what did I DO :(

hi all. the past few days (specifically-sunday, monday, tuesday, and yesterday) I had cheat days. all four of those days. I had gone on a mini vacation with family, and didn’t do much moving around any of these days besides sunday, probably only burned 300-400 cals but exercise and then whatever I burn just by living. the difference between these cheat days and others, besides the fact it was 4 whole days, is that I was eating a *kitten* ton more calories than usual. i’m talking like 3k a day .... maybe more? on each of these days. this is mainly because, instead of consuming real or healthier foods in large quantities, I was mainly only eating extremely unhealthy SNACKS and large amounts of them. that’s mainly how the calories racked up, but i was also just eating a lot of food as well. so today i’m back to my regular diet (i aim for 1500 cals consumed a day) and exercise but while I understand I 100% gained a few pounds, christ, I didn’t expect it to be this VISIBLE? I was too scared to check out the scale (I hadn’t seen it since before I left for vaca) but I knew I needed to just to compare what it’ll be a few days or a week from now. but, again, looking in the mirror , it is visible, i swear. I don’t know many many pounds, obviously-or realistically- even if I ate 3500 calories on each of those days the MOST gained could be what 3-4 pounds? well, before I left, I was at 137. now, today i’m back right? ok, scale says 149. 4 days - well obviously I over did it, especially for someone trying to lose weight. but 4 days- almost 13 pounds up on the scale, and I can SEE gain in my legs mainly, but also arms a little, as well as stomach/hip area. like I said, I get a few pounds right. but how did 4 days, at most 4 lbs, leave me not only looking larger but also sending the scale up THAT much? I know a few lbs have to be water weight, and I expect to see that go away over the next week or so. but does that explain the visible gain? does +4 lbs change this much about a body? even though I did this to myself, I guess I just didn’t expect this much of a mess up. sorry for such a long post. not sure what to do or how to feel here.

Replies

  • solieco1
    solieco1 Posts: 1,559 Member
    For me salt and sugar puff me up like an oompa-loompa. The good news is it's gone in a few days. Hydrate and take a breath :) It'll fall right off.
  • bmeadows380
    bmeadows380 Posts: 2,981 Member
    edited August 2020
    also note that increased carb intake will also lead to more water retention as the body needs more water to process those carbs. So less activity + more food that is high in sodium and carbs = massive water weight gain.

    ESPECIALLY the fact that you are seeing/feeling it. Take a deep breath, get back on track, and give it a few days up to 2 or 3 weeks. Stick to your routine and it will come back off, I promise.

    I gained around 10 lbs when I took a vacation the week of the 10th, ending on the 16th. It took 10 days (until today) to get the water weight off.
  • ALZ14
    ALZ14 Posts: 202 Member
    What did you do? You enjoyed life, you enjoyed your family and you enjoyed food and beverages because you (like the rest of us) are human and are not machines.

    As others have said, this is almost all (possibly entirely) water retention and not actual fat. Pick yourself up and get back to your normal routine and you should be back to normal in a week or so.

    Don’t beat yourself up!!!!
  • ChickenKillerPuppy
    ChickenKillerPuppy Posts: 297 Member
    I did the same thing last month, but it was 7 days and I probably ate more than 3,000 a day bc alcohol too. I was up 4-5 pounds after getting home and getting back on track several days (I also didn’t weigh myself for a few days) but most came off in couple weeks, although it took 4-5 weeks to really get back to my lowest weight.

    There is NO way you gained fat - you know the science - it’s just impossible. it can just take a while for your body to return to normal. Be kind to yourself, get back into your habits, and see where you are in 3-4 weeks. If you weigh yourself every day you may want to switch to weekly for now so you can focus on your habits and not the scale.
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
    Don’t stress, I’m petite. 5”2 and under 120lbs. I can spike up 5lbs overnight from wine, cheese and additional carbs. Like you and others said a lot of it is water...glycogen from carbs can will make the scale go up. My 5lbs can take 3-5 days to come off.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Oh definitely sounds like a lot of water retention and that can DEFINITELY show up. Many competitive body builders go through extreme dehydration because of this.

    Also, don't forget gut bacteria probably also had a feast and produced extra waste (gas) which may contribute to slight bloating and visual size increase.

    Some small diet breaks can actually help kick off faster loss. So, don't feel bad about it at all. Gotta enjoy the vacations when they come!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,333 Member
    :lol: ^^ @cerad2
  • StevefromMichigan
    StevefromMichigan Posts: 462 Member
    I am guessing this is mostly due to sodium and water retention, and possibly additional content in your digestive system. I have always found that once I get back on track, things usually settle back down quickly after 3-4 days. Don't sweat it...just get back on the wagon.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    @springlering62 You ride on, girl! 👍🏻