Why am I thinnest right after I break diet?

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LauRoxx
LauRoxx Posts: 115 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This is something I've ALWAYS wondered but am finally getting around to asking. It doesn't matter what type of diet I do, the first three days after I take a break/quit dieting I am my absolute skinniest and toned!!
I just don't get it, maybe I'm just not retaining water for those days after I quit? idk, that answer just doesn't quite feel right... I really can't explain why but it never fails to happen.

Anyways, it'd be nice if someone could make at least an educated guess about this for me...
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  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    Because you're eating enough calories for your body to slim you down, and haven't hit such an overload of calories to gain weight back? This is my guess.
  • _Bob_
    _Bob_ Posts: 1,487 Member
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    Because you're eating enough calories for your body to slim you down, and haven't hit such an overload of calories to gain weight back? This is my guess.

    that would be my guess too
  • LauRoxx
    LauRoxx Posts: 115 Member
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    Because you're eating enough calories for your body to slim you down, and haven't hit such an overload of calories to gain weight back? This is my guess.

    but would that really have an effect in the first three days? After that, sure, but literally the DAY AFTER I stop dieting? I'm just really lost how it would happen that quick.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    Absolutely! It takes your body time to adjust, and if you're starving yourself, it takes a few days to bounce back from that.
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
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    Water weight whoosh
    As well, women, who have more problems with water retention, seem to have bigger issues with stalls and whooshes than men. Further, some individuals who have done dry carb-loads (high carbohydrate refeeds without drinking a lot of water) have seen them occur; presumably the body pulls water into the muscles and out of other tissues (fat cells). In lean individuals, appearance is often drastically improved with this approach, it doesn’t do much for those carrying a lot of fat.

    I’d note that dry carb-loads suck because you’re so damn thirsty. Interestingly, even normal refeeds often work in this regards, perhaps the hormonal effect ‘tells’ the body to chill out and release some water. So not only do refeeds seem to improve stubborn fat mobilization the next day (as discussed above), they may help the body drop some water so that you can see what is happening.

    Finally, many have reported whooshes following an evening which included alcohol. A mild diuretic, this would also tend to implicate water balance issues in the whoosh phenomenon.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
  • LethaSue
    LethaSue Posts: 285 Member
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    My best guess (theory) is when you break your diet is when you just feel like you can't do it anymore and that is about the same time as your body is working the hardest to dissolve that fat it has been holding onto. Like you feel as though you are starving and really have to fight it hard. So many times people can't stand it and will give in, but if we were reading our bodies, we would know we are at that point where; the payoff comes.
  • BondBomb
    BondBomb Posts: 1,781 Member
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    Maybe a sign you should increase your net calories for a bit and see what happens.
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    I agree with the increasing net calories. I eat over my calories often but I'm still losing.
  • LauRoxx
    LauRoxx Posts: 115 Member
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    Because you been in a calorie deficit. Which slows down thyroid function(slows down metabolism) then when you eat, you kick it back up, this adds to the calorie deficit you had. This is called calorie spiking, like a free day once a week.


    I think this was sorta the answer I was looking for. If I planned a free day once a week would it actually pay off in the long run, or just add excess calories in the long run? I don't want to slowly undo my dieting. I know friends who do a free day once a week and they look pretty amazing.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    The cheat day may be your best bet. Keep your body guessing how many calories it's going to get. Plus, you won't feel deprived while trying to lose weight!
  • LauRoxx
    LauRoxx Posts: 115 Member
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    So how extreme do you go when you take a break? Is it simply like 400 extra calories (or any number for that matter)? Or is it incorporating "banned" foods from your diet back in temporarily?

    This is where free days have kind of confused me.
  • JessieRichelle
    JessieRichelle Posts: 19 Member
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    The SAME THING happens to me. How strange!
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    I've found cheating one day a week is too often for me. Now, that could be a reflection of how MUCH I cheat on that one day LOL. I find one day every other week, with a max of 3 per month is a good number.

    I like the whooshing article. I have lost like 6 pounds in 5 days after losing at MOST half a pound a week for 5 weeks. Yay!
  • techigirl78
    techigirl78 Posts: 128 Member
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    Same thing was happening to me. Everytime I went over on calories for one to 3 days I would instantly lose weight. As a result, I upped my calories and the weight keeps coming off.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Or maybe you should have your caloric goal at .5 lbs per week if you haven't done so already. And then you can eat more every day.
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
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    The longer you go on a low calorie diet, the higher leptin gets, urging you to eat.

    I'm going to say this, against my better judgement. Unless I'm mistaken, your leptin levels do not increase on a low calorie diet. It's the opposite way around, Pu.
  • LauRoxx
    LauRoxx Posts: 115 Member
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    free once a week, unlimited amounts. Some people aren't comfortable with that, so they eat at maintenance calories on their free day. My opinion on this, is that, as people lose weight their maintaince calories would slowly decrease. so over time they will consume less calories slowing down thyroid function.

    Another part of the equation is a hormone called leptin. What leptin does it tries to make you maintain your weight. This is why people get hungry on low calorie diets, or binge. The longer you go on a low calorie diet, the higher leptin gets, urging you to eat. Usually resulting in a binge. A free day prevents this response, it satisfies leptin without putting on weight.

    I'm not really doing a low calorie diet at the moment tho, I just started doing South Beach and having a lot of trouble even reaching 1200 calories a day (and don't get me started on my deficit when I exercise). I'm not worried about cravings if I take a free day/meal, I guess I'm just moreso worried about everything else in the body that will happen when I reintroduce "bad carbs" and sugars momentarily in my diet.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    I'm guessing it's because you aren't eating enough on your diet.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
  • LauRoxx
    LauRoxx Posts: 115 Member
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    What i mean by "low calorie diet" is eating below maintenance calories. Well I am doing CKD(cylicic ketosis diet) this is 5 days of very low carb under 30 grams (i usually eat under 20) followed by 2 days of high carbs and one of those days is free day. you might gain some water weight temporarly, but it will come back down.

    Hmmm, I think I need to look into this bc I'm actually only hitting about 20g of carbs a day anyway.
  • xcrushx28
    xcrushx28 Posts: 182 Member
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    Possible sodium level difference (may be holding less water). Or holding more water and feeling tighter. More carbohydrates could also make you feel tighter if your depleted before taking the "break".

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