I binged again, around 4000 calories. I don’t know what to do.

Options
2»

Replies

  • youknowigotitonlock
    youknowigotitonlock Posts: 11 Member
    Options
    I just feel like 3000 calories is a ton of food, and every time I do manage to eat that much I hold a ton of water weight the next day which makes it hard to get an accurate weight measurement. Does the body adjust to the caloric intake eventually?
  • SeanD2407
    SeanD2407 Posts: 139 Member
    Options
    You are honestly over thinking it. Don't make it a habbit. You hardly gained half a pound of fat at 4k. For your age, height and weight you have a good BMI. A day like this isn't going to kill you. You could have done worse tbh. Most fitness people have cheat days that well exceed over that amount for cheat days.
  • stargirlhorse
    stargirlhorse Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    Maybe your body wants water- try drinking some (or a significant amount, even) and then waiting 15-20 minutes to see if it goes away.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,796 Member
    Options
    youknowigotitonlock wrote: »
    I just feel like 3000 calories is a ton of food, and every time I do manage to eat that much I hold a ton of water weight the next day which makes it hard to get an accurate weight measurement. Does the body adjust to the caloric intake eventually?

    Yes, it adjusts, kind of. Think about it: To lose weight, you have X calories, which tends to be Y pounds of food a day, on average, turning into food waste in your digestive system somewhere, but not yet having made its customary eventual exit.

    Now, you switch to maintenance calories, so you're now eating X + 20% calories (or whatever percent), which means Y pounds plus some of food a day, on average, on its way through the body. That food has weight. (How much depends on composition of your diet.)

    So, when you go to maintenance calories, you eat more calories, which is food. Food has weight; and most people also eat more of roughly the same macro mix, so get a bit more sodium and a bit more carbs. Both of those also require a little more water weight as part of how they're metabolized.

    So, you go to maintenance calories. More food, more waste-in-transit, more carbs/sodium so more water . . . and the scale jumps. Generally, you've adjusted food volume to a new normal. The related in-transit food and sodium/carbs are at a new level, so at least some of that scale jump is not going to just disappear. But it's not fat regain, it's just your healthy body doing what healthy bodies do, so why worry about it?

    If it bothers you, lose to the bottom of your target maintenance range before starting maintenance, or alternatively taper your calorie increase into maintenance which will keep you losing super slowly in a way that offsets those spaced-out smaller water/waste gains on the scale.

    Body weight management is about the long term trend, anyway, not about what your weight does on just one day. If you make a big-ish calorie increase from deficit to maintenance and see a scale jump, but hit your maintenance calories pretty exactly, you'll stabilize in that new-normal vicinity, not just keep gaining and gaining.

    Weight maintenance is a level weight trend over weeks to months, not what coincidentally shows up on the scale on one day, y'know?

    Best wishes.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    Options
    If you are interested in seeing what a young man at my gym did. Hit me up. I have permission to give you his Instagram name if you pm me. He was a chubby kid and changed that when he turned 17..
  • peggy_polenta
    peggy_polenta Posts: 325 Member
    Options
    stargirlhorse wrote: »
    Maybe your body wants water- try drinking some (or a significant amount, even) and then waiting 15-20 minutes to see if it goes away.

    you got some dislikes but it is a fact that we often misinterpret thirst for hunger. we misread the cue.
  • Grace_spaceship
    Grace_spaceship Posts: 80 Member
    Options
    I'm a 5ft10 158lbs female in my early 20s, that is a very healthy weight range to be in. I know men and women are different but still. Are you wanting to lose more weight? Have you thought of a body recomposition instead of just weight loss? Also eating back exercise calories is important, I know mfp isn't always accurate with calorie burn so when I track my workouts I adjust what it calculates to be less. If I don't eat enough fiber or protein I will just keep eating. I could eat 4000 cal a day in carbs and not be satisfied if I don't have enough protein.
  • youknowigotitonlock
    youknowigotitonlock Posts: 11 Member
    Options
    I wanted to get down to 145. Reasons for this being I feel like I would perform better in my endurance sports. Is it important to eat 3000 calories even on rest days? Or should rest days be lighter in caloric intake. I eat a lot of protein even more then one gram per pound most days and I definitely hit my fibre goals for sure.
  • youknowigotitonlock
    youknowigotitonlock Posts: 11 Member
    Options
    Also with the whole water intake situation, I drink tons of water, normally after my meals. Sometimes 1 1/2 Gallons or more.
  • SeanD2407
    SeanD2407 Posts: 139 Member
    Options
    youknowigotitonlock wrote: »
    I do not normally eat back exercise calories I always just ate to what MFP says my maintenance caloric intake is. Reasons for this is because I feel like it’s hard to accurately track expenditure.

    I do this too sometimes. Well, when the gyms were open. I don't have much left to lose, so I just eat right around maintence and whatever I burn becomes my deficit.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Options
    youknowigotitonlock wrote: »
    Sometime I just feel as if I cannot eat enough, it’s hard to explain. Fit in a lot of oats and lean meats and vegetables. But I do have some foods that are not so healthy like protein bars or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, granola and cereal. I feel like those foods trigger me into wanting to eat more. I guess. And in terms of what my “goals” are I’m not really sure at this point. I’ve lost a lot of weight, I used to weigh 200 pounds and everyone I look great my family doesn’t want me to loose any more weight. But my goal was around 145-148 ish.

    Hi, OP. The bolded parts above lead me wonder if you are feeling actual hunger (from not eating enough to fuel your workouts adequately) or urges to eat (mental vs. physical). If you have decent data from the past 6 weeks, NovusDies advice above to determine if you are eating enough can help identify if what you describe is mainly a physical or mental challenge. When I undereat several days running, I have crazy eating urges. Eating consistently at an appropriate level for a very active young man could totally take care of the eating urges-- problem solved. There are lots of resources to help on the mental aspect, too. But a smart first step is to reassess your caloric balance.

Categories