Gained 5 pounds after an epic hike?

Tiznonay
Tiznonay Posts: 124 Member
edited November 17 in Motivation and Support
I don't get it. I was doing so good. Ample cardio 5 nights week. 12-1500 well-planned calories a day. I was dropping a steady 2 pounds a week...

Then the other day I went to the Grand Canyon with some friends. We hiked a very long ways. Over 30k steps on my fitbit. I ate about 2000 calories in food that day, plus a TON of water. And then ended the night with about 4 beers.

The following day I returned home to San Diego and discovered I had gained 5 whole pounds! I can't believe on a day where I hiked away thousands of calories that I somehow gained so much. Was it really just because of the beers? I don't drink very often.

That weigh in was yesterday, and even today I'm still up about 4.5 lbs from where I was before my trip. What did I do wrong?

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Which beer? Makes a difference in how I answer. Lol
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Was the food higher sodium or higher carb? Combine that with extra water and you are just retaining water.

    Side note: 1200 calories is not enough for a man, so you should seriously consider actually hitting your calorie goal rather than under eating.
  • Tiznonay
    Tiznonay Posts: 124 Member
    edited April 2017
    Cheap beer. Believe they were Michelob's - not the Light kind
  • Tiznonay
    Tiznonay Posts: 124 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Was the food higher sodium or higher carb? Combine that with extra water and you are just retaining water.

    Yeah, there was some trail mix and a 6" subway turkey. Probably plenty of sodium. Hopefully in a few days it will balance out. If anything, I feel more dried out than usual. But I figured that's just the desert air. I'm a beach guy
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    I assume you don't do hikes like that every day. That increase in activity along with the foods that were likely high in sodium have resulted in water weight gain. It is not fat, as even including the beers it would not have been enough calories to put on 5 pounds of fat.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Tiznonay wrote: »
    Cheap beer. Believe they were Michelob's - not the Light kind

    And you say you are from San Diego. Hangs head in shame. Lol

    Sodium and water in your muscles for repair. I guarantee you it will disappear in about a week.

    How was the hike? It's on my bucket list, rim to rim.
  • Tiznonay
    Tiznonay Posts: 124 Member
    Tiznonay wrote: »
    Cheap beer. Believe they were Michelob's - not the Light kind

    And you say you are from San Diego. Hangs head in shame. Lol

    Sodium and water in your muscles for repair. I guarantee you it will disappear in about a week.

    How was the hike? It's on my bucket list, rim to rim.

    I know - kind of embarrassing to admit to Michelobs, haha. That's good though, I figured it had to be some sort of water retention. Time to get back to my normal routine and drop it back off!

    And the hike was amazing! We stayed along the south rim, but hiked off the main path to the less-crowded areas. It was so much more lush than I'd ever seen it before. Got some amazing pictures!
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Tiznonay wrote: »
    Tiznonay wrote: »
    Cheap beer. Believe they were Michelob's - not the Light kind

    And you say you are from San Diego. Hangs head in shame. Lol

    Sodium and water in your muscles for repair. I guarantee you it will disappear in about a week.

    How was the hike? It's on my bucket list, rim to rim.

    I know - kind of embarrassing to admit to Michelobs, haha. That's good though, I figured it had to be some sort of water retention. Time to get back to my normal routine and drop it back off!

    And the hike was amazing! We stayed along the south rim, but hiked off the main path to the less-crowded areas. It was so much more lush than I'd ever seen it before. Got some amazing pictures!

    Post some pics if you can. All the water we received over winter has made for some beautiful foliage here in the southwest.

    It sounds amazing.
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  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Jelly! Thanks. So much green!


    Have you hiked Zion?
  • Tiznonay
    Tiznonay Posts: 124 Member
    Have you hiked Zion?

    No, but I've always wanted to!

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    Tiznonay wrote: »
    I don't get it. I was doing so good. Ample cardio 5 nights week. 12-1500 well-planned calories a day. I was dropping a steady 2 pounds a week...

    Then the other day I went to the Grand Canyon with some friends. We hiked a very long ways. Over 30k steps on my fitbit. I ate about 2000 calories in food that day, plus a TON of water. And then ended the night with about 4 beers.

    The following day I returned home to San Diego and discovered I had gained 5 whole pounds! I can't believe on a day where I hiked away thousands of calories that I somehow gained so much. Was it really just because of the beers? I don't drink very often.

    That weigh in was yesterday, and even today I'm still up about 4.5 lbs from where I was before my trip. What did I do wrong?

    It's just water retention.

    When I exercise a lot on a weekend, I'll gain 1-2 kg .... and then on Wednesday I wear a path in the carpet to the toilet, and Thursday it's gone.

    Happens just about every weekend for me.
  • Myzzlone
    Myzzlone Posts: 34 Member
    Likely just water weight from the shock on your body. In another week it'll probably return to normal
  • sofchak
    sofchak Posts: 862 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Tiznonay wrote: »
    I don't get it. I was doing so good. Ample cardio 5 nights week. 12-1500 well-planned calories a day. I was dropping a steady 2 pounds a week...

    Then the other day I went to the Grand Canyon with some friends. We hiked a very long ways. Over 30k steps on my fitbit. I ate about 2000 calories in food that day, plus a TON of water. And then ended the night with about 4 beers.

    The following day I returned home to San Diego and discovered I had gained 5 whole pounds! I can't believe on a day where I hiked away thousands of calories that I somehow gained so much. Was it really just because of the beers? I don't drink very often.

    That weigh in was yesterday, and even today I'm still up about 4.5 lbs from where I was before my trip. What did I do wrong?

    It's just water retention.

    When I exercise a lot on a weekend, I'll gain 1-2 kg .... and then on Wednesday I wear a path in the carpet to the toilet, and Thursday it's gone.

    Happens just about every weekend for me.

    QFT - my life while marathon training. Every weekend after a long run leaves me with a weight gain on Monday morning regardless of how much/little I eat or what my macros were on Sat/Sun.

This discussion has been closed.