Wishing I hadn't switched to maintaince

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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    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
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
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    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
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,584 Member
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    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
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    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
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    Good luck. Hopefully we'll see you again here soon.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    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
    Kelly_Runs_NC Posts: 474 Member
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    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
    KariOrtiz2014 Posts: 343 Member
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    YOU CAN GET THERE!!
  • Laura3BB
    Laura3BB Posts: 250 Member
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    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
    Spiderkeys Posts: 338 Member
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    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.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    So this time drop 2 lbs below goal weight, because when you maintain you will at least gain that much water weight as you top of glucose stores.

    And then increase slowly just in case metabolism slowed down a tad already. That slow increase doesn't change the effect of eventual water weight of course.

    And then depending on how you did your diet, you may not get back up to what is considered maintenance by MFP for 3-6 months anyway.

    Your weight loss for these last few lbs will tell you about what your real maintenance figure is with whatever the exercise has been during these last few lbs lost.
    Of course if your workout stays the same, then valid figure.
  • phyllisgehrke
    phyllisgehrke Posts: 238 Member
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    I agree you have to play with the numbers.
    I have been on maintenance for over 3 months and have not gained any weight.
    Just need to find the right number and still log all of your food and drink your water.
    Good Luck in your maintenance
  • cmdwaters
    cmdwaters Posts: 4
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    Surely the sudden jump from 1500 (which is too low to start with) to into 2000's was too much for the body/metabolism to cope with? Hence a weight gain.

    I was eating about the same amount and realised I wasnt eating enough (thanks to advice from my fanatical nutritionist sister) so i inched up 100-150 per week. Now at 2000 and still losing..

    Whenever i decide to go maintenance I'll inch up.
  • theycallyoumister
    theycallyoumister Posts: 222 Member
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    Sometimes I feel like this too. I find maintenance tougher than losing. As others have said it's tricky.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    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 2-5 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.

    Yep, glycogen. It it bugs you, you really do need to lose 5 pounds more than you want before you switch to maintenance or it's going to happen every time. As soon as you go off maintenance, you'll lose 5 pounds and switch back to maintenance, whoop, it's back. It's your glycogen stores replenishing.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    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...
    Maintenance is trial and error all the way.I think I am finally maintaining my weight in a short range of 3 or so pounds,, but when I first started maintenance I could not stop losing weight. Every week it seemed I was losing a half pound to a pound. Got my thyroid checked, normal. Nothing else wrong with me. So, I just started upping the calories until now where I'm holding my weight range.

    The difference between your method and mine is by the time I was at my last 16 pounds to lose, I set my goal to lose .5 pounds a week. By the time I reached maintenance, I had a walk to maintenance calories rather than a leap. Going from 1500 to 2200 is a huge jump, so it's no wonder you put on some weight. I suspect some of that is water too, especially because you said you dropped some weight pretty quickly recently.

    To lose the weight you gained, I suggest setting your goals to lose .25 or .5 pounds a week. Or, perhaps start with .5 and then with the last few pounds, go to .25. That way you're just walking to maintenance instead of jumping.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    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.
    That could be true too.
  • raindawg
    raindawg Posts: 348 Member
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    I've been on maintenance three weeks now and am experimenting. My deficit calories were 1,400 then jumped to 2,000 for maintenance. I quickly gained 2 1/2 lbs and went back on deficit mode right away. I'm back to goal and have been trying 1,800 over the last week. I lost another 1 lb so will need to up it more.

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