The scale after Christmas

pamp1emousse
pamp1emousse Posts: 282 Member
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
So I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but I just wanted to double check in my state of panic! I know I've put on weight in the past week - I've eaten horrific amounts! I know after all that salt and champagne I shouldn't have got onto the scale this morning, but I did. And it said 131! Last week it was 124-125!! Please please tell me that's going to go away! I know I may well have put on 3lbs, but after being really careful for months is it really as simple as calories in, calories out? Could my body not be taking revenge and clinging on to that food? I hope I haven't undone all my hard work! And if I have, is it possible it'll come off really easily because it came on so fast? :cry:

Replies

  • andreahanlon
    andreahanlon Posts: 263 Member
    Most of it will go away. Give it a week and you should be much closer to where you started. You may have gained a little in the long run (like a pound), but right now, the actual weight of all the food you ate is sitting in your body. Give yourself a week for it to work out of your system.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    Take a deep breath. I promise if you eat clean for a week you will go back down. Maybe MAYBE you gained a real 1-2 pounds. But think about it:

    You have to eat an EXTRA 3500 calories to gain back a pound. Did you eat 18,000 extras? Doubt it.

    Sugar puffs me up in one night. If I had Champagne and cupcakes, I will be up 4-6 lbs the next DAY.

    Stay off the scale for a few weeks and work your program here.
  • maureak
    maureak Posts: 107 Member
    I agree - as long as you get back to your normal routines, the weight should go back down. My weight has fluctuated quite a bit the last couple of weeks; up the day after a company party, back down a couple of days later, back up after a very enjoyable dinner out, back down later. For me, it usually takes a few days of eating normally for the bloating to go away.

    You've already proven that you know how to eat healthy and keep to a healthy weight. A few days of indulging does not negate all of the work you've done in the past.

    This is the message I tell myself before and after indulging. New Year's Eve is coming up which means another event with higher sugar and fat than I normally consume. But I also know that a few days of eating healthyl and upping my water and I'll be good as new.
  • 60HzShuffle
    60HzShuffle Posts: 51
    I gained 4.2 lbs as of this morning. Today was my normal weigh-in day. Hoping it was not all fat, but I do have to admit really enjoying myself yesterday, desserts and all. It is what it is. I did see pictures of myself from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and feeling good about myself though.

    Back on the plan today and getting ready for my 5k next weekend :)
  • dlrcpa
    dlrcpa Posts: 114 Member
    The same thing happened to me when I returned from vacation in September. Most of it will go away within a week or so. :wink:
  • clewis600
    clewis600 Posts: 2
    I gained 2-3 lbs, but I have strayed from the strict diet a couple times. It will go away within a week. We got a new scale and it weighs us about 2.4 lbs heavier. THAT SUCKED! I am just gonna add the weight from the new scale to my profile and only use the new scale to weigh in. It will probably be good for me to loose the extra couple anyhow.
  • ziggythecat
    ziggythecat Posts: 62 Member
    I was up 2 lbs. I'm not too worried. I know I didn't eat myself sick this weekend. I portioned out everything I ate even if I went back for more. All will be well.
  • pamp1emousse
    pamp1emousse Posts: 282 Member
    Thanks for all the advice & comforting :smile: I'll check again in a week and see if most of it has gone... fingers crossed!
  • sk4399
    sk4399 Posts: 96
    I gained 2-3 lbs, but I have strayed from the strict diet a couple times. It will go away within a week. We got a new scale and it weighs us about 2.4 lbs heavier. THAT SUCKED! I am just gonna add the weight from the new scale to my profile and only use the new scale to weigh in. It will probably be good for me to loose the extra couple anyhow.

    Same thing here,new scale says 2.4 pounds more! Yuck!
  • egbkid
    egbkid Posts: 164 Member
    i don't know how i did it, but i managed to pig out on nothing but cookies and chocolate between meals for the last week, with out any extra walking, etc. and i am down 2.5 Lbs...i am just waiting for it all to settle, i guess.
  • somigliana
    somigliana Posts: 314 Member
    Yup. My scale is also up a couple of pounds; I suspect mine is from the higher levels of sodium that went with ham and dips and breads and such over Christmas. I also didn't drink as much water as I usually do. I'm just going back to my usual eating and exercising plan and making a concerted effort to drink all my water.
  • SafariLara
    SafariLara Posts: 172
    I only had 3 days during the holidays Thurs-sat, where i ate whatever I wanted. even though I ate a ton, I've been able to totally maintain my weight, which has been good inspiration for getting right back on track knowing that 3 days of indulging isnt going to totally sabatage my efforts. at some point yesterday when I weighed in I weighed like... 6 lbs more though! weigh can fluctuate so much by water and food. I wouldnt worry too much about it. just get right back on track!
  • dancer77
    dancer77 Posts: 249 Member
    I'd say most of is just temporary. Try going a week on your normal diet/exercise plan and see what the scale says and that should be a better show of what you actually gained over the holidays.
  • staps065
    staps065 Posts: 837 Member
    Normal after a binge; especially if you ate a lot of carbs that will hold water for a few days until you reduce your carbs, eat more complex, slow carbs and void the excess water. Drink plenty of water while you eat clean again and you'll see it come off within a few days....:smile:
  • joan41
    joan41 Posts: 170 Member
    I too gained 4 this am. The same thing happened at Thanksgiving, and after the 1st day of eatting right again, I had lost all 4. Hoping the same thing will happen this time, because I was at 203. So close! I'm just going to step up my exercise tomorrow, and eat healthy. 2 days of dressing, and sweetpotatoe casserole are over! Time to get serious again Hey the gain just gave me inspiration to work harder.
  • countjackula
    countjackula Posts: 99
    So I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but I just wanted to double check in my state of panic! I know I've put on weight in the past week - I've eaten horrific amounts! I know after all that salt and champagne I shouldn't have got onto the scale this morning, but I did. And it said 131! Last week it was 124-125!! Please please tell me that's going to go away! I know I may well have put on 3lbs, but after being really careful for months is it really as simple as calories in, calories out? Could my body not be taking revenge and clinging on to that food? I hope I haven't undone all my hard work! And if I have, is it possible it'll come off really easily because it came on so fast? :cry:

    It's very unlikely that you'd actually gain 6 lbs of fat in a week. You'd need to have eaten in excess of 12,000 calories over the week... and even then I don't think you'd see the results that quickly! What you're most likely seeing is water weight -- salt and alcohol especially cause your body to retain water.

    I think, now that the holidays are over, once you resume working hard you'll find yourself back where you were a week ago. :)
  • robynrae_1
    robynrae_1 Posts: 712 Member
    When ever I eat a lot of sugar I gain weight for a couple of days. the Biology behind this is: increase sugar= increase in insulin, insulin holds on to Sodium, Sodium holds on to water. So increase in sugar = increase in water weight. If you decrease you sugar everything will balance back out.

    The next time you get on the scale the number should be much better.
  • crlujan
    crlujan Posts: 59
    Yeah. I'm not even gonna weigh myself until Wednesday. That's usually my lightest day. I'm hoping that by then I fall into my weight window. We'll see.
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