I really don't understand my body

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SteveMFP123
SteveMFP123 Posts: 298 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm happy, but confused. Over the holiday I fell off the wagon massively, over the course of the week I ate the following: 2 tins of Quality Street, 4 tubs of Pringles, about 2 packets of shortbread and a few beers and other bits, on top of my usual meals yet I didn't gain a single lb? I have been dreading the scale for days, thinking I would have gained at least 5 lbs. I'm so happy but confused, because I have weeks where I eat 1500 calories/day strict and stay the same yet I get the same result when pigging out.

Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    You ate that on your own?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited January 2016
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    just for fun

    2 tins of Quality Street = 7000 Calories
    2 packets of Shortbread =1600 calories
    10 beers = 1800 calories - guestimate
    Bits = 5000 calories - lets say

    = 15400 calories

    So your maintenance is what? 2500? 3000? (no idea of your stats) - lets say 2500

    the holiday was 2 weeks? so 35000 = maintenance-ish

    You're eating 1500 calories? so 21000

    plus your extras = 15400

    so you've eaten 36400 calories (guestimate) - which would be less than 1/2 lb weight gain (ish) which you probably walked off

    :)
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    just for fun

    2 tins of Quality Street = 7000 Calories
    2 packets of Shortbread =1600 calories
    10 beers = 1800 calories - guestimate
    Bits = 5000 calories - lets say

    = 15400 calories

    So your maintenance is what? 2500? 3000? (no idea of your stats) - lets say 2500

    the holiday was 2 weeks? so 35000 = maintenance-ish

    You're eating 1500 calories? so 21000

    plus your extras = 15400

    so you've eaten 36400 calories (guestimate) - which would be less than 1/2 lb weight gain (ish) which you probably walked off

    :)

    well put and how fabulous for OP - to maintain eating all that :smiley:
  • joinn68
    joinn68 Posts: 480 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I lost weight during the holidays. How shocking :o
    Until I realised that I spent more time on my feet and being active during the past two weeks than in 3 months of my "normal" life.

    OP you've received a good perspective on the CI front. What about your CO?
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    just for fun

    2 tins of Quality Street = 7000 Calories
    2 packets of Shortbread =1600 calories
    10 beers = 1800 calories - guestimate
    Bits = 5000 calories - lets say

    = 15400 calories

    :)

    You forgot the 4 tubs of Pringles :smiley:
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    joinn68 wrote: »
    I lost weight during the holidays. How shocking :o
    Until I realised that I spent more time on my feet and being active during the past two weeks than in 3 months of my "normal" life.

    OP you've received a good perspective on the CI front. What about your CO?
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    just for fun

    2 tins of Quality Street = 7000 Calories
    2 packets of Shortbread =1600 calories
    10 beers = 1800 calories - guestimate
    Bits = 5000 calories - lets say

    = 15400 calories

    :)

    You forgot the 4 tubs of Pringles :smiley:

    whoops - add another 3600 calories

    that would be a lb give or take

  • SteveMFP123
    SteveMFP123 Posts: 298 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    just for fun

    2 tins of Quality Street = 7000 Calories
    2 packets of Shortbread =1600 calories
    10 beers = 1800 calories - guestimate
    Bits = 5000 calories - lets say

    = 15400 calories

    So your maintenance is what? 2500? 3000? (no idea of your stats) - lets say 2500

    the holiday was 2 weeks? so 35000 = maintenance-ish

    You're eating 1500 calories? so 21000

    plus your extras = 15400

    so you've eaten 36400 calories (guestimate) - which would be less than 1/2 lb weight gain (ish) which you probably walked off

    :)

    That's amazing, thanks. You were spot on with the maintenance and daily calories, but you oversold the "bits and beers" as I drink Coors light and the bits were far less, probably around 2000 I'd say, so it would have been even less than 1/2lb gain which makes sense considering I stayed the same! I guess it's easier to understand when you break it down like that. And yes, I did eat them all to myself like a greedy little piglet :D
  • mylittlerainbow
    mylittlerainbow Posts: 822 Member
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    You likely ate all that (spread out over a week) but then not so much else because you weren't really hungry for your "normal" food. So you probably ate fewer calories than you've been doing while on the plan other than this massive pig-out.

