First try at maintance wasn’t so great
StephNicole2018
Posts: 24 Member
After being in a deficit since about April I decided to take a diet break and try out maintance. I calculated activity level based on steps not including purposeful excercise, aimed for what MFP calculated as maintance, and did eat back exercise calories. I ate out a lot because a friend was visiting but calculated the best I could and tried to enter food on the high side. If I went over it was by less than 100 and some days was under. After a week and a half of this I have gained 4 lbs. I weighted everyday and it consistently went up a little each day. I’m hoping it’s water weight but scared it’s not. This now terrifies me to go into maintance again. Any advice or thoughts?
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Replies
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Eating out is really difficult, because you don't get a breakdown of every dish on the menu. And it is harder to judge portions. At least now you know that you will have to be very careful when you get to maintenance but I don't think it is anything to be terrified of. You watch your scale and act quickly if you see it moving up.5
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I can gain 4 pounds in 3 days with a few meals out, and lose 4 pounds the following week. I’m sure you know that, but sometimes it’s easy to forget. Maintenance, for me, is learning how my body handles the slip ups, overages, dinners out, and so on, and then managing that. Sometimes that means calorie counting again, logging,etc.. It’s taken me the past 4 years to “learn” how to maintain, and of course, I’ve learned the hard way a few times in there, by gaining weight back.12
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Terror isn't an appropriate response!
It's just a maths experiment and isn't going to have any long term impact on you unless you let it.
Far too short a time-frame to come to any conclusions.
What it might (just might...) indicate is that you are better working off you own numbers and results rather than going back to MFP estimates.
It should also give you some insight that it's normal for your weight to change, I put on 5lbs over one weekend recently and it took a few days to come back down again - clearly not fat gain and loss.12 -
And this is exactly the reason I've been avoiding doing a diet break until now! I'm in a very similar boat and have just started a week maintenance, but I'm also really scared that I'm going to put weight on during this break.
Fingers crossed it's just water weight and a little bit up and down because of eating out etc.
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there is a possibly you never were really your initial weight before you started maintanence.
A lot of the time when in a deficit, you are low on glycogen, you are eating less carbs as you are trying to lose weight and your weight is artificially low to represent this.
the second you go to maintanence, your body recovers, your muscles puff back up with glycogen, your body holds water to deal with the extra food, salt etc and you go up 4lbs
its like Dry weight and Wet weight with a car and fuel.
a lot of people deit past there "goal" weight to compensate for this .... others just take it as a fact that when they enter maintanence the body will hold more water/glycogen and weigh more.
The fat is the same ... you are just full of the good stuff21 -
I didn't keep it up either, I might as well admit it. I'm here since the dark ages and was successful but gained 50% back at this stage which is about 7 years later. So I've decided to create a brand new account to get back to business, starting today.
MFP is pretty fool-proof (well for me anyway) and when I stop logging the weight will slowly creep up again unfortunately.8 -
This is a learning curve, you need to accept that the scale can fluctuate that much normally and you probably wont have gained a true 4lbs - most of that will be water weight.3
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And this is exactly the reason I've been avoiding doing a diet break until now! I'm in a very similar boat and have just started a week maintenance, but I'm also really scared that I'm going to put weight on during this break.
Fingers crossed it's just water weight and a little bit up and down because of eating out etc.
Scared is a strong word. You know you wont gain true weight in a week if you have been eating at maintenance calories. You know the score and how much calorie deficit you needed to lose, so you know you wont really gain unless you were to consistently eat above your TDEE/maintenance cals.5 -
Thanks for all the responses. There was alot of good info on here and also much needed reassurance. I weighed this am and am down 2 of the 4 pounds. That’s after two nights of eating only at home and a slight deficit.12
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StephNicole2018 wrote: »Thanks for all the responses. There was alot of good info on here and also much needed reassurance. I weighed this am and am down 2 of the 4 pounds. That’s after two nights of eating only at home and a slight deficit.
you don't need to drop into a deficit every time you get a water weight fluctuation... that way madness lies....18 -
If eating out a lot it's also possible you're retaining water from eating more salted foods than you might normally.2
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You're never one steady weight - your weight fluctuates up and down all the time. You have other stuff in your body than just fat, and that stuff fluctuates, especially water, and to a lesser extent stomach/intestine contents. You need to think of your maintenance weight as a range that your scale weight will bounce around inside. Mine is 5 lbs up or down. If I go up 5 lbs or more and it stays there for a second week, I get more serious about logging until it drifts back down into range.
