Calories In VS Calories Out Question

GothyFaery

This is a hypothetical question for people who go with Calories in VS calories out. If you are one of the people who say it "doesn't work" for you, please don't respond.

Okay, someone once told me that it would be better to eat 24 cupcakes (in addition to your regular daily intake) in one day over eating 1 cupcake (in addition to your regular daily intake) for 24 days. He said that the body would not be able to process all 24 cupcakes and you would not gain as much weight.

I am undecided on this. On one hand, it's just physics but on the other hand, the body can't possibly gain 2 pounds of fat overnight (assuming 300 cals/cupcake). What do you think?

BigT555

interesting question. i think its not a stretch to say your body can only process so much in a single day but we are very efficient at storing fat

i think it really depends on the person. hormones, size of digestive tract, activity level would all play a part here

SezxyStef

well...interesting

I think that there are too many factors to really say for sure.

I mean after eating 24 cup cakes in one day..what do you do for the next 23 ?In a deficit or at maitenance? won't matter

vs

eating one a day for 24 days...eating in a deficit or at maitenance...won't matter.

If it's CICO argument just make them fit in over 24 days (like I do my chocolate) and no worries eat all the cupcakes...

I think your friend is off to be frank it's almost akin to calories can tell time...

I ate on average TDEE-15% for 10months...lost on average 3/4lb a week...some weeks none...some weeks 1.5....going over maitenance some days...eating at maitenance others days but mainly being in a deficit...so in my experience it doesn't matter when you eat the food as long as you stay in a deficit you will lose weight.

tedrickp

Yeah I with Big T - interesting and I am not sure how it would play out...

I assume when you say "in addition to your regular daily intake" you mean on top of maintenance? So if someone was eating at maintenance and either ate 24 cupcakes over at once, or 1 per day over...

Hmmm

Well this a hunch on my part, but considering energy partitioning, I think that eating 24 at once could potentially pack on slightly less weight (not sure to what degree) because (and this is semi-gross maybe) - poop. I assume there would be more fecal loss of energy in the scenario where you eat all of them at once.

Someone much smarter could easily destroy my hypothesis though - its pretty much a guess.

editorgrrl

It's broscience.

For some good advice (it worked for me!), read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Eat "good" (whatever that means to you), 80% of the time. Fit yummy, portion-controlled treats (like a cupcake) into your calorie goal. Deprivation can lead to bingeing.

Bingeing is never good.

Annesoucy1957

Intriguing will use numbers just to see. If to maintain weight I eat 2000 calories a day and I add a cupcake at 200 calories in 24 days I would have consumed 4800 calories in excess, if I eat them all on the same day that excess is only on that day but at the end of those 24 days it is still the same number so over 1 pound for that period of time.

Lots of people go by a weekly allotment of calories instead of daily, some days they eat less, some days they eat more but they stay within their week calorie budget.

I just dont see how eating all one day or spreading over would make a change. If that was the case anyone that suffers from binge eating would not be concerned and not worry about gaining weight if there body could not metabolise over a certain amount if food per day.

Wish it was true :0)

MelodyandBarbells

That's like saying my 5000 calorie splurge days will have little or "less" effect. Nice try. Step away from the gimmicks!!

0somuchbetter0

I would think the nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting from eating 24 cupcakes would keep you from gaining weight.

So that's the answer: The Cupcake Diet™

knitapeace

I would think the nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting from eating 24 cupcakes would keep you from gaining weight.

So that's the answer: The Cupcake Diet™

Write the book! Here's my money!!!!

GothyFaery

I would think the nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting from eating 24 cupcakes would keep you from gaining weight.

So that's the answer: The Cupcake Diet™

That was my thought as well. I would applaud anyone who could eat 24 cupcakes in one day in addition to their normal food intake and keep it all inside.

WalkingAlong

He said that the body would not be able to process all 24 cupcakes and you would not gain as much weight.

I've often wondered but then again it doesn't make much sense that the body can't process some food due to food timing. Assuming you don't vomit it up, the body does process it. Why would it excrete caloric matter due to an excess of it? That's what fat cells are for-- storing excess calories for later times of famine (or for between meals).

Holly_Roman_Empire

I would think the nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting from eating 24 cupcakes would keep you from gaining weight.

So that's the answer: The Cupcake Diet™

Haha, this was pretty much my take on it as well. It would come up almost as soon as it went down.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

low_esteem23

Okay, someone once told me that it would be better to eat 24 cupcakes (in addition to your regular daily intake) in one day over eating 1 cupcake (in addition to your regular daily intake) for 24 days. He said that the body would not be able to process all 24 cupcakes and you would not gain as much weight.

I am undecided on this. On one hand, it's just physics but on the other hand, the body can't possibly gain 2 pounds of fat overnight (assuming 300 cals/cupcake). What do you think?

