Vacation Gain??????

[trouble]

Why is that you go away for a couple of days and bring all your own food and drink all your water and you still manage to gain 4lbs??????????????????????

[Desertthorn]

Re: Vacation Gain??????

Oh dear, thats horrible. I don't know the answer but it could be just water retention. Did you go someplace hot or cooler. Did you eat more salty foods?

[wetntacky]

Re: Vacation Gain??????

Yes, going on vacation is rough on this WOE for sure. I know this is a "by the book forum" but I have to comment on my recent vacation as it has been typical of all of my vacations since I started doing Atkins. I have been very successful using my own modifications and adaptations to this diet as my blood numbers have all came back into normal ranges. I have to note my Triglyeride level was dangersously high at 1150 and now I am at 290, still a very nice improvement but still considered high.

2 weeks ago I went on vacation for 10 days and although I try to eat as low carb as I can for alteast 2 meals but atleast 1 meal is way off plan. I normally gain 5-7 lbs during these excursions, usually twice a year as I also fall off my normal exercise plan as well. I try to get in my daily water alotment but other than lots of walking.

My typical daily vacation diet consisted of:

Breakfast Daily:
3 eggs fried or scramble with 4 slices of bacon
2 cups of coffe with Caffeine (the leaded stuff does not bring on any cravings) my philosphy on decaf is why bother!

Lunch Daily:
Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad at McDonalds with my own Carb Options Italian Dressing
1 Double Hamburger
Diet Coke

Dinner:
This will scare some of you but if your gonna cheat, you have to do it right or it just ain't right!

Just some examples of how my cheats went

Meal at Sonic consisting of 2 extra long Coney Dogs with cheese and onions, Large French fries, Diet Coke and Strawberry Smoothie with all the sugar, boy that was good! During the evening, 3 Budweiser's

Snack: Slice of Pepparoni Pizza

Meal at a BBQ your own steak house
20 oz filet (please note I did not all of it, saved the rest for a snack later that evening)
Jumbo Backed Potatoe with extra Sour Cream and Butter.
Baked Beans, Sautead Mushrooms
Garlic Bread
2 Vodka 7's with real 7up
Desert Blackberry Cobler with homemade Vannilla Icecream (oh man that was SWEET!)

That is just a sample of how the vaction cheats went as those were the Best!

I know by saying this I am about to be chastised for admitting this but I thought I would share with you on how a person with a very tollerant metabolism can fall off plan get right back on when the vacation is over.

The thing is my extra weight is always lost within 5 days upon my return by resuming a very modifed induction plan and hitting the gym a tiny bit harder the following week. I know most can't get away with this but vacation is meant for living a little. We all know most people here CANT do this and I am in no way advocating cheating while on vacation. I just wanted to share my recent experience.

Yes, I have read all of the good Dr. A's books and many studies listed in the books and am a firm believer this WOE works! The problem is the general public is so ill informed. My Dr. was anti Atkins and I have made him a believer just out my improvements. At first he would not listen so I showed him what well designed low carb program that includes lots of exericise can do! proper well designed lo

[Maerow]

Re: Vacation Gain??????

I went on vacation too, honestly I think there is alot of factors involved. How much did you eat, did you drink more diet sodas, did you move around more or less, etc etc. Some of that I am sure was water weight.

For me, I embrace the challenge of eating out and staying on plan. :P The only time I cheated on my vacation was when I ordered a caeser salad with chicken and the darned chicken had BREADING on it! It cost over $10 from the vancouver aquarium and there was NO WAY I wasn't going to eat it.

The other was when my BF and I made food for his parents, and I had a very small piece of sweet and sour pork, it had a bit of breading on it, I wanted to see how it turned out.

But the rest of the time I was on plan, and I lost a lb.

The main thing is, if you do fall off the wagon, make sure to get back on. Let me tell you, it feels way better and you have more fun on your vacation when you feel proud of yourself for staying on plan. Even if you don't lose, you haven't set yourself back for a week and you aren't kicking yourself for a period of time that should be relaxing and full of good memories.

[Lisa M]

Re: Vacation Gain??????

Why is that you go away for a couple of days and bring all your own food and drink all your water and you still manage to gain 4lbs??????????????????????

Sorry to say, sometimes just being out of your environment, or PMS. Stay the course, drink your water, and pour on the exercise. It'll be gone in no time flat

[boonie stomper]

Re: Vacation Gain??????

You know how when you start induction, your body sheds a lot of water going from glycolysis into ketosis? The opposite happens when you switch back! Those cheat meals, whether you brought them from home or not, flipped the switch, with a huge load of carbs. You would have to take in ~14,000 calories more than your body used in that couple of days to gain 4 lbs. of fat, so rest assured, when you get back on the wagon, that water weight will fall back off.