You can't panic over short term scale fluctuations, or you will go nuts!15 -
A lot of restaurant food, if you haven't been eating out much beforehand, will almost definitely result in some water weight from the extra salt.1
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I've been in "maintenance" for going on seven years at this point. Maintenance is never one number, it's always a range. It's helpful to target long term weight trends or a max/min to target to stay on track. Chasing after a moving number of small normal weight fluctuations is stressful and unhelpful.
This is one year of maintenance for me. I shift quite a bit of water weight around due to my training and my weight goes up and down several pounds as I go through training cycles for running, but you can see the range can be quite wide in "maintenance".
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StephNicole2018 wrote: »After being in a deficit since about April I decided to take a diet break and try out maintance. I calculated activity level based on steps not including purposeful excercise, aimed for what MFP calculated as maintance, and did eat back exercise calories. I ate out a lot because a friend was visiting but calculated the best I could and tried to enter food on the high side. If I went over it was by less than 100 and some days was under. After a week and a half of this I have gained 4 lbs. I weighted everyday and it consistently went up a little each day. I’m hoping it’s water weight but scared it’s not. This now terrifies me to go into maintance again. Any advice or thoughts?
A week and a half isn't a long enough time for analysis of anything. Also, your maintenance isn't going to be a static weight...it's a range. I can typically be up or down 3-5 Lbs day to day depending on what I ate.
You also have to consider that when you were dieting, you had less inherent waste in your system due to eating less...eat more and you have more inherent waste in your system...waste has mass and thus weight that will show on the scale.
You will also hold onto more water weight when you eat more and when you were dieting, your glycogen stores were somewhat depleted...eating maintenance will top off glycogen stores...again, that has weight.
On top of that, you were eating out a lot...restaurant food is notoriously high in sodium which is also going to cause water retention.
Weight does not equal fat...4 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »StephNicole2018 wrote: »After being in a deficit since about April I decided to take a diet break and try out maintance. I calculated activity level based on steps not including purposeful excercise, aimed for what MFP calculated as maintance, and did eat back exercise calories. I ate out a lot because a friend was visiting but calculated the best I could and tried to enter food on the high side. If I went over it was by less than 100 and some days was under. After a week and a half of this I have gained 4 lbs. I weighted everyday and it consistently went up a little each day. I’m hoping it’s water weight but scared it’s not. This now terrifies me to go into maintance again. Any advice or thoughts?
A week and a half isn't a long enough time for analysis of anything. Also, your maintenance isn't going to be a static weight...it's a range. I can typically be up or down 3-5 Lbs day to day depending on what I ate.
You also have to consider that when you were dieting, you had less inherent waste in your system due to eating less...eat more and you have more inherent waste in your system...waste has mass and thus weight that will show on the scale.
You will also hold onto more water weight when you eat more and when you were dieting, your glycogen stores were somewhat depleted...eating maintenance will top off glycogen stores...again, that has weight.
On top of that, you were eating out a lot...restaurant food is notoriously high in sodium which is also going to cause water retention.
Weight does not equal fat...
I can swing 5-6 lbs a day. Went out for a carb loaded sodium bomb meal and saw it swing nearly 7.0 -
I would also add that gaining 4 Lbs of actual fat in a week and a half is mathematically improbable...you'd have to be really stuffing your face to do that...like you wouldn't even be trying to eat maintenance calories...4
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LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »And this is exactly the reason I've been avoiding doing a diet break until now! I'm in a very similar boat and have just started a week maintenance, but I'm also really scared that I'm going to put weight on during this break.
Fingers crossed it's just water weight and a little bit up and down because of eating out etc.
Scared is a strong word. You know you wont gain true weight in a week if you have been eating at maintenance calories. You know the score and how much calorie deficit you needed to lose, so you know you wont really gain unless you were to consistently eat above your TDEE/maintenance cals.
