Lost 6 pounds in 3 days!

[3v1lj03]

I took Last Friday off and took the family camping. My wife did all the menu planning and I did the packing. The menu was mostly carbs albeit complex carbs, fruit and a little protein, and the portions were small for me even though I have been in calorie deficit for a couple of months now. I was very hungry all the time but energy was no problem. We were very active all 3 days and stayed up really late. I took my supplements except my Daily Multi and I felt energetic and pretty good all weekend. When I got home on Sunday I guzzled a very thick protein shake and that amounted to more protein in that one shake then I had all weekend. I went to work on Monday and got several comments on how slim my waist looked or that my chest or arms looked huge and I did not really pay much attention. I got to the gym Monday and after my warm up I got on the scale and I was shocked. I went from the 208/209 lbs I have been holding for the last month or more to a just barely there 202. Naturally I thought I must have lost muscle. I went to work on the deadlift and reped my previous personal best for 8 reps and set a new p.b. 20 lbs heavier and on every exercise that followed I either out reped or added weight to my previous personal best. And the mirror told the real story I was more cut and much more vascular then I was on the previous week.

I can't explain it. I thought at first it was just water I lost but I kept up with my water intake.
What lessons can I learn form this?
(besides help plan the menu next time)
Can I do this kind of thing more often to shock the system?
Can anybody explain this phenomenon?

[coffee-guy]

Yeah - similar to carb/fat cycling - similar to cheat meals/days as well. Just try to avoid missing out on basic protein needs though. I do something similar to this all the time - on any given week my weight can fluctuate 10 pounds or more - when I lose it's noticeable only in my waistline too - just try to plan your deal out instead of it just being an accident or you will run the risk of losing muscle - the approach can be done both while bulking and/or cutting - definitely something you should incorporate in your diet plans either way..

[3v1lj03]

Yeah - similar to carb/fat cycling - similar to cheat meals/days as well. Just try to avoid missing out on basic protein needs though. I do something similar to this all the time - on any given week my weight can fluctuate 10 pounds or more - when I lose it's noticeable only in my waistline too - just try to plan your deal out instead of it just being an accident or you will run the risk of losing muscle - the approach can be done both while bulking and/or cutting - definitely something you should incorporate in your diet plans either way..

So once in a while I could switch fuels from fat to carbs as long as the protein requirements are meet. IS that it?

[Bouncer]

hell i can gain or lose 6lbs in a day or 2 if i want.

you simply lost water bro. nothing more. muscle doesn't come off very fast at all.

[3v1lj03]

hell i can gain or lose 6lbs in a day or 2 if i want.

you simply lost water bro. nothing more. muscle doesn't come off very fast at all.

Thanks for the reply B. I was not really worried about muscle loss. With the amount of androgen in my blood I don't think without starvation I could loose muscle. I was just fascinated by the whole rapid weight loss without any strength loss. I hope it has broken the plateau I seem to have been stuck on. I am not really concerned with my body weight I just want this fat off my abs.

[Bouncer]

I just want this fat off my abs.

diet and cardio will take care of that bro. not trickery camping trips. no magic, no hocus pocus. :P

[3v1lj03]

diet and cardio will take care of that bro. not trickery camping trips. no magic, no hocus pocus. :P

Yea you keep saying that. I have been on this trip for a long time and this old guy fat on the bottom of my stomach is very determined to stay. You have to know I don't look for the easy way out. I just want results.

I posted my diet and I am religious about it. I have cuts everywhere except these abs. Whatever it takes though I will get there!

[coffee-guy]

It isn't about *tricks* BUT there are tons of options/tactics you can implement to help with fatloss - your weekend *trick* is in fact a great way to lose unwanted bodyfat and should be utilized from time to time - I am working on writing up something for the board in regards to carb cycling/diet manipulation but I am trying to keep my personal priorities ahead of it so it's taking longer than hoped. It won't have any fancy ideas or even footnotes/references - just simply what I know *works* for myself and others and in my own words as best as I can put them together. In the meantime cruise through some of Control's weightloss ideas or google "carb-cycling" and read as much as you can for now. Fat cycling is also an option but from the sounds of it you respond fairly well to carb cycling so focus on that for now...

