How long does fat take to register on the scales?

WelshPhil1975

I have just spent a long weekend in France & Switzerland and I must admit I have eaten over my calorie limit every day since I’ve been away (culminating in a fondue on Sunday night – melted cheese featured heavily in my weekend’s food intake).

However, I also spent much of the weekend exercising, mainly through swimming and walking. This has resulted in me being under my net calories every day (as automatically worked out via my Fitbit syncing for the walking; I haven’t logged any of the swimming).

I was away Friday until last Monday and seeing as my weigh-day is Tuesday I weighed this morning and I have lost 1lb.

Whilst I am obviously pleased with this, I have friend who tells me that “it takes 3-4 days for food to metabolise into visible fat” so I should see the effects of the cheese-fest at next week’s weigh-in.

So should I be prepared for a possible weight gain on my scales next Tuesday due to this week’s weigh-in being too quick to take the food into account, or is he wrong?

WBB55

This has resulted in me being under my net calories every day (as automatically worked out via my Fitbit syncing for the walking; I haven’t logged any of the swimming).

If you ate at an overall deficit vs. your calories burned thru activity, you shouldn't gain any fat. It's always possible to gain water weight, though, from a salty meal or two.

WelshPhil1975

I have reduced my salt intake and I drank a lot of water over the weekend so I don't elt water retention bother me anymore to be honest.

I know the calories-in-calories-out rule, I was just taken aback by his assertion that the fat won't be considered for 3-4 days.

WBB55

just because the meal was fatty, doesn't mean you'll gain fat, as long as you ate at an overall caloric deficit.

WelshPhil1975

You have put my mind at rest, many thanks

Scott_2025

I have found that weight gain from eating excess tends to show up immediately on the scale. Probably a result of the digestive system being more full and water weight gain. Water gets a lot of blame for scale fluctuations.

However weight loss seems to be much delayed. I have had occasions where the weight will come off a week or so after some high calorie deficits due heavy calorie burns. It seems the weight comes off in bunches. Maybe as much as three pounds in three days. two pounds one day. One the next. I wonder where did that come from.

I think the human body is far too complex to be boiled down to calories in versus calories out an a day to day basis.