How much damage can one bad day cause.
IrRevd
Posts: 38 Member
Im curious to know much damage can be done by one bad day.
For example, if soneone was reguarly to eat around 2000 calories and then had one day of eating really badly (4/5000 calories) how much damage could that day realistically cause?
My secondry question is related I guess but us there a limit as to how much weight you can gain in a day?
For example, if soneone was reguarly to eat around 2000 calories and then had one day of eating really badly (4/5000 calories) how much damage could that day realistically cause?
My secondry question is related I guess but us there a limit as to how much weight you can gain in a day?
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Replies
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One pound of fatty tissue equals 3500 calories.3
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It would depend if your regular intake is a deficit or maintenance...
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Scale will spike, you might be bloated, things will even out in 3-4 days back to eating as planned. You might gain a quarter or half pound but it might also get lost in the wash.5
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In the long run it doesn't matter.6
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Nothing a week can't fix if you're maintaining. If you're losing, you'll basically undo a week or so of dieting. You may even not undo all of it if your typical deficit is on the large side.
ETA: for your second question, it will depend on how many of the calories you've eaten your body ends up absorbing.1 -
Here's an n=1 case study example:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10603949/big-overfeed-ruins-everything-nope
I can eat enough in a day relatively easily to gain a pound - about 3500 calories over maintenance. I could probably make that 2 or even 3 pounds of calories, but capacity becomes a limitation. (I'm only a 5'5" 130ish pound li'l ol' lady, after all
)
Also, some of it probably wouldn't store as fat (would pass through) because of digestive system saying "WTF?!??" On a pure guess, this inefficiency effect might differ by individual.
You can find videos on YouTube if people doing 10k calorie day challenges, and reporting the aftermath.
ETA: After a big overfeed, in any normal person, there's always a big scale jump from water weight (from sodium and carb processing) plus increased digestive system contents. It isn't fat, and typically drops off In a few days, NBD.7 -
Im curious to know much damage can be done by one bad day.
For example, if soneone was reguarly to eat around 2000 calories and then had one day of eating really badly (4/5000 calories) how much damage could that day realistically cause?
My secondry question is related I guess but us there a limit as to how much weight you can gain in a day?
It kind of depends on what you ate but the short answer is practically no damage at all. At worst you main gain some water weight but actual fat would be negligible at best. It is no more easier to gain a pound in a single day than it is to lose one.4 -
Im curious to know much damage can be done by one bad day.
For example, if soneone was reguarly to eat around 2000 calories and then had one day of eating really badly (4/5000 calories) how much damage could that day realistically cause?
My secondry question is related I guess but us there a limit as to how much weight you can gain in a day?
It kind of depends on what you ate but the short answer is practically no damage at all. At worst you main gain some water weight but actual fat would be negligible at best. It is no more easier to gain a pound in a single day than it is to lose one.
I like what you said but is it true.? It seems way easier to gain than to lose. I hope you are right.0 -
flippy1234 wrote: »Im curious to know much damage can be done by one bad day.
For example, if soneone was reguarly to eat around 2000 calories and then had one day of eating really badly (4/5000 calories) how much damage could that day realistically cause?
My secondry question is related I guess but us there a limit as to how much weight you can gain in a day?
It kind of depends on what you ate but the short answer is practically no damage at all. At worst you main gain some water weight but actual fat would be negligible at best. It is no more easier to gain a pound in a single day than it is to lose one.
I like what you said but is it true.? It seems way easier to gain than to lose. I hope you are right.
Personally, I think I could gain a pound (real weight, not just water weight) fairly easily in one day, but it would be demonically difficult to lose one in the same of time . . . so I think that part is maybe hyperbole for many of us. Losing a true pound as fast as possible, without it being a near-death experience, would take me 2-3 days, I think (now that I'm at a healthy weight).
But I 100% agrees that massively overeating on the rare occasion has very little impact. You may want to read the link I posted upthread for evidence. 3 -
That is a myth we tell ourselves. It keeps us from being happy during weight loss because we are so uptight we err being too aggressive and it is not sustainable.3
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Personally, I think I could gain a pound (real weight, not just water weight) fairly easily in one day, but it would be demonically difficult to lose one in the same of time . . . so I think that part is maybe hyperbole for many of us.
