10 months since, with my weight fluctuating about +/- 2 pounds when I would weigh myself monthly. This past January I decided to start adding protein shakes to my diet for muscle definition. Since then I've had a large weight gain that I'm not very happy about. I don't want to stop drinking the protein shakes because I don't want to lose muscle, but I want to lose the weight that I gained. How should I go about this? I realize I have slacked in my diet recently and should get back on a better track, but I exercise 5 to 6 days a week. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

you are eating above maintenance and need to track your food. You can keep the dhakes but need to eat at maintenance to maintain

rauljg42

Doubt the protein is making you gain weight, you may be just gaining a little muscle weight. Just clean up up what you are eating if you've been slacking in the diet department. Keep tracking make sure you have a small defecit and track macronutrients and watch the carbs. If your eating too much carbs and not burning them sufficiently that may get stored as fat.

mkeznor12

I track my food every day, but admit there are some things I leave out on occasion. I have had a hard time trying to find my right amount of calories to eat while in maintenance though.

Serah87

I track my food every day, but admit there are some things I leave out on occasion. I have had a hard time trying to find my right amount of calories to eat while in maintenance though.

There is your problem!!

Weigh all foods and log everything!!!

MityMax96

I track my food every day, but admit there are some things I leave out on occasion. I have had a hard time trying to find my right amount of calories to eat while in maintenance though.

If it passes over your lips, then you need to account for it.

Like nuts....very calorie dense....you eat about 25 nuts, and you are near 200 calories.

lrmall01

This past January I decided to start adding protein shakes to my diet for muscle definition. Since then I've had a large weight gain that I'm not very happy about. I don't want to stop drinking the protein shakes because I don't want to lose muscle, but I want to lose the weight that I gained. How should I go about this?

When you added in the shakes, did you remove something else from your diet? I know it sounds obvious, but if you add a 200 calorie shake then you need to remove 200 calories from something else to keep your intake the same. As others have said, just more protein will not make you gain weight as long as you reduce fat or carbs accordingly.

To lose the weight, eat less carbs or fat. I'd suggest you just eat as you have been but log it for about a week, then analyze your food log and figure out what to adjust to get yourself back to maintenance or a 250 cal defecit if you want to lose weight.

SezxyStef

are you lifting weights?

wilsoje74

You are lifting weights to gain muscle right? Protein shakes alone don't create muscle.

mkeznor12

Yes, I am lifting weights, that's why I wanted to drink protein shakes. I guess I just got lazy after losing weight, thinking it's ok to have a couple extras of a dessert or a cookie (but I know it's not...like i said, just got lazy). I'll have to get back to eating cleaner foods.

meljdavis

If you are eating enough lean protein in your diet and have a balanced diet you will build muscle and maintain. Protein shakes are a fast way to get the protein but some of them come with other fillers including excess sugars and flavouring. If you are eating a well balanced diet with enough protein you don't need the shakes. Shakes are only necessary when you don't have enough protein elsewhere in your diet.

The thinking use to be that you had to get that protein shake in within 20 minutes of your workout. But new data is actually showing that a balanced diet throughout the day is more beneficial to good health and muscle building.

msbeeblebrox

You just have to be more diligent with tracking.

raindawg

I've been there myself. I skip things on occasion but have gotten in the habbit of adding a quick calorie entry on those occasions with a rough estimate. That seems to have helped keep me in line for the day.