someone, explain how eating more = weightloss? please

Yaya28

It was explained to me like this:
Think of your metabolism like a fire. If you smother it with huge logs (big meals) you will snuff out the fire. It will still burn but just barely enough to consume the logs.In body terms you will get fat. But if you eat smaller meals daily( nutritious of course) they are like tiny kindling that combust as soon as you eat them. Never let your fire burn down (get hungry) because then you will eat to much and slow your metabolism if you do it too often. The cool thing about your metabolism is once its revved up it can take 1 or 2 slip ups and you will still lose weight but too many overboard meals and you will slow it down again.

Small frequent meals= fast metabolism

But you can also do the taper down method and that works for some. They eat huge nutrient packed breakfast, and smaller lunch and a tiny protien packed dinner. The protein as I understand will give your body something to process while you sleep causing you to lose weight.

half_moon

It was explained to me like this:
Think of your metabolism like a fire. If you smother it with huge logs (big meals) you will snuff out the fire. It will still burn but just barely enough to consume the logs.In body terms you will get fat. But if you eat smaller meals daily( nutritious of course) they are like tiny kindling that combust as soon as you eat them. Never let your fire burn down (get hungry) because then you will eat to much and slow your metabolism if you do it too often. The cool thing about your metabolism is once its revved up it can take 1 or 2 slip ups and you will still lose weight but too many overboard meals and you will slow it down again.

Small frequent meals= fast metabolism

But you can also do the taper down method and that works for some. They eat huge nutrient packed breakfast, and smaller lunch and a tiny protien packed dinner. The protein as I understand will give your body something to process while you sleep causing you to lose weight.

Awesome analogy.

Redheadllena

bump

wackyfunster

It was explained to me like this:
Think of your metabolism like a fire. If you smother it with huge logs (big meals) you will snuff out the fire. It will still burn but just barely enough to consume the logs.In body terms you will get fat. But if you eat smaller meals daily( nutritious of course) they are like tiny kindling that combust as soon as you eat them. Never let your fire burn down (get hungry) because then you will eat to much and slow your metabolism if you do it too often. The cool thing about your metabolism is once its revved up it can take 1 or 2 slip ups and you will still lose weight but too many overboard meals and you will slow it down again.

Small frequent meals= fast metabolism

But you can also do the taper down method and that works for some. They eat huge nutrient packed breakfast, and smaller lunch and a tiny protien packed dinner. The protein as I understand will give your body something to process while you sleep causing you to lose weight.

The small, frequent meal thing has been debunked.
People's estimation of the impact of metabolic down-regulation on these forums borders on mythology.

To quote Lyle McDonald:

In general, it’s true that metabolic rate tends to drop more with more excessive caloric deficits (and this is true whether the effect is from eating less or exercising more); as well, people vary in how hard or fast their bodies shut down. Women’s bodies tend to shut down harder and faster.
But here’s the thing: in no study I’ve ever seen has the drop in metabolic rate been sufficient to completely offset the caloric deficit. That is, say that cutting your calories by 50% per day leads to a reduction in the metabolic rate of 10%. Starvation mode you say. Well, yes. But you still have a 40% daily deficit.
In one of the all-time classic studies (the Minnesota semi-starvation study), men were put on 50% of their maintenance calories for 6 months. It measured the largest reduction in metabolic rate I’ve ever seen, something like 40% below baseline. Yet at no point did the men stop losing fat until they hit 5% body fat at the end of the study.
Other studies, where people are put on strictly controlled diets have never, to my knowledge, failed to acknowledge weight or fat loss.
This goes back to the under-reporting intake issue mentioned above. I suspect that the people who say, “I’m eating 800 calories per day and not losing weight; it must be a starvation response” are actually eating far more than that and misreporting or underestimating it. Because no controlled study that I’m aware of has ever found such an occurrence.

