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Does eating extra calories "boost" your metabolism?
Geocitiesuser
Posts: 1,429 Member
in Debate Club
I say no, but it sure does seem to be a common belief, both in the forums, and various articles.
Some say one cheat meal a week. Some say a day. Some say eating at maintenance or above for a whole WEEK helps metabolism.
But as far as my understanding goes, your metabolism is largely just how much you move/expend during a day, and that any difference in a basal metabolic rate is going to be negligible, 100 calories per day in the most extreme and rare cases.
Anytime I go off my "diet" I like to pretend I'm just refeeding. But in reality, it's all BS, no?
Some say one cheat meal a week. Some say a day. Some say eating at maintenance or above for a whole WEEK helps metabolism.
But as far as my understanding goes, your metabolism is largely just how much you move/expend during a day, and that any difference in a basal metabolic rate is going to be negligible, 100 calories per day in the most extreme and rare cases.
Anytime I go off my "diet" I like to pretend I'm just refeeding. But in reality, it's all BS, no?
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Replies
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el0JH3hEY78&t=180s
It is actually good to have cheat meals/days once a week because they reverse your weight loss hormones side effects, just don't go berserk, and be +500 calories above your maintenance on that day.2 -
Geocitiesuser wrote: »I say no, but it sure does seem to be a common belief, both in the forums, and various articles.
Some say one cheat meal a week. Some say a day. Some say eating at maintenance or above for a whole WEEK helps metabolism.
But as far as my understanding goes, your metabolism is largely just how much you move/expend during a day, and that any difference in a basal metabolic rate is going to be negligible, 100 calories per day in the most extreme and rare cases.
Anytime I go off my "diet" I like to pretend I'm just refeeding. But in reality, it's all BS, no?
In all honesty, I've seen new people come on here and talk about cheat days boosting metabolism, but I've always seen the already successful veterans say that metabolism doesn't work like that. Diet breaks can be psychologically beneficial, if someone has been dieting for a long time that break can make it easier for them to stay on track. But I've never seen anyone I had any reason to listen to claim that a cheat day helps your metabolism.12 -
mohamedahmed07 wrote: »It is actually good to have cheat meals/days once a week because they reverse your weight loss hormones side effects, just don't go berserk, and be +500 calories above your maintenance on that day.
I watched the video, and while I understand the point he was trying to make, he never says specifically what hormones or bodily functions get "reset" by eating a day at maintenance or higher. Really the only thing he said was refilling glycogen stores which isn't an issue for people who aren't doing low carb diets anyway. He certainly never touched on the ideas of calorie adaptation etc.
He also talks about a state of catabolism like a bad thing, but all bodies are constantly either catabolic or anabolic at any time. There is no real "equilibrium". You can't lose fat without being catabolic.6 -
AFAIK the only thing that boosts metabolism is movement.
If eating more boosted metabolism, I'd be eating 4000 calories a day and losing weight.10 -
Geocitiesuser wrote: »mohamedahmed07 wrote: »It is actually good to have cheat meals/days once a week because they reverse your weight loss hormones side effects, just don't go berserk, and be +500 calories above your maintenance on that day.
I watched the video, and while I understand the point he was trying to make, he never says specifically what hormones or bodily functions get "reset" by eating a day at maintenance or higher. Really the only thing he said was refilling glycogen stores which isn't an issue for people who aren't doing low carb diets anyway. He certainly never touched on the ideas of calorie adaptation etc.
He also talks about a state of catabolism like a bad thing, but all bodies are constantly either catabolic or anabolic at any time. There is no real "equilibrium". You can't lose fat without being catabolic.
