Put on weight working up to maintenance

Options
Wophie
Wophie Posts: 126 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
So since the start of march I've been slowly working my way up to maintenance calories. I go up 100 a week unless I gain weight - then I stay the same to let my body adjust.

Thing is, I have gained back 6lbs. Now I feel that's extreme for two reasons:

1. Although some days may not have been 100% accurate and I've eaten out occasionally, I've remained at a caloric deficit

2. There is no way my TDEE is 1400, 1500 or even 1600 calories. I workout 5 days a week and walk at least 40 minutes everyday


So I need some help. This weight gain spiked in two weeks and then kinda maintained from there. I think I pretty much look the same apart from maybe a little more definition (may be mind tricks though) and my clothes pretty much feel the same although I suffer with pretty bad digestion so bloating often masks that.

My question is - am I doing something wrong? I train strength and functional stuff 4 days and usually add in HIIT or a run on the 5th days so although I'm not at a surplus could this be muscle gain and fat loss working together?

* also I ate at a 500 calorie deficit for a year solid - I suspect this may have damages my metabolism

** I am 22 years old, 5 ft 1 weighing 125lbs
I eat a "clean" vegetarian diet

Replies

  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,069 Member
    Options
    6lb could just be water weight, how often do you weigh?
  • Wophie
    Wophie Posts: 126 Member
    Options
    I weigh every Monday. It fluctuated a pound or so for about 5 weeks but I've been 6lbs heavier for 3 weeks now with no movement
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    Options
    Do you eat out more on the weekends (sodium)? Would you be able to weigh daily and using a tracking app like Happy Scale or Trend Weight to watch your fluctuations?

    I've found weighing daily and entering the weight into a trend app has helped me identify how things affect my body. Spaghetti for dinner? Up four pounds the next day. Drank less water than usual? Up a few ounces the next day.

    By weighing daily (if it won't freak you out), you may be able to identify what tweaks you need to make.
  • Wophie
    Wophie Posts: 126 Member
    Options
    Thanks I think I'm going to give that a go.

    Only reason I haven't in the past is because I've been scared to get obsessed with doing it, but an average may be better than every Monday.


    In addition to my OP, I do find I suffer from bad digestive problems. I eat plenty of fibre and avoid foods that I know I have a hard time digesting such as dairy, raw onions, chickpeas and iceberg lettuce... but could this be a contributing factor?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
    Options
    When you move from a deficit to maintenance, a couple of things happen...1) you're eating more so you'll have more inherent waste in your system at any one time; 2) you replenish glycogen and hold onto more water. Some increase in scale weight is to be expected.

    Also, if you're weighing on a Monday and you're maybe a little loosey goosey on weekends, that can be an issue. I typically weigh in a few days per week so that I have a few data points to look at and use another app that shows the trend of what is actually going on.
  • 30kgin2017
    30kgin2017 Posts: 228 Member
    Options
    I'd agree with relooking at the Monday weigh in, esp if you do more exercise on the weekend as well as maybe eat more sodium over the weekend.

    While I dont weigh everyday anymore, after doing so for a while I worked out that Friday was usually my lightest day each week. For me I do catalogue deliveries Mon & Tues (about 4km each day with backpack starting at 10-15kg) then a 5km run on Wednesday night and no exercise Thursday which is why Friday tends to be my better day for comparison. Weekends often involve more food and usually another 5km run.

Categories