Thank you~
I do know those things, but it really does help to be reminded. I suppose my biggest worry is that it's uncharted territory. I've got used to logging at a deficit. I honestly don't know how to eat at maintenance right now, because I keep finding myself thinking like I'm eating at deficit. Constantly looking for ways to lighten up when I don't need to right now. I suppose I'm also worried that I'll just keep losing and not actually get the "break" that I wanted/needed to help me refocus.2 -
LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »And this is exactly the reason I've been avoiding doing a diet break until now! I'm in a very similar boat and have just started a week maintenance, but I'm also really scared that I'm going to put weight on during this break.
Fingers crossed it's just water weight and a little bit up and down because of eating out etc.
Scared is a strong word. You know you wont gain true weight in a week if you have been eating at maintenance calories. You know the score and how much calorie deficit you needed to lose, so you know you wont really gain unless you were to consistently eat above your TDEE/maintenance cals.
Thank you~
I do know those things, but it really does help to be reminded. I suppose my biggest worry is that it's uncharted territory. I've got used to logging at a deficit. I honestly don't know how to eat at maintenance right now, because I keep finding myself thinking like I'm eating at deficit. Constantly looking for ways to lighten up when I don't need to right now. I suppose I'm also worried that I'll just keep losing and not actually get the "break" that I wanted/needed to help me refocus.
you've been logging long enough to be pretty sure about your numbers though, haven't you?
plus, like with weight loss, the time will pass anyway... if you don't hit your calories to maintain this week, you try again next week. taking some time to learn how to maintenance is a good thing in the long run.3 -
I appreciate your post because I am also trying my first "diet break" starting today. I've been at 1200 cals for 115 days but my maitenance at maybe ultimate goal (just under healthy) is only 1350 so I'm ready to tiptoe into a bit higher for a week. I am worried.0
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I've been delving into psychology recently to try and figure out why this is. I believe it comes down to a lack of defined purpose. When you're losing weight the purpose and goal are simple and understood. When you shift to maintenance you've lost your "enemy", your drive.
I note that those who succeed in maintenance have a larger goal beyond "losing weight". They run, hike, bike, lift, etc. and have some other purpose where weight management happens to be a side effect.
The evidence certainly supports the concept of planned diet breaks & refeeds. Not only is this a much needed psychological measure, the evidence is mounting up that this may also be a much needed physiological measure.9 -
TavistockToad wrote: »StephNicole2018 wrote: »Thanks for all the responses. There was alot of good info on here and also much needed reassurance. I weighed this am and am down 2 of the 4 pounds. That’s after two nights of eating only at home and a slight deficit.
you don't need to drop into a deficit every time you get a water weight fluctuation... that way madness lies....
For reference, I've been at a slight calorie deficit the past several days, and I'm also up 3 full lbs. Water weight swings from training, weather, and sodium intake overwhelm any changes in weight in the short term. When I have have purposely cut or gained weight, it will takes weeks, and sometimes months, to really see the results of those efforts.3 -
I've been delving into psychology recently to try and figure out why this is. I believe it comes down to a lack of defined purpose. When you're losing weight the purpose and goal are simple and understood. When you shift to maintenance you've lost your "enemy", your drive.
I note that those who succeed in maintenance have a larger goal beyond "losing weight". They run, hike, bike, lift, etc. and have some other purpose where weight management happens to be a side effect.
The evidence certainly supports the concept of planned diet breaks & refeeds. Not only is this a much needed psychological measure, the evidence is mounting up that this may also be a much needed physiological measure.
I found the bolded to be true for me personally. My first 9 months of maintenance after losing 50 lbs were just maintenance for weight management. It got to be challenging mentally because there was no real goal beyond holding steady. Lifting and running goals over the years have given me something to aim for, and weight management was integral those goals.4 -
I've been delving into psychology recently to try and figure out why this is. I believe it comes down to a lack of defined purpose. When you're losing weight the purpose and goal are simple and understood. When you shift to maintenance you've lost your "enemy", your drive.
I note that those who succeed in maintenance have a larger goal beyond "losing weight". They run, hike, bike, lift, etc. and have some other purpose where weight management happens to be a side effect.
The evidence certainly supports the concept of planned diet breaks & refeeds. Not only is this a much needed psychological measure, the evidence is mounting up that this may also be a much needed physiological measure.
