Metabolic confusion

KristieJC

Who has tried eating in a manner that is supposed to result in “metabolic confusion”? How did it work for you?

Thanks

MaltedTea

Sigh. I took the bait and found an article (from Women's Day, no less)...

https://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/nutrition/a33469508/what-is-metabolic-confusion/

If I go off of this information, most everyone on MFP is on a "metabolic confusion diet" since we eat what we want and generally follow our caloric intake requirements. (NOTE: Tracking your "net calories under weekly goal" in the app can allow for - essentially - cheat days.)

This is the same pig, now with a bowtie on it.

Also, the study mentioned in the Women's Day piece only had 74 participants (although, surprisingly, they were all women)...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4018593/

You'd do well to look at the study design to see whether any of their findings even apply to you.

TLDR: I've apparently been confusing the heck out of my metabolism for over a year (😏) and it has worked for me. I eat what I want while maintaining a calorie deficit and moving my body more.

callsitlikeiseeit

MaltedTea wrote: »

TLDR: I've apparently been confusing the heck out of my metabolism for over a year (😏) and it has worked for me. I eat what I want while maintaining a calorie deficit and moving my body more.

ditto. only make it 5 years LOLOL

glassyo

I think I just confused my metabolism with all the spaghetti I just ate. It's not used to all that pastaey goodness!

L1zardQueen

I’m confusing my wok tonight. It hasn’t been used in a year.

LisaGetsMoving

It sounds similar to something that was popular in the 1980's called The Rotation Diet, where one cycled through three days, first one at 1000 kcals, 2nd at 1200, 3rd at 1500, plus unlimited "cheat" "safe" fruit if needed (choice of grapefruit, apple, apricot). It did work for rapid weight loss because the daily averages ended up being slightly over 1200 kcals unless you accounted for the 2 grapefruit that you also chowed down. It didn't matter how "safe" the unlimited grapefruit was, most people just aren't going to eat more than one or two. When you eat a lot of something, it becomes less tasty. Yet paradoxically, when the body is hungry, food tastes better. But that isn't what took the weight off. What took the weight of was paying attention to what was going in, and restricting the calorie amount in.

And yes, I did the Rotation diet back in the 80's, when I thought I was fat because I was packing around 5 pounds too many and I could easily lose 5 lbs in a week. Holy smokes, I look at old pictures and think, "why did I think I was so fat?" Now, I know what fat really is and I know it's better to go slow and make it fit your lifestyle.

AnnPT77

My daily calorie intake varies by hundreds (say +/- 300 regularly, +/- a thousand and more occasionally), but not via some kind of formal, structured plan (unless you count the MFP method of eating more when one exercises as formal & structured, when augmented with the occasional high-calorie indulgent day just for pure enjoyment's sake).

I lost weight just fine calorie counting (with somewhat fewer truly whacky indulgent days in the mix), and have maintained weight just fine for 5+ years since (doing what I described in paragraph 1). I don't like arbitrary rules, so I haven't added any, beyond averaging a reasonable calorie number, and getting overall decent nutrition.

Bottom line: Did I confuse my metabolism by eating unevenly? Dunno. But I wasn't trying. I don't try to confuse things I appreciate just as they are.

On the surface, it strikes me as one of those tricksy things that "diet experts" push in order to overcomplicate things so we think we need expert help (preferably theirs, for $$) to manage our weight, health and athletic performance. The WD article didn't say anything to make me change that belief.

Do you have sources that you feel are sound, that you can share with us for review, @KristieJC? I'm certainly open to learning things that could be helpful.

ninerbuff

Lol, the only thing that gets confused is the person trying to figure out how that actually works. All your body does with the food/drink intakes is digest it and absorb nutrients and macros you give it. Unless you're an elite athlete where timing of food MAY matter, the average person just needs to be consistent with there eating habits and calories to gain/lose/maintain weight.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

yirara

I confused my metabolism today by ordering four pots of totally amazing liquorice convered in chocolate: cocoa powder, white chocolate with passionfruit, coffee, and salt & caramel. And my metabolism is so confused that it's telling my brain to eat everything at once.