Gaining while eating maintenance?

pumpkinbabes
pumpkinbabes Posts: 17
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all. On November 19th I weighed 216 and this morning I weigh 221. Prior to reaching to 216 I was cycling calories high and low days..doing IF and whatever worked. After the 19th I was working out running doing zumba and just eating to my hearts desire eating 2000-2400 cals according to my hrm I was burning 600cals on my workout days. I fasted Saturday the 24th and Sunday the 25th I was at 219! :\ Uhm..erm...ok..lol. So I said screw it and just ate whatever on Sunday since I've been battling to get out of 220..got to 216 and crawling back to 220? So yes...this morning im at 221...what I'm confused about is....lets say my hrm overestimated my cals burned 2300-2400 is still my maintenance cals shouldn't my weight have stayed around 216?? And I wanted to eat maintenance this week because frankly I'm tired of figuring out what works..low cal..exercise cal...IF-5:2...1day or 2days in a row. So...my question is in here somewhere please, I need input. :(

Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    I'll be blunt here, I didn't follow your post from start to finish but hopefully this post is still helpful:

    If you gained 5lbs, you ate too many calories or you are retaining water or both. This means you probably did not eat at maintenance.

    This means either your intake is off due to estimation/logging errors, or your estimated maintenance is off (it is an estimate).

    My guess is that it's a combination of the above factors.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    i would say dont weigh every day, and stick to your plan, whatever it is, for at least a month before you decide it isnt working!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    If you gained 5lbs, you ate too many calories or you are retaining water or both. This means you probably did not eat at maintenance.

    This means either your intake is off due to estimation/logging errors, or your estimated maintenance is off (it is an estimate).

    My guess is that it's a combination of the above factors.
    This.

    And all the "I ate whatever"s make me wonder...
  • pumpkinbabes
    pumpkinbabes Posts: 17
    I'm hoping its water retention but I definitely thing my hrm could be off. My estimated maintenance cal is 2300 by mfp. According to hrm I was burning 600 cals and I'd consume anywhere from 2000-2400 cals. I have stuck to this for about a month. Calorie cycling and IF-5:2. Maybe it's water retention from both food and just "really" starting to work out.
  • pumpkinbabes
    pumpkinbabes Posts: 17
    If you gained 5lbs, you ate too many calories or you are retaining water or both. This means you probably did not eat at maintenance.

    This means either your intake is off due to estimation/logging errors, or your estimated maintenance is off (it is an estimate).

    My guess is that it's a combination of the above factors.
    This.

    And all the "I ate whatever"s make me wonder...

    It was only one "I ate whatever" day lol. That was Sunday and yes I ate to my heart's desire but that was due to exercise cals and fasting. I think I'll just go back to eating 1400 daily and give all the fancy stuff a break for awhile.
  • BrookeBQ
    BrookeBQ Posts: 163 Member
    I only weight in once a week. I find my weight can fluctuation a lot, but by Monday, I am always in the negative so I log it. Maybe it is just water retention. If it holds by the end of the week, you ate too much somehow.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    If you gained 5lbs, you ate too many calories or you are retaining water or both. This means you probably did not eat at maintenance.

    This means either your intake is off due to estimation/logging errors, or your estimated maintenance is off (it is an estimate).

    My guess is that it's a combination of the above factors.
    This.

    And all the "I ate whatever"s make me wonder...

    It was only one "I ate whatever" day lol. That was Sunday and yes I ate to my heart's desire but that was due to exercise cals and fasting. I think I'll just go back to eating 1400 daily and give all the fancy stuff a break for awhile.

    There's no reason to do any fancy stuff unless it meets your preferences in which case you should do it. You can do all the cyclical ketogenic intermittent paleo backloading you want but your progress will always be driven primarily by energy balance, macronutrient intake and training.

    I'm only mentioning this so you don't lose sight of what is important in favor of what isn't.
  • bufger
    bufger Posts: 763 Member
    I think you're looking into this wayyyyy too much. You're trying a million different changes at once and hoping you can figure out what works. Why dont you try one small change at a time and find that sweet weight loss spot.

    Set your calories. eat exactly those calories for 2 weeks and eat back exercise calories and montor progress.
    If you gain or maintain then keep the calories the same but dont eat exercise cals
    If you still gain or maintain lower the calories

    You might be holding water weight. The time of day you're weighing in may be inconsistant etc. Weight in once a week, concentrate on eating healthy and moving and it will happen on its own.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Another thing to consider is that we're talking about a 1 week span of time here... that's not enough time to really understand what your body responds to and what you can realistically sustain, never mind evaluate actual results.

    Stop jumping around from one approach to the next. Get your eating in check, kick butt in your workouts, and go from there.
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
    That original post was exhausting! :)

    I think you're obsessing with your day-to-day weight too much, and doing way too much yoyoing around. There's a difference between IF-ing with a plan and being so all over the place and inconsistent.

    Yeah, I'd say take it back to basics. Pick something, do it for a month or two, reassess. If you're not happy and energetic at 1400ish calories I would consider upping it to 1600ish (or even 1800). I don't know your height, but at 5'6" I eat around 1700 on light/no exercise days, and more when I work harder. I started at 150 and I'm around 142, so it's working :)

    Good luck!
  • pumpkinbabes
    pumpkinbabes Posts: 17
    Buf, you're right. I've been all over the place. And Jacks, yea I just let that one week freak me out but I'll make healthier food choices even if my cal increase and not make excuses to eat that coconut cream tastycake >____> and ill keep working out..thx all who responded.
  • pumpkinbabes
    pumpkinbabes Posts: 17
    That original post was exhausting! :)

    I think you're obsessing with your day-to-day weight too much, and doing way too much yoyoing around. There's a difference between IF-ing with a plan and being so all over the place and inconsistent.

    Yeah, I'd say take it back to basics. Pick something, do it for a month or two, reassess. If you're not happy and energetic at 1400ish calories I would consider upping it to 1600ish (or even 1800). I don't know your height, but at 5'6" I eat around 1700 on light/no exercise days, and more when I work harder. I started at 150 and I'm around 142, so it's working :)

    Good luck!

    Lol. You're right. I am obsessing.

    I'm 5'7"
    Female 25
    Sw:300
    Cw:fluctuating 216-221 so I guess 221
    Gw: 160
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
    That original post was exhausting! :)

    I think you're obsessing with your day-to-day weight too much, and doing way too much yoyoing around. There's a difference between IF-ing with a plan and being so all over the place and inconsistent.

    Yeah, I'd say take it back to basics. Pick something, do it for a month or two, reassess. If you're not happy and energetic at 1400ish calories I would consider upping it to 1600ish (or even 1800). I don't know your height, but at 5'6" I eat around 1700 on light/no exercise days, and more when I work harder. I started at 150 and I'm around 142, so it's working :)

    Good luck!

    Lol. You're right. I am obsessing.

    I'm 5'7"
    Female 25
    Sw:300
    Cw:fluctuating 216-221 so I guess 221
    Gw: 160

    Wow, that's incredible progress already :)

    Hopefully you've developed some healthy habits getting this far, I'd say just trust yourself and know that you can do it. Everybody has their freak-out days, you just have to get past them. No worries.

    1400 calories may be a bit on the low side given your stats? Just know that as you continue to get nearer to your goal weight, you should slowly be eating at a smaller and smaller deficit.

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