After the Vacation - Surprising Results

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I reached my maintenance goal just before I left for a 10 day vacation. (5"10 and 146 lbs). I didn't log for 10 days, ate bread and pizza and desserts. I did exercise a lot during my vacation. I didn't gain any weight! In fact I am now down another 2 lbs. I was terrified I would gain everything back - key is to stay active and then get right back on track. Nice to have a break from logging and obsessing. Maybe my body needed the extra cals.

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  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    Good job! :smile: It certainly is great to see that theres no need to obsess over every calorie especially if we're being active :smile:
  • HippySkoppy
    HippySkoppy Posts: 725 Member
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    What an awesome result!!

    You have obviously learnt a lot about your body, how to eat and to stay active sounds like you have all your bases covered. Well done and I hope you had a wonderful holiday. <3
  • bruhaha007
    bruhaha007 Posts: 333 Member
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    Great job! Maybe your body is burning more calories now based on your lifestyle. Regardless of why or how that is terrific!
  • bisky
    bisky Posts: 1,027 Member
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    That is awesome. I went on vacation and brought my go to snacks: Apples and low fat cheese balls. More than once did they save me. I was the same weight day we returned but then down 2.5 lbs this week...which is a lot for this turtle! I hiked and walked everyday.
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
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    Schenjena wrote: »
    I reached my maintenance goal just before I left for a 10 day vacation. (5"10 and 146 lbs). I didn't log for 10 days, ate bread and pizza and desserts. I did exercise a lot during my vacation. I didn't gain any weight! In fact I am now down another 2 lbs. I was terrified I would gain everything back - key is to stay active and then get right back on track. Nice to have a break from logging and obsessing. Maybe my body needed the extra cals.

    It seems that during your weight loss effort you have learned a thing or two about your caloric needs and how to meet, and not exceed, them. Should go a long way in helping you maintain your weight loss at, or near, your goal weight. Congratulations.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,487 Member
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    Great job. It is amazing how active we can be on vacation without having to exercise.
    I always come home heavier by 3-5 lbs but after the initial panic, I realised it was just water weight (peed it all away within the week), and haven't worried since.

    Cheers, h.
  • annelawrence357
    annelawrence357 Posts: 4 Member
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    I'm so glad to read about your success. in a few days I leave for a short cruise, and plan to work out daily and eat sensibly (taking my own skinny mixers for my adult beverages!) Thanks for the encouragement!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I still hope it's going to happen to me... but nope. I always gain, and that's while restricting myself too...
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    I think people put a lot of undo stress on themselves with vacations and eating, etc...I have never gained any actual (fat) weight on vacation...scale weight, yes...usually from airplane bloat as well as eating out more and having more sodium than usual. It's gone within a few days at most. IMO, most people are just freaking out about water weight when they get back from vacation...it's kind of ridiculous.

  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I think people put a lot of undo stress on themselves with vacations and eating, etc...I have never gained any actual (fat) weight on vacation...scale weight, yes...usually from airplane bloat as well as eating out more and having more sodium than usual. It's gone within a few days at most. IMO, most people are just freaking out about water weight when they get back from vacation...it's kind of ridiculous.

    Agreed.

    To truly gain weight, you'd need to eat more than you burn. But most people see a gain on the scale and get upset even though it's more likely to be from extra sodium than real fat gain.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I think people put a lot of undo stress on themselves with vacations and eating, etc...I have never gained any actual (fat) weight on vacation...scale weight, yes...usually from airplane bloat as well as eating out more and having more sodium than usual. It's gone within a few days at most. IMO, most people are just freaking out about water weight when they get back from vacation...it's kind of ridiculous.

    Agreed.

    To truly gain weight, you'd need to eat more than you burn. But most people see a gain on the scale and get upset even though it's more likely to be from extra sodium than real fat gain.

    I agree. Or they freak out before vacation wondering what to eat or not to eat. It's a doggone vacation time to relax and give your mind and body a break.

    I always workout on vacation anyway and with all the sightseeing I pretty much maintain anyway. I darn sure am not worrying about what I eat or drink on vacation.

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I think people put a lot of undo stress on themselves with vacations and eating, etc...I have never gained any actual (fat) weight on vacation...scale weight, yes...usually from airplane bloat as well as eating out more and having more sodium than usual. It's gone within a few days at most. IMO, most people are just freaking out about water weight when they get back from vacation...it's kind of ridiculous.

    Not my experience at all, lol. It always takes me a month to lose vacation weight (I lose it all but 2 pounds within a week, typically). And as I said, I try to stay active and still watch what I eat (my last vacations I stuck to my goal half the time, was 1000 over twice, and 200-300 over the rest of the time).

    My guess is that people who don't gain weight on vacation are people who are eating at the lower end of their maintenance calories, so eating a bit over for a week doesn't make much of a difference. For people who are regularly pushing their calories a bit so they can eat as much as possible, going over that = gain.
  • thereplay
    thereplay Posts: 6 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Im the same way, I find i use so much more energy on vacation that I come back weighing less than what I left.

    Ive come to just accept this, that over the 7-10 day vacation I will be doing so much walking seeing everythin, so much swimming, so much baking in the sun, etc...

    Add to the fact that while I am on vacation, my mind doesnt dwell on food and meals.

    Then again, I am not a big drinker, and I know a lot of people who really let loose on vacation. Im not sure if that is the norm for everyone, but if I have multiple drinks two nights out of the 10 days i stay, its a lot.