Should I eat more?

Findekano

I'm trying to maintain or gain, focusing on building muscle.

I started around 110lbs, very glycogen-depleted after some very poor nutrition, back in December. Started eating at or around TDEE, and lifting. Put on 10 pounds almost immediately, and considered this my "real" weight without the glycogen depletion. I weighed exactly 120 on January 1st. My official weigh-in is tomorrow, but I took a sneak peak last night and weighed in at 116.6.

So. How to proceed?

A) Ignore it, finish out the month at current intake and adjust based on change in weight at the end of the month.
Up cals, because of the loss from 120 to 116.6.
C) Cut cals, because of the gain from 110 to 116.6. (I am 99.9% sure this is not at all the proper course, but I suppose it's an option)
D) Other.

squirtgunsablzn

well if your trying to focus on building muscle i would say take your tdee and add 150-200 calories per day. probably right at 175. also make sure your protein intake is high enough. many people say 1.5-2 grams per pounds of lbm. but 1.25 gram/per pound lbm will be plenty. Also make sure your doing a proper training routine and getting enough rest and not doing to much volume. remember we build muscle when we rest and sleep not in the gym(obviously we must still do this but you get the point).

Sublog

You're not carrying 10lbs of glycogen on your frame. Just a combination of water weight from the carbs, but its not all glycogen. You'd have to have an insane amount of muscle for 10 lbs of glycogen.

I'd stick with A.

you need to track changes in weight at the 3-4 week level after they stabilize.

ladyraven68

I'm trying to maintain or gain, focusing on building muscle.

I started around 110lbs, very glycogen-depleted after some very poor nutrition, back in December. Started eating at or around TDEE, and lifting. Put on 10 pounds almost immediately, and considered this my "real" weight without the glycogen depletion. I weighed exactly 120 on January 1st. My official weigh-in is tomorrow, but I took a sneak peak last night and weighed in at 116.6.

So. How to proceed?

A) Ignore it, finish out the month at current intake and adjust based on change in weight at the end of the month.
Up cals, because of the loss from 120 to 116.6.
C) Cut cals, because of the gain from 110 to 116.6. (I am 99.9% sure this is not at all the proper course, but I suppose it's an option)
D) Other.

Give it a bit longer - if you still lose weight, then what you think is your TDEE is probably not. so add 100 more calories and try a few more weeks, and repeat until you find a calorie level where you are stable and then you will have found your TDEE.

JossFit

I would also suggest eating as you have been for a few more weeks and tracking the changes before you start switching up your numbers.

Findekano

well if your trying to focus on building muscle i would say take your tdee and add 150-200 calories per day. probably right at 175. also make sure your protein intake is high enough. many people say 1.5-2 grams per pounds of lbm. but 1.25 gram/per pound lbm will be plenty. Also make sure your doing a proper training routine and getting enough rest and not doing to much volume. remember we build muscle when we rest and sleep not in the gym(obviously we must still do this but you get the point).

Doing pretty much all of this except getting the slight surplus, so I'll probably need to add that in after I've tracked this for a few more weeks and I'm sure of my TDEE.

You're not carrying 10lbs of glycogen on your frame. Just a combination of water weight from the carbs, but its not all glycogen. You'd have to have an insane amount of muscle for 10 lbs of glycogen.

I'd stick with A.

you need to track changes in weight at the 3-4 week level after they stabilize.

Yes, I misspoke - water-weight from glycogen, water weight from extra carbs, water weight from extra sodium, probably a few other factors as well, but all the same, I seriously doubt it was ten pounds of fat. I'm just not sure if my "real weight" is closer to 100 or closer to 120. Yes, good advice. I think I'll stick with it for now to figure out my real TDEE, then go from there.