The body is not really that efficient so it may be entirely possible to gain a pound of fat in a day but it would take effort and planning. It would probably require something like eating sugar all day and trying to keep the insulin/glucose absorption window open.6 -
If those bad days are regular then my guess would be a lot of damage however 1 bad day in a week I don't think will do too much providing you are eating at the mfp recommendations the rest of the time. I've had at least 1 bad day a week in recent weeks due to birthdays weddings etc and I've still lost weight.
But I guess it will also depend on how much over you go over on a bad day. At 1200 cals a day for me eating 4000 would be a big no no!0 -
Not as much as you think. As long as you leave it to 1 day, after a few days you’ll even back out.1
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I had been eating in a deficit at about 1200 to 1400 calories per day, but for my birthday last year, I didn't care. I had a big dinner and dessert (along with eating normally the rest of the day). I ate just under 3,000 calories that day. The next morning, I stepped on the scale and... had LOST 0.2 pounds from the day before. ONE day doesn't undo all of the hard work.
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Personally, I think I could gain a pound (real weight, not just water weight) fairly easily in one day, but it would be demonically difficult to lose one in the same of time . . . so I think that part is maybe hyperbole for many of us.
The body is not really that efficient so it may be entirely possible to gain a pound of fat in a day but it would take effort and planning. It would probably require something like eating sugar all day and trying to keep the insulin/glucose absorption window open.
Eating sugar wouldn't be the best option for this experiment, especially for someone who is active or dieting. A good amount would be wasted to replenish glycogen as it's not the preferred macro for fat storage. Fat is more easily stored as body fat, but probably would not be realistic to drink pure oil. The best meal would probably be a made of high fat foods palatable enough for the person to be able to eat a lot, and as low in protein as possible. So I'm thinking would mostly be a mix of fat and carbs, but predominantly fat. Things like cakes and high fat candy bars come to mind.
Eating a lot at once can affect the ability of the body to absorb calories, so it would definitely need to be more than a 3500 calorie surplus, and any increase in metabolic rate following this meal, if any, should be accounted for too.
More than definitely possible, though, even without the above considerations for someone who is capable of eating as much as I am.1 -
To the OP's question: It depends on where you are in your journey and how you view your journey. If you're two weeks in and your view is short term, one bad day of eating will seem devastating. If you're fifty pounds down from your starting weight and you're in this for the long haul, one bad day of eating will be an "Eh" kind of thing.6
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amusedmonkey wrote: »Personally, I think I could gain a pound (real weight, not just water weight) fairly easily in one day, but it would be demonically difficult to lose one in the same of time . . . so I think that part is maybe hyperbole for many of us.
The body is not really that efficient so it may be entirely possible to gain a pound of fat in a day but it would take effort and planning. It would probably require something like eating sugar all day and trying to keep the insulin/glucose absorption window open.
Eating sugar wouldn't be the best option for this experiment, especially for someone who is active or dieting. A good amount would be wasted to replenish glycogen as it's not the preferred macro for fat storage. Fat is more easily stored as body fat, but probably would not be realistic to drink pure oil. The best meal would probably be a made of high fat foods palatable enough for the person to be able to eat a lot, and as low in protein as possible. So I'm thinking would mostly be a mix of fat and carbs, but predominantly fat. Things like cakes and high fat candy bars come to mind.
Eating a lot at once can affect the ability of the body to absorb calories, so it would definitely need to be more than a 3500 calorie surplus, and any increase in metabolic rate following this meal, if any, should be accounted for too.
More than definitely possible, though, even without the above considerations for someone who is capable of eating as much as I am.
We think alike. I'm not going to do the experiment, but that's the route I'd try if I did. Plus enough adult bevs that impulse control was inhibited, the fat calories would get stored while the alcohol calories were prioritized to be processed out, and I'd be more likely to lay around a lot . . . but not enough to cause nausea. And I'll bet it would be fun. 2 -
None...some water weight and scale weight from more waste in your system.
How much actual weight (fat) do you think you'd lose fasting for a day? Same concept. The human body strives for homeostasis and is pretty good about becoming more or less efficient depending on energy intake in the short term. Consistently eating in a deficit or surplus is necessary to override your body's ability to maintain homeostasis.
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Enthusiast84 wrote: »If those bad days are regular then my guess would be a lot of damage however 1 bad day in a week I don't think will do too much providing you are eating at the mfp recommendations the rest of the time. I've had at least 1 bad day a week in recent weeks due to birthdays weddings etc and I've still lost weight.
