Who knew 2 crappy days would break my plateau

littlesis2
littlesis2 Posts: 13 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I had FINALLY hit 200 on the 24th. I took a picture of the scale, posted that shiz to Twitter #neveragain- two days later I was at 203. Seriously? Well, whatever, I know it happens sometimes. But a week later the scale hadn't moved, I was having a horrible week at work, and I just wanted a damn drink.

Apparently after two months of not drinking two beers is now enough to do me in. I got the drunk munchies and hit McDonald's. Burger and fries. And got ice cream. I'm not proud.

Next day I was back down to 201. HA!

Then this weekend I had a quite a bit of fun at a birthday party. Read: many alcoholic beverages consumed.

This morning: 198.8

I think my body has decided it won't do what I want it to unless I let it have some fun once in a while.

Happy Monday, everyone!
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Replies

  • AprilMae1975
    AprilMae1975 Posts: 726
    Lol.....our bodies are really strange!!!! Congrats on getting out of the 200's....it is really awesome!!!
  • Diyah13
    Diyah13 Posts: 76 Member
    That's what I've been doing wrong for the last three months! Thanks so much for posting!
  • adiggs2777
    adiggs2777 Posts: 111 Member
    I can commiserate. I had a terrible week of bad food and no working out (my husband was hospitalized - he's fine now though). I woke up this morning one lb less than I was last week. Even though I know my week was riddled with fast food and sugar and just terrible eating! I try to only weigh myself once a week though. It is so tempting to do it daily but that just makes me crazy seeing the numbers fluctuate.
  • Vivian06703188
    Vivian06703188 Posts: 310 Member
    What you did is called calories cycling. Never eat the same number of calories day in and day out. Fluctuate your calories within your allowed calorie goal between 100-500 calories from day to day to avoid plateaus. I'm not saying consistently eat 500 calories under your goal just once in awhile. But do not eat your goal calories everyday either or your body will adjust. Just sayin.
  • littlesis2
    littlesis2 Posts: 13 Member
    It has a name!!! I will say I am incredibly consistent in what I eat. Mostly because I find foods that I like and stick to them.

    I knew I had to vary my workouts, but didn't think the food aspect would make much of a difference.

    Good to know!
  • littlesis2
    littlesis2 Posts: 13 Member
    Lol.....our bodies are really strange!!!! Congrats on getting out of the 200's....it is really awesome!!!

    It is a very happy feeling. Thanks!
  • littlesis2
    littlesis2 Posts: 13 Member
    I can commiserate. I had a terrible week of bad food and no working out (my husband was hospitalized - he's fine now though). I woke up this morning one lb less than I was last week. Even though I know my week was riddled with fast food and sugar and just terrible eating! I try to only weigh myself once a week though. It is so tempting to do it daily but that just makes me crazy seeing the numbers fluctuate.

    I do weigh myself almost daily because I feel like it keeps me on track. Also, I'm OCD and I GOTTA KNOW and it's fun when the number is just going down, down, down.

    But I have a feeling now that the weight loss may be slowing a tad I should probably cut down on the weigh-ins to preserve my sanity.
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
    nice to get out of the two's congrats!
  • BL_Coleman
    BL_Coleman Posts: 324 Member
    This just happened to me. Just got to 138 last week..was so excited.....family member died, went home for weekend,and badfood choices and alcohol occured...weighed myself today thinking please not over 140..and for the first time saw under 138..who knew...
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    Your body (and your mind) will be much happier if you have a higher-calorie day (or week) every now and then. Congrats on getting below 200. :)
  • fabafter5
    fabafter5 Posts: 200 Member
    Same thing happened to me! The scale was stuck, went camping for a week and came back a pound lighter. I was eating burgers, hot dogs, chips and had smores every night. Now once a month or so I stop counting for a day or two and have what I want. The important thing is getting right back at it!
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    Keyword "alcohol"


    Alcohol will dry you out considerably. If I get hammered I almost always weigh about 5+ pounds less the next day. Hopefully you broke the plateau and didn't just drop water weight.
  • marianb2001
    marianb2001 Posts: 43 Member
    This is intersting because I have been at the same number - 133 for about 3 weeks now. I lost .5 to 1lb per week until now. My calorie amount set by MFP is 1200. i usually have a cheat day once a week, but I don't go over by too much - maybe 100 - 300 calories. I am afraid that if I up my intake I the scale will go up again and that would be annoying. Thank you for posting this thread.
  • audleyone
    audleyone Posts: 1
    The same thing happens to me-I eat right and the scale moves up more than down. Eat McDonald's French fries and have a few beers-scale goes down!!
  • gelendestrasse
    gelendestrasse Posts: 204
    Stress can do that. Unfortunately it has serious downside in the long term.
  • lucan07
    lucan07 Posts: 509
    Not that strange if you consider that a few beers were involved a because a lot of beer = hang over which is caused by dehydration and low blood sugar. But congratulations on breaking the 200 barrier!
  • chirosche
    chirosche Posts: 66 Member
    Well this definitely proves that the science behind the diet I'm on called the Carb Nite Solution is right. On my diet, I am strictly low carb, high fat during the week for 5-6 days and then on the 7th day and sometimes 2 days in a row, I have what is called Carb Nite. This is the day I eat anything I want, including a pint of icecream and cake, and I finally am seeing results. I don't use the scale, but I have lost a lot of inches since starting this. And, I made my carb nites on the weekends, so I really look forward to the weekends.

