How many days to undo a "free for all"

ladyphoto
ladyphoto Posts: 192 Member
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
So, on Easter weekend, I let it go- totally.... everything and anything I wanted- so much so that I was absolutely sick by the end of the day...I made the mistake of weighing myself this morning and am up 3 lbs- I am not freaking out about it- and have been totally back on plan since Monday- and yes working out daily- drinking water- under my calorie goal but not in starvation mode- all of the above...

So that is my question, how many days does it take to "wear" off a really bad day or weekend and get back to where you really are? Knowing that weight cannot possibly be actual FAT- but water, and who knows what else!

Replies

  • bunnysone
    bunnysone Posts: 486 Member
    You what - I'm just getting off the "chocolate bus" too, and I feel sluggish from my lack of caring for the past few days. Great for my soul, but hard to restart.

    Usually anything you do exercise or eating wise will take a couple of days to "show up" So if you get back on the "vegetable train" with me and off the "chocolate bus" and smoothly come back into it you should feel miles better in a couple of days!

    Each time you do this and come through smoothly it will be easier to cope, so just slowly get back into it, eat well, DRINK HEAPS of water and you will be fine :) Usually it's just the mental anxiety that plays with us anyway, our bodies are not suddenly going to get "unfit" from a couple of days of "relaxing"!
  • Cartel
    Cartel Posts: 40
    If you ate a lot some of that weight is actually food itself. It takes me about 2 days after a feast to get back to where I was. I figure it just while my body is processing all the food which takes awhile.
  • missb92
    missb92 Posts: 200 Member
    I was pretty much in your situation aswell. Pigged out over the weekend and on tuesday morning i was up 4lbs! Drank loads of water yesterday and stayed within my calorie goal and this morning i was down 2lbs. Hoping that by weigh in day on friday ill be back to where i was or better! Best of luck :drinker:
  • lulu1962
    lulu1962 Posts: 210
    I feel your "pain"! Did the same thing all weekend! Back on track now, but still rather upset that I let myself have wayyyyyy too much fun! (Wow, but it was soooo worth it!) Ha ha!:drinker:
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    So, on Easter weekend, I let it go- totally.... everything and anything I wanted- so much so that I was absolutely sick by the end of the day...I made the mistake of weighing myself this morning and am up 3 lbs- I am not freaking out about it- and have been totally back on plan since Monday- and yes working out daily- drinking water- under my calorie goal but not in starvation mode- all of the above...

    So that is my question, how many days does it take to "wear" off a really bad day or weekend and get back to where you really are? Knowing that weight cannot possibly be actual FAT- but water, and who knows what else!

    As you said, if you didn't eat enough extra to actually gain a pound (an extra 3500 calories per pound), then this is water weight from extra carbs and sodium. Resuming your normal diet and making sure you get at least 8 cups of water should help to shed the water weight in a couple of days.
  • rcochnar
    rcochnar Posts: 11
    I've found that once your body gets used to its exercise/diet (maybe around a month or two?) cheat days don't really have any effect. So much so that you can cheat twice a month or so. Don't fret about cheating every now and then, just make sure that you don't let it get you down to the point where you give up on the diet.
  • debbiequack
    debbiequack Posts: 275 Member
    This is a great thread and one i really needed to hear. Thanks!

    Debbie
  • SuzetteMerashino
    SuzetteMerashino Posts: 27
    Yea, I went a to a wedding a few weeks ago then in my job, there is always a lot of waiting around so I was tempted and gave into sweets and stuff, I put on all the five pounds I lost but a week later they were gone in addition to two extra pounds. It's like your body is punishing you for eating chocolate and stuff like "lookit here bucko, THIS will happen if you keep eating bad food and being lazy!!" But it took a week or so for my body to get back to normal so I don't think it takes that long!
  • beckymike36
    beckymike36 Posts: 105 Member
    I had a free for all week....eeeeek!! I hope I can get back on track today!
  • KPstartingover
    KPstartingover Posts: 268 Member
    Ditto! I was feeling like the only one who ever "cheated with chocolate" - and it is reassuring to know that I'm not alone. Thanks for the tips about the water, etc... Back on the "vegetable train" for me!!!
  • pcfrend
    pcfrend Posts: 58 Member
    :ohwell: I'm on the same train or bus! My Easter free fall went on for a whole weekend so I am not expecting to be back at where I was pre-Easter for at least a week. I'm also not going to berate myself over it either. I loved the great dinners, desserts and major breakfast plates! The chocolate - well - what can I say!

    What's different for me this year is that my mind set is all about recovery from these breaks from healthy eating. Last year I wouldn't have stopped on Monday. I would have thought that the weekend meant failure and therefore I might as well continue to fail. This year, and a lot of thanks goes to this website, I'm all about recovery from the weekend. Drinking water, getting back on plan and thinking positively has really helped me not only start to drop the weight but drop the guilt as well. Losing the guilty feelings is almost, if not better, than losing the weight.

    Here's to a guilt-free recovery week!:happy:
  • rhiannon1979
    rhiannon1979 Posts: 166 Member
    I am almost back to where I was on Saturday. Hopefully by Friday I will be all the way there!
  • thcri
    thcri Posts: 459 Member
    Two to Three days and you will be back. Anything that comes on fast can come off fast. You are not the only one to mess up either.
  • DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo
    DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo Posts: 296
    I just posted about the same thing here... I am MISERABLE...my scale didnt go up but I feel liek crap

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/227062-need-detox-asap-i-am-miserable-ughh
  • juliemouse83
    juliemouse83 Posts: 6,663 Member
    If it makes you feel any better, you aren't alone. I got on the scale this morning to find I am UP FOUR POUNDS. I was/am disgusted. I didn't over indulge on Easter, tho I did have ham, and I know the sodium in that is high. Then Monday was hell-day at the office, so I went home and indulged in too much wine. Yesterday was worse, and I inhaled a bag of sunflower seeds, and when they canceled my aqua-zumba class last night, I polished of that bottle of wine.