AntWrig

It was explained to me like this:
Think of your metabolism like a fire. If you smother it with huge logs (big meals) you will snuff out the fire. It will still burn but just barely enough to consume the logs.In body terms you will get fat. But if you eat smaller meals daily( nutritious of course) they are like tiny kindling that combust as soon as you eat them. Never let your fire burn down (get hungry) because then you will eat to much and slow your metabolism if you do it too often. The cool thing about your metabolism is once its revved up it can take 1 or 2 slip ups and you will still lose weight but too many overboard meals and you will slow it down again.

Small frequent meals= fast metabolism

But you can also do the taper down method and that works for some. They eat huge nutrient packed breakfast, and smaller lunch and a tiny protien packed dinner. The protein as I understand will give your body something to process while you sleep causing you to lose weight.

Too bad this is wrong.

The metabolism doesn't work like a fire. Multiple meals doesn't mean a faster metabolism. Your metabolism functions of OVERALL all calories, not the number of feedings. So, it doesn't matter if you add fuel 1 or 600 times there is no metabolic difference.

BabyGrl726

I concur

This is all quite helpful and very informative!!! Thank you!!!

DawnEH612

Very simple concept to attain a sustainable weight loss platform (most people have come from and failed multiple times on VLCD diets)


Eat more than your BMR but less than your TDEE. This creates a calorie deficit which your body can lose weight with, slowly, steadily and for a lifetime.

That was nice and simple... Well said!

mcarter99

People's estimation of the impact of metabolic down-regulation on these forums borders on mythology.

I think it's way past the border.

It_never_ends

then why are all the kids in Africa... the ones you see on "feed the children" ads... all are bone? their bodies have gone for how long with out food?

I know the body can survive at least 40 days without food, water much less... I doubt one day is going to make that big of a difference.

Completely agree. Eat more weigh more, eat less weigh less. If I eat above 1500 calories a day I gain. People say "you gain weight if you starve" , so that's why anorexics and people in 3rd world countries are so fat? -_-

wackyfunster

then why are all the kids in Africa... the ones you see on "feed the children" ads... all are bone? their bodies have gone for how long with out food?

I know the body can survive at least 40 days without food, water much less... I doubt one day is going to make that big of a difference.

Completely agree. Eat more weigh more, eat less weigh less. If I eat above 1500 calories a day I gain. People say "you gain weight if you starve" , so that's why anorexics and people in 3rd world countries are so fat? -_-

Don't you know that once you become obese you gain access to a mystical source of energy that allows you to continue to gain weight even when you DON'T EAT ANYTHING AT ALL. It's magical.

YoYo1951

bump, to go to time and again until it sinks in

michellekicks

Do I actually need to add that it's not "Eat More to Lose More"... it's "Eat More to weigh less."

You may very well lose more weight eating lower calories. But the "Eat More" philosophy is just slower losses with a very safe, easy, and manageable deficit that promotes preservation of lean muscle mass... something you can stick to forever. I couldn't EVER see myself sticking to 1200 calories/day forever. I'd never make it.

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

then why are all the kids in Africa... the ones you see on "feed the children" ads... all are bone? their bodies have gone for how long with out food?

I know the body can survive at least 40 days without food, water much less... I doubt one day is going to make that big of a difference.

That fully explains the main purpose of our body's response to be in catabolic state & to slow down metabolism when we don't eat much that result in plateau. To conserve energy & hold on to its fat reserve to be used for us to survive. When we don't eat much, the first thing that our bodies do is to let go of our muscle & not fat as what we all think which then makes our metabolism slow down thus resulting in weight loss stall no matter what we do. On real famines like what those kids are experiencing, their bodies already don't have anything left to let go aside from the fat so eventually the body will begin to use up some fat as a source of energy hence the skin & bone body. Have you seen anyone of those starving kids with muscle tone? Of course not.

I doubt one day is going to make that big of a difference.

Of course one day is OK however if we do it consistently then it will make a big difference. Which is why many of us plateau.

