the nitty gritty about metabolism

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lorilynette
lorilynette Posts: 39
in Health and Weight Loss
A question, and I ask because I don't know.... Does anyone know how quickly the body metabolizes extra calories to actual body fat? For example,If I eat 3500 extra calories (the amount of deficit of calories I need to loose one pound) in one day, can I really expect my weight to be up by a pound over night?

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  • b00b0084
    b00b0084 Posts: 729 Member
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    one pound = 3500 calories. Its not an overnight thing either. I weigh daily and it goes up and down throughout the whole week.
  • 60HzShuffle
    60HzShuffle Posts: 51
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    Depending what you eat, you may actually be 2 or 3 pounds heavier due to water retention. If you get back on the plan the next day, it will go away in a day or two. That's my experience anyway. I would not obsess over it. It's ok to eat a little more every now and then so that you stay on your plan for the long term. What is disturbing is when you are below your calorie limit for several days and the scale doesn't move... :)
  • lorilynette
    lorilynette Posts: 39
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    I havn't actually gone overboard yet, only on day 20 here, but I keep reading about people putting to much in one day and then weight being up the next. I have a hard time imagining it's happening that quickly and I figure the body does a natural loose and gain process anyway.
  • rmsrws
    rmsrws Posts: 639 Member
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    With me I have noticed it takes about 4-5 days for weight loss. and during this time my weight will flectuate usually about a half pound up, then a few ounces down, then VOILA a significant amount has dropped. I hope this helps!
  • pftjill
    pftjill Posts: 488
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    There are so many things that go into weight which is why you should never rely on the scale. Rely on measurements or how clothes are fitting. Scale is a good indicator, but again no relying on it. Weight fluctuates so much for so many reasons. There is no way you gained a lb over night. Unless you are eating 3500 over what your body needs-which I doubt you are doing. Don't stress and start measuring yourself about every two weeks.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    A question, and I ask because I don't know.... Does anyone know how quickly the body metabolizes extra calories to actual body fat? For example,If I eat 3500 extra calories (the amount of deficit of calories I need to loose one pound) in one day, can I really expect my weight to be up by a pound over night?

    I couldn't imagine a way to measure that. Your body fluctuates in water weight, waste weight, whatever food you have in your system still that hasn't been turned to waste...etc. I can guarantee if you consumed 3500 calories in a day you'd be heavier the next day...but I doubt much of it would be fat yet. It would be a combination of the above three more likely.

    My body fluctuates massively as well...I gain and lose 3-5lbs a day...but by my next weigh in day (Monday morning, post restroom, pre food/drink), I'm usually lighter...even if it's only a fraction of a pound. And here's the real kicker for you...I started concentrating on my weight again early in April...I was over 200lbs. By the same time the next month, I was 187lbs...and I'd been eating (good, WHOLE foods) like a horse the whole time. I only exercise heavily 3x a week, for 45-60 minutes. I didn't have much caloric deficit at all...yet I still lost nearly 20lbs over a month? That tells me the quality of food, and the boost in my metabolism from being fed properly was far more important than the caloric deficit.
  • lorilynette
    lorilynette Posts: 39
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    Thanks everyone, going to measure myself today! And your posts reiterate what I thought about how slow/fast the body looses extra pounds. I'm taking it one day at a time and trying to keep the big picture in view.

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