    Today, however, I have NO salty snacks at my desk, have already put away 32 oz of water, and am doing fruit and salad until supper.
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
    Oh my gosh - THANK YOU for this thread - I am so glad I am not the only one... I have been "celebrating" Easter since last Wednesday... ha ha! So, 5 out of the last 7 days for me have been "bad" days. I weighed myself today and was at 221 from 217 last week. So, 4 lbs up AND pushed myself back into another decade. :(

    I am glad I didn't weigh myself Monday morning! Eeek!!! I was so disgusted with myself this morning I wanted to give up... but this thread has inspired me, so thank you!
  • ladyphoto
    ladyphoto Posts: 192 Member
    :ohwell: I'm on the same train or bus! My Easter free fall went on for a whole weekend so I am not expecting to be back at where I was pre-Easter for at least a week. I'm also not going to berate myself over it either. I loved the great dinners, desserts and major breakfast plates! The chocolate - well - what can I say!

    What's different for me this year is that my mind set is all about recovery from these breaks from healthy eating. Last year I wouldn't have stopped on Monday. I would have thought that the weekend meant failure and therefore I might as well continue to fail. This year, and a lot of thanks goes to this website, I'm all about recovery from the weekend. Drinking water, getting back on plan and thinking positively has really helped me not only start to drop the weight but drop the guilt as well. Losing the guilty feelings is almost, if not better, than losing the weight.

    Here's to a guilt-free recovery week!:happy:

    I so agree with you!!! I am the same- cheating for me this past weekend was part of enjoying my life- I will never be someone who will "do without" forever- I enjoy those times with my family and not obsessing over every tiny calorie- bread- drinks- whatever- but I am totally on board with every word you said!
  • ladyphoto
    ladyphoto Posts: 192 Member
    :tongue: Sounds like water will do wonders in this situation! I'm going to drink at least 20 oz more today than I am used to- also- for everyone that wrote- thank you- I think it's important to know that we are not alone- it's okay to step out a couple of days- just get back on the horse...(and choose your times to "cheat"- once in a while- not the norm)

    That's my 2 cents... Havea great day everyone!!! work out and smile! :tongue:
  • ladyphoto
    ladyphoto Posts: 192 Member
    You what - I'm just getting off the "chocolate bus" too, and I feel sluggish from my lack of caring for the past few days. Great for my soul, but hard to restart.

    Usually anything you do exercise or eating wise will take a couple of days to "show up" So if you get back on the "vegetable train" with me and off the "chocolate bus" and smoothly come back into it you should feel miles better in a couple of days!

    Each time you do this and come through smoothly it will be easier to cope, so just slowly get back into it, eat well, DRINK HEAPS of water and you will be fine :) Usually it's just the mental anxiety that plays with us anyway, our bodies are not suddenly going to get "unfit" from a couple of days of "relaxing"!

    Love the chocolate train!!! Those darn "robins eggs" got me!! My fav and they only come out at Easter, so of course I ate the whole bag in two days.... arghhhhhh
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
    I am on the Body-for-life plan where you get one day a week to eat whatever you want. I just started, so I am no expert, however, the way the eating for life part explains it is that you take that day to remind your body it is not starving so it can go ahead and start using up those fat stores it has been holding on to as you have begun taking less calories in during your new food plan.

    Now, I am not starving myself on this plan, in fact, I find myself filling up much easier with the 40/40/20 ratio than I thought I would, it is just the cravings that are getting to me. So on my "cheat day" I can satisfy those cravings! If you are doing something like that once a week, or every now and then, I don't think it hurts, it may help (see explanation above). Now, where I would get in trouble is if I let too many cheat days sneak in and give up on getting back on track. It sounds like the OP is not doing that, so that is very good! Don't be so hard on yourselves, folks!

    Just my two cents!
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
    :ohwell: I'm on the same train or bus! My Easter free fall went on for a whole weekend so I am not expecting to be back at where I was pre-Easter for at least a week. I'm also not going to berate myself over it either. I loved the great dinners, desserts and major breakfast plates! The chocolate - well - what can I say!

    What's different for me this year is that my mind set is all about recovery from these breaks from healthy eating. Last year I wouldn't have stopped on Monday. I would have thought that the weekend meant failure and therefore I might as well continue to fail. This year, and a lot of thanks goes to this website, I'm all about recovery from the weekend. Drinking water, getting back on plan and thinking positively has really helped me not only start to drop the weight but drop the guilt as well. Losing the guilty feelings is almost, if not better, than losing the weight.

    Here's to a guilt-free recovery week!:happy:

    I so agree with you!!! I am the same- cheating for me this past weekend was part of enjoying my life- I will never be someone who will "do without" forever- I enjoy those times with my family and not obsessing over every tiny calorie- bread- drinks- whatever- but I am totally on board with every word you said!


    You know, this is SUCH a great point - I used to be the person who threw 3 months of work out the door over one bad week. Thank you so much for saying this - I needed to hear it!
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