Are high calorie days beneficial or not?
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tribal351
Posts: 72 Member
I've been reading about the Biggest Loser contestants that restricted their diets so severely that now they are locked in to slow metabolic rates. My health coach warned me about being too restrictive with my diet for the same reason.
I stalled at 231 for a little over a week, even though my macros said I should have been losing, so I made a decision to have a couple high calorie days. Friday and Saturday I went well over my calorie goals, but still stayed HFLC.
Anyone have any thoughts on this?
I stalled at 231 for a little over a week, even though my macros said I should have been losing, so I made a decision to have a couple high calorie days. Friday and Saturday I went well over my calorie goals, but still stayed HFLC.
Anyone have any thoughts on this?
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Replies
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If it works for you and you are still loosing then I don't see anything wrong with it. It's not something I could do because I'd want those calories all the time then LOL.
I think those contestants were probably way under healthy calories, etc. That's just my opinion, not fact. I don't believe you can damage anything by eating well and sticking to a normal calorie goal for sustainable weight loss.0 -
People don't lose consistently every week even on starvation diets. Stalling for a week isn't stalling - it's an adjustment period. Bodies aren't perfect machines so even eating macros that say you should lose is no guarantee that you'll lose every week - what it does mean is that it's likely your losses will even out. I quite often lose 1lb one week and 3 the next to keep my average roughly 2lb a week. You see these patterns when you look back over a few months loss but they're harder to see at the time.
Biggest loser contestants are extremely low calorie and exercised 6-8 hours a day. They were probably in negative calories most days and it shot their metabolisms. If you're eating a decent calorie level and not exercising so you're at a negative deficit it's less likely you need to worry.
One of the benefits of low carb is a lot of people don't need to cut their calories as much to lose. The calorie level I eat at MFP tells me I should lose about half a pound a week - as I say it's actually 2lbs a week on average.
Eating higher calorie but still low carb now and then won't hurt you at all though. I have a few days where I eat an extra 500 calories or so from my usual fairly generous limit and it doesn't seem to affect me either way. I have seen some people say that they do think it shakes their metabolism up a bit so from my point of view it's probably not super necessary but no harm in seeing what happens.1 -
My own personal rule of thumb: If something is featured on The Biggest Loser, it's probably a bad idea. A very, VERY bad idea. That show should have been banned as a public health threat.6
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I have noticed that when i added a light to moderate exercise regimen weekly to my diet that the tiredness and possibly lower metabolism ration has been practically eliminated and I have energy through the day. My blood pressure and heart rate are all excellent as i track them daily with an omron BP786N. Having started at almost 300 lbs and very inactive due to RSD I knew I had to make a change. I have not carb loaded on an of the days that I train more intense and have not felt my hunger increase after the session of course I had plenty of fat to burn haha. I think the key to staying off lacking metabolic issues is to become at least lightly to moderate active and the body will follow suit. I mean the simplistic way it seems to switch between carbs and ketones for fuel how amazing is it's ability to adapt? Bar any genetic prone person to certain risks such as thyroid and kidney or liver issues just boost your own amount of activity and the issues of slower metabolism may take care of themselves.1
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I tended tolet my calories go up and down by a fair bit but the average was still a caloric deficit. If I was hungry I ate more. I didn't force it. I always figured it was good to listen to my body (within reason) and keep it guessing.2
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I stalled at 231 for a little over a week, even though my macros said I should have been losing, so I made a decision to have a couple high calorie days.
Your scale may talk like a sweetheart now and then, but they're con artists. All of them.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10415166/scale-why-should-i-dump-thee-let-me-count-the-ways
Next thing you know, yours will begin subliminally whispering that entering a pie-eating contest will melt 10 lbs off your waistline overnight.
There are only two reasonable alternatives - dumpster or Salvation Army!0 -
Also maybe you are in what they call pre-whoosh. The body sometimes replaces lost fat with water in cells for a while. And then you will lose overnight, apparently alcohol and a cheat meal can help trigger the whoosh. Get a scale that measures body fat and water (though theiy aren't too accurate but consistent) to get a bigger picture. Fluctuations are normal. Don't lose heart. But make sure you eat plenty of good fats.0
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I did a higher calorie day yesterday because I was quite hungry after walking a half marathon! It was much more activity than I normally do (4 hours and 15 min) and I wasn't going to deny myself the giant omelette, steak, brussel sprouts, butter, and key lime fat bomb because it would put me over my calorie limit. I really try hard to trust and listen to my hunger now that I am more fat adapted.
I'm not sure if having a high calorie day just for the sake of having a high calorie day is beneficial or not. I say if you are truely hungry for more food on a certain day once in a while, why not go for it. But if you are forcing a high calorie day every couple weeks because it's "good for you", maybe not. Just my opinion.3 -
BT_rescuemom wrote: »I'm not sure if having a high calorie day just for the sake of having a high calorie day is beneficial or not. I say if you are truely hungry for more food on a certain day once in a while, why not go for it. But if you are forcing a high calorie day every couple weeks because it's "good for you", maybe not. Just my opinion.
