Stopped gym: Lost weight. How is that possible?

eeebee
eeebee Posts: 471 Member
edited October 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
As I mentioned in previous post, I hadnt been to gym for 3 weeks. I went on holiday for much of this time and actually drank a LOT of beer and wine, ate many cheese pies and generally indulged quite a lot.

So how on earth did I come back noticeably thinner than I was before I left?

It baffles me. Any theories?

Replies

  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
    see, i try not to question things like that too much..my body might not notice, and if it does, it will get that gain back..LoL ;) awesome job:drinker:
  • chubbychristianchick
    chubbychristianchick Posts: 217 Member
    Were you walking a lot? I just came back from a trip and although I ate light a hog and had a slight gain I was down inches... I had walked well over 3miles a day.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
    My guess is you had your calories too low and weren't eating back your exercise either so you were probably in starvation mode. Your body is working again because it has some fuel.
  • fitaliciag
    fitaliciag Posts: 373
    I went on vacation for 8 days about 3 months ago and lost 7 pounds! that's right 7!!!! i wasn't working out, or eating right. so weird. I WISH i knew why this happens. so i can keep doing it!!!
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
    I walked a fair bit (I guess walking on sand is pretty helpful for weight loss) but I drank beer thorughout the day and smoked!

    If only this diet was a feasible way to lose weight steadily, I'd be laughing!

    ONE CAN BUT DREAM.
  • Bridget28152723
    Bridget28152723 Posts: 372 Member
    Last Year I was stuck on a Plateau , I went up north on a road trip to visit my Mom . I kinda "went off" my usual eating habits because I wasnt "counting" calories but still being moderate. I ate some fried foods , meat (which at home was eating meat) and even had some cheesecake! Being on the road its hard to eat healthy too. The one difference was...I was going to bed at a decent time and sleeping all night, at home i wasnt! I wasnt working out either beside walking- when I got home I lost 3 lbs. So maybe you stopped building muscle and the food and alcohol you drank wasn' t that bad , sometimes a different atmoshere helps . Somehow everytime I visit my mom I lose at least 2 pounds , I think its time to go to Pittsburgh! I know exactly what your talkin about though when I take a break thats when I lose ....sometimes
  • lawkat
    lawkat Posts: 538 Member
    You probably ended up losing muscle mass.

    There is also the theory that being away from the stress of daily life, your body makes less cortisol and you can lose weight.
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
    Not only did I weigh less but I had lost weight around my stomach, on my face and neck and my thighs....perhaps it is the fact you do from time to time hit plateaus and you need to trick your body into losing weight again.

    I love that theory about being away from the stress of daily life. If only we could all be on holiday 24/7 eating what we like and not slogging it out at the gym all the time but actually lose weight. What a beautiful thought.
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    I didn't work out for 3 weeks, but continued to eat within my calorie goal. I broke my plateau and am down 6# from the last time I worked out. I started working out again and have been back to losing about 1-1.5 lbs/week. I guess my body needed a rest? I also went down another Jean size
  • TateFTW
    TateFTW Posts: 658 Member
    First off, you didn't lose muscle mass.

    There are literally dozens and dozens of reasons why you may have lost weight during your vacation. First off, drinking that much may have flushed out some water weight because alchohol is a diuretic. Also, things like changes in salt intake can have an effect.

    Sometimes just switching up what you eat can have a huge affect on weight loss, because you may be developing sensativities to certain foods your normally eat. Many times while on a diet we tend to eat just a few foods over and over. When you do this your body starts to react differently to the foods, sometimes in a negative way.

    Things like walking more can certainly have an effect, and yes, walking in sand burns a TON of calories.

    Just get back to what you were doing and don't worry about it. There are so many possibilities that you probably won't ever really figure out why it happened.
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
    First off, you didn't lose muscle mass.

    There are literally dozens and dozens of reasons why you may have lost weight during your vacation. First off, drinking that much may have flushed out some water weight because alchohol is a diuretic. Also, things like changes in salt intake can have an effect.

    Sometimes just switching up what you eat can have a huge affect on weight loss, because you may be developing sensativities to certain foods your normally eat. Many times while on a diet we tend to eat just a few foods over and over. When you do this your body starts to react differently to the foods, sometimes in a negative way.

    Things like walking more can certainly have an effect, and yes, walking in sand burns a TON of calories.

    Just get back to what you were doing and don't worry about it. There are so many possibilities that you probably won't ever really figure out why it happened.

    You know what, you are probably right about the changing of the foods you consume as your body will start getting used to the same foods if you over-eat them over a period of time. The diuretic part - I am not so sure of because isn't alcohol one of the main things that can cause water retention? If I am wrong, which I certainly hope I am, then I'm having a beer tonight :)

    Thanks for the advice all.
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