[3v1lj03]

It isn't about *tricks* BUT there are tons of options/tactics you can implement to help with fatloss - your weekend *trick* is in fact a great way to lose unwanted bodyfat and should be utilized from time to time - I am working on writing up something for the board in regards to carb cycling/diet manipulation but I am trying to keep my personal priorities ahead of it so it's taking longer than hoped. It won't have any fancy ideas or even footnotes/references - just simply what I know *works* for myself and others and in my own words as best as I can put them together. In the meantime cruise through some of Control's weightloss ideas or google "carb-cycling" and read as much as you can for now. Fat cycling is also an option but from the sounds of it you respond fairly well to carb cycling so focus on that for now...

Thanks I will. I have been on very low to no carbs for years to prevent adult onset diabetes that runs in my family even the skinny relatives get it. That may be why I responded to the carb cycling so well. I will do the research.

[coffee-guy]

Keeping carbs low for very long may just end up making you more carb sensitive/prone to diabetes in the long run - you don't have to keep carbs extremely low or nonexistant to avoid diabetes - you simply need to learn how to control your blood sugar levels even while taking in carbs - of course I'm sure you arleady know low gi carbs can help facilitate more stable bs levels but you don't necessarily have to cut them - just allow yourself the chance to up the carbs a little and at least see if that works. You may have to adjust your cardio regimen to fight off the result of excess carbs from what you're used to but you NEED carbs even if you're diabetic - you just have to be better at stabilizing your bs levels than maybe you have been able to up until now. Keeping them low is probably negatively affecting them more than you realize (fought this battle with a family member and her doctor for a while and eventually proved them both wrong ;))

[3v1lj03]

Keeping carbs low for very long may just end up making you more carb sensitive/prone to diabetes in the long run - you don't have to keep carbs extremely low or nonexistant to avoid diabetes - you simply need to learn how to control your blood sugar levels even while taking in carbs - of course I'm sure you arleady know low gi carbs can help facilitate more stable bs levels but you don't necessarily have to cut them - just allow yourself the chance to up the carbs a little and at least see if that works. You may have to adjust your cardio regimen to fight off the result of excess carbs from what you're used to but you NEED carbs even if you're diabetic - you just have to be better at stabilizing your bs levels than maybe you have been able to up until now. Keeping them low is probably negatively affecting them more than you realize (fought this battle with a family member and her doctor for a while and eventually proved them both wrong ;))

OK, thanks again

[Bouncer]

I am working on writing up something for the board in regards to carb cycling/diet manipulation.

looking forward to it bro.

[Bouncer]

Yea you keep saying that. I have been on this trip for a long time and this old guy fat on the bottom of my stomach is very determined to stay. You have to know I don't look for the easy way out. I just want results.

I posted my diet and I am religious about it. I have cuts everywhere except these abs. Whatever it takes though I will get there!

if you arent getting the results you want it may be time to change things up. not saying you do this but many times people get so comfortable in there ways that they tend to not see the forest for the trees so to speak. never get comfortable. if you need to add cardio, do it. if you need to change the diet, do it.

[3v1lj03]

Yeah - similar to carb/fat cycling - similar to cheat meals/days as well. Just try to avoid missing out on basic protein needs though. I do something similar to this all the time - on any given week my weight can fluctuate 10 pounds or more - when I lose it's noticeable only in my waistline too - just try to plan your deal out instead of it just being an accident or you will run the risk of losing muscle - the approach can be done both while bulking and/or cutting - definitely something you should incorporate in your diet plans either way..

Ok, after much reading of control's posts and much other research I have apparently I done carb cycling during this cut phase and gave up on it after about 6 weeks as the results were disappointing. I also learned that my current diet is not really low carb according to control's standards as I eat lots of fiber and a few complex carbs. In research away from the board I found a few different approachs to carb cycling and I need to refine my knowledge on these. I really appreciate the time you have taken to answer my questions.

if you arent getting the results you want it may be time to change things up. not saying you do this but many times people get so comfortable in there ways that they tend to not see the forest for the trees so to speak. never get comfortable. if you need to add cardio, do it. if you need to change the diet, do it.

I agree with you 100% that is why I ask. I do like your no non-sense approach to things B and most of the time that is all it takes.

BTW I have only gained 3 lbs back so far this week.

[coffee-guy]

Don't know where the thread is where we kind of nailed down your diet but...

How is it going????