I don't know why on your profile you state that you have no idea why anyone would want you as a friend. I actually enjoy your post. No BS. I respect that. With that said. I don't think i will ever enter true maintanace. I will always have to have a goal as someone stated above. I know my biggest enemy is myself.4 -
My motivation in maintenance is to stay within my moving average range and below my redline weight, I find it’s an ongoing achievement/goal I strive to keep-that alone gives me plenty of purpose,I’ve never lost my drive or motivation.I also spend my calories evenly thru the week-I see people going on about eating more/saltier food on the weekend and their 5 lb.bloat and that’s how it goes!?- I wouldnt want to spend 3-4 days a week getting a bloat off , you’d think that would be a pretty bad cycle to get into& sounds absolutely nightmarish to me tbh,am I the only one?, idk I don’t drink, rarely eat out or exercise intensely ,so maybe I just can’t relate.2
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bunnyluv19 wrote: »My motivation in maintenance is to stay within my moving average range and below my redline weight, I find it’s an ongoing achievement/goal I strive to keep-that alone gives me plenty of purpose,I’ve never lost my drive or motivation.I also spend my calories evenly thru the week-I see people going on about eating more/saltier food on the weekend and their 5 lb.bloat and that’s how it goes!?- I wouldnt want to spend 3-4 days a week getting a bloat off , you’d think that would be a pretty bad cycle to get into& sounds absolutely nightmarish to me tbh,am I the only one?, idk I don’t drink, rarely eat out or exercise intensely ,so maybe I just can’t relate.
I like eating at a nice restaurant... it's worth a couple of days of bloat. It's never 5lbs for me anyway.2 -
bunnyluv19 wrote: »My motivation in maintenance is to stay within my moving average range and below my redline weight, I find it’s an ongoing achievement/goal I strive to keep-that alone gives me plenty of purpose,I’ve never lost my drive or motivation.I also spend my calories evenly thru the week-I see people going on about eating more/saltier food on the weekend and their 5 lb.bloat and that’s how it goes!?- I wouldnt want to spend 3-4 days a week getting a bloat off , you’d think that would be a pretty bad cycle to get into& sounds absolutely nightmarish to me tbh,am I the only one?, idk I don’t drink, rarely eat out or exercise intensely ,so maybe I just can’t relate.
I don't see a 5 pound gain with salt. Maybe 2 pounds. It's gone within days. And it doesn't happen every weekend.1 -
bunnyluv19 wrote: »My motivation in maintenance is to stay within my moving average range and below my redline weight, I find it’s an ongoing achievement/goal I strive to keep-that alone gives me plenty of purpose,I’ve never lost my drive or motivation.I also spend my calories evenly thru the week-I see people going on about eating more/saltier food on the weekend and their 5 lb.bloat and that’s how it goes!?- I wouldnt want to spend 3-4 days a week getting a bloat off , you’d think that would be a pretty bad cycle to get into& sounds absolutely nightmarish to me tbh,am I the only one?, idk I don’t drink, rarely eat out or exercise intensely ,so maybe I just can’t relate.
It's only "nightmarish" if you're so obsessed with the scale that you get worked up over water weight. In most cases, it's a pound or two...the only time I've had a 5 Lb water weight gain is when I travel by air.4 -
I'm fine with "gaining" a lb or so over the weekend with relaxed eating and taking it off during the week with my normal eating. For me, that is how maintenance works.0
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OP as others have said - maintenance is a range, that’s important to realize. There won’t be a magic number on the scale that will be a constant. My range in maintenance is 118 +/- 2 lbs.
Another point that I didn’t see covered above is how big of a calorie jump was it - from your target when eating at a deficit to what you believe to be your maintenance cals? If you currently are eating at a deficit of 500 cals or more and then suddenly add that back in, you can see the rebound not only from the sodium heavy foods but from the glycogen stores being replenished - similar to the initial woosh of water weight that is lost in the first week or two of a diet. When you do officially transition into maintenance it might be beneficial to do it in steps - adding 100 cals or so to your daily intake every week till you reach what you believe to be your maintenance cals. In addition to helping with that rebound effect, you may still lose for the first couple of weeks, but at a slower rate, and then when you stop losing and stick there then you’ve got another data point for what your maintenance cals really are.
Good luck!3
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