One month holiday in US - scared to get back on scales

[Plumers]

I can see this being the undoing of my weight loss.

Over the last 12 months I have very slowly lost 65
pounds naturally. I was feeling amazing and had got close to my goal weight. I loved fitting into my pre kid work outfits and not recoiling at my reflection in shop windows etc.

Anyway, my sister lives in America and we took the opportunity to do a once in a lifetime American road trip. I was good for a few days - eating eggs, fruit and chicken salads. But at one point I decided to fuck it. We ate out A LOT. We did long road trips where we would eat out at fast food places and then restaurants in the evening. I was eating massive piles of pancakes for breakfast when I had become accustomed to just eggs 😳. Plus ice creams/snacks during the day etc. I started having a few drinks also at night (stopped altogether when losing weight). I really could have controlled myself but I enjoyed trying all the new foods.

i looked up one of my dinners I had one night and it was 950 calories for a tomato based
seafood pasta with salad!

I have definitely gained weight. I can see it on my thighs, face and my love handles have somewhat come back.

I don’t know why I’m posting. I’m just really freaked out. Obviously not all is lost. I can still fit into my old work clothes but they are definitely tight around the arms and boob area

Should I just bite the bullet. It’s really hard to get back into sensible mode. I find myself getting a lot hungrier than I used to.

Any kindness / advice would be lovely as I’m really stressed and upset

Just do it! Call it the "cost" of a good holiday. Once you know the number, you can start working back towards the weight you felt more comfortable at.

Hi OP. I'm glad you said fuck it and enjoyed your holiday. It's up to you whether you weigh yourself or not. Will it upset you more to know?
I wouldn't say you've actually gained much fat. You're probably just bloated and retaining water. If you get back to your previous habits you'll feel much better in a week or two. Focus on eating and sleeping well, drinking your water and getting some movement in. You'll be back to yourself in no time!

I think if I saw my weight above a certain number it would cause me a lot of distress. I’m tempted just to try and be good for 2 or 3 weeks and then weigh myself.

im worried this is the beginning of the end re relapsing

Go and do it right now , otherwise you’ll stay in the mindset that you don’t need to revert back to diet. I bet it’s not as much as you think

If you were away for 4 weeks, I would go back to your normal eating routine for 4 weeks and weigh yourself after that. 4 weeks to put it on, 4 weeks to get it off?

Just weigh and pick a day to get back on it. Sure it will all be off in a few weeks

I’m a size 12 but this happens to me every year on holiday (often US or Canada!). I eat what I want to enjoy my holiday and sometimes for convenience because of being on the road/travelling and accept that I will put on a bit of weight and feel hungry when I get home.

I see it part of having a healthy relationship with food that I can chose to say “fuck it” whilst on holiday and then get back on track when I get home. My and DH always joke about having the post holiday munchies for the first week back as we adjust to our normal diet again and not the stack of pancakes for breakfast!!! I generally allow myself an additional snack for the first day or two but something like carrots and hummus and then wean myself off that too. Generally by the end of the first week at home we’re back to our normal diet and it takes another week or so to feel my normal size. Agree that some is water retention from all the salty food!

Progress isn’t linear- choosing to enjoy your holiday doesn’t mean you’ve failed, it just means you made a different choice for a few weeks and now you can chose to get back on track with your weightloss. I bet it will take less time than you expect and then you should take confidence in the fact that by choosing to get back on track, you are in control!

You don't need to weigh yourself. Just start making better choice with food again.

I was thinking of something like this. Might prevent any spiralling or me giving up

My advice is stay off the scales. Wear your most flattering loosest fitting clothes and get back to your pre holiday eating and excercise plan. Don't get back on the scales for a month, by which time you'll have lost a lot of your gain. And whatever you do, don't let this spoil the memory of a fantastic trip. You experienced that holiday to its fullest, enjoyed every mouthful, so no regrets.

The great thing about weighing the second you get back is that you see dramatic weight loss immediately. If you wait a week, there is still information you don’t like, but the loss is slower then and sadder. Because you don’t remember the pasta!

My advice, jump straight on, jump straight in. I did the same recently (for two weeks) and am fine now 2 months later. But the dramatic first week loss was cheering!

