Can eating one day of "maintenance" calories jumpstart my metabolism??
cefleischman
Posts: 46 Member
I'm 5'3 and currently trying to lose 15 lbs. Due to a medical condition I stick to pretty light activity like yoga, walking, or toning exercises. I've been consuming between 1,200-1,400 calories per day. My goal is 1,400/day, but I usually consume a little less than that.
Yesterday I ate an entire Chipotle burrito (which is like a days worth of calories by itself)... and interestingly I looked and felt very "light" this morning? It's almost like one day of eating more calories (like 500-600 more than usual) helped my metabolism? Is there any rhyme or reason to this or was it just a fluke?
Yesterday I ate an entire Chipotle burrito (which is like a days worth of calories by itself)... and interestingly I looked and felt very "light" this morning? It's almost like one day of eating more calories (like 500-600 more than usual) helped my metabolism? Is there any rhyme or reason to this or was it just a fluke?
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Replies
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"Looking" and "feeling" light sounds really subjective. What does that actually mean?
One day of eating isn't enough to impact your metabolism positively or negatively. Even if it was, the change would be so slight that it wouldn't product results that were measurable the next day. I would consider this a fluke.15 -
Did that chipotle burrito come with ecoli?
There is some benefits to having maintenance days. In lean individuals there seems to be some benefits from doing periodic refeeds, but it wouldn't help overly too much in terms of metabolsm.
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I'm curious as to this question as well. Following.0
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I don't know the answer to this, but I just wanted to say that that has happened to me before more than once. Eating too few calories makes me bloated and feel heavier oddly enough, so when I eat more, I feel lighter and better the next day, and my stomach is flatter in the morning. No idea why. I just try to find somewhere in the middle where I don't get the bloated crappy feeling, and I don't eat at maintenance every day. For me, that is eating at around 1,500 calories. I lose weight with 1,500 calories and don't feel terrible.0
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There is evidence that taking a couple of weeks eating at maintenance has both physiological and psychological benefits, but I believe you need to take a full 10-12 days to see the benefits.
Personally, I eat at or above maintenance a couple times and week because that's what works with my life, but I still lose or gain as expected.1 -
Bahahaha "Did the Chipotle come with ecoli?" Thankfully not haha. What I mean by I looked and felt lighter is that I was noticeably less "bloated" the next day (which is strange because you'd think that wouldn't be the case after eating Chipotle the day before lol). My pants also felt like they fit better. They didn't feel as snug.
I just feel a little puzzled because I can eat 1,200 calories and cram tons of vegetables into my diet... and my stomach will blow-up like a balloon. I think I have a hard time digesting certain foods though. Like too much fiber seems to work against me sometimes. I may try a low FODMAPS diet for this reason.
So it's possible that whatever I ate just didn't result in stomach bloating or upset and I was just seeing and feeling the results of what it's like to actually not feel bloated/retain water/etc....3 -
I tend to find that the consumption of anything that tastes sweet starts up my metabolism. I can keep it going with activity or physical/emotional/intellectual arousal. But I think my desired effect is for my body to burn fat and for that I just try not to ingest too many carbohydrates very often and force myself to burn energy when I know I don't have it in carbs.13
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I tend to find that the consumption of anything that tastes sweet starts up my metabolism. I can keep it going with activity or physical/emotional/intellectual arousal. But I think my desired effect is for my body to burn fat and for that I just try not to ingest too many carbohydrates very often and force myself to burn energy when I know I don't have it in carbs.
How are you measuring an increase in your metabolism?5 -
Most likely it's water fluctuation. The burrito may or may not have had anything to do with it. Your body retains water for all sorts of reasons and that can make you feel "heavier" or "lighter" than usual.3
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I just chalk that up to bodies are weird sometimes.
And since Chipotle never found what was making everyone sick a while back no way am I eating there - gross gross gross. But that's a whole other conversation.0 -
Bloat has nothing to do with calorie burn. There are some theories about "letting go" and lowering cortisol which can lower bloating, or it might have been just a fluke since water retention is sometimes unpredictable and does its own thing.0
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could be less gaseous food in your system and food in general as the chipotle may have been more calories dense, but less volume.1
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cefleischman wrote: »Bahahaha "Did the Chipotle come with ecoli?" Thankfully not haha. What I mean by I looked and felt lighter is that I was noticeably less "bloated" the next day (which is strange because you'd think that wouldn't be the case after eating Chipotle the day before lol). My pants also felt like they fit better. They didn't feel as snug.
I just feel a little puzzled because I can eat 1,200 calories and cram tons of vegetables into my diet... and my stomach will blow-up like a balloon. I think I have a hard time digesting certain foods though. Like too much fiber seems to work against me sometimes. I may try a low FODMAPS diet for this reason.
