I gained 20 pounds in 3 days

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ehimass
ehimass Posts: 92 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,

I weighed myself on Friday night, I weighed 176 lbs. I just weighed myself Sunday night and I weighed 196 lbs.

I have been on a diet roller coaster the past week during a business trip I had a binge day on Monday, didn't eat anything at all on Tuesday or Wednesday to try and make up for it, then I caved big time and basically binged non stop Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I ate a lot of candy, chips, and did breakfast buffets with lots of bacon, sausage, eggs, pastries, etc. I did not log all the things I ate on these binge days because it was so much it was impossible to track. I'd estimate I averaged 5000+ calories each day though, and probably 10 grams of salt per day.

So.....will this weight come back off fast when I go back to my regular diet and exercise now that I'm back home? I honsetly am shocked that I gained this much weight in a 3 day period. I definitely feel bloated as all get out, look bad, and my clothes are tight. I guess the damage is done and there's nothing I can do about it now. I feel like confining myself to the house gym only as I really don't feel like seeing anyone or doing anything as I am right now. Any advice is appreciated.
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Replies

  • kiwitechgirl
    kiwitechgirl Posts: 145 Member
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    Water weight. Sounds like you ate a lot of sodium-heavy foods, so you'll be retaining water due to that. You have to eat 3500cal over maintenance to gain a pound - and so unless you ate 70,000 calories over maintenance in three days, you won't have gained 20 pounds of fat. Drink lots of water and it should come off.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,453 Member
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    I'm guessing some of that is water weight so some of it should come off pretty quickly. I would avoid starving yourself in the future so that you don't end up binging like that again. Good luck!
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    1. It would be impossible to actually gain 20 lbs in 3 days.

    2. I hope you learned your lesson that after a bad day starving yourself for the next 2 days isn't going to be a successful plan. You should have instead ate your calorie goal on Tues & Wed with plenty of healthy foods. One bad day won't do a much damage. A whole week of the nonsense you did likely will - but not 20 lbs worth.

    Just jump back on track. Don't be so hard on yourself.
  • KellyJannine
    KellyJannine Posts: 56 Member
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    change the batteries in your scale, or get a new one... that is false, even for water weight!
  • ThePlight
    ThePlight Posts: 3,593 Member
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    Are you like.. Really constipated, too? O.o
    Not trying to pry, just curious lol.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,988 Member
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    Hi,

    I weighed myself on Friday night, I weighed 176 lbs. I just weighed myself Sunday night and I weighed 196 lbs.

    I have been on a diet roller coaster the past week during a business trip.

    If you were traveling, can we assume that you used different scales on Friday and Sunday? That could be a big part of the difference.
  • ehimass
    ehimass Posts: 92 Member
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    On Friday I weighed on hotel scale, it registered 79.8 kg (176 lbs). On sunday it was my home scale, 196 lbs. When I originally left on the trip the home scale read 175 lbs, but that was 2 weeks ago.

    I'm not constipated.
  • ThePlight
    ThePlight Posts: 3,593 Member
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    You know, I would give it a couple of days and get back into my routine and then check if it was me.
    Might want to just jump back and see how much of it is actually water weight and see how you do.
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    A lot of it is indeed water but you did gain some fat.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    20lbs of water? I doubt that. I'm thinking your scales are broken.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,988 Member
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    On Friday I weighed on hotel scale, it registered 79.8 kg (176 lbs). On sunday it was my home scale, 196 lbs. When I originally left on the trip the home scale read 175 lbs, but that was 2 weeks ago.

    I'm not constipated.

    So you gained 21 pounds in two weeks (the data from the hotel scale is essentially meaningless -- maybe they set them low you'll eat more in their restaurants, from room service, or from the mini bar :laugh: ), of which maybe 5 to 8 lbs is water weight. You don't say what your maintenance calories are, but you guess that you were averaging about 5,000 calories a day, which could account for about 12 pounds of real weight gain over two weeks if your maintenance calories are in the neighborhood of 2,000.

