How soon do lbs show?
crzyone
Posts: 872 Member
If I overate yesterday, how soon does it take those extra calories to turn to fat? Does it happen quickly so any weight I might gain from an overindulgence will show today on the scales? or does it take a few days for it to turn to fat that would show on the scales?
I'm not really asking about any one day in particualr; it's just something I've been wondering. I hear some people say things like, "Oh, I gained five lbs at Thanksgiving." How do they know that? Do lbs you gain from overeating appear quickly on the scales?
I'm not really asking about any one day in particualr; it's just something I've been wondering. I hear some people say things like, "Oh, I gained five lbs at Thanksgiving." How do they know that? Do lbs you gain from overeating appear quickly on the scales?
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Replies
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The weight gain will start off as waste traveling through your digestive tract. It will end as unused energy. Best guess at food going from mouth to poop is probably 24 hours.
Also a good point "how do they know that?", unless they've worked out the excess calorie intake then they don't. People often mistakenly weigh themselves after a big day and panic. Truth is the human gut is much larger than we think, it can hold up to 10lbs of waste.0 -
If it was only one day I doubt you will gain anything.0
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I think what we gain eating on Thanksgiving day is really water retention. I know I didn't eat enough to pick up the weight I did but I am retaining water as my wedding ring is tight and it isn't normally. It will drop off in the next couple of days. Just think that one pound is 3500 calories above and beyond your maintenance. So if someone said they gained 5 pounds that would be 3500 x 5 over their maintenance. That's a lot of food and doubt most people can manage that intake in a single day.0
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As I understand it, it takes about an equal amount of time to put it on as it does to take it off....so, you aren't going to see a FAT gain overnight. What you will see is a water-weight gain, which can be significant depending upon what you ate. That 5 lbs over Thanksgiving is likely due to the sodium content in all the food eaten. The fat will come, but not overnight.
I know that I lost 12 lbs of WATER in one week after I reduced my sodium intake. That is wild!0 -
I'm not really asking about any one day in particualr; it's just something I've been wondering. I hear some people say things like, "Oh, I gained five lbs at Thanksgiving." How do they know that? Do lbs you gain from overeating appear quickly on the scales?
Its a figure of speech. I just wouldn't worry about it. Get in a good workout and get back on track.0 -
I hear some people say things like, "Oh, I gained five lbs at Thanksgiving."
You'd have to eat 17,500 calories in excess of your normal intake to gain 5 lbs. Highly doubtful for 1 day. Most likely, weight spikes from sodium intake and retained water.0 -
The food is there from the moment you eat it.
Think about it, if you load your plate with a pound of food, it doesn't magically disappear the moment you eat it. It will show up on the scale. The question is how much will get burned off, how much will pass through (waste), and how much will stick around (as fat). Normal digestion takes 2-6 hours for the body to process the nutrients and turn it into fat. The next day or two you might also see an increase in weight from water, especially if you had a lot of sodium, as your body continues to process the nutrients.
That's why they say to weigh first thing in the morning, before you eat or drink, to keep it consistent.0 -
Out of curiousity, I performed a little test by weighing myself these past three days.
I gained nearly one pound ( .9 ) in 24 hours. Yesterday, I consumed approximately 500 extra calories and didn't exercise.
This morning, I resumed my normal MFP lifestyle.
I'm not worrying; I'm not stressing.
Note: I ate at my son's house -- no leftovers to tempt me!0
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