So it's possible that whatever I ate just didn't result in stomach bloating or upset and I was just seeing and feeling the results of what it's like to actually not feel bloated/retain water/etc....
Yeah, I bet those veggies are making you bloat and giving you gas. Sometimes too much fiber is a problem. Make sure you are getting fats too, helps things run more smoothly.3 -
There's really not anything you can do in one day that will change your metabolism or have a significant impact on fat loss. Anytime you're seeing noticeable changes in a day or two, it's most likely something like water weight or the weight of food in your system. Or just coincidence.2
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Anecdotally, eating more carbs than usual in a day seems to trigger the "whoosh effect" for some people. This has nothing to do with your metabolism. As part of the process of using stored fat, the body replaces fat with water. Later, it flushes the water, which can cause a "whoosh" of a pound or more weight loss after an apparent plateau. What really happened is that the body was losing fat steadily all along, but it was only visible on the scale after the drop in water weight.
Eventually the whoosh is going to happen no matter what you eat.2 -
Anecdotally, some people seem more likely than others to get a perceived energy boost - which is not the same as a "revved metabolism"
- from a day at/above maintenance. That could be part of what you're feeling.
I've seen that "whoosh" effect described above once in awhile, too.
None of this changes the idea that weight loss is all about calorie deficit. These affects are about feelings and how/when a loss shows up on the scale, amongst normal fluctuations that are mostly water weight.
If you feel better than normal today, it may be worth considering whether your normal calorie deficit is bigger than ideal.3 -
Anecdotally, some people seem more likely than others to get a perceived energy boost - which is not the same as a "revved metabolism" - from a day at/above maintenance. That could be part of what you're feeling.
I've seen that "whoosh" effect described above once in awhile, too.
None of this changes the idea that weight loss is all about calorie deficit. These affects are about feelings and how/when a loss shows up on the scale, amongst normal fluctuations that are mostly water weight.
If you feel better than normal today, it may be worth considering whether your normal calorie deficit is bigger than ideal.
Just to clarify your last paragraph- if I feel better than normal today (because I ate more calories yesterday) are you suggesting I continue to consume more or less calories?
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cefleischman wrote: »Anecdotally, some people seem more likely than others to get a perceived energy boost - which is not the same as a "revved metabolism" - from a day at/above maintenance. That could be part of what you're feeling.
I've seen that "whoosh" effect described above once in awhile, too.
None of this changes the idea that weight loss is all about calorie deficit. These affects are about feelings and how/when a loss shows up on the scale, amongst normal fluctuations that are mostly water weight.
If you feel better than normal today, it may be worth considering whether your normal calorie deficit is bigger than ideal.
Just to clarify your last paragraph- if I feel better than normal today (because I ate more calories yesterday) are you suggesting I continue to consume more or less calories?
I'm suggesting that if you're losing weight fairly fast (or targeting a fast loss rate), you consider eating more daily if eating more makes you feel better.
Only you can decide whether it's a good idea or not.
It's just that I've been around here since 2015 - lost 50+ pounds, now well into second year of maintenance. We see a lot of people here target the largest listed weight loss option available, maybe add unfueled exercise on top of that, then be more fatigued, more stressed, maybe more unhappy, than they need to be. Different people respond differently to any given weight loss rate. Slow weight loss that works in one's overall life is better than fast loss that doesn't.
I have no idea whether that applies in your case, or not. I just thought it might be useful to mention the possibility, given what you did say.
Wishing you the best, in whatever course is right for you!4 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I tend to find that the consumption of anything that tastes sweet starts up my metabolism. I can keep it going with activity or physical/emotional/intellectual arousal. But I think my desired effect is for my body to burn fat and for that I just try not to ingest too many carbohydrates very often and force myself to burn energy when I know I don't have it in carbs.
How are you measuring an increase in your metabolism?
It's an indirect 'measurement' of association with average heart rate (when I'm monitoring), activity level, and how cold I feel.6 -
I do find that sometimes I experience a "whoosh" of weight loss after a high-calorie day. I think that when you're in a state of constant calorie restriction, your body gets a bit stressed out, raising your cortisol levels and causing you to hold onto extra water weight. Then when you throw in a maintenance day, it relieves a bit of that stress and your body lets go of that water weight.0
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When I ate above maintenance for many hundreds of days in a row, I got bigger not smaller. Then when I ate at a consistent deficit, I got smaller. Since 'for a day' is just part of 'for a long time' I think the same rules apply.0
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If you found that every time you ate an increase of food, you felt generally better, healthier and more energetic the next day, I would take that as a signal that you probably need to re-evaluate what you're currently eating and what your goals are. If your goal is 1400 calories but you are routinely cutting under that, it is entirely possible that you are under eating... So really, what you're saying is you routinely eat more 1200 days. So you eat a burrito that puts you up to maybe 1700 calories and your body goes "oh thank god, we got fed!" It's not really that surprising that you would feel better the next day.
