Eating more for metabolism?

shamani5

I've heard if you eat a larger meal once in a while (weekly/monthly) it can help keep your metabolism from going too low because you are reassuring your body that you are not starving. I know that exercise is always the best way to keep your metabolism up. What are your opinions on eating more once in a while to rev metabolism?

SarenaWM

I need to let loose once and a while just for sanity's sake, haha. When I was trying to lose weight I would eat at maintenance for two days of the week, and I was consistently losing 1-2lbs a week.

Now that I'm at maintenance, I have two cheat meals a week where I don't even look at the calories. I've been maintaining for 2+ years.. so based on my experience having a cheat meal every week wont hurt. Forget metabolism, you need it for good mental health! Nobody can be 100% perfect 100% of the time.

galgenstrick

There is actually very scarce research on this topic, and the research there is are just observational studies and not controlled ones. Bottom line, there is no evidence that suggests that meal timing affects fat loss. 1 meal, 3 meals 5 meals per day doesn't make a difference if calories are equal.

jennifershoo

Myth

shamani5

By larger meal I mean something that takes you over your calorie limit for the day. Great imput so far. Thanks!

rybo

There is a lot of support for "refeed" day. People use that premise and have great results with it. That cannot be argued. Is it for everyone, not likely? Just another option that might work for you.

hhnkhl

I usually just add a few jalapeno slices every time I eat something. It helps burn energy more.

slondro

As with almost any assertion you could make other than "weight loss occurs from burning more calories than you take in," there is going to be a lot of debate.

However, I've heard a decent amount about people who have refeeds (particularly focusing on carbs) to refill their glycogen stores, but this usually applies to people with low-carb diets.

As for my personal opinion, while eating more on a certain day may slightly boost my metabolism, I think it would also affect my enjoyment of food on other days. I don't want to look at my everyday eating habits as just tolerating my limitations until I can let loose, so I tend to lean more toward consistent moderation.

Mr_Knight

There is an increasing body of evidence that intermittent fasting has meaningful physiological benefits (even when eating at maintenance), so there is at least some reason to consider the possibility that milder forms of caloric cycling may have some benefit as well.

But the metabolism thing....not so sure that would be one of the benefits.

Kate814

There is research demonstrating eating above your calorie limit does help your metabolism. This process is commonly called a "refeed" and is usually a whole day instead of a single meal. This is required when you're on a severe calorie deficit (typically for fitness competitors), and has to be planned properly to work as it's meant to. A refeed helps to replenish Leptin levels, which is a hormone whose levels are altered by calorie deficits (the "starvation hormone"). When leptin levels fall, your metabolism can slow. The idea is that a refeed will replenish these levels and in turn keep your metabolism running as it should.

Kate814

I agree. For the average person, a refeed isn't necessary, but I have worked with individuals for whom it was. Typically it's something you would only see planned into a fitness competitor or someone with similar goals diet's.