    Go back to your regular routine and see where you are in another week.
  • ehimass
    ehimass Posts: 92 Member
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    On Friday I weighed on hotel scale, it registered 79.8 kg (176 lbs). On sunday it was my home scale, 196 lbs. When I originally left on the trip the home scale read 175 lbs, but that was 2 weeks ago.

    I'm not constipated.

    So you gained 21 pounds in two weeks (the data from the hotel scale is essentially meaningless -- maybe they set them low you'll eat more in their restaurants, from room service, or from the mini bar :laugh: ), of which maybe 5 to 8 lbs is water weight. You don't say what your maintenance calories are, but you guess that you were averaging about 5,000 calories a day, which could account for about 12 pounds of real weight gain over two weeks if your maintenance calories are in the neighborhood of 2,000.

    Go back to your regular routine and see where you are in another week.

    Hmmm, well I also weighed on a different hotel scale about 1 week into the 2 week trip and weighed 172 lbs. So I think the Friday hotel scale was probably pretty accurate. It was definitely +/- 5 lbs.

    BMR for me is probably about 1800 cals, TDEE is probably 2300 ish but I exercise most days to get it up into 3000+ range. I haven't been exercising during the past 2 days, but I did an 8 mile run on Friday.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,988 Member
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    I definitely feel bloated as all get out, look bad, and my clothes are tight. I guess the damage is done and there's nothing I can do about it now. I feel like confining myself to the house gym only as I really don't feel like seeing anyone or doing anything as I am right now. Any advice is appreciated.

    Oh, and there's no point to hiding or feeling like it's a complete disaster. If you were 175 two weeks ago, you can get back to 175. It may take two or three months, depending on how much total you have to lose and how much of the gain is water weight, but you can get there.
  • Ithina1
    Ithina1 Posts: 93 Member
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    Most of it is probably water. Drink lots of water and it will come off. Just stick to your calorie goals. It may take a few months for the actual pounds you put on to come off. Next time use some self restraint and eat in moderation.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
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    Well, since 1 gram of carbs can retain 4 grams of water, you'd only have to eat 2270 carbs to retain 20 pounds of water. Thats theoretical, though. I've personally seen 11 pound shifts from a heavy carb load, so, I believe it's possible.


    ETA:

    You should get really drunk and see how big of a weight loss sway you can accomplish over night :drinker:
  • ElizabethFuller
    ElizabethFuller Posts: 352 Member
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    Stay calm and get back on track. I bet after a week of regular, healthy eating and exercise your weight will have come down to a more reasonable number, you probably have gained some but you can deal with that over the next few weeks. The best thing to do is to get back to logging your food, avoid too much processed stuff for a while and drink plenty of water.
  • sunsetzen
    sunsetzen Posts: 268 Member
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    Did you fly on this trip? When I went overseas last year, I gained 20 lbs in two days. I was retaining water from the flight and change in food, constipated from flying, travelling and the food, and god knows what else the problem was.

    You didnt actually do any damage, I'm sure. Just go back to eating properly, exercise and drink a lot of water. It'll be ok.
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
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    I have to agree about flying, I don't drink alot of water because I have a baby or child with me. 8 hours with one drink isn't enough but I'd rather not have to get up unless necessary. Anyway, I get so bloated and gain but it's gone within a week but its usually just a few ponds. I still watch what I eat.
  • candiceh3
    candiceh3 Posts: 379
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    Please don't starve yourself again :(

    It is so unhealthy and it is never the right mind set to lose weight as a lifestyle.

    What is your plan to deal with cravings? What is your mindset towards the next set back (because, there will be many). Who are your support people? What is your exercise plan for the rest of the year?

    Plan plan plan - and get support - for a real change, and not a silly starvation phase followed by a binge phase.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Weighing yourself at night means NOTHING. Seriously, stop. I can gain 4 lbs in one day and it's gone the next day. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning when you get up and after you use the bathroom. And there's probably a ton of water weight in there too.

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