Hypothetical 12,000 Calorie Meal

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257_Lag
257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
in Food and Nutrition
A co-worker and myself (both losing with MFP) were just discussing this and I would like any opinions or hard data that anyone may offer.

We have a local smorgasbord (All you can eat buffet) that is legendary. People come from 100's of miles around to eat there. To sit in the lobby and watch the number of obese people coming and going is enough to make you sick without eating anything. The local ambulance crew says that they should set up an auxiliary post in their parking lot due to the number of calls they get and I'm not kidding about that! As locals we can't stand the place but most of us go once or twice a year because they host a LOT of business functions and...

they offer a free meal on your Birthday. This is a value of $20-$30 depending on the day of the week.

So here is what we were discussing:

Suppose you say you are going full out crazy on your Birthday. You are going to get your free meal and you are going to eat absolutely anything and everything and as much as you possibly can. There is no time limit for guests.

What is the maximum amount of calories that your body can/will process from this meal? Is there a maximum? What effect will this have on you if you go right back to your healthy eating the next day?

We are NOT planning on doing this, it's just a discussion.

I argued that there comes a point that your body can't process anymore and it will pass through unprocessed. He said a calorie is a calorie and this will negate 3 weeks of healthy eating.

Opinions?
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Replies

  • JossFit
    JossFit Posts: 588 Member
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    This is another one of those questions you'll never get a definitive answer to, but some food for thought;

    What is "at one time"? Sure, your body cannot digest all of those calories at once, but your food will sit in your body until it has gone through it's processes. According to the Mayo Clinic;
    Digestion time varies between individuals and between men and women. After you eat, it takes about six to eight hours for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine. Food then enters your large intestine (colon) for further digestion, absorption of water and, finally, elimination of undigested food.

    In the 1980s, Mayo Clinic researchers measured digestion time in 21 healthy people. Total transit time, from eating to elimination in stool, averaged 53 hours (although that figure is a little overstated, because the markers used by the researchers passed more slowly through the stomach than actual food). The average transit time through just the large intestine (colon) was 40 hours, with significant difference between men and women: 33 hours for men, 47 hours for women.

    Two British doctors studied digestion time in children. They fed 35 children juice containing a red marker and asked the children's mothers to note when the stool first turned red. The mean time of transit from mouth to *kitten* for the group was 33 hours (meaning half the children had digestion times slower than this and half had digestion times greater than this).

    Notice it doesn't say how much of that food may not be digested. I tried doing a search but could not find ANYTHING concrete... just a lot of bro-science.

    I think the bottom line is that it will depend on the person doing the eating; age, height, weight, sex, body fat percentage, TDEE, etc.
  • Terpnista84
    Terpnista84 Posts: 517 Member
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    Who would eat 12,000 calories in a meal?? Or even a day?? How is that even possible?
  • sunman00
    sunman00 Posts: 872 Member
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    I met some guys yesterday that I hadn't seen for 25 years

    I'm only drinking a glass of wine a day since I started my plan on Jan 4 so I was unprepared for the 2 beers & bottle of wine I drank with the steak lunch

    when I got home I vomited the whole lot up, actually it looked like more that I'd eaten :-)

    on the 6 to 8 hours needed to digest & absorb theory does this mean that I didn't effectively eat anything at all for my diary?
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Who would eat 12,000 calories in a meal?? Or even a day?? How is that even possible?

    It's honestly not as hard as you would think
  • Terpnista84
    Terpnista84 Posts: 517 Member
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    I cannot imagine this.
  • stephdeeable
    stephdeeable Posts: 1,407 Member
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    Who would eat 12,000 calories in a meal?? Or even a day?? How is that even possible?

    I could do this so easily. Give me a few pounds of wings and a pecan pie to get me warmed up.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
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    I've done 5,000+ in one day before, way back in the past when I was actually in shape.

    Also, sorry to hear all those obese people make you sick. That must be rough to have to see that.
  • darkrider42
    darkrider42 Posts: 5,342 Member
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    That'll be one helluva food baby!

    "It's crowning! NURSE!!! FORCEPS, STAT!!!"