And remember, the number on the scale is just information. You know what’s happened, you know why. The number is just a number.

Oh my gosh yes! I can’t believe how hungry i get now. Maybe it’s chemical? The meals I used to eat just don’t seem to cut it right now. A big chicken salad and some sweet potato for lunch would see
me through until dinner pre holiday. But yesterday I ended up having to have a cheese sarnie on top.

I think I’ve just got a little used to constant indulging.

My husband said the exact same thing. I have to admit, seeing the number on the scale go down is the most motivating part for me. I think weighing myself regularly is the main reason I’ve been able to stay consistent with this recent weight loss attempt.

Absolutely do this!

JFDI!

You did a GREAT job losing all that weight

You had a GREAT holiday

Now you can just get back into a healthy eating habit and do a re-set.

Don’t look back, stop criticising yourself, be happy that you enjoyed your holiday and now be happy to look after yourself again.

It might take 3 or 4 days to stop the hunger and cravings til your body stops expecting all that carby sugary food but you have done it before and you know it works, so use your d pretence and build on your success!

Don't panic! I’m only back from 3 weeks in US and had lost 130lbs prior to going!

I didn’t deprive myself of anything - was 10lbs up when I got back but this went in about 3 days, it was just bloating. I'm actually down 14lb now in ten days, so I’ve lost weight. I think the relaxed eating has got me over my stall!

I'm reading this because I am about to go on holiday which includes attending a wedding with a whole weekend of celebrating and have been worrying this is going to happen to me....
2 years ago I lost 10kg and have managed to keep it off through shorter holidays, but this is 3 weeks which is making me nervous

I would suggest not weighing yourself again. The number is just data, but it becomes emotionally tangled around us and is hugely detrimental in terms of our psychological wellbeing and as an influencer of our behaviour.

Give yourself a month to re-adjust back to normal life, including your usual ways of eating. Your body will respond if you just give yourself a little grace, practice some patience and remember to make choices in terms of how you want to feel in your body and mind afterwards.

Ive just returned home from two weeks away - I’m up 10lbs on the scales but that’s not all fat gain and I know it’ll disappear over the next two/three weeks as I do nothing more than what is my daily normal life. So don’t panic, don’t overthink, just do what you were doing before your trip.

When I have done this I found it very difficult not to think ‘it’s ruined, so I might as well give up’. I’d get on the scales and face reality. The reality is that you can lose any weight you have put on, and you probably will do it quite quickly once you get back in your good routine.

Just get back to your normal way of eating before the holiday and then when it feels right hop back on the scales. You’ve shown accountability to yourself and that is important. Look at NSV like how you feel in your clothes.

Just going slightly off tangent as I know this doesn't apply to a road trip type holiday but is more akin with a sun/hotel holiday.

Have you ever noticed that no-one else in the hotel appears to have gained weight whilst you are convinced you have turned into the local heifer? 🙄

Back to OP's question. Personally I would forget the scales and judge by your clothes. 3-4 weeks of 16.8 always does the trick for me.👍

Weigh yourself. I have fallen into that trap after a period of indulgence - "I won't weigh myself again until I have had a couple of good weeks" and then before you know it you are back where you started. Been there, done that, bought the enormous t-shirt.

But don't feel guilty for enjoying yourself on holiday. Keep it factual - you've gained x lb, now you're going to lose it again. It should come off quite easily, some will just be bloating.

You lost the weight before, you can lose it again. Go back to the same regime you used prior to your holiday, accept that you're going to feel hungrier until you get used to it again and see it as the "price" you paid for not holding back and having a fab time.

Most of us have fallen off the wagon for a special occasion, it's a big club. But you can get back into it and do it again, you've proved it to yourself.

@HideousKinky When I go on holiday, I relax a bit and have more treats than I would on my home diet. But I don't have everything that I'd like to have, so it's like damage limitation... more fun than total abstinence but not going crazy either. And a touch of abstinence makes it easier to climb back on the wagon again

You put your healthy eating on pause and thats ok. Life is a journey and so is weight loss and maintaining.

Get on the scales. Take a breath and resume where you stopped