    I have learned that a one-day binge usually doesn't contribute anything to my weight - overloading my body so much at once just can't be retained or processed. So that could be part of it, too.
  • SteveMFP123
    SteveMFP123 Posts: 298 Member
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    mylittlerainbow wrote: »
    You likely ate all that (spread out over a week) but then not so much else because you weren't really hungry for your "normal" food. So you probably ate fewer calories than you've been doing while on the plan other than this massive pig-out.

    I have learned that a one-day binge usually doesn't contribute anything to my weight - overloading my body so much at once just can't be retained or processed. So that could be part of it, too.

    Come to think of it you're definitely right, I skipped my usual snacks for sure, so that's an easy 200 calories a day saved which basically "paid" for the shortbread.
  • suziecue20
    suziecue20 Posts: 567 Member
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    Well done OP. Makes you think how much people must eat and drink over the Christmas period when they say they've put on 7lbs.
  • joinn68
    joinn68 Posts: 480 Member
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    suziecue20 wrote: »
    Well done OP. Makes you think how much people must eat and drink over the Christmas period when they say they've put on 7lbs.

    You know, that's exactly what I was thinking: Jeez, how much was I eating to get this fat!!

  • ClicquotBubbles
    ClicquotBubbles Posts: 66 Member
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    Two whole tins of Quality Street
    bird_in_awe.gif

    You are truly awesome. Bloody well done. I cant even do a box of After Eights without putting 10lbs on *exaggeration*
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    just for fun

    2 tins of Quality Street = 7000 Calories
    2 packets of Shortbread =1600 calories
    10 beers = 1800 calories - guestimate
    Bits = 5000 calories - lets say

    = 15400 calories

    So your maintenance is what? 2500? 3000? (no idea of your stats) - lets say 2500

    the holiday was 2 weeks? so 35000 = maintenance-ish

    You're eating 1500 calories? so 21000

    plus your extras = 15400

    so you've eaten 36400 calories (guestimate) - which would be less than 1/2 lb weight gain (ish) which you probably walked off

    :)

    MFP math is my favorite! :)

  • chelsy0587
    chelsy0587 Posts: 441 Member
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    suziecue20 wrote: »
    Well done OP. Makes you think how much people must eat and drink over the Christmas period when they say they've put on 7lbs.

    Over Christmas holiday and NYE I ate foods that were way higher in sodium than I normally do... Carbs also and that causes my body to hold on to every last bit of water... I gained 8lbs but have last 6 of those 8 just from getting back to my normal high protein/high fiber foods.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
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    Now I'm dreaming of getting a Quality Street to practice moderation... :*
  • missblondi2u
    missblondi2u Posts: 851 Member
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    I've had a similar experience. Although I didn't completely jump off the wagon, I indulged quite a bit over the last two weeks. Considering that I haven't even come close to my 10K step goal during this time period, I thought I'd be way up, but I actually lost.

    Since I had been logging and eating at or above maintenance most days, I too am confused about how the heck my body dealt with all of those extra calories. When I binged on Thanksgiving (which bled into the following weekend), I was up about 5 pounds. The main difference is that this time it was alcohol that put me over rather than food. I wonder if that makes a difference.
  • Carnhot
    Carnhot Posts: 367 Member
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    Grrrr! I was mindblowingly virtuous, with both CI and CO, yet still seem to have gained 4lb. It cannot be. I'm sulking :(
  • cmarangi
    cmarangi Posts: 131 Member
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    Carnhot wrote: »
    Grrrr! I was mindblowingly virtuous, with both CI and CO, yet still seem to have gained 4lb. It cannot be. I'm sulking :(

    Me too! Everybody's body is different <sigh> I gained about three pounds that will take me two weeks to get rid of.

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