Excess fuel leads to fat storage (Short Term)

Taylor521
Taylor521 Posts: 48 Member
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
I was reading how if you eat a large meal, that has more fuel in it than your body is burning at that very moment that you will store fat. Regardless of whether or not your in your daily calorie allowance. Is there any authority on what is a good portion size to split your intake into throughout the day?

I guess eating what you exercise or less than after you go to the gym is fairly obvious. But it sounds like you also have to pace your intake evenly throughout the day. Would this have any effect on weight loss?

Replies

  • jlewis2896
    jlewis2896 Posts: 763 Member
    Great question, I'm curious to hear any responses. (Sorry mine is non-informative. But also, I love your profile picture.)
  • Naomi91
    Naomi91 Posts: 892 Member
    This is true from what I have read in my nutrition books as well. Your body doesn't count calories the same way we do.

    But even though its stored as fat, it will be used for energy through out the day. Calories in vs calories out is still most important

    I do pread out my meals evenly through 6 meals a day. love it :]
  • Taylor521
    Taylor521 Posts: 48 Member
    Great question, I'm curious to hear any responses. (Sorry mine is non-informative. But also, I love your profile picture.)

    yours is pretty awesome too :)
  • stark23x
    stark23x Posts: 30 Member
    Where is that from, and is it backed up by any actual peer-reviewed research? I just don't think the human body works that way. Calories and nutrients are broken down and used over a period of time, often multiple days. It's not like your body has its own account at MFP and is all like "Hey that guy just ingested 119 kilo-calories over my metabolic requirements in this particular fifteen minute segment of an arbitrary measurement that human call time! THAT'S IT, CALL THE FAT BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, WE GOT A GUT TO BUILD. SOMEONE GET ME JENKINS ON THE HORN, WE'RE GONNA GET THOSE END-OF-YEAR BONUSES AFTER ALL! FAT *kitten* ALL AROUND!"

    Everything I have ever learned about metabolism is telling me that has to be FUD and scare tactics.

    Spreading out your intake is a good idea in and of itself though. Metabolically, you stabilize production of everything from blood glucose to hormones to enzymes etc. That seems like sound advice. Plus you get the mental reward of thinking you've been eating all day, and part of this battle is mental.

    My advice here would be "Always, without fail, beware of people who speak in absolutes." :)
  • Taylor521
    Taylor521 Posts: 48 Member
    Don't you mean "Absolutely beware of those who speak in absolutes"
  • timlover38
    timlover38 Posts: 22 Member
    It takes about 24 hours for food to be digested and excreted. It takes 6-8 hours to go from your stomach and through your small intestine.

    So your answer is no. You're not going to get food being stored as fat directly after you eat it. As long as its sometime reasonable during the day. You certainly don't want to massively overeat a meal at night when you plan on going to sleep and your body is pretty much inactive for 8-10 hours.

    This is one of the biggest reasons breakfast is important. A good breakfast will break your nighttime fast (hence break-fast) and as the day goes around you will start getting the majority of the deep nutrition from it around noonish...afternoon...if you eat around 6-8am

    Also why its best to exercise early in the morning, because you will be burning stored fat and short term glycose instead of food energy that is being digested...

    If you want to break it down during the day. Just go with higher calorie meals at the start and lower as the day goes on

    higher glycemic carbs after working out to aid in muscle recovery

    good planning is higher calorie meals around high activity that will go on 4-8hours after you eat it

    lower calorie meals where 6-8 hours past eating are at sedentary levels
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
    This is true from what I have read in my nutrition books as well. Your body doesn't count calories the same way we do.

    But even though its stored as fat, it will be used for energy through out the day. Calories in vs calories out is still most important

    I do pread out my meals evenly through 6 meals a day. love it :]

    That's basically my understanding too. But keep in mind that just cause you ate 500 calories doesn't mean that all 500 calories are instantly available for use. It takes your body a little bit of time to break down your food and convert it into useable energy. As it's doing this your body's using that energy. If you reach a point where what's being broken down exceeds the amount being used then it gets stored as fat. Then as the amount being broken down decreases and you're now burning more than your food is providing those calories that were stored an hour ago are released and used for fuel.
  • stark23x
    stark23x Posts: 30 Member
    Don't you mean "Absolutely beware of those who speak in absolutes"

    Heh. You edited that into a better version, but yes, that. :)
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