A refeed will boost leptin levels and when leptin levels are boosted it promotes a better hormonal profile in general...when dieting, testosterone levels dip...refeeds help boost testosterone as well as growth hormone and lower cortisol levels.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3943438/n the world of physique sports, periodic “refeeding” has become common in periods of extended dieting. A refeed consists of a brief overfeeding period in which caloric intake is raised slightly above maintenance levels, and the increase in caloric intake is predominantly achieved by increasing carbohydrate consumption. While studies have utilized refeeding protocols that last three days [71,72], physique athletes such as bodybuilders and figure competitors often incorporate 24-hour refeeds, once or twice per week. The proposed goal of periodic refeeding is to temporarily increase circulating leptin and stimulate the metabolic rate. There is evidence indicating that leptin is acutely responsive to short-term overfeeding [72], is highly correlated with carbohydrate intake [71,73], and that pharmacological administration of leptin reverses many unfavorable adaptations to energy restriction [33]. While interventions have shown acute increases in leptin from short-term carbohydrate overfeeding, the reported effect on metabolic rate has been modest [71]. Dirlewanger et al. reported a 7% increase in TDEE; this increase amounts to approximately 138 kilocalories of additional energy expenditure, of which 36 kilocalories can be attributed to the thermic effect of carbohydrate intake [71]. More research is needed to determine if acute bouts of refeeding are an efficacious strategy for improving weight loss success during prolonged hypocaloric states. A theoretical model of metabolic adaptation and potential strategies to attenuate adaptations is presented in Figure 210 -
Geocitiesuser wrote: »But in reality, it's all BS, no?
You've heard the phrase "a broken clock is right twice a day." It comes from a bygone era when clocks had moving arms, not displays that just go blank.
I think what's going on is that some things can be useful, but for reasons other than you'd think.
I've never seen any evidence of metabolism being "boosted" like we're talking about, or weight loss hormones, or other nebulous things that could potentially be true but you can't actually know for sure. On the other hand, dieting is hard, it requires sacrifice. I know a lot of people disagree with that, you can diet well, but people got fat by eating too much, because they were eating as they saw fit, and when they lose weight, they're eating less than that, by definition a sacrifice. Cheat meals or days or whatever can help some people cope with that, it gives them a light at the end of the tunnel to focus on.
So I think BS is perhaps a bit strong a term, but I basically agree. Metabolism isn't an independent thing like a garbage man who comes and hauls your calories away, that might judge you according to your diet and hunger level. But it can still help some people for a different reason: long term adherence.6 -
It's not said to eat more to boost metabolism. Diet breaks are for hormones to level out again and sort out any adaptive thermogenesis that has taken place. Which is upregulation not boost.
Cheat meals or refeeds, to the general dieter, are not really necessary or effective, they're more of a way for people to remain compliant or justify eating something they have either been depriving themselves of or think is "bad".
Neither of these two things boost metabolism and i have never seen this said by veterans, as stated above.3 -
This article has been linked to before
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
But I'm not sure that is what you are referring to. I know I've gotten a bit tired and felt run down so I've taken a couple of breaks. But I may have been fighting a bug as well, as most of my staff were off sick close enough to the same time that that might have been my issue. I just know that after a week or so I was able to get back to my deficit and continue on with little impact to my weight loss.1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »
A refeed will boost leptin levels and when leptin levels are boosted it promotes a better hormonal profile in general...when dieting, testosterone levels dip...refeeds help boost testosterone as well as growth hormone and lower cortisol levels.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3943438/
I made the mistake of googling about leptin, holy bro science, looks like there was a period in 2012ish that swore leptin as the miracle hormone. My understanding of leptin is that it primarily regulate hunger and wouldn't have an over all effect on a basal metabolic rate. If refeeding really refuels leptin, its greatest benefit would be controlling hunger, but don't most of us experience the greatest hunger control through fasting? I know I do.
The testosterone issue is different. I'm not so sure small refeeds could really boost testosterone, especially not as much as eating a diet plenty in saturated fat/cholesterol (the building blocks of testosterone), is there literature that shows a weekly refeed can actually keep testosterone elevated enough that it is significant? I'm assuming again, but I would think if it was true every man on the planet would refeed twice a week and it would be standard advice since test is seen as the holy grail of maintaining muscle mass.