I agree with this. I have more un-hungry days than hungry days, but if I'm truly hungry I will go over and not worry about it. But since I'm burning fat stores I don't think there's any value in a high calorie day just because.2 -
I just ate over my calories this weekend. I ate some almonds and dry roasted peanuts which added a lot of calories. Then on top of that I ate an Atkins bar treat. That was along with my regular food. I just felt like I had to eat, even though my stomach was not telling me "hunger." I've really been good at following my calories, but have not lost in a couple of weeks. It may be time for me to lower calories again. I'll see if this over calorie day helps me with jogging my metabolism. This notion of a higher calorie day is one of the reasons for those "cheat day" diets. I was on a diet where they sent frozen food to me and then I ate one day a week where I was to cook. I was not to go way over the 1350-1500 cal limits but over was ok. BTW I really didn't lose much weight for all the expense.1
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Your scale may talk like a sweetheart now and then, but they're con artists. All of them.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10415166/scale-why-should-i-dump-thee-let-me-count-the-ways
Next thing you know, yours will begin subliminally whispering that entering a pie-eating contest will melt 10 lbs off your waistline overnight.
There are only two reasonable alternatives - dumpster or Salvation Army!
So THAT'S where those voices are coming from...I thought they were all in my head. Bad scale!! Bad, bad scale!!
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He who eats the most and loses, wins in the end. Read about the 1st 50 pages or so of The Obesity Code. If Dr Fung states it once, he states it 5 times: calorie reduction results reduced metabolism. And he's not talking only situations as severe as The Biggest Loser.
Listen to your trainer. Slow and steady. Or you can be impatient, sprint, lose too fast then starve later because you tanked your metabolism.
Keep your calories as high as you can to still lose at a moderate pace. It makes sense to eat more on some days than others cuz hunger. And 1 week does does not represent a stall.
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This. And also, studies show that you will lose more with the same amount of calories if you eat them during a shorter window of time ( as in intermittent fasting). So don't eat less but stop eating earlier.
Watch this lecture starting at the 42nd minute for an explanation of some of the early studies:
https://youtu.be/gtMGJIaZqPAHe who eats the most and loses, wins in the end. Read about the 1st 50 pages or so of The Obesity Code. If Dr Fung states it once, he states it 5 times: calorie reduction results reduced metabolism. And he's not talking only situations as severe as The Biggest Loser.
Listen to your trainer. Slow and steady. Or you can be impatient, sprint, lose too fast then starve later because you tanked your metabolism.
Keep your calories as high as you can to still lose at a moderate pace. It makes sense to eat more on some days than others cuz hunger. And 1 week does does not represent a stall.1 -
Also maybe you are in what they call pre-whoosh. The body sometimes replaces lost fat with water in cells for a while. And then you will lose overnight, apparently alcohol and a cheat meal can help trigger the whoosh. Get a scale that measures body fat and water (though theiy aren't too accurate but consistent) to get a bigger picture. Fluctuations are normal. Don't lose heart. But make sure you eat plenty of good fats.
farrr out! thats what just happened to me! Yesterday I weighed in at a 1kg gain, I have been in ketosis for two and a half-3 weeks, I was like wt? Then in the evening I sucked back four gins (commiserations) .... started peeing like crazy and in the morning had a loss from 101.5 kg to 99.7kg...I am a genius! lol.2 -
That sounds exactly like the description I read. Now I'm not saying anyone thinking they are holding water should go drinking
but if you think you are on track just don't lose heart of the scale isn't moving.kiwiapplepear wrote: »Also maybe you are in what they call pre-whoosh. The body sometimes replaces lost fat with water in cells for a while. And then you will lose overnight, apparently alcohol and a cheat meal can help trigger the whoosh. Get a scale that measures body fat and water (though theiy aren't too accurate but consistent) to get a bigger picture. Fluctuations are normal. Don't lose heart. But make sure you eat plenty of good fats.
farrr out! thats what just happened to me! Yesterday I weighed in at a 1kg gain, I have been in ketosis for two and a half-3 weeks, I was like wt? Then in the evening I sucked back four gins (commiserations) .... started peeing like crazy and in the morning had a loss from 101.5 kg to 99.7kg...I am a genius! lol.
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-- and hey congratulations on getting under 100!! I'm trying to get under 90kg this week. Have been in the 90s for 7+ years. I bet it felt good to move to another digit.kiwiapplepear wrote: »Also maybe you are in what they call pre-whoosh. The body sometimes replaces lost fat with water in cells for a while. And then you will lose overnight, apparently alcohol and a cheat meal can help trigger the whoosh. Get a scale that measures body fat and water (though theiy aren't too accurate but consistent) to get a bigger picture. Fluctuations are normal. Don't lose heart. But make sure you eat plenty of good fats.
farrr out! thats what just happened to me! Yesterday I weighed in at a 1kg gain, I have been in ketosis for two and a half-3 weeks, I was like wt? Then in the evening I sucked back four gins (commiserations) .... started peeing like crazy and in the morning had a loss from 101.5 kg to 99.7kg...I am a genius! lol.
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