    :laugh:
  • Oncebittentwiceshy38
    Oncebittentwiceshy38 Posts: 127 Member
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    I met some guys yesterday that I hadn't seen for 25 years

    I'm only drinking a glass of wine a day since I started my plan on Jan 4 so I was unprepared for the 2 beers & bottle of wine I drank with the steak lunch

    when I got home I vomited the whole lot up, actually it looked like more that I'd eaten :-)

    on the 6 to 8 hours needed to digest & absorb theory does this mean that I didn't effectively eat anything at all for my diary?

    I did research on bulimia (binging and purging) and discovered that when you throw up even though it looks like a lot more you only actually throw up about 50% of the calories you consume.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    Also, sorry to hear all those obese people make you sick. That must be rough to have to see that.

    +1 :)
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    I would love to know how it's possible to eat 12000 calories in one meal! I guess if you're a larger man maybe you could do it in a day? That seems pretty impossible and I'm not a small lady.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Who would eat 12,000 calories in a meal?? Or even a day?? How is that even possible?

    I could and have. I probably will again.
  • c3js80
    c3js80 Posts: 82 Member
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    You've got to be referring to Shady Maple!
  • HealthWoke0ish
    HealthWoke0ish Posts: 2,078 Member
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    My brother does something like 10k a day to maintain. He plays D1 football and does a lot of other active stuff when he's not doing football (mountain climbing/hiking, rugby, basketball, etc.)

    If I were to eat my some of my favorite junk food in a day:

    Breakfast: 890
    Sausage, egg, and cheese mcgriddle: 550 calories
    Hasbrown: 150
    Medium Orange Juice: 190

    Lunch 2,060
    Panda Express Orange Chicken: 980
    Panda Express Chow Mein: 840
    Coke: 240

    Dinner: 2,365
    Ceasar Salad: 330
    Babyback Ribs: 1156
    Garlic Mashed Potatoes: 305
    Cheesecake: 334
    Coke: 240

    5,315 is quite a bit. I don't know how I'd do on snacks but I used to enjoy filling up a bowl of cashews to snack on at my desk. I calculated how much that was when I started MFP. I was doing 5k-7k just in cashews in a day. Nuts! :)
  • KY2022runner
    KY2022runner Posts: 72 Member
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    At most of the buffets I have ever been too it would be possible to get astronomical numbers without even trying. If you were trying to eat as many calories as possible I bet it would be possible. I still remember one of my old college roommates eating 2 plates covered in bacon at a breakfast buffet much to the rests amazement. "Why not?" was his only response.
  • ambskiii
    ambskiii Posts: 6 Member
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    Is this place called Shady Maple?
  • ambskiii
    ambskiii Posts: 6 Member
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    You've got to be referring to Shady Maple!


    Ah, didn't see that you already said this. Yeah it's definitely got to be shady maple!
  • darkrider42
    darkrider42 Posts: 5,342 Member
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    I've done 5,000+ in one day before, way back in the past when I was actually in shape.

    Also, sorry to hear all those obese people make you sick. That must be rough to have to see that.

    I hesitate to speak for them, but my guess is not that they were offended by the obese people themselves, but more identifying with the feeling of what it feels like when they do that to themselves, probably regularly. I got the same feeling everytime I went into a Cici's Pizza buffet and looked around. Something like $6 to go kill yourself with bad pizza and to-die-for hot, fresh cinnamon buns by the plateful... Loved it, but walked out hating myself. I'm currently still classified as obese (6'-3" and built like a train, but still about 305lbs) but I did not take offense.... and as someone who tries* to eat healthy, reasonable amounts of food now, having a crystal clear memory of what it feels like to binge like that made me nauseous....and even thinking about it again right now makes my stomach turn and I want to throw up even though I haven't even eaten anything yet this morning... :sick:


    ETA: Fixing stoopid typos. :grumble:
  • violinkeri
    violinkeri Posts: 212
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    This HAS to be shady mapes. I have to say--my bday was a Saturday this year so we went for my bday and gorging yourself at the mapes is the best hangover cure.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    It would have to be in liquid form. I mean, that's 6 dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts... which is my measure apparently for high calorie meals...

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