Please don't misconstrue me as combative, just healthy debate.3 -
Geocitiesuser wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »
A refeed will boost leptin levels and when leptin levels are boosted it promotes a better hormonal profile in general...when dieting, testosterone levels dip...refeeds help boost testosterone as well as growth hormone and lower cortisol levels.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3943438/
I made the mistake of googling about leptin, holy bro science, looks like there was a period in 2012ish that swore leptin as the miracle hormone. My understanding of leptin is that it primarily regulate hunger and wouldn't have an over all effect on a basal metabolic rate. If refeeding really refuels leptin, its greatest benefit would be controlling hunger, but don't most of us experience the greatest hunger control through fasting? I know I do.
The testosterone issue is different. I'm not so sure small refeeds could really boost testosterone, especially not as much as eating a diet plenty in saturated fat/cholesterol (the building blocks of testosterone), is there literature that shows a weekly refeed can actually keep testosterone elevated enough that it is significant? I'm assuming again, but I would think if it was true every man on the planet would refeed twice a week and it would be standard advice since test is seen as the holy grail of maintaining muscle mass.
Please don't misconstrue me as combative, just healthy debate.
According to the link, increase in leptin adds about 7% increase to metabolism which is modest, but it is what it is.
In regards to testosterone, when you increase leptin, you increase liver glycogen which in turn will drive up testosterone...I don't know how much, but I would imagine significance and effectiveness would also be determined by how steep one's calorie deficit is and for how long...and yes, getting in plenty of dietary fat is going to make a big difference...something a lot of people cut way back on when dieting unfortunately.0 -
It pretty much depends on how long one's been dieting and at how steep a deficit.Geocitiesuser wrote: »mohamedahmed07 wrote: »It is actually good to have cheat meals/days once a week because they reverse your weight loss hormones side effects, just don't go berserk, and be +500 calories above your maintenance on that day.
I watched the video, and while I understand the point he was trying to make, he never says specifically what hormones or bodily functions get "reset" by eating a day at maintenance or higher. Really the only thing he said was refilling glycogen stores which isn't an issue for people who aren't doing low carb diets anyway. He certainly never touched on the ideas of calorie adaptation etc.
He also talks about a state of catabolism like a bad thing, but all bodies are constantly either catabolic or anabolic at any time. There is no real "equilibrium". You can't lose fat without being catabolic.
This isn't true. Glycogen stores can be depleted in dieters who are not on low carb diets and exercise. It depends on how much exercise, what type, how many carbs are eaten in relation to the exercise, etc.
In my case, I take a diet break when I get to feeling run down for a week or so. Basal metabolism aside, it doesn't take much of an increase in calories for me to feel much better which means I move more and therefore burn more.5 -
In my personal experience, higher calorie days make me want to move more. Staying in a deficit for a long time (close to goal weight) puts me in a foul mood and all I want to do is lay around. So I am burning more when I consume more. In a literal sense, my metabolism (sum of all anabolic and catabolic reactions) is 'boosted', even if my net calories are exactly the same.1
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VintageFeline wrote: »It's not said to eat more to boost metabolism. Diet breaks are for hormones to level out again and sort out any adaptive thermogenesis that has taken place. Which is upregulation not boost.
Cheat meals or refeeds, to the general dieter, are not really necessary or effective, they're more of a way for people to remain compliant or justify eating something they have either been depriving themselves of or think is "bad".
Neither of these two things boost metabolism and i have never seen this said by veterans, as stated above.
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I'm starting weight loss again and have a re-feed day. It's not to "boost metabolism" and honestly 1 day isn't enough to increase leptin levels, even two days isn't. I do think it's good for mind and body though. With heavy training, I like having one higher carb day that falls on a high volume lower body day. I get a better workout in, I have less stress on Saturday when it comes to socializing, a little extra energy. All good.2
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VintageFeline wrote: »It's not said to eat more to boost metabolism. Diet breaks are for hormones to level out again and sort out any adaptive thermogenesis that has taken place. Which is upregulation not boost.