    You do need to spike the insulin every once in a while which also spikes leptin and some other hormones that empty the fat cells over the next 3-4 days. I do work out regularly too. But it works. This is based on a low carb diet and eating carbs/sugars to spike the insulin in a sudden jolt. But I'm hearing lots of stories where people have their splurge and then notice a drop in the lbs. For me, my refeeds are very structured and all planned.

    It's exciting.
  • Kari121869
    Kari121869 Posts: 180 Member
    Good to know - I've been eating very close to my calorie limit every day - not varying much more than maybe 50-200 cals lower than what I'm supposed to (1470/day). I have lost 17lbs but it's been very slow - even though I work out at least 20 min a day plus walk everywhere (usually burn average 200 cals/day just from walking as per my pedometer reading).

    I have stopped myself from having 'crap'.. and if i do it's very minimal. Except for today lol.. Pizza lunch at work - hadn't had 'real pizzeria pizza' in soooo long... had 3 pieces and felt SO guilty... perhaps this is a good thing that I 'caved'?

    This weekend is Thanksgiving - I know there's going to be alot of 'bad' food..(I'm the one making the turkey and homemade stuffing lol)... think I'll put this to a little test without going overboard... eat what I want but not to extreme measures where it will make me feel ill lol..

    Hope this helps boost my body back into loosing mode...
  • jimshine
    jimshine Posts: 199 Member
    I discovered the same thing this past summer. I had hit a wall for about 3 weeks. I spent about 5 days eating more, gained a little, and it broke the plateau.
  • lucan07
    lucan07 Posts: 509
    Maybe we can replace the "starvation mode" myth with the "mcdonalds and get hammered" myth at least the second will end up working for people that drink enough and wake up dehydrated even if only in the short term!
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    It sounds like you experienced a "whoosh". Interesting article: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
  • lucan07
    lucan07 Posts: 509
    It sounds like you experienced a "whoosh". Interesting article: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

    With plenty of alcohol involved I would lay odds the "whoosh" in this case is dehydration!
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    I have stopped myself from having 'crap'.. and if i do it's very minimal. Except for today lol.. Pizza lunch at work - hadn't had 'real pizzeria pizza' in soooo long... had 3 pieces and felt SO guilty... perhaps this is a good thing that I 'caved'?

    If you give yourself permission to live a little, you don't have to feel that guilt. If you love pizza, plan to have it once in a while. Eating to or slightly above maintenance occasionally is the best thing you can do for weight loss and your sanity.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    It sounds like you experienced a "whoosh". Interesting article: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

    With plenty of alcohol involved I would lay odds the "whoosh" in this case is dehydration!

    She said she had two beer and lots of sodium. Highly doubt she was overly dehydrated.
  • Cheeky_and_Geeky
    Cheeky_and_Geeky Posts: 984 Member
    I always lose right after I eat over my calorie limit to break a plateau. It's very strange, but it works. I never deprive myself of chocolate, pizza, etc & have lost 25lbs in 3 months! I just within my calorie range. Great job!
  • littlesis2
    littlesis2 Posts: 13 Member
    nice to get out of the two's congrats!

    Muchas gracias!
  • littlesis2
    littlesis2 Posts: 13 Member
    I always lose right after I eat over my calorie limit to break a plateau. It's very strange, but it works. I never deprive myself of chocolate, pizza, etc & have lost 25lbs in 3 months! I just within my calorie range. Great job!

    Yeah, I never deprive myself of foods I want either, but I went WAY overboard those two days...lol
  • littlesis2
    littlesis2 Posts: 13 Member
    Your body (and your mind) will be much happier if you have a higher-calorie day (or week) every now and then. Congrats on getting below 200. :)

    It sure seems like it! Thanks :)
  • littlesis2
    littlesis2 Posts: 13 Member
    Maybe we can replace the "starvation mode" myth with the "mcdonalds and get hammered" myth at least the second will end up working for people that drink enough and wake up dehydrated even if only in the short term!

    I wasn't advocating, merely relaying what happened- which I thought was funny.
  • lucan07
    lucan07 Posts: 509
    It sounds like you experienced a "whoosh". Interesting article: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

    With plenty of alcohol involved I would lay odds the "whoosh" in this case is dehydration!

    She said she had two beer and lots of sodium. Highly doubt she was overly dehydrated.

    Read the OP again because quote "Then this weekend I had a quite a bit of fun at a birthday party. Read: many alcoholic beverages consumed. " so quite likely dehydrated!

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