1 month of trying to find surplus calories
Preface: Not freaking out, not panicking, very happy, just intellectually curious.
M/5-7/134.5lb — Used MacroFactor for the first time and did a very successful cut down to ~135 from ~162 from January 20ish to April 20. Got to around 11% BF, no strength lost in the gym.
I have never successfully practiced maintenance or a small surplus, just usually cut down every spring, have an active summer with no food tracking which leads to 5-10lbs gained and then another 10lbs when I slip into winter depression in Nov/Dec. Loved MF so much for the cut, thought I’d really try to dial in what my actual maintenance is, and try a deliberate ~200 cal surplus from there.
I started the “bulk” at around 200 cals, and have religiously tracked pretty much everything and weighed in every day and ate pretty close to MF’s recommendations, if anything going a bit over on more active days, but never under.
Gained that initial bump in glycogen/food contents (134.2 to 137) but since then weight settled rock solid at +/- 136, and weighed in today at 134.5.
Have been checking in early whenever it prompts me, started the bulk around 2200 cal, now up to 2600 for the last week or so.
I’m definitely not depleted, eating around 350g+ carbs a day 140ish protein and 80ish fat. Gym sessions have been awesome, probably look leaner than I did at the end of the cut. Not complaining/bragging/etc, just intellectually curious what could be happening physiologically? I never dreamed my actual maintenance would be this high? Going to keep following the program as it goes, very I’m in no rush, just interested to see when I actually start gaining that .5 lb a week it promised haha.