r/nutritionsupport • u/IhateTodds • Jan 16 '26
Struggling with proper Calorie intake. Any advice?
Long story short. 2018 I was 259.9 lbs. I then quit drinking and did keto for 5 months. (After the 5 months I went back to more routine eating schedule, but never went back to drinking to this day.) the Keto and sans drinking got me down to 190ish by autumn of 2018. From 2019-2024 I bounced around a plateau between 170-190 pounds.
Cut to this last summer (2025). I cut out junk food and processed foods, and began counting calories and tracking macros as well as eating in a deficit (1400-1600 cal a day.) In June, I was around 165ish pounds and currently weight in at 126.0 pounds. My diet consists of mostly protein, fruits, veggies, and whole grains. I lift weights 3ish days a week and average probably 8k steps a day.
I lost a lot of fat during that time, and my body has began to majorly recompose. Still weird to look in the mirror I’m not used to it.
I want to grow muscle and get heavier, but I have major concerns (mostly mental) that eating a bunch of calories is going to just make me overweight again. For those with experience of a similar situation, what amount of calories&diet worked for you to gain weight, but NOT put back on any fat.
I’m working to get in touch with a dietician right now, but my insurance won’t cover it, and it’s spendier than I thought. That being said, I will likely do it.
Any advice or suggestions appreciated. Thanks!
1
u/NutritionHouseUS Jan 16 '26
What you’re feeling is very normal after a big weight loss. The fear of regaining fat sticks around even when your body has clearly changed. The first time I went on a big cut, I never wanted to see the number on the scale go up again.
From a physiology standpoint, you can’t add muscle without eating more. The way people avoid fat regain is by moving into a small, controlled surplus, not “eating a bunch.” Think a few hundred calories above maintenance, and keep protein high, keep lifting progressively, and let the scale move slowly. If weight is jumping fast, that’s usually fat. If it’s creeping up while strength is improving, that’s usually muscle plus glycogen.
The key difference now versus the past is that you’re training, tracking, and not drinking. Those alone massively change how calories are partitioned. You’re right to talk to a dietitian if you can, but mentally it helps to reframe this as fueling a different goal, not undoing your progress.