SUPER High Maintenance Calories

[brothermaurice]

So I’ve got terrible insomnia, and as such last time I bulked, the only real way I was able to make progress was to dirty bulk. After such, I dove headfirst into what in the end turned out to be a 5 month cut, ending with crazy leg, ab, back and chest veins. I ended up crashing my hormones (no duh). By the end of my cut, my maintenance calories shot down to around 1800-1900 as gauge by my fitness pal and the scale (been consistently tracking for years).
Since then, I’ve committed to a bulk fresh off the cut and as my hormones recover, my maintenance calories seem to keep driving upwards which is great, however the leap is seemingly nonsensical. I began my bulk in July and now my maintenance calories are at ~4500 kcal as gauged by the scale and tracking every little thing I eat. If I eat anything under 4000 kcal, I lose weight and strength without fail. For reference, I’m 21 y/o, 6’0”, and 183 lbs, with 6-7 years of training under my belt. Also I lift 4x a week and average around 5 miles of walking a day. I’m just curious how this can be, and if anyone else has encountered a similar situation. Thanks!

 

[dawn16]

@brothermaurice So you’re telling me your maintenance is 4500 kcal, so you must lean bulk on around 5000 kcal, when you lift 4x a week? Utter nonsense. For reference I lift 6x a week and bulk at 4000 kcal, at 90kg. You’ve went from 1900 to 4500 kcal in the space of 3 months? You couldn’t possibly have gained that much weight in that space of time unless your dirty bulk is the dirtiest bulk ever seen. Walking 5 miles a day? Questionable, although that might explain your unrealistic maintenance calories. If in fact you do walk that distance every day. You’ve been consistently training and tracking calories since you were 14? Really.

I smell bullshit.

 

[kay19]

@dawn16 Not saying I’m with OP, but walking 5 miles a day is totally reasonable if you live somewhere walkable, and a mate of mine with similar training age to OP was certainly on 4500 cals maintenance. We lived together while at uni and he was absolutely fucking wham.

I’ve had my calories crash on a cut as well. 1300 to cut and 3k now to maintain.

Again, just saying, it can happen.

 

[brothermaurice]

@dawn16 Yeah all the stuff your reasoning for bullshit is why I’m so confused (I too would call bullshit if I wasn’t living it). And I theorize that my calories jumped because of how crashed my hormones were off no sleep and 5 months in an extreme deficit. Also a student on a large campus with house far from my classes and gym so I do a ton of walking, not sure why 5 miles a day is unreasonable, some days I walk closer to 8. Also note sure how 4 days a week is an issue, I’ve hit a 505 Squat to my ankles by training 4x a week. Also no, the food tracking has only been past 2.5 years, training has been 6