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Normal to gain a bit during a "maintenance week"?

_namaste_
_namaste_ Posts: 246
edited January 19 in Fitness and Exercise
I am past my goal now and working on really losing and last of the fat, and working hard on muscle tone. I am hoping to lose just a few more lbs along the way of fat. As such I have decided to do a "maintenance week" break from my slight deficit every 4-6 weeks. I am on my first "maintenance week" since December (have had a few days between then and now but never 7-10 days as I plan to do now) and seem to have gained a few pounds in only about 5 days. How that is possible, I don't know! I am eating slightly less that I did to maintain back in December (I ate 1920 then, eating 1850 now). Is this normal? I've heard sometimes you have to gain a few to continue to lose more and I'm totally OK with that. Just wondering if others have experienced this. :)

Replies

  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Water weight. Don't stress.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    Water weight. Don't stress.

    Agreed. Unless you are eating a surplus of a few thousand calories each week, it's definitely NOT fat. And once your body gets used to the extra calories, the water will go away.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Agreed. Just water weight.
  • _namaste_
    _namaste_ Posts: 246
    Not stressing at all, no worries there. Thank you all, that is good enough for me. I think I may stick at maintenance for 10 days instead of 7, and then add in a small deficit again and see what happens. Just ordered a 300lb Olympic Weight Set too, so excited to get started with strong lifts!
  • watfordjc
    watfordjc Posts: 304 Member
    I have guestimated my water weight loss as 13 lb. As my sodium level is generally (due to what I eat) correlative with calories consumed I regain/re-lose some of that weight based on calorie consumption.

    I think I'm currently carrying 2-3 lb of the water weight I previously lost. I wouldn't worry because, if it is just water weight, you can continue eating what you are and the "sodium effect" will already be accounted for on the scales. I'll lose 6-7.5 pounds over the next 3 weeks unless my hunger (and exercise) are reduced, in which case I'll lose 8-10.5 pounds. If I eat (and exercise) more, there will be a further "sodium effect" on the scales that I will again have to tell myself is not a plateau.

    The other thing to consider is whether your calculated maintenance level is your actual maintenance level, but with only 2 data points it is too early to tell.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Not stressing at all, no worries there. Thank you all, that is good enough for me. I think I may stick at maintenance for 10 days instead of 7, and then add in a small deficit again and see what happens. Just ordered a 300lb Olympic Weight Set too, so excited to get started with strong lifts!
    Nice. If you're doing SL I recommend adding pull up to workout A and dips to workout B to prevent T Rex mode but that just my two cents.
  • _namaste_
    _namaste_ Posts: 246
    T rex mode? Please elaborate... LOL!!!

    I plan on mixing in some of the P90X dvd's as well for variety, maybe one of those per week.
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