I know it's my own fault .........

I've been on holiday in France. I started off pretty well, sticking to Atkins. But as the holiday wore on, I decided that this is only a once a year thing, I would eat what I liked for a few days. I hadn't been able to carry much food, and I was fed up having to eat a only few nuts for breakfast, instead of the croissants [there wasn't any cheese or anything suitable on offer for breakfast]. I had taken along some Atkins bars, but you know ....... a choice of a yucky Atkins bar, or freshly baked French bread and pastries?

So for just under a week, I've been eating 'normally'. I still didn't eat a huge amount of carbs with main courses, but I did give in to the croissants and pastries, and the occasional desert. It was great at the time - I really enjoyed the food and felt so much better than usual! I was pretty active on holiday and it was great to have the energy to do that!

However, I've gained ....... wait for it ....... 8 lb over the past few days! I'm pretty sure that almost of all it must be water, as I wasn't eating a huge amount of calories. I'm thinking of going back to induction for a few days to kick of ketosis again, and hoping that the diuretic effect of the diet will drop most of the 8 lb. Has anyone else experienced a huge weight gain like this, and do you have any tips on what to do about it?

Hi Vanilla

What you have experienced is quite normal. Annoying, but quite normal. You are right that a lot of those 8 pounds are water and if you go straight back to basics then you should lose all the weight gained within 2 weeks. You might want to do induction for around 3 days, but just going back to a lower carb level and eating reasonable portions will suffice.

I've just come back from holiday and thought it was to good to be true that I had lost weight. I also cheated towards the end of the week. Anyway, having changed the batteries on my scale I find that overall I gained at least 3 pounds. Today it is just 3 pounds, but was probably a couple of pounds more when I got back. I will be drinking plenty of water and going to the gym to shift these unwanted pounds.

Every success post holiday. Don't let the weight gain divert you from your goal.

I too wasn't as good as I planned to be on holiday and gave in to some Devon cream teas, ice creams and a few desserts from the sweet trolley. I must say I feel a lot fatter for it but the scales show only a pound up.
I'm planning to go back to induction now, I guess I got off lightly!
As Anne says it can't be 8lbs of fat in that timescale so should come off fast.

If i was you i would stop worrying and lock the scales in a cupboard for a week or so.
OK so you may of put a few pounds back on but wasn't it worth it. To go to France and not eat croissants and pastry's would be utter madness (pretty sure you could also class it as a sin ) and i know i wouldn't of had a happy holiday sticking to LC when everyone else was having lovely goodies.
If going back on induction will make you feel better and you don't really mind doing it then go for it. If like me you think induction sucks then don't punish yourself for having a good holiday and go back to your normal diet the pounds will soon come off, but that happy holiday will be remembered forever.

Hi Vanilla,
You have my sympathy big time.
I went to the Canaries back in June for 2 weeks, put on 4lbs, which to be honest I was pleased with, expected more...think it was all that Sangria that did it but I was also eating croissants for breakfast.
When I got back I didn't re-do induction but just returned to my usual lc'ing and I lost those 4lbs within a week...how happy was I..
2 weeks ago I took the kids to the beach for a 4 day break in Heacham, came back and found that I'd put on 6lbs !!! How does that make sense !!

I'm constantly bewildered by it all ...

Good luck losing those lbs, I'm sure you will do it.
Ali

Thank you all for your advice and support . I've lost a pound this morning, so I'm feeling better about it all. Thanks for the suggestions - I didn't enjoy induction, so I think I'll just keep my carbs lowish for a while but continue to eat things like nuts and strawberries, which I love. After reading your responses, I've been thinking about whether induction is really necessary, and I can't see any reason why I wouldn't lose weight just by going back to where I was on OWL, as I was losing weight [slowly!] before at that level.

I'm glad I'm not the only holiday 'cheater'. Now that I've recovered from the shock of the massive weight gain, I don't really regret forgetting the diet for a few days. I think food is part of the experience of travelling. If I'm going to eat whatever I like for a couple of weeks out of every year and put on a few pounds in the process, then so be it .

I have been converted to snails in garlic butter too! A delicious low carb snack [shame it's not available here!].

Costco do snails! I offered to buy them for my children but they were not impressed!