crazy weight loss after vacation - why?

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ABL0930
ABL0930 Posts: 16 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So the body is truly a mysterious thing...

Two weeks ago we went on vacation. We were moderately active, and I didn't completely lose my head, but I did eat desserts and other treats and I didn't track food with MFP.

After that week, my weight was the same. So far so good, made sense.

The FOLLOWING week (last week), I went back onto my normal MFP program, and had a couple days where I went over a bit but mostly within goal.

Today I weigh myself and in one week, my body has shed 6 pounds. Who baby. Why?

Is it something about going off plan for a week? I'm schocked. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy, but it's odd, no?

Anne

Replies

  • lisapickering
    lisapickering Posts: 374
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    I'm not an expert... but I think by doing this you get your body is thinking that it has alot of calories of burn so increases your metabolism and when you get back to normal it's burning more than normal. It's kinda like the reverse effect of starvation mode when your body holds onto calories because it's not getting very many. Alot of people do high calorie days to break a plateau.

    Good job!
  • CommandaPanda
    CommandaPanda Posts: 451 Member
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    Maybe your eating intervals had something to do with increasing your metabolism?

    I know that eating too little will stall your metabolism... SO maybe you were eating quite a bit and your metabolism was like "NICE!" and went crazy.. then the following week your metabolism was still thinking that it's in vacation mode and continued the path?

    (Theory)
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    I am guessing at this, but from my reading a prolonged calorie deficit severely reduces the hormone Leptin. Leptin is one of the hormones that is responsible for weight loss. The extra eating you did increased your Leptin levels, thus making weight loss easier at least for a little while. There are whole diet programs designed around this process like Cheat your Way Thin and Xtreme Fat Loss Diet. I know the second of those is not meant as a long term program, but it meant to get off fat quickly while sparing muscle this is for a limited time 25 days, and specific fat loss, say to get lots of muscle definition for some event.

    The other possibility is that you did very well calorie wise while on vacation, but the sodium was high so you retained water making it look like you didn't lose anything. Now that you are back to your normal diet, that weight loss has shown itself.
  • Frappuzzino
    Frappuzzino Posts: 342 Member
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    I noticed that not eating the greatest, and then going back to a normal healthy diet really increases your metabolism, because over Memorial Day weekend I didn't eat the greatest, and ended up losing 3 pounds that week.
  • flutterqueen04
    flutterqueen04 Posts: 278
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    You could have just shocked your system and metabolism. It is why some say it is good to zig zag your calories or have a high calorie day every so often to keep your metabolism guessing. When you eat relatively the same amount of calories day in and day out your metabolism adjust and gets used to it. High calorie days throw it off and make it work harder to keep up. Just be careful because it will eventually adjust to high calories if you have too many high calorie days in a row :)
  • ABL0930
    ABL0930 Posts: 16 Member
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    Thanks for all the insight!

    I love that it's *good* to go off plan for a few days here and there! It works mentally and physically for me, you know?

    I do think the sodium aspect is a possibilty for part of it too, since I was eating at a resort buffet and really have no idea what was in some of those things.
  • epoint
    epoint Posts: 88
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    This exact thing happened to a friend of mine a couple of weeks ago. We went to the beach for a few days, and although we didn't go crazy on the eating, and we walked and bicycled a good bit, we did eat some good vacation food! She went to her WW weigh-in the day after we got back and had gained a pound. However, the next week she had lost 6 pounds. Weird!
  • ABrideToBE
    ABrideToBE Posts: 94 Member
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    Wow, good to know! I ate quite a bit at a Bday party and I was worried. So now I don't feel so bad :)
  • flutterqueen04
    flutterqueen04 Posts: 278
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    Thanks for all the insight!

    I love that it's *good* to go off plan for a few days here and there! It works mentally and physically for me, you know?

    I do think the sodium aspect is a possibilty for part of it too, since I was eating at a resort buffet and really have no idea what was in some of those things.

    Yes it is very good for the mind to not have to be accountable every once in a while. I have days where I go over just to go over and have a "day off" and look at where I am at....55lbs down so apparently its working here!! I have yet to *knock on wood* hit a plateau even. Not sure if its related but who knows.

    And yes...it could also have a sodium aspect to it. Did you drink a lot of water once you were home? You could have flushed out all that excess sodium and thus lost some water weight as well :)
  • tamiller93
    tamiller93 Posts: 195
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    This is really good news! I am going on vacation next week and will be at a resort where all food and alcohol is included and plentiful. I have worried about gaining while I am there, even though I plan on running while at the resort and I will TRY to not go too crazy with my food and sugary sweet mixed drinks. I sure hope I have similar results after we return from our trip! Heck, I will be happy to just maintain!
  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
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    Metabolism burns fat for energy, and the two things that increase metabolism are muscle and food. It's why I double my calories once very week on my Spike Day. It shocks my body, restores glycogen and leptin.
    Good job, it's fun having a time to splurge and yet still lose weight.
  • tamiller93
    tamiller93 Posts: 195
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    Well, I didn't exactly have a loss.... But I only gained 2 lbs in a week (some of which may be fluid). So I guess I can handle that. I'm working hard to get it back off.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,709 Member
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    So the body is truly a mysterious thing...

    Two weeks ago we went on vacation. We were moderately active, and I didn't completely lose my head, but I did eat desserts and other treats and I didn't track food with MFP.

    After that week, my weight was the same. So far so good, made sense.

    The FOLLOWING week (last week), I went back onto my normal MFP program, and had a couple days where I went over a bit but mostly within goal.

    Today I weigh myself and in one week, my body has shed 6 pounds. Who baby. Why?

    Is it something about going off plan for a week? I'm schocked. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy, but it's odd, no?

    Anne
    This isn't uncommon if you've been on a consistent calorie deficit for awhile. I teach clients to "cycle" their carbs to get the same results weekly.
  • bradXdale
    bradXdale Posts: 399
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    What ninerbuff said.

    Google the "Whoosh Effect" and you can find out how weird our bodies are when it comes to weight loss.
  • jes7er
    jes7er Posts: 3
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    A few years ago I went on a vacation to disney world for 2 days and then a 5 day cruise, I didn't pay attention to what I ate and didn't eat to a plan either. But I came home and lost 4lbs even with eating all of that rich food. Why? I walked a bazillion miles. All the walking around Disney world, then the cruise ship and all of the ports of call. I did way more walking than I ever do on my daily routine. This might be what happened to you as well.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    If you drop or gain that much weight in that short a time its water. I'd suspect that during that time you had a pretty wild swing in your sodium intake.
  • TwinMamma09
    TwinMamma09 Posts: 140
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    I went on vacation last week. We went to Disneyland and did a ton of walking but also ate way more than I have been. I tried to eat good for about 2 days and then I just went to eating whatever I felt like.

    I came back and was about dead even but each day this week I have lost weight. So I think it does your body some good to let lose now and again and zig-zag your calories. Your metabolism thinks it has to burn at a higher rate after the calorie increase.

    Good for you and build in a crazy couple of days now and again to keep your body guessing.
  • David_AUS
    David_AUS Posts: 298 Member
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    We can try to raionalise this to death - leptin levels, more active and increasing your metabolism, water weight, muscle repair, reduced stress enzymes in your body. It is probably a combination of many underlying factors (which likely includes at least some of these). I think I will try taking a holiday to shed the last few KG myself now :)

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