Away for 5 days & put on lbs, 3 inches...& can't fit into what were LOOSE jeans! LOW CARBERS Pls

Options
twinkleboobee
twinkleboobee Posts: 33 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
OK, so I spent 2.5-3 months on a low carb diet (sep/oct/Nov 2014), I've made this a lifestyle change for a few years and I'm fit and healthy (was on Dukan way of eating since 2012). I needed to get rid of the last 5-6lbs so decided to try Atkins. I know many are against this way of eating but being a sufferer with PCOS and diabetes running through the family it suits me (I eat nuts too, almond flour, get lots of carbs from all the veg I eat).

Anyway - all was successful and I had been using my super tight non stretchy and totally non forgiving cropped jeans as a guide to my weightloss as well as the scales (which go up and down and can't make their mind up). These jeans were looser than ever after lots of exercise (walking 5 + hours a week, step aerobics 2-3 times and I started HIIT and Met Effect last week...just before my break). I was really happy as I'm pear shaped and the thighs/bum trimmed down - the jeans were baggy all round, same with the low waist, 2 inches to spare, they look great and were comfy....was very happy with the results.

So what do I do? Go on a birthday party drinking long weekend with friends, returning ill as well from a head cold...and although I've not weighed myself, in under a week and only a bit of walking, I can't fit into those jeans! They look worse than when I started Atkins 3 mths ago! It seems ridiculous, I know you can put on weight quickly, but in 6-7 days and seems to me fat/bulge? Yes I drank sugary drinks (diassaronno/tia maria n diet coke, sometimes coke when thats all they had) and had 3 courses x 3 helpings of everything.....bags of sweets/snacks/biccies...hangover food...but has my hard work been undone? I thought my ropped jeans maybe a little tight - I can't do them up!!! what the..?!

I'd like to think that as soon as I get back on the super low carb wagon and exercise (started today) - in 4 weeks I've lost my holiday and ill weight? (just in time for Xmas) I've done lots of research and understand sugar retains water and glycogen which adds the inches, but this can be reversed quickly and shouldn't take as long for me to lose compared to the 2-3 mths I did super low carb.

Anyway - any advice from those who have done exactly the same thing, went away with loose clothes and returned not being able to fit in them....but turning this around quickly?

I don't need those who are against low carbing etc to criticise my choice, as I've done the whole cal in cal out and I find it doesn't teach you about Low GI foods and balancing your sugar levels (this holiday was a one off btw...we all mess up!), I see people on here eating rubbish all day and loosing weight but not learning healthy eating - which is essentially their choice but not mine - I actually do a bit of both, and found what works for me.

Why did I gorge? I was on holiday and buffets are irresistible as well as the generous helpings of alcohol and non stop snacks...you have to live a little don't you?! And greed, we can all be greedy...getting your moneys worth?!

I'm 5ft 2.5 - weight about 8st.10-12lb (122-5lb ish) before I went away a week ago...no idea what I weight now!

All advice welcome and your stories please!
«1

Replies

  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,136 Member
    Options
    Drink water. Be patient. I don't low carb, but it sounds like it's water weight from you going off low carb during your week of partying.
  • IHateThinkingOfAUsername
    IHateThinkingOfAUsername Posts: 568 Member
    Options
    I'm not doing LC but I did over indulge last weekend. Here's my story:

    On Thursday 20th Nov I weighed 9st6.
    It was my birthday on Friday, and I ate LOTs. I had cake at work. I had cake at home. We had a dominos pizza. On the Saturday we had a day out which included a Frankie and Benny's breakfast, and a Wetherspoons tea, plus more cake. On Sunday my mum came with more cake. I logged Friday and Sunday's intake, but Saturday wasn't being logged. It was my birthday after all.
    On Monday 24th Nov I weighed 9st11.
    5lbs gain.

    By Saturday (today) 29th Nov I was 9st5.5lb.

    I didn't do anything extra special this week to make up for it. I didn't restrict my calories further to try to make up for the extra. I just carried on. If anything I was slightly worse than usual because I came down with a rotten cold so haven't been able to get to the pool.

