I'm freaked out! How much weight can one GAIN on a week long vacation?!...

mariesofi4108
mariesofi4108 Posts: 31 Member
edited November 19 in Motivation and Support
went on vacation, ran 5 miles a day while walking another 5 miles on average for a week. Was super pumped before vacation and had broken a weight losss plateau! I ate fine the first couple of days but fell off the wagon and ate upward of 2000 calories a day when I try to stay between 1300 and 1600. Kicking myself right now and so anxious to step on the scale when I get home!! I had been on a roll and now I'm sad my progress from the past month was lost in a week since I gain weight SUPER easily. For a week, will I have gained a pound or two?

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,421 Member
    Maybe. Maybe not.

    If you are flying, expect a couple pounds just from that. Every time I go on vacation I eat way over my goal and if I am up on the scale, it drops off within a week.

    Stop stressin'! Stress raises cortisol which is a factor in over-eating. Stahp.
  • mariesofi4108
    mariesofi4108 Posts: 31 Member
    edited June 2017
    Thanks! Any advice on getting back on track and keep up motivation?
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    I put on about 18lb in a week on honeymoon. But I wasn't running every day, and spent a lot of time eating restaurant food and lots of wine! I lost most of it in the week after we got home as it was mainly water retention.
  • mariesofi4108
    mariesofi4108 Posts: 31 Member
    edited June 2017
    Wow! why so much water retention after a vacation?
  • mariesofi4108
    mariesofi4108 Posts: 31 Member
    edited June 2017
    After weighing myself on a gas station scale in the evening (ya, I'm that curious to know my weight haha) I weighed in at 130, and my lowest weight has been 125.5 lbs... also, I know that's not completely accurate due to the time of day, food I've eaten, clothes, etc.
  • emd2570
    emd2570 Posts: 126 Member
    I gained 17 lbs - however it was mostly water from high sodium from eating out almost every day - I lost it in about 2 weeks
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    mariesofi4108 wrote: »
    Wow! why so much water retention after a vacation?

    Had nothing to do with vacation, but everything to do what and how much I was eating.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    @mariesofi4108 With that amount of running and walking, I doubt you gained any extra weight. Not much point all of us guessing. Just pluck up the courage to get on the scale and check.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    mariesofi4108 wrote: »
    After weighing myself on a gas station scale in the evening (ya, I'm that curious to know my weight haha) I weighed in at 130, and my lowest weight has been 125.5 lbs... also, I know that's not completely accurate due to the time of day, food I've eaten, clothes, etc.

    Weighing yourself on a scale that isn't your normal scale isn't going to be overly helpful. Scales aren't likely to be consistent, so by using a different scale you're just adding another variable to the equation
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    I lost 5 pounds and wife gained 5. ;)
  • R1rainbows
    R1rainbows Posts: 129 Member
    I gained 10 pounds when I went home to California for vacation lol... it was only 9 days.. but there's no food like food from home, know what I mean!? I wanted to fully enjoy my vacation, and when I returned I went right back on my little lifting and calorie counting program and burned it all away again in just under a month. Yes, it was totally worth it!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    kamamakai wrote: »
    This thread couldn't be more timely. I am on Day 9 of an 11 Day Hawaiian vacation, and had to be weighed to go zip lining yesterday. Good news: I am well within the weight limit to even GO zip lining!! And it was awesome. Bad news: With shoes, clothes, and in weighing at the end of the day instead of first thing, I gained 12 pounds. Ay yi yi. Am trying to be rational about this, but after losing 150 pounds, it totally freaks me out. Now I realize how very, very badly I want to keep this weight off. I'm much more active here, but also am eating more, I can't lie ... in particular high sodium food. So, we'll see what happens in the next 2 weeks after I return home. I'm counting on this being a temporary bump. I really don't want to go back to old habits and think ... oh, what's the use. All about moderation and long-term thinking, amiright? Thank you for posting everyone. This is why I love MFP.

    10 lbs could easily be clothes shoes, and day end effect. And a Different scale. Great that it motivated you! You'll be fine when you get home.
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    edited June 2017
    A holiday is not easy as it is breaking new habits. Personally I have lawyers teens it as maintenance trial time. SO I purposely go maintenance and am over the moon if I am within 1kg of starting weight
    For most holidays I fly (also on business trips) and one thing I have learned is that because of the act of flying and because in-flight food is often more salty I retain a lot of water. So I always skip at least one (preferably 2) days before a weigh in after a flight. Saves me a lot of worries and stuff
  • mariesofi4108
    mariesofi4108 Posts: 31 Member
    edited June 2017
    Grrr we drove back home, and my weight is up 4 pounds. Tips on getting rid of the water weight? (Since some of it MUST be fat) :p
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    mariesofi4108 wrote: »
    Grrr we drove back home, and my weight is up 4 pounds

    No point stressing about it. The increased cortisol will probably make you hold on to it longer...
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    mariesofi4108 wrote: »
    Grrr we drove back home, and my weight is up 4 pounds. Tips on getting rid of the water weight? (Since some of it MUST be fat) :p

    Why must some of it be fat? It doesn't sound to me like you were eating over maintenance. Give it a week- assuming your diet is back to normal, the water weight will fall off on it's own. No need to take extra steps. You really need to relax :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    The weight most people put on during a vacation is water and more inherent waste in your system...

    Just do the math...
  • sosteach
    sosteach Posts: 260 Member
    I gained 2 pounds but it was gone in a few days. Enjoy your vacation.
  • laurenebargar
    laurenebargar Posts: 3,081 Member
    I wouldnt worry about it so much, you were active on your vacation and its mainly if not all water weight
  • DaniG_1987
    DaniG_1987 Posts: 40 Member
    mariesofi4108 wrote: »
    Grrr we drove back home, and my weight is up 4 pounds. Tips on getting rid of the water weight? (Since some of it MUST be fat) :p

    Drink a lot of water and stick to your calorie goal set by MFP. You probably consumed a lot more salt while on vacation if you were eating things that you did not make at your house. Most restaurants put a lot of salt in their food and it can cause you to balloon up, even to 4 pounds. Give it a few days of lots of water and following what you were doing before and it should drop in no time.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    mariesofi4108 wrote: »
    Wow! why so much water retention after a vacation?

    A few reasons:

    1. People tend to eat out more, which typically means quite a bit more sodium. Increased sodium almost always = increased water retention.

    2. People tend to eat more carbs (often because of eating out and/or a celebration or just not being as strict). More carbs typically = increased water retention.

    3. Often, people simply eat more while on vacation. This means more waste product waiting to exit the body.

    Also, as has been mentioned, if you've been flying, that tends to make people retain water.
  • laurenebargar
    laurenebargar Posts: 3,081 Member
    Also just to keep in mind, If I eat pizza, I hold onto to water weight for at least 4 days, but then it all drops off, yours will too.
  • mariesofi4108
    mariesofi4108 Posts: 31 Member
    Thanks everyone! I went down to 128 lbs today so I'm super relieved
  • CathReese33
    CathReese33 Posts: 112 Member
    My weight fluctuates +/- 10lb in water really quickly. Also just before a vacation we can cut calories too low in a mad panic to be bikini ready. Thus when you resume eating normally, that rapid loss can sometime be regained just a quickly (in my personal experience).
    Just draw a line under it, having enjoyed a lovely holiday and get back to your regular programme. It will continue to shift in the right direction.
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