The weight gain would not be overnight. you'd see the effects gradually on the days going forward. The person who told you the body cannot process all 24 cupcakes was right about that but wrong about not gaining the weight. You will gain the weight and keep gaining for longer than you wanted until your body has been able to process the 24 cupcakes.

When your body can't process something it doesn't just go away... It stays right there until it gets processed. Which is why yes, you will not gain all the weight over night, but you will still gain it.

In my experience, when i eat foods that are harder for my body to digest, i don't see the effects the next day. It is usually 2-3 days later that i see the effects of the "bad" foods.

tibby531

in regards to finding out what eating 24 cupcakes in one day, minus sugar rush and queasiness, I say thee...

challenge accepted!! :drinker:

BigT555

He said that the body would not be able to process all 24 cupcakes and you would not gain as much weight.

I've often wondered but then again it doesn't make much sense that the body can't process some food due to food timing. Assuming you don't vomit it up, the body does process it. Why would it excrete caloric matter due to an excess of it? That's what fat cells are for-- storing excess calories for later times of famine (or for between meals).

your body only has so many enzymes that can break down food, if the amount of food coming in exceeds the amount of enzymes that can be releases withing a certain time in your digestive system some food will come through only partially digested, leaving calories unabsorbed.

think of corn going through. if it had more time in your digestive tract then you probably wouldnt see kernels in your poop, but food gets processed at a certain rate so it passes as whole for the most part

stevencloser

I would think the nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting from eating 24 cupcakes would keep you from gaining weight.

So that's the answer: The Cupcake Diet™

That was my thought as well. I would applaud anyone who could eat 24 cupcakes in one day in addition to their normal food intake and keep it all inside.

WalkingAlong

He said that the body would not be able to process all 24 cupcakes and you would not gain as much weight.

I've often wondered but then again it doesn't make much sense that the body can't process some food due to food timing. Assuming you don't vomit it up, the body does process it. Why would it excrete caloric matter due to an excess of it? That's what fat cells are for-- storing excess calories for later times of famine (or for between meals).

your body only has so many enzymes that can break down food, if the amount of food coming in exceeds the amount of enzymes that can be releases withing a certain time in your digestive system some food will come through only partially digested, leaving calories unabsorbed.

think of corn going through. if it had more time in your digestive tract then you probably wouldnt see kernels in your poop, but food gets processed at a certain rate so it passes as whole for the most part

I don't think corn being non-digested has to do with time. It has to do with non-digestible material. I think our digestive tracts can hold a lot of material, too, especially something like cupcakes that has very little bulk or fiber. Our intestines are miles long.

It wouldn't surprise me if there's a kernel (lol) of truth in some calories not passing through, though.

59gi

I'm not a believer of calorie in calories out. Not all calories are created equal, even for weight loss. I know this is what we are told, but I also know that certain foods cause blockage or damage to renal heart function and therefore will cause damage to your digestive/circulatory system and this will also lead to weight gain, and loss of anatomical function.

low_esteem23

He said that the body would not be able to process all 24 cupcakes and you would not gain as much weight.

I've often wondered but then again it doesn't make much sense that the body can't process some food due to food timing. Assuming you don't vomit it up, the body does process it. Why would it excrete caloric matter due to an excess of it? That's what fat cells are for-- storing excess calories for later times of famine (or for between meals).

your body only has so many enzymes that can break down food, if the amount of food coming in exceeds the amount of enzymes that can be releases withing a certain time in your digestive system some food will come through only partially digested, leaving calories unabsorbed.

think of corn going through. if it had more time in your digestive tract then you probably wouldnt see kernels in your poop, but food gets processed at a certain rate so it passes as whole for the most part

no this is false with corn.there is a difference between cupcakes (which ARE digestable just a matter of time) and corn. the shells of corn kernels are actually indigestible and don't entirely break apart when you chew either. so - and this may be gross - its not the corn you're seeing come through your body undigested. it is just the shells filled with poop.

PRMinx

This would make me sad because then there will be 23 days with no cupcakes.

GothyFaery

He said that the body would not be able to process all 24 cupcakes and you would not gain as much weight.

I've often wondered but then again it doesn't make much sense that the body can't process some food due to food timing. Assuming you don't vomit it up, the body does process it. Why would it excrete caloric matter due to an excess of it? That's what fat cells are for-- storing excess calories for later times of famine (or for between meals).

your body only has so many enzymes that can break down food, if the amount of food coming in exceeds the amount of enzymes that can be releases withing a certain time in your digestive system some food will come through only partially digested, leaving calories unabsorbed.

think of corn going through. if it had more time in your digestive tract then you probably wouldnt see kernels in your poop, but food gets processed at a certain rate so it passes as whole for the most part

no this is false with corn.there is a difference between cupcakes (which ARE digestable just a matter of time) and corn. the shells of corn kernels are actually indigestible and don't entirely break apart when you chew either. so - and this may be gross - its not the corn you're seeing come through your body undigested. it is just the shells filled with poop.

