Do I really need to eat more to lose weight?

azwen

I seem to lose weight in "whooshes" usually, so I don't worry when I go a week or two with no loss, then lose a pound overnight. (I weigh daily first thing in the morning.) I have noticed that sometimes these "whooshes" happen after I have had a special occasion splurge and ate more than my allowed calories. For example, over the weekend, I ate out Friday night, Saturday lunch, and Sunday night. I was over my calorie goal each day. Then this morning, I was down to a new low weight, by a pound. Is this just a coincidence, or do these occasional "cheat" days actually help my metabolism in some way?

Sugarbeat

It isn't so much that you NEED to, but some people can eat more than they are currently and still lose weight. Only you can say if that applies to you. Fluctuations are just that, fluctuations. They can be brought on by different things. You would need to track over a period of time, I think, to see if it really affects your weight loss.

TimothyFish

No. The whoosh you are talking about is a bowel movement. Sometimes, eating in excess can trigger a bowel movement because the body is trying to make room for more food. The weight loss is temporary.