Cheat meals or refeeds, to the general dieter, are not really necessary or effective, they're more of a way for people to remain compliant or justify eating something they have either been depriving themselves of or think is "bad".
Neither of these two things boost metabolism and i have never seen this said by veterans, as stated above.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Adaptive thermogenesis is starvation mode. That's the part I find highly suspect. I can see if you're at an extreme calorie defecit your body would find a way to shave a hundred cals off of your TDEE, but it would still be simple CICO and any slow down, even in extreme cases, would be mostly negligible. Especially if someone is still overweight.
Same disclaimer as earlier, not trying to be combative. Just healthy debate.0 -
Geocitiesuser wrote: »
Adaptive thermogenesis is starvation mode. That's the part I find highly suspect. I can see if you're at an extreme calorie defecit your body would find a way to shave a hundred cals off of your TDEE, but it would still be simple CICO and any slow down, even in extreme cases, would be mostly negligible. Especially if someone is still overweight.
Same disclaimer as earlier, not trying to be combative. Just healthy debate.
To split hairs : Usually "starvation mode" is used to mean your body is holding onto fat even though you're in a deficit because it's afraid you are never going to eat again. Which yes is total bunk.
Adaptive thermogenesis means that over a long period of time when eating at a deficit your body slowly becomes more efficient to adapt to your new calorie level, which at least to me makes more sense. We're talking about years at a measurable deficit. All the reports that came out I think last summer freaking out about The Biggest Loser contestants whose BMRs were lower than should have been expected were basically about that. And I think it makes sense that if you put your body through the ringer for a year, eating at a big deficit and exercising a lot, it would try to become more efficient in that circumstance, just like it builds up specific muscles so you can do the same movement easier when you start a new exercise. At least that's my unscientific way of looking at it!
I agree, I wouldn't think it would be a ton of difference, but if I remember correctly the Biggest Loser study was a noticeable difference. And for a petite female like me, 100 calories can be the difference between happy and hangry1 -
Do you remember what the change in BMR for the biggest loser contestants was?
Oh, and I totally agree about 100 calories being the difference between hangry or not sometimes. But in the grand scheme of things, for the average person it means a maintenance level of 1900 cals vs 2000, or cutting cals of 1650 instead of 1750. So, not a huge deal, just in my opinion. Petites and others obviously being the exception.0 -
Geocitiesuser wrote: »Do you remember what the change in BMR for the biggest loser contestants was?
Oh, and I totally agree about 100 calories being the difference between hangry or not sometimes. But in the grand scheme of things, for the average person it means a maintenance level of 1900 cals vs 2000, or cutting cals of 1650 instead of 1750. So, not a huge deal, just in my opinion. Petites and others obviously being the exception.
I don't remember, but if you search Biggest Loser in the forum I know there were a bunch of threads about it. Maybe even in the debate section I think?0 -
Holy Kittens (and puppies, and whatever other expletive animal)
That is significant if true... 800 calories lower BMR than a man of similar size.
I am very curious who the common dieter would be effected, and how long it takes for this number to recover if at all. That's a very large number... I can't seem to find out "how" they measured it, part of me wants to call junk science but I don't have enough info.
Got that from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html?_r=0
On topic for this conversation they actually blame a lot of the weight gain on leptin levels. Which brings a lot of questions if leptin levels can be fixed over time through good eating habits and exercise.
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Of course all this interesting stuff doesn't address my core debate topic That a cheat day or cheat meal does very little towards boosting metabolism. Even a whole week it seems wouldn't boost metabolism, or the biggest losers wouldn't still have such low BMRs after putting weight back on.1 -
May be worth a read for you: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/another-look-at-metabolic-damage.html/
[ETA:] One more, which addresses the original topic in more detail: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/calorie-partitioning-part-2.html/
[ETA again:] And a follow-up to the first link above: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/permanent-metabolic-damage-followup-qa.html/1
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