High fiber diets require a lot of constant water consumption and making sure you aren't just overdoing it. If you eat a boatload of vegetables but limited proteins and fats, I'd hazard a guess that the bloating is simply because your diet is unbalanced. A burrito, as "unhealthy" as it can seem, is a more balanced meal source in the sense that they typically have veggies, dairy, protein, carbs, basically something from every food group.
I would strongly suggest re-evaluating and focusing not so much on cutting for weight loss, but adjusting a diet for healthy goals.2 -
It's possible that it was the "whoosh" effect; I don't know what the science is behind it but if you haven't been eating to full capacity for a while you might be retaining water/nutrients, and eating a big meal can help flush stuff out. Again, not sure if that's scientifically sound; but people incorporate refeed days for this reason. If you feel more energized, maybe it'll help to incorporate bigger eating days into your diet (as long as they are deliberate and don't undo all your progress).
Also I love chipotle burritos. Eff yes.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I tend to find that the consumption of anything that tastes sweet starts up my metabolism. I can keep it going with activity or physical/emotional/intellectual arousal. But I think my desired effect is for my body to burn fat and for that I just try not to ingest too many carbohydrates very often and force myself to burn energy when I know I don't have it in carbs.
How are you measuring an increase in your metabolism?
It's an indirect 'measurement' of association with average heart rate (when I'm monitoring), activity level, and how cold I feel.
So, dem feels.6 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I tend to find that the consumption of anything that tastes sweet starts up my metabolism. I can keep it going with activity or physical/emotional/intellectual arousal. But I think my desired effect is for my body to burn fat and for that I just try not to ingest too many carbohydrates very often and force myself to burn energy when I know I don't have it in carbs.
How are you measuring an increase in your metabolism?
It's an indirect 'measurement' of association with average heart rate (when I'm monitoring), activity level, and how cold I feel.
So, dem feels.
:laugh:0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »When I ate above maintenance for many hundreds of days in a row, I got bigger not smaller. Then when I ate at a consistent deficit, I got smaller. Since 'for a day' is just part of 'for a long time' I think the same rules apply.
How do you get bigger if you are eating at maintenance. If you are gaining, then by definition, you aren't at maintenance. But maybe I am missing what you are meaning?1 -
NorthCascades wrote: »When I ate above maintenance for many hundreds of days in a row, I got bigger not smaller. Then when I ate at a consistent deficit, I got smaller. Since 'for a day' is just part of 'for a long time' I think the same rules apply.
How do you get bigger if you are eating at maintenance. If you are gaining, then by definition, you aren't at maintenance. But maybe I am missing what you are meaning?
He did say "above maintenance." 2 -
cmriverside wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »When I ate above maintenance for many hundreds of days in a row, I got bigger not smaller. Then when I ate at a consistent deficit, I got smaller. Since 'for a day' is just part of 'for a long time' I think the same rules apply.
How do you get bigger if you are eating at maintenance. If you are gaining, then by definition, you aren't at maintenance. But maybe I am missing what you are meaning?
He did say "above maintenance."
I really need some sleep.. damn toodlers!! Apparently my reading comprehension is not at the top of it's game.0 -
cmriverside wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »When I ate above maintenance for many hundreds of days in a row, I got bigger not smaller. Then when I ate at a consistent deficit, I got smaller. Since 'for a day' is just part of 'for a long time' I think the same rules apply.
How do you get bigger if you are eating at maintenance. If you are gaining, then by definition, you aren't at maintenance. But maybe I am missing what you are meaning?
He did say "above maintenance."
I really need some sleep.. damn toodlers!!
lol. What's a toodler?
Is that a mini-person? Or is it some foreign country word?1 -
cmriverside wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »When I ate above maintenance for many hundreds of days in a row, I got bigger not smaller. Then when I ate at a consistent deficit, I got smaller. Since 'for a day' is just part of 'for a long time' I think the same rules apply.
How do you get bigger if you are eating at maintenance. If you are gaining, then by definition, you aren't at maintenance. But maybe I am missing what you are meaning?
He did say "above maintenance."
I really need some sleep.. damn toodlers!!
lol. What's a toodler?
Is that a mini-person? Or is it some foreign country word?
It's my almost 2 year old son who likes to wake up at 445am and start playing. For some reason, he doesn't believe in sleeping.1
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