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Eating at maintenance level, but gaining weight?

Da_Chozen_Juan
Da_Chozen_Juan Posts: 37 Member
edited December 2024 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I am a 20 year old male, 5'11 and weigh in at about 182lbs. 8 weeks ago, I got off my diet (which I lost 75lbs from), and decided to focus on building a bit more muscle/strength. I wanted to start at maintenance to test out the waters a bit, then possibly start bulking. My maintenance caloric range should be between 2300-2550 calories a day. On days I work out (lift weights primarily), I eat about 2450-2500 cals, and on my rest days I eat around 2300-2350 cals. When I started eating at maintenance 8 weeks ago, I weighed in at 175lbs. I have been able to add at least 5lbs every week to almost every lift thus far since increasing my cals, but I am still somewhat concerned over gaining 7 lbs over 2 months. 40% of my cals come from carbs (complex carbs), and 30% from protein and fat. Any advice?

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    How much weight gain in the first month compared to the second month?
    (Reason I'm asking is that you may have got a water weight bounce immediately after the transition which may skew your figures.)
  • Da_Chozen_Juan
    Da_Chozen_Juan Posts: 37 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    How much weight gain in the first month compared to the second month?
    (Reason I'm asking is that you may have got a water weight bounce immediately after the transition which may skew your figures.)
    Before this morning, I weighed myself around week 4 or 5 and I remember weighing in at 178. I do feel/look a bit more bloated though, for what it's worth.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    It sounds like you have to chose between cuttings cals to find maintenance or accept you have gone straight into a bulk!
    Probably worth tracking your weight more closely while you are trying to fine tune your calorie balance.
  • veggiecanner
    veggiecanner Posts: 137 Member
    question is how did you figure out you maintanace calories. if you gaining or loosing you are not maintaining or eating maintanace calories. I know there are calculators but finding the correct calories is some thing you have to figure out your self by adding or subtracting a small amount over sever weeks while closely weighing your self every few days. do it till your where you want to be. It's not much different than weight loss.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,571 Member
    Like veggiecanner said. You adjust until it works. You've done great. If you're gaining drop 250 calories and see how you do.
  • Da_Chozen_Juan
    Da_Chozen_Juan Posts: 37 Member
    veggiecanner wrote: »
    question is how did you figure out you maintanace calories. if you gaining or loosing you are not maintaining or eating maintanace calories. I know there are calculators but finding the correct calories is some thing you have to figure out your self by adding or subtracting a small amount over sever weeks while closely weighing your self every few days. do it till your where you want to be. It's not much different than weight loss.
    I figured it out using multiple cookie-cutter caloric calculators online. It looks like I'm just going to have to do a bit of experimentation and manually find my maintenance range. Would you recommend weighing In every few days over weighing in at a designated time and day once a week?
  • Da_Chozen_Juan
    Da_Chozen_Juan Posts: 37 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    It sounds like you have to chose between cuttings cals to find maintenance or accept you have gone straight into a bulk!
    Probably worth tracking your weight more closely while you are trying to fine tune your calorie balance.

    No wonder my strength was building up quicker than usual. And here I thought I might not even need to bulk because I'm making all these gainz on maintenance haha.
  • looney9708
    looney9708 Posts: 174 Member
    Have you taken measurements?
This discussion has been closed.

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