Ups and downs and going away

Beth Friedman said:

I went to a science fiction convention over Memorial Day weekend
(WisCon). I thought I'd been reasonably careful about my carb intake,
but I guess not, because when I got home, the scale showed a 10-pound
increase -- from 123 to 133. I knew that most of that had to be water
weight, but it was still a shock. Indeed, I dropped five pounds
almost immediately, after I got home and went back to my usual WOE.
The next week was my TOM, but when I weighed myself this morning, I
was back to just over 123 -- call it 124 to be safe.

It's a little daunting to see how fast the weight can come back, but
I'm pleased that I was able to get back to my regular habits without
any problem, and that it didn't appear to have any long-term effects.

If you are on a *fat* loss program, it is important
to learn the difference between fat and water. If
you are on a *weight* loss program, you're completely
screwed because no matter how hard you fight water
retention stuff like this will happen. Sometimes it's
easy to tell why, like eating plenty of carbs and
needing water to store it in or eating very salty
food when you usually avoid salt. Sometimes it just
seems to randomly swing.

So I recommend folks decide they are on a *fat* loss
program, learn what's fat and what's not, and enjoy
their success. Once I had reached my best loss and
I was in no hurry to push lower, I started weighing
daily (folks who see my posts to newbies to get off
the scales please notice the different context). I
knew I wasn't going to gain because I was staying on
plan. I figured I wasn't likely to lose because I
was 10 pounds from ideal and I wasn't cutting calories
enough to drift lower. So I weighed daily and
tracked the range. Now I know I have a 6 pound water
retention swing. Not a strategy for folks still
losing, nice idea for folks near goal.

In other words: Take the experience as a lesson in
what the scale says vs what fat you've lost and you
have gained a great deal of value. Take the
experience as something that caused actual gain, and
all you got out of it was a weekend of fun.

Quoted message said:

The next few weeks are going to be interesting and a bit tricky. The
first week, I'll be out of town but I'll be doing my own cooking
(staying with my father and cooking for him while my mother is away).
The next week, my mother will be back and we'll be getting ready for
and having family parties (bar mitzvah and 50th wedding anniversary),
so lots of fancy meals. The week and a half after that will be
traveling in Alaska

Life happens and life is only low carb when you make
it so. Enjoy your challenges and rise to that
challenge! You'll rule.

Quoted message said:

and then on a cruise. I assume there will be
low-carb meal options available,

Cruises are easy to make low carb.

When travelling exact counts are hard to hit, but
staying low takes assuming there will be no low
carb options and bringing some of your own.

Quoted message said:

Started 3/1/04
208/124/120 (this is my adjusted goal; it was originally 130)

You picked a goal that was high enough to be able to
get there? Excellent job.

At the science fiction convention you were undoubtedly exposed to Bertold
rays while using artificial gravity. This has an after effect creating the
false readings....

"Beth Friedman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I went to a science fiction convention over Memorial Day weekend
(WisCon). I thought I'd been reasonably careful about my carb intake,
but I guess not, because when I got home, the scale showed a 10-pound
increase -- from 123 to 133. I knew that most of that had to be water
weight, but it was still a shock. Indeed, I dropped five pounds
almost immediately, after I got home and went back to my usual WOE.
The next week was my TOM, but when I weighed myself this morning, I
was back to just over 123 -- call it 124 to be safe.

It's a little daunting to see how fast the weight can come back, but
I'm pleased that I was able to get back to my regular habits without
any problem, and that it didn't appear to have any long-term effects.

The next few weeks are going to be interesting and a bit tricky. The
first week, I'll be out of town but I'll be doing my own cooking
(staying with my father and cooking for him while my mother is away).
The next week, my mother will be back and we'll be getting ready for
and having family parties (bar mitzvah and 50th wedding anniversary),
so lots of fancy meals. The week and a half after that will be
traveling in Alaska and then on a cruise. I assume there will be
low-carb meal options available, but I'll still have to exercise
self-control. And speaking of exercise, I plan to keep up with my
six-day-a-week regimen as much as I can.

All in all, I'll be pleased if I come back not having gained any
weight.

Started 3/1/04
208/124/120 (this is my adjusted goal; it was originally 130)

On 13 Jun 2005 12:35:17 -0700, "Doug Freyburger" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Beth Friedman said:

I went to a science fiction convention over Memorial Day weekend
(WisCon). I thought I'd been reasonably careful about my carb intake,
but I guess not, because when I got home, the scale showed a 10-pound
increase -- from 123 to 133. I knew that most of that had to be water
weight, but it was still a shock. Indeed, I dropped five pounds
almost immediately, after I got home and went back to my usual WOE.
The next week was my TOM, but when I weighed myself this morning, I
was back to just over 123 -- call it 124 to be safe.

It's a little daunting to see how fast the weight can come back, but
I'm pleased that I was able to get back to my regular habits without
any problem, and that it didn't appear to have any long-term effects.

If you are on a *fat* loss program, it is important
to learn the difference between fat and water. If
you are on a *weight* loss program, you're completely
screwed because no matter how hard you fight water
retention stuff like this will happen.

The tricky part here was that I had drunk enough alcohol and eaten
enough total food that I didn't _know_ how much was water and how much
was fat. Though with that large a swing that quickly, I knew a great
deal of it had to be water.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Started 3/1/04
208/124/120 (this is my adjusted goal; it was originally 130)

You picked a goal that was high enough to be able to
get there? Excellent job.

Exactly. I've seen 130 a time or two before, but anything below 127
is terra incognita. Or was, I should say, since I've been there for a
few months now.

And I made it through my two weeks at home (including several parties)
and the 11-day trip to Alaska with flying colors. Showed a
several-pound gain the day after I returned (which would have been
acceptable if real, since I'd been eating low-carb, but not counting
calories), but was at a pound lower than I started the week after.

Started 3/1/04
208/123/120

Clearly impossible, since everyone knows that Berthold rays are fatal
unless one is under the influence of weird flowers. (I'm mildly
appalled that I remember that...)

Beth

Cubit said:

At the science fiction convention you were undoubtedly exposed to Bertold
rays while using artificial gravity. This has an after effect creating the
false readings....

"Beth Friedman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I went to a science fiction convention over Memorial Day weekend
(WisCon). I thought I'd been reasonably careful about my carb intake,
but I guess not, because when I got home, the scale showed a 10-pound
increase -- from 123 to 133. I knew that most of that had to be water
weight, but it was still a shock. Indeed, I dropped five pounds
almost immediately, after I got home and went back to my usual WOE.
The next week was my TOM, but when I weighed myself this morning, I
was back to just over 123 -- call it 124 to be safe.