I just got back from vacation 2 weeks ago. I went to Italy and gorged myself on meat, cheese, wine etc. Not shockingly I gained about 10 pounds.

Ugh. It was great fun. But I am having a **** of a time getting it off. I have been working out at least once a day if not twice (cardio and strength training) and watching every morsel I eat. I am sore, tired, and hungry! The worst part is I am not really seeing the scale moving in a downward direction.

I am eating around 1600 calories a day and sometimes more if I really have worked my butt off at the gym.

It's really frustrating. And its making me want to just give up!

I'm upset that it took 2 weeks to put on and seems like it will never come off!

I can't think of what more I can be doing.

I'm not sure you really gained 10 pounds of fat in 2 weeks, but it is definately true that it is easier to EAT a pound, than to LOSE a pound. You could have had a delicious spree in ONE DAY and eaten an extra 3500 cals. Or maybe 2 days. But it would take at least 4-10 days to get that same pound back off. PLus when you are eating that pound...it goes by quickly. Blink of an eye! But to lose that pound....it feels like prolonged suffering. LOL

It will come off, but it won't be as quickly as you put it on. Jump back into the saddle and plan on slow, sustainable loss. You can do it!

Forget about the scale and keep doing what you're doing... you know how to do it...it'll come. Hugs, Donna

thanks for the kind words. its more frustrating that I was only 4 lbs away from my goal! Which would have been the lightest weight I have ever been as an adult. I think there is some serious self-sabotage going on.

If you think THAT'S bad, I gained *30 lbs* in about 3 weeks going from 266 to 295 from the end of August to the middle of September, by a few major binge days and eating normally. It doesn't seem to be my metabolism as just eating normally doesn't make me go up, but boy if I go above that I pay a HEAVY price. I have since lost 10 of those lbs, I am 285. Although I know most of it is not "real weight", it's disheartening nonetheless, whenever you hear the canard that 3500 kcal = 1 lb, because in the real world of scale weighing, 350 kcal = 1 lb of water weight is far more accurate, beyond say the 2,000 kcal per day marker for most of us susceptible to obesity that aren't one of the lucky ones to burn excess sugar as energy.

The only way it's gonna go off as fast as it went on I'm afraid are two alternatives: water fasting for 2 weeks or 8 hours per day Biggest Loser style for two weeks (the equivalent of a fasting calorie deficit), otherwise, it's gonna probably be two months.

I know it's not what you wanna hear, but it's just loads of experience with this. I don't want to be recommending a fast, I think that's up to the individual and their doctor, but I"m just saying that getting back on track, expect one to two months to get back down.

I have since lost ten of those lbs going from 295 to 285, but I still got VERY close to 300 lbs for my own comfort and have cut out ALL stuff that can hold water - sodas, even diet, right now to get it off. It can come on SO fast, people don't realize, and I wish there'd be education about this, even if it isn't "real weight", because it can be just as stubborn as fat weight.

Disclaimer: Not a medical doctor and not giving out advice. So basically, back to normal diet and exercise, and expect it to take one to two months to come off.

I understand this. I can gain weight at the drop of a hat because I have hypothyroidism. Losing weight, on the other hand, seems to take an act of God. And I am on medication, and supplements, to support my thyroid. It does get discouraging. There have definitely been moments where I was sore from head to foot, deprived of everything I love in food and drinks, and I look at the scale and go, "Really? That's it?" I exercise an hour plus a day. I gave up alcohol, sugary foods, coffee (and I LIVE for coffee), processed foods, and lately I've cut my carbs in half. The slow rewards for all this effort makes it tough, but I plan to stick to it. The adage that someone on this forum created, "Being fat is hard, losing weight is hard, maintaining is hard- choose your hard" sticks with me. I'm choosing to lose weight now, and maintain later.

This is a great philosophy.

I am hoping to find some patience.... somewhere...