    I guess what I'm saying is - don't stress over it. Just carry on regardless and it will come off again. And probably very quickly.
  • twinkleboobee
    twinkleboobee Posts: 33 Member
    Options
    Thanks for your reply zyxst....Just need to add here I do actually try and count calories, I weigh most foods, I know exactly what I'm eating - but I also have learnt your body is a complex machine and burns different type of cals in different ways. I can eat more cals when doing v low carb, but you can't mix this up with more carbs as the science doesn't work, and I just wants more of the sugary stuff!

    How will drinking lots of water help? I drink lots of Pepsi Max and Coffee with unsweetened soya milk, this never halted any weightloss but still see them as liquids, although they are known to dehydrate.

    Cheers!
  • twinkleboobee
    twinkleboobee Posts: 33 Member
    Options
    Ah thanks 'Ihatethinkingofusername's' (love that name btw and happy bday for last week!). So we both over indulged last weekend...although mine was an extra 3-4 days with copious amounts of alcohol and more food than I like to think of.

    That's great you've dropped the weight already - wow and lighter than before your birthday? I guess in the 9 days since I went away I've only had 2 within calorie limit, so I've eaten tons for 7 days...which could take the 3-4 weeks to shift which is fine although like most have dreaded work do's...

    I'm trying not to stress...I wouldn't care about the scales if I could fit into those bloomong jeans...but the fact I can't even gt them on?!. wow!

    Thanks all :)
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Options
    That's the big issue I found with low carb - how quickly it pings back and more when you stop being so strict

  • twinkleboobee
    twinkleboobee Posts: 33 Member
    Options
    Should I be able to ping it back again in 4 weeks? :S
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
    Options
    Life happens and it's going to happen again. Drink tons of water to reduce any water retention and jump back on the band wagon.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    You're probably mostly just retaining water. Eating more carbs than normal generally results in bloating, and since you were doing low carb and then had a super high carb weekend I'm betting that's all it is. Personally I don't drink alcohol often so when I do I'm usually up 2-3 lbs for up to a week afterward. Be patient, drink lots of water, and it should go back down in a week or two of eating normally.
  • NextPage
    NextPage Posts: 609 Member
    Options
    I think this is just about overeating rather than something specific to low carbing. Everyone who does one of those all inclusive style vacations tends to come back thinking OMG. I have never done low carb and it happens to me every time (sometimes worse than others). I have learned to wait a few days after normal healthy light eating and no alcohol to weigh myself to see what I really gained. The first few days is for getting rid of bloat/retention rather than real lbs. This article from women's health explains things well:http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/one-day-weight-gain
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Options
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    That's the big issue I found with low carb - how quickly it pings back and more when you stop being so strict

    yuup, and based on OP's reaction, this is one of the main reasons why I'll advise someone that if they want to embark on a LC diet to help them lose weight, then it's something they need to maintain for life.

    I do find that caffeinated tea helps whenN I'm bloated, which is why I was making some and totally forgot to go put the tea in my water, oops.
  • twinkleboobee
    twinkleboobee Posts: 33 Member
    Options
    Hi all thanks for your reply.'s

    To ana3067, I've been doing LC for over 2 years now, but rarely do I go on weekends away and have only had one 1 week holiday this year. For each of the 3 holidays All inclusive I've been on in the past 2 yrs and last weeks very long weekend...I've said 'stick to vodka n diet coke and eat as you would at home' - then you see the buffet and think 'oh, i'll have 1 chip, and a tiny dessert...' - anyway, that's out of the window with 1 taste!

    to NextPage, so true, LC or not, if I'm going to stuff my face like there is no tomorrow for days on end then I'm going to put the weight on, wherever it wants to go! Thanks for the article I will take a look :)

    to Lifting4Lis - oh yep I agree! And i'd rather be alive and going through this than not, life is life and it does happen time and again!. I was obese in my early 20s, 36 now and generally have maintained for 3-4 yrs, but these AI hotels are a nightmare! But all good fun and everyone had a great time so I must remember that!

    to iLiftHeavyAcrylics - I hope it's mostly water! I've not weighed myself and not going to bother, my jeans don't fit and that is that, so whether a 1lb up or 10lb, its my clothes that count. I've devised a 2 week very strict eating plan and exercise to hopefully reverse 75% of the damage.

    Cheers everyone!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    twinkleboobee wrote: »
    Hi all thanks for your reply.'s


    to iLiftHeavyAcrylics - I hope it's mostly water! I've not weighed myself and not going to bother, my jeans don't fit and that is that, so whether a 1lb up or 10lb, its my clothes that count. I've devised a 2 week very strict eating plan and exercise to hopefully reverse 75% of the damage.