Nataliaho

OMG - just because you can imagine an analogy about something doesn't prove it is true... the body is not an engine, or a baby, or a freakin goat or whatever...

AntWrig

OMG - just because you can imagine an analogy about something doesn't prove it is true... the body is not an engine, or a baby, or a freakin goat or whatever...

Please elaborate.

stupidloser

If I new I wouldn't be fat.

Nataliaho

OMG - just because you can imagine an analogy about something doesn't prove it is true... the body is not an engine, or a baby, or a freakin goat or whatever...

Please elaborate.

Every day there is another post saying, the metabolism works like a X..... blah blah blah as if that is some kind of scientific explanation... philosophy and logic /= science....

let me make one up right now:

I look at it like this, the metabolism works very much like riding a horse, initally you have to break it in, you ride it hard and show it who is boss. Then eventually it comes to understand that you are the boss and it will start to behave. That is why initally you have to lower your calories to 700 and though your metabolism will fight, you'll eventually win and be able to ride that ***** with your eyes closed.

MisterTEZ

then why are all the kids in Africa... the ones you see on "feed the children" ads... all are bone? their bodies have gone for how long with out food?

Many of those children have a condition known as Marasmus. this condition is caused by a severe deficiency of nearly all nutrients, especially protein and carbohydrates.

You can't make a comparison between starving children in Africa and weightloss on MFP

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

then why are all the kids in Africa... the ones you see on "feed the children" ads... all are bone? their bodies have gone for how long with out food?

I know the body can survive at least 40 days without food, water much less... I doubt one day is going to make that big of a difference.

Completely agree. Eat more weigh more, eat less weigh less. If I eat above 1500 calories a day I gain. People say "you gain weight if you starve" , so that's why anorexics and people in 3rd world countries are so fat? -_-

You wouldn't gain weight on starvation mode, that's not true. What happens is that when you eat VLCD, you'll have dramatic weight loss very quick in the beginning however the problem is that eventually your body will begin to adapt with the very low calorie diet & to compensate for the lack of calories, it will use your muscle, not fat, as a source of energy therefore slowing down the metabolism & thus making you burn fewer calories. Our bodies need fat & that is the last thing that it will let go. So when the dieter decides to go into maintenance, he/she will be having difficult time because of the lowered metabolism & eventually gains back very quickly everything that was lost.

With regards to those with skin & bones, their bodies already used up the other resources for energy & what is left is the fat reserves. Since their bodies continually needs calories to survive so eventually it will begin to use some of the fat reserves for energy. However that is the last thing that our bodies would do in case there are no more other sources available to used up for energy. Which is why these people are very sickly, hair loss is very evident & also the brain isn't functioning the same way as what is supposed to be.

It is very sad to see that some people here are comparing those poor, starving kids to the ones who just wanted to lose weight. I happen to live in a 3rd world country & although thankfully I'm OK but everyday I see poor, starving, homeless families with skin & bones that are living in the middle of the streets here in the city begging for money & food. I've seen the joy especially in those kid's eyes whenever they receive even the simplest food that they can eat. And here we are, wasting every blessing that we have for what? To fit into that cute outfit or to look good in the beach? You people have no idea how it is to live in such harsh conditions.

AntWrig

OMG - just because you can imagine an analogy about something doesn't prove it is true... the body is not an engine, or a baby, or a freakin goat or whatever...

Please elaborate.

Every day there is another post saying, the metabolism works like a X..... blah blah blah as if that is some kind of scientific explanation... philosophy and logic /= science....

let me make one up right now:

I look at it like this, the metabolism works very much like riding a horse, initally you have to break it in, you ride it hard and show it who is boss. Then eventually it comes to understand that you are the boss and it will start to behave. That is why initally you have to lower your calories to 700 and though your metabolism will fight, you'll eventually win and be able to ride that ***** with your eyes closed.

That's not true, cause I read a study stating that I needed to lower my calories to 699. =/