If i'm eating at a "deficit" but am not losing and I switch to "maintenance," will I gain weight?

Running_and_Coffee
Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I hit my goal weight after very slowly losing about 7 lbs and thought I'd try to chip off another few pounds before going into maintenance mode. Well, it's not happening. 3 weeks of eating around 1300-1400 calories (while working out--not eating exercise calories) and I am pretty much the same, up by a half pound, in fact.

So you know what? I'm OK with my current weight. If I can't lose those extra pounds, fine. I am just worried if I am maintaining on 1300-1400 calories a day and were to switch to 1600-1700, would I start gaining weight?? Does the fact that I am no longer losing mean this IS my maintenance and that to lose I'd have to do 1100-1200?

I miss wine...I want a cupcake.

Replies

  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Well, three weeks with little to lose isn't long enough really. When i'm losing half a pound a week it whooshes off once a month at best. Heck even when my losses are bigger it can take weeks, I'm currently up 3lbs (of water)!

    So in theory you shouldn't gain but it really depends how accurate your logging is. Results over time are the only way of really knowing.
  • moonstroller
    moonstroller Posts: 210 Member
    You could give it more time to see if this is just your body adjusting before dropping a few more pounds, and you can always up your calories and see if you start gaining. It's only been three weeks.
  • leajas1
    leajas1 Posts: 823 Member
    edited May 2017
    moonstroller wrote: »
    You could give it more time to see if this is just your body adjusting before dropping a few more pounds, and you can always up your calories and see if you start gaining. It's only been three weeks.

    You could do what's called a reverse diet and every week go up in calories by about 100-150. When you start gaining weight, stop, dial it back a few calories, and there is your maintenance. Some people actually see a couple more lbs drop off when they start reverse dieting.

    ETA; oops, quoted wrong post, sorry!
  • ishredder
    ishredder Posts: 6 Member
    Yes
  • dfranch
    dfranch Posts: 207 Member
    Definitely stick with it. 3 weeks is not a lot of time when you are so close to your goal weight. It is very hard to lose those last stubborn lbs. As somebody above said, water weight can easily mask a couple of lbs of weight loss.
  • leajas1
    leajas1 Posts: 823 Member
    Oh, also, if you're tired of eating in a deficit, which it sounds like you are, you can always take a diet break. Eat at maintenance for a month or so and then go back into your deficit and attack it with renewed gusto!
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
    Thanks for the insights, sounds like I need to be a little more patient. :-)
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,238 Member
    -- Trending weight apps. Useful for maintenance too.
    -- three weeks with little to lose, who knows what's up.
    -- reverse diet very good idea to try either now or later.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    Well, if you're not gaining or losing any weight, by definition, you are not eating at a "deficit" and, in fact, are already "in maintenance." If you want to lose wt, eat less and/or exercise more. If you want to gain weight, eat more and/or exercise less.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    In theory, yes you would gain weight.

    In practice, maybe, maybe not.

    I've seen it enough times now that I'll just say I wouldn't be surprised at all if you are able to add calories and still maintain weight.

    However, it's important to note that this isn't actually any sort of metabolic magic or violation of energy balance. Calories in can change calories out, goofy stuff can happen with changes in fluid balance, and adherence can swing fairly significantly as the calorie target changes.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    Or have a glass of wine, with a cupcake and then get back to it the next day. Good luck, I know exactly how that is.
  • spiffychick85
    spiffychick85 Posts: 311 Member
    edited May 2017
    nowine4me wrote: »
    Or have a glass of wine, with a cupcake and then get back to it the next day. Good luck, I know exactly how that is.

    Yep...I'm right there in the eat the cupcake and drink the wine camp. I hit the healthy weight range and decided to break a bit, I still want to lose another 10ish lbs...but I need a little down time first and then I'll jump back into it...there's no rush, I own this body :D

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