Why don't we weight even MORE?

257_Lag

This is a tangent from a thread I read earlier today that has had me thinking...

The question was something like "How much did you eat before?" Responses varied but most people ,like myself said 3000+. My estimate was about 4000 based on my average diet before joining.

Using MY numbers:
Male 6'2
Now 236 (was 257 at the top)
Approximate maintenance 2600 (scoobies)
Currently eating 2090

Lets say I only ate 3000 for the last few years to be conservative. That's 400 more per day than my maintenance. times 7=2800 a week extra. times 52 weeks is 145,600. divided by 3500 (calories to make or lose 1 lb of fat) = 41 pounds.

I have eaten like this for years and years and imagine many of us did but I never gained anything close to 41 pounds in a year.

Why not?

Yup, a numbers geek :bigsmile:

lattarulol

Absolutely no basis for this other than my own thoughts - I think at some point the human body just can't absorb all of calories and passes some of it through. It gets as much as it can and then passes on the rest. For those that get morbidly obese they usually have something going on in their body that isn't right hormonal wise so I think they are exempt from my logic.

3foldchord

As we weigh more our maintenance amount is higher, isn't it? So your TDEE weighing 256 is less than your TDEE weighing 300#. I think. Maybe that has something to do with it.

bonjovi27

The more you weigh, the higher your BMR, thus you put on less weight per week? Maybe?

treagal

I always figured that I should 400lbs, I was literally eating myself sick almost everyday. DISGUSTING!

likitisplit

A couple of things.

Burning a pound of fat gives you 3500 calories. Storing a pound of fat would take quite a bit more, I'm not sure how much more. Also, as our bodies store fat, many times it uses the calories to build extra lean mass at the same time, so there's the 3500 calories stored in a pound of fat + the calories it takes to store the fat + the calories your body uses to create other stuff at the same time.

Secondly, if you keep throwing calories at your body, it starts doing things to avoid processing all the sugars. It won't completely shut this down but it does the best it can. It actually takes a bit of diligent effort to keep your weight up at the higher levels, which is why you lose so easily when you begin a diet.

gmallan

The more you weigh, the higher your BMR, thus you put on less weight per week? Maybe?

This would contribute. Re-calculate your TDEE using your higher weight

MzManiak

To answer the OP's question, I was just wondering this myself! Because of that post, I entered a typical day for myself and it was close to 5000 calories! Mostly fast food, plus chips and a 40oz beer (yeah, I know... lol). I have no idea why I am still, by many people's definition, skinny. I guess it's a combination of factors, such as your metabolism, activities, and how your body processes the food...? I dunno. Like I said, I'm guessing. lol

257_Lag

I want to WEIGH less.
My WEIGHT is too high.

Grade four spelling honey. Don't leave it at home.

English language with a reasonable IQ but fat fingers on a small keyboard. Thanks Mom :flowerforyou:

quiksylver296

I want to WEIGH less.
My WEIGHT is too high.

Grade four spelling honey. Don't leave it at home.

Unnecessarily condescending comment for what could have been a simple typo

My thought, too. Looks like a typo. Angry much?

257_Lag

A couple of things.

Burning a pound of fat gives you 3500 calories. Storing a pound of fat would take quite a bit more, I'm not sure how much more. Also, as our bodies store fat, many times it uses the calories to build extra lean mass at the same time, so there's the 3500 calories stored in a pound of fat + the calories it takes to store the fat + the calories your body uses to create other stuff at the same time.

Secondly, if you keep throwing calories at your body, it starts doing things to avoid processing all the sugars. It won't completely shut this down but it does the best it can. It actually takes a bit of diligent effort to keep your weight up at the higher levels, which is why you lose so easily when you begin a diet.

Best answer so far. Must think about it.

1ConcreteGirl

Absolutely no basis for this other than my own thoughts - I think at some point the human body just can't absorb all of calories and passes some of it through. It gets as much as it can and then passes on the rest. For those that get morbidly obese they usually have something going on in their body that isn't right hormonal wise so I think they are exempt from my logic.

So you think that people will eventually hit a point where they can eat anything they want without gaining more weight?

I see.

