>I started eating without counting calories and basically eating whatever I was wanting that fits into my diet. I’m assuming it was roughly 3000 calories.
Are you still not counting and just guess/assuming 4,000? You’re probably eating less than you think you are. You don’t mention all the stats, but a reasonably tall male with a heavy exercise routine can can easily clear a 3,000 maintenance. So if you’re even a little off and throw on some normal body weight fluctuations you could certainly end up with what you’re experiencing.
If you lost weight through intermittent fasting, and especially if you do keto, you could have increased your BMR, basal metabolic rate. Not sure how big of a difference that made.
When I did keto for neurological reasons, I ate pretty much everything that still kept me in keto, and I didn’t gain weight, while I gain weight easily on a standard diet. I’m not suggesting to go off keto, but maybe accept where your body wants to be right now. You had inspiring weightloss and look great!
Eh, it’s easy to count calories wrong. Do a week’s log of foods/drinks that were all weighed in grams/ounces; preferably made yourself. Also weigh packaged things; don’t rely on ‘slices’ or ‘each’, etc.
The first time I tried IF (20:4) I weighed 68kg (145lbs or something) and was in an active job as an air conditioning tech. I was also doing some gym and cardio (nothing extreme).
I was weighing and recording absolutely everything and using Cronometer. My intake was pushing 4000 calories a day and I still struggled to maintain my weight.
I know the struggle!! It’s hard to eat that many avocados and nuts and tuna and eggs and coconut yoghurt in a four hour window!
On the other hand, I’m back into it with a different office job but still running and gym, and I’m able to gain weight with 3000 calories which is good.