Who exactly was tasked with picking out the "shells" and inspecting the content inside? I'm sure some scientist somewhere had to do this to find that out...

59gi

All that sugar will circulate in your blood and cause havoc to all of your major organs as well as your hormones. In the end will cause you to gain weight the following days (1-5 days) later.

BigT555

no this is false with corn.there is a difference between cupcakes (which ARE digestable just a matter of time) and corn. the shells of corn kernels are actually indigestible and don't entirely break apart when you chew either. so - and this may be gross - its not the corn you're seeing come through your body undigested. it is just the shells filled with poop.

i could be wrong but i think given enough time corn would get broken down eventually (even if it took a year), this may not ever happen but i was just using it to illustrate a point

as with any basic chemical reaction you need a certain ratio of reagents to complete the reaction. in this case the reagents are the cupcake and enzymes in your digestive system. if the amount of enzymes needed to fully break down the cupcakes exceeded the amount that your body is able to produce/excrete into your intestines then there will be cupcake that isnt fully digested. the speed at which food moves through your digestive tract depends on a number of factors including how much food is being eaten among others but your body doesnt have the ability to tell if food is fully digested or not, it just moves through the system like a conveyor belt, first in first out

cwolfman13

Are we talking about eating at a surplus for a day vs eating at a surplus consistently over 24 days? It wouldn't matter if it was a cupcake or almonds, if you consistently eat at a surplus over the course of 24 days you are going to store fat...

Eating at a surplus, even a significant one for a day isn't going to amount to a hill of beans...the body is very adept and utilizing excess energy; it is chronic excess that is going to result in gaining fat. You could eat 3,500 calories over your maintenance for a day and you aren't going to put on a Lb of fat for that day...that's just not the way it works...your body is going to find a way to mobilize and use that energy in the short run.

The body's natural tendency is maintenance...It takes a consistent barrage of overeating to gain fat just as it takes a consistent barrage of under-eating (dieting) to lose fat. You'd probably put on some water weight with 24 cupcakes in a day though...but it would be quickly flushed out when you were done metabolizing everything.

HungryasFuark

Yes your body cant gain that amount in one day but eating 7000 cals above maintenance which leads to 2 pounds gain in one day and then getting back to normal eating lets say 500 cal deficit or maintenance over the week there will be a calorie surplus unless u did a really drastic weekly cycle a typical male on a good workout routine etc will multiply his body weight in pounds by 15 to get his maintenance calories ex 200 pounds x 15 = 3000 calories per day over the week that's 21000 calorie for maintaining if u ate for one day 3000 cals + 7000 ( from cupcakes ) = 10000 calories in just one day now u have 6 days left / week to eat 11000 calories which means ur gonna starve ur self for the rest of the week in order to avoid fat gain and will probably eat more the next week due to the starving days . so its not smart to eat that amount in one day however u can get easily get away by a refeed or cheat day where u eat about 1000 calories above maintenance

MelodyandBarbells

I would think the nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting from eating 24 cupcakes would keep you from gaining weight.

So that's the answer: The Cupcake Diet™

That was my thought as well. I would applaud anyone who could eat 24 cupcakes in one day in addition to their normal food intake and keep it all inside.

I think I could do this. Ultimately we're talking one to 1.5 cup cakes per hour. Kind of like sitting down with a pizza and mindlessly eating the whole thing over the course of a day

And if the body could only process so much excess calories at once, this could mean there's a maximum amount of fatness one could achieve. Fat chance!!

BigT555

I would think the nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting from eating 24 cupcakes would keep you from gaining weight.

So that's the answer: The Cupcake Diet™

That was my thought as well. I would applaud anyone who could eat 24 cupcakes in one day in addition to their normal food intake and keep it all inside.

I think I could do this. Ultimately we're talking one to 1.5 cup cakes per hour. Kind of like sitting down with a pizza and mindlessly eating the whole thing over the course of a day

And if the body could only process so much excess calories at once, this could mean there's a maximum amount of fatness one could achieve. Fat chance!!

not if that maximum number of calories exceeded the average TDEE, which even for a 400 lb person is less than 4000 calories

agreed that 24 cupcakes in a day isnt exactly hard. id wager that a couple people on this site have done it before. i probably could but im not a huge fan of cupcakes

MityMax96

better yet...
Why not eat a cupcake daily and fit it into your daily goals??

DeguelloTex

better yet...
Why not eat a cupcake daily and fit it into your daily goals??

Because it is a thought experiment regarding calories in, not a diet plan.

GothyFaery

better yet...
Why not eat a cupcake daily and fit it into your daily goals??

The whole conversation stemmed from cleaning up after a potluck at work. Some one was trying to get people to take home cupcakes (because she made way too many) and someone told her to just take them home with her. She said she wouldn't be able to eat them all before they went bad because of her diet. That's when he said just eat them all in one sitting. And then the debate was on!