    Cheers everyone!

    It translates to about an inch around each thigh and an inch around the butt for me. I used to see a lot bigger measurement changes when I was bigger overall, but I seem to retain less water now that I'm smaller. I suppose that makes sense.
  • twinkleboobee
    twinkleboobee Posts: 33 Member
    Options
    Yes that does make sense thanks ILiftHeavy - I hope its an inch for me too as will explain the dramatic differences, what seems over a dress size! can tell you something...don't think I'll gorge again on holiday...I think!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    Put on your favorite, forgiving sweats, go for a long walk, and drink lots of water. Eat healthy tmw and moving forward. You got this.
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
    Options
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics wrote: »
    You're probably mostly just retaining water. Eating more carbs than normal generally results in bloating, and since you were doing low carb and then had a super high carb weekend I'm betting that's all it is. Personally I don't drink alcohol often so when I do I'm usually up 2-3 lbs for up to a week afterward. Be patient, drink lots of water, and it should go back down in a week or two of eating normally.

    Yep yep yep. I had some champagne and hard cider Thursday, the scale is 3lbs. up. It's just waterweight, be patient.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited November 2014
    Options
    ana3067 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    That's the big issue I found with low carb - how quickly it pings back and more when you stop being so strict

    yuup, and based on OP's reaction, this is one of the main reasons why I'll advise someone that if they want to embark on a LC diet to help them lose weight, then it's something they need to maintain for life.

    I do find that caffeinated tea helps whenN I'm bloated, which is why I was making some and totally forgot to go put the tea in my water, oops.
    There are hundreds of posts here from SAD eaters who feel just as she does, if not worse, today. She re-gained some water, and maybe a bit of weight. meh. She'll lose it. It's not the end of the world, nor her diet.
    Acrylic got it right.
    And it's not a harbinger of low carb eating woes, either.
    If it was a temporary Atkins water loss, it's a temporary gain.

    signed: not low carb, but I get it.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Options
    Get back on the wagon now.
  • twinkleboobee
    twinkleboobee Posts: 33 Member
    Options
    Hi SLLRunner - Oh I have don't you worry! No pain no gain...I got myself in the little mess and will get myself out of it...

    Hi Sabine_Stroehm....I bet there are lots of eaters like me posting here...I've done a little research. Hopefully the weight will come off over 4 weeks (hardest time of year with bday celebrations too). I need to also remember I'm 4 stone + lighter than 15 yrs ago and its harder when mid thirties onwards so I do need to stop giving myself a hard time and work out why I gorged like I was not going to eat for the rest of 2014....

    Hi Otterluv...4 days of drinking and 6-7 days eating means you can times you 3lb by about 3 and I hope then only 3lb of fat is that! Patience is the best thing I agree, I know this! I could just really kick myself sometimes.....

    Cheers all! :D
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    twinkleboobee wrote: »
    Hi SLLRunner - Oh I have don't you worry! No pain no gain...I got myself in the little mess and will get myself out of it...

    Hi Sabine_Stroehm....I bet there are lots of eaters like me posting here...I've done a little research. Hopefully the weight will come off over 4 weeks (hardest time of year with bday celebrations too). I need to also remember I'm 4 stone + lighter than 15 yrs ago and its harder when mid thirties onwards so I do need to stop giving myself a hard time and work out why I gorged like I was not going to eat for the rest of 2014....

    Hi Otterluv...4 days of drinking and 6-7 days eating means you can times you 3lb by about 3 and I hope then only 3lb of fat is that! Patience is the best thing I agree, I know this! I could just really kick myself sometimes.....

    Cheers all! :D
    4Stone???! Good for you! You got this for sure!
  • twinkleboobee
    twinkleboobee Posts: 33 Member
    Options
    Thanks Sabine, it probably took a good 10 yrs to realise I was actually rather over weight! I can't imagine being that big now as have been an 8-10 (and sometimes squeeze into a 6 ;) ) for 2-3 yrs and before that was a 12-14 but still slim compared to when I was 21!. I think I'm just annoyed as it's so near Xmas...and not a great time to try and reverse holiday damage! But I'll do it...and determined :)

Categories