But I guess it will also depend on how much over you go over on a bad day. At 1200 cals a day for me eating 4000 would be a big no no!
I could easily have cancelled out my deficit for a week by one big (4000-5000 calorie) day once a week, especially in the latter stages of weight loss, when deficit was smaller. This is why I always suggest people log their "cheat days" or "cheat meals", even if they have to estimate, so they don't end up generating "Help! Can't lose! Plateau!" posts.
Personally, I don't do "cheat days". Once in a while, I do eat waaay past my weight loss or maintenance calorie goal . . . it's a decision, not a cheat.3 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Personally, I think I could gain a pound (real weight, not just water weight) fairly easily in one day, but it would be demonically difficult to lose one in the same of time . . . so I think that part is maybe hyperbole for many of us.
The body is not really that efficient so it may be entirely possible to gain a pound of fat in a day but it would take effort and planning. It would probably require something like eating sugar all day and trying to keep the insulin/glucose absorption window open.
Eating sugar wouldn't be the best option for this experiment, especially for someone who is active or dieting. A good amount would be wasted to replenish glycogen as it's not the preferred macro for fat storage. Fat is more easily stored as body fat, but probably would not be realistic to drink pure oil. The best meal would probably be a made of high fat foods palatable enough for the person to be able to eat a lot, and as low in protein as possible. So I'm thinking would mostly be a mix of fat and carbs, but predominantly fat. Things like cakes and high fat candy bars come to mind.
Eating a lot at once can affect the ability of the body to absorb calories, so it would definitely need to be more than a 3500 calorie surplus, and any increase in metabolic rate following this meal, if any, should be accounted for too.
More than definitely possible, though, even without the above considerations for someone who is capable of eating as much as I am.
We think alike. I'm not going to do the experiment, but that's the route I'd try if I did. Plus enough adult bevs that impulse control was inhibited, the fat calories would get stored while the alcohol calories were prioritized to be processed out, and I'd be more likely to lay around a lot . . . but not enough to cause nausea. And I'll bet it would be fun.
Could also alternate different flavor profiles to avoid sensory-specific satiety, like starting with a blooming onion, then moving to the pecan pie, back to nibbling on chips and dip, then rich ice cream etc..1 -
I don't know, but I maintain on about 2000 calories/day, and I think I ate about 8000 yesterday--I'm afraid to really count, and I'm not doing the math.
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amusedmonkey wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Personally, I think I could gain a pound (real weight, not just water weight) fairly easily in one day, but it would be demonically difficult to lose one in the same of time . . . so I think that part is maybe hyperbole for many of us.
The body is not really that efficient so it may be entirely possible to gain a pound of fat in a day but it would take effort and planning. It would probably require something like eating sugar all day and trying to keep the insulin/glucose absorption window open.
Eating sugar wouldn't be the best option for this experiment, especially for someone who is active or dieting. A good amount would be wasted to replenish glycogen as it's not the preferred macro for fat storage. Fat is more easily stored as body fat, but probably would not be realistic to drink pure oil. The best meal would probably be a made of high fat foods palatable enough for the person to be able to eat a lot, and as low in protein as possible. So I'm thinking would mostly be a mix of fat and carbs, but predominantly fat. Things like cakes and high fat candy bars come to mind.
Eating a lot at once can affect the ability of the body to absorb calories, so it would definitely need to be more than a 3500 calorie surplus, and any increase in metabolic rate following this meal, if any, should be accounted for too.
More than definitely possible, though, even without the above considerations for someone who is capable of eating as much as I am.
We think alike. I'm not going to do the experiment, but that's the route I'd try if I did. Plus enough adult bevs that impulse control was inhibited, the fat calories would get stored while the alcohol calories were prioritized to be processed out, and I'd be more likely to lay around a lot . . . but not enough to cause nausea. And I'll bet it would be fun.
Could also alternate different flavor profiles to avoid sensory-specific satiety, like starting with a blooming onion, then moving to the pecan pie, back to nibbling on chips and dip, then rich ice cream etc..
Mmm: It's a par-tay, amusedmonkey'n'me! I'll bring the tiramisu, batter-dipped deep-fried potatoes, homemade muffins with good butter, and salted macadamias.
Good thought about the sensory-specific satiety: That one often bites me IRL.
