Could someone explain "spike" days?

ahinski

Thank you all SO much. This is really helpful. So, just to clarify...

My BMR is 1363. Following a plan with a spike day included every week or so, I'd eat 1363 PLUS the exercise calories burned (so, say I burn 200 cals I eat 1563) for 6 days that week, and on day 7 eat about 2600 cals?

When I first read about spike days a bell went off in my head--I've noticed in the past when I've been really careful and haven't lost weight, then had a "bad" day, when I weigh myself afterwards, I'll have lost. So, I'm thinking I'll try this.

Do you think it's a bad idea to try it on the first week of a new eating plan?

Thanks again.

^^^This has been my experience and I've had success... I'll eat more and then be so surprised to see I've lost a pound. I just have to be careful that one day doesn't spiral into one week! lol... although even after a week of not eating healthily or exercising, I've also lost weight. I don't fully get it--but hey, whatever works!

heybales

I don't fully get it--but hey, whatever works!

Because in general, too many are eating with really an unsafe deficit, trying to lose too much too fast.
If done constantly, the body would just suppress the metabolism and slow down.
Then you reach a stall. Now you can eat even less or exercise even more. And stall again.
All the time your once healthy metabolism is now burning a whole lot less than it could.

So for those that are doing that to themselves, these spike days keep it from being a constant thing, and make up some much needed calories for the body to probably do some repair and such. Depends on how far under your healthy BMR you suppressed yourself.

Of course, the exact same thing could be accomplished by just eating balanced the whole time and not slowing down the metabolism.

For those that can eat a spike day and not kill their self-control other days - this can work great.

For those that are trying to totally make a change to their eating habits and want something constant each day - that can work great too.

ahinski

I don't fully get it--but hey, whatever works!

Because in general, too many are eating with really an unsafe deficit, trying to lose too much too fast.
If done constantly, the body would just suppress the metabolism and slow down.
Then you reach a stall. Now you can eat even less or exercise even more. And stall again.
All the time your once healthy metabolism is now burning a whole lot less than it could.

So for those that are doing that to themselves, these spike days keep it from being a constant thing, and make up some much needed calories for the body to probably do some repair and such. Depends on how far under your healthy BMR you suppressed yourself.

Of course, the exact same thing could be accomplished by just eating balanced the whole time and not slowing down the metabolism.

For those that can eat a spike day and not kill their self-control other days - this can work great.

For those that are trying to totally make a change to their eating habits and want something constant each day - that can work great too.

Thanks... I've tried to explain to so many women that eating too little will not work as well as eating just the right amount if not slightly more (of the right foods), but no one seems to believe me--probably for the very reasons you've just stated. They've slowed down their metabolisms so when they try to stay on the high end of their caloric limit, they end up gaining weight. I feel so bad for my friends who are working out like maniacs, yet feel trapped in a 1200-calorie diet (or lower) because when they do eat more, they say they always gain weight... and what's worse they're not even losing very much, if any, weight! I try to tell them that they might have to go through a period of gaining a few pounds for the sake of losing 10 lbs in the long run by eating a little bit more, but I think they think they are just "different" or somehow cursed. I've always felt that we teach our metabolism to be fast or slow through working out and eating properly (aside from any medical issues).

I read recently that a person's body is 80% what you put in it (food), 10% what you do with it (exercise), and 10% genetics. I have to believe it because on both sides of my family the majority of women are overweight, and if I"m not careful, I could easily join them, but aside from my height and bone structure (which is that last 10%), I've pretty much created the body I have today (and when I was eating unhealthily and not exercising--I created the body I had then, too). I think most people, especially women, feel they can't overcome certain obstacles, so they give up or torture themselves with extreme diets (I know I used to).