PikaKnight

Absolutely no basis for this other than my own thoughts - I think at some point the human body just can't absorb all of calories and passes some of it through. It gets as much as it can and then passes on the rest. For those that get morbidly obese they usually have something going on in their body that isn't right hormonal wise so I think they are exempt from my logic.

Yeah...no. So not true. You can be morbidly obese without having hormonal issues. Your body will absorb what it eats, period. There isn't a calorie cap.

257_Lag

And for the record, sadly you cannot edit the title. I just tried.

Ed98043

By the time I reach my goal weight, my BMR will have dropped by 350 calories a day. So part of it is that the bigger you are, the more energy you expend just being alive. And then there's the extra calories burned by moving around - I think of how hard it is to pick up a 40 lb bag of dog food and carry it , and yet being 80 lbs overweight I was carrying the equivalent of two of them around all day, every day.

Apicius

I think after a while the body starts shutting down- less energy to move, don't move, then can't move and you end up bedridden. From there you either keep eating with someone else's help and then die, or you fast until you can get up again to feed yourself.

Some of those terrible shows on tv showcase exactly how extreme you can get by shovelling in food.

It does appear to take a lot of food to stay that big, but I would think the energy going out is very low.

likitisplit

A couple of things.

Burning a pound of fat gives you 3500 calories. Storing a pound of fat would take quite a bit more, I'm not sure how much more. Also, as our bodies store fat, many times it uses the calories to build extra lean mass at the same time, so there's the 3500 calories stored in a pound of fat + the calories it takes to store the fat + the calories your body uses to create other stuff at the same time.

Secondly, if you keep throwing calories at your body, it starts doing things to avoid processing all the sugars. It won't completely shut this down but it does the best it can. It actually takes a bit of diligent effort to keep your weight up at the higher levels, which is why you lose so easily when you begin a diet.

Best answer so far. Must think about it.

I'm great at being about half right.

CyberEd312

Absolutely no basis for this other than my own thoughts - I think at some point the human body just can't absorb all of calories and passes some of it through. It gets as much as it can and then passes on the rest. For those that get morbidly obese they usually have something going on in their body that isn't right hormonal wise so I think they are exempt from my logic.

I know in my case it wasn't hormonal issues that lead me to be 560 lbs. it had more to do with the 10,000 a day I was consuming... Buying food (Pizza, taco bell burritos,etc,etc) and putting it in tupperware and hiding it in the places my family wouldn't find it and then eating massive amounts if food with them but then waiting for them to go to bed and breaking out said tupperware and continuing to stuff my face was probably a good reason I was super morbidly obese.....

TheVimFuego

Yeah...no. So not true. You can be morbidly obese without having hormonal issues. Your body will absorb what it eats, period. There isn't a calorie cap.

The body will absorb what it will absorb. Period.

Dragging this thread from pedantry, general abuse and sniping (a.k.a. Default Forum Behaviour) back onto an interesting topic ...

I'll go with metabolic up-regulation and a natural desire for homeostasis, i.e. the body maintaining what it thinks is the weight we should be based on hormonal feedback (leptin levels, etc).

Hence the "set point" theory and how it can be so hard to lose fat when the hormones ain't right even in significant energy deficit. And hard to gain weight if required also.

Address the hormones first then worry about the deficit could be a valid approach. Maybe. Dunno.

Back to the abuse ...

5ftnFun

I want to WEIGH less.
My WEIGHT is too high.

Grade four spelling honey. Don't leave it at home.

You get an "A" for spelling, but an "F" for manners.

5ftnFun

Yeah...no. So not true. You can be morbidly obese without having hormonal issues. Your body will absorb what it eats, period. There isn't a calorie cap.

The body will absorb what it will absorb. Period.

Dragging this thread from pedantry, general abuse and sniping (a.k.a. Default Forum Behaviour) back onto an interesting topic ...

I'll go with metabolic up-regulation and a natural desire for homeostasis, i.e. the body maintaining what it thinks is the weight we should be based on hormonal feedback (leptin levels, etc).

Hence the "set point" theory and how it can be so hard to lose fat when the hormones ain't right even in significant energy deficit. And hard to gain weight if required also.

Address the hormones first then worry about the deficit could be a valid approach. Maybe. Dunno.

Back to the abuse ...

I am no expert on this at all, but somehow this makes sense to me.