One week in and....

rdlewis123
rdlewis123 Posts: 106 Member
edited November 2024 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
It's a bit scary. My maintenance calories increased 240 per day according to MFP. Although I was under my calories 5/7 days last week and over a bit on two days, I have gained nearly 5 pounds. I also maintained my normal activities, Zumba 3x and weights 2x. I post this because I want people to be aware that even a little increase does affect the body. I'm not worried because I know I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm even NAILING my macros which has always been a struggle. But it is a little unnerving to see that kind of fluctuation. On the plus side, my pants fit LOOSER this last week than they did before. Go figure. Sooooooo, I will continue forth, but increasing water intake, and will be patient as I make this transition.

Replies

  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,488 Member
    Hi @rdlewis123, it is just water weight etc, with you upping your calories by quite a bit. It will even out.
    A good way to move into maintenance, when there is such a jump, is to do it gradually, adding calories over a number of weeks.
    It can be mentally and physically easier to handle.
    Don't forget, your maintenance mfp gives you is just an estimate. Move your calories up or down, if you find there ud a gain or loss trend, until you find your actual maintenance.

    Cheers, h.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Yep some people get a glycogen and water weight bounce after coming off a deficit - have you noticed your exercise feels better now you are "fully fuelled"?
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    those glycogen stores are just getting replenished...deep breaths ok..you will be just fine, stick with the extra calories and enjoy maintenance, I know I do :smile:
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    I fluctuate 1 - 5 pounds in any given day of the week.. sodium is also a trigger here.. I can gain 3 - 5 pounds of water weight after going way over sodium such as eating out the day before..

    Also I am carb cycler during the week and this too is at play for me during the week. A lot of factors depending on the individual.. I know it is not real weight..
  • rdlewis123
    rdlewis123 Posts: 106 Member
    Oh I definitely know this is not real weight. I'm really just trying to document the journey. I love comments by others because I learn so much!
  • mommarnurse
    mommarnurse Posts: 515 Member
    rdlewis123 wrote: »
    Oh I definitely know this is not real weight. I'm really just trying to document the journey. I love comments by others because I learn so much!

    It's real weight, because it's there, but no way it's fat!! That would be impossible considering it takes a 3500 cal surplus OVER maintenance to create 1 lb body fat (so that's 17,500 calories in that past week that you would have had to go over on). When I see the scale jump (not at maint but almost) myself that's what I remind myself of - there's no way that's physically possible for it to be fat and I shrug it off as normal body processes of water retention/ etc. Any day now you're going to step on the scale and the 5 lbs will just have seemingly disappeared!
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Yeh its overestimated your calories burned, a common mistake. I would not raise calories more than half what it says.
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