But we digress.1 -
March 18, I weighed 255.8 and then I had two blowouts - 3329 & 4411 followed by a high day of 2620.
March 19 - 256.2
March 20 - 257.4
March 21 - 259.8
March 22 - 258.6.
March 23 - 256.6
March 24 - 255.6
It sets me back a few days. Actually, all of March kind of went like this eating-wise but I managed to maintain the weight I started with on the 1st day of the month.
The real damage that it used to cause me would be for me to throw in the towel if I saw a 4 pound gain on the scale. I don't do that anymore. I just keep on keeping on and try to have more good days than bad. I've settled down with the overeating in April and I think I've finally found my groove. Out of 14 days, I've only had 4 higher calorie days (2500ish)
I used to think that every day had to be perfect and within calorie goal and no "cheat" days or meals.
*kitten* that. Too stressful.
I've lost 22.2 pounds since Jan 18/18 with more high days of eating than is sensible for a person wanting to lose weight.6 -
Once in a while, I do eat waaay past my weight loss or maintenance calorie goal . . . it's a decision, not a cheat.
This is my day today. Been cutting cals and feeling progressively weaker and sleepier as the week went on. Tried to hike this morning and couldn't summon the *kitten* or energy, so took myself to brunch, grabbed some frutas and some nice sushi and stuff for later.2 -
One day won’t ruin you. That’s like saying “I didn’t hit my macros for one day, will all my muscle go away?” Long term, one day won’t do anything. Just jump back on your regimen0
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amusedmonkey wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Personally, I think I could gain a pound (real weight, not just water weight) fairly easily in one day, but it would be demonically difficult to lose one in the same of time . . . so I think that part is maybe hyperbole for many of us.
The body is not really that efficient so it may be entirely possible to gain a pound of fat in a day but it would take effort and planning. It would probably require something like eating sugar all day and trying to keep the insulin/glucose absorption window open.
Eating sugar wouldn't be the best option for this experiment, especially for someone who is active or dieting. A good amount would be wasted to replenish glycogen as it's not the preferred macro for fat storage. Fat is more easily stored as body fat, but probably would not be realistic to drink pure oil. The best meal would probably be a made of high fat foods palatable enough for the person to be able to eat a lot, and as low in protein as possible. So I'm thinking would mostly be a mix of fat and carbs, but predominantly fat. Things like cakes and high fat candy bars come to mind.
Eating a lot at once can affect the ability of the body to absorb calories, so it would definitely need to be more than a 3500 calorie surplus, and any increase in metabolic rate following this meal, if any, should be accounted for too.
More than definitely possible, though, even without the above considerations for someone who is capable of eating as much as I am.
We think alike. I'm not going to do the experiment, but that's the route I'd try if I did. Plus enough adult bevs that impulse control was inhibited, the fat calories would get stored while the alcohol calories were prioritized to be processed out, and I'd be more likely to lay around a lot . . . but not enough to cause nausea. And I'll bet it would be fun.
Could also alternate different flavor profiles to avoid sensory-specific satiety, like starting with a blooming onion, then moving to the pecan pie, back to nibbling on chips and dip, then rich ice cream etc..
Mmm: It's a par-tay, amusedmonkey'n'me! I'll bring the tiramisu, batter-dipped deep-fried potatoes, homemade muffins with good butter, and salted macadamias.
Good thought about the sensory-specific satiety: That one often bites me IRL.
But we digress.
Can I please join the party?
I think I have just done the experiment over 14 days of all you can eat and drink.
Sensory satiety achieved daily.
Weight difference between when I left the house and when I returned +0.2 lbs (after water weight drop day).
I am honestly thinking I could up my cals to 1800 or more after this holiday.
Cheers, h.2 -
One bad day is simply that, one day of not eating as you know you should. One bad day only becomes a problem if you beat yourself up about it and decide to have another bad day tomorrow. Put it behind you--you don't even have to get on the scale the morning after. Just go back to doing the things you need to be healthy.0
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Almost nothing at all and I can speak by experience. I can have days where my weight shoots up by 6-7 lbs, but as soon as I go back to my regular diet, I can lose almost that much overnight. I wouldn't sweat over it. It's usually water weight and higher sodium in the body, nothing else. What can screw up your diet is going over your macros on a regular basis, but one day of screwing up your diet is almost impossible. You can't get skinny overnight, so why would you think you can become fat overnight?5
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