I feel the body becomes efficient at eating when you feed it a lot of calories

2

Replies

  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    If my bank account becomes efficient, I’m golden. Booking my trip to Bali.

    Can I come. I will fetch the Singapore Slings and towels for you..
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    psychod787 wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    They say that cardio makes your body too efficient at burning fat. Diet does too. I also believe the opposite is true. Extra eating makes your cardio inefficient at storing fat. That's why after a while when you've gained a certain amount of weight, it gets harder for you to gain more weight. You hit a plateau. The more fat and calories you eat, the more your body gets used to it and it gets tougher to gain. You become too efficient in the other direction. It only makes sense because it works both ways.

    That's why one summer I ate nothing but cheeseburgers and pizza every day. I couldn't gain weight anymore because my body got used to those foods. My body got used to eating fatty meals and it didn't have the same caloric effect as before.

    They say in cardio you got to switch it up because your body becomes too efficient. Same thing with eating and gaining. You gotta switch up the types of foods you're eating or your body gets used to it. Otherwise, you might actually start to lose a little weight if you don't switch it up. For instance, if you eat pizza every day your body gets used to it and so you start to get too skinny. So maybe try ice cream, to trick the body.

    You may think it sounds crazy but this actually did happen to me.

    That's not how it works. You most likely hit a threshold of body fat and your body kicked in satiety mechanisms. You actually ate less than you realized due to lower hunger.


    Maybe. But isn't that just a different way of saying the same thing? More or less? The result was I still wasn't obese but could not gain weight no matter how much I enjoyed my pizza and burgers. Worked out every day though.

    As you gain weight, the calories you need to maintain your current weight increase. Unless you eat more than that,you won't gain weight. This has nothing to do with pizza. If you were not gaining weight, it comes down to calories consumed relative to how many your body is using.



    Well, that's true. But one of my points is people say that your body gets used to cardio and so it burns less calories. What I'm also pointing out as you just said is when your weight increases, your calorie burn increases. So in a way, it's like getting used to the fat you're eating. You can now eat more of it without gaining weight.

    Because it takes more calories to maintain your weight, not because you're somehow immune to pizza calories.

    People say all kinds of things. Your body doesn't get used to activity in that way and your body doesn't get used to burgers in that way. You're basing your beliefs on statements that aren't supported by evidence.

    Well, maybe.... Maybe not..... There might be a place were the body starts to constrain metabolism at a certain threshold. Its starts lowering the amount of energy it is spending on non vital function.. IE Reproduction.... Evidence....
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4803033/

    You might have differences over time, but you're not producing energy from nothing. That is, the point at which different people are in a deficit will vary...but you will lose weight when you're in a deficit. You run five miles, that requires energy, even if you do it daily.

    I agree that the first law of thermodynamics applies, but CO is seems to be more complex than we thought. Read the study if you haven't. We do get "used" to activity at a certain threshold. Would changing the activity work? Probably not. I think the issue with op is he is talking about a free living, non measured intake situation. Doubtful he/she was just eating pizza and burgers, but if they were the mono diet effect might kick in. I still think the OP was just hitting a satiety road block and could have forced fed to gain weight on the same foods. CI is also very, very, very, complex.

    In the sense OP is talking about, our bodies somehow doing things without requiring any energy, we don't "get used" to activity.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,617 Member
    edited April 2021
    psychod787 wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    They say that cardio makes your body too efficient at burning fat. Diet does too. I also believe the opposite is true. Extra eating makes your cardio inefficient at storing fat. That's why after a while when you've gained a certain amount of weight, it gets harder for you to gain more weight. You hit a plateau. The more fat and calories you eat, the more your body gets used to it and it gets tougher to gain. You become too efficient in the other direction. It only makes sense because it works both ways.

    That's why one summer I ate nothing but cheeseburgers and pizza every day. I couldn't gain weight anymore because my body got used to those foods. My body got used to eating fatty meals and it didn't have the same caloric effect as before.

    They say in cardio you got to switch it up because your body becomes too efficient. Same thing with eating and gaining. You gotta switch up the types of foods you're eating or your body gets used to it. Otherwise, you might actually start to lose a little weight if you don't switch it up. For instance, if you eat pizza every day your body gets used to it and so you start to get too skinny. So maybe try ice cream, to trick the body.

    You may think it sounds crazy but this actually did happen to me.

    That's not how it works. You most likely hit a threshold of body fat and your body kicked in satiety mechanisms. You actually ate less than you realized due to lower hunger.


    Maybe. But isn't that just a different way of saying the same thing? More or less? The result was I still wasn't obese but could not gain weight no matter how much I enjoyed my pizza and burgers. Worked out every day though.

    As you gain weight, the calories you need to maintain your current weight increase. Unless you eat more than that,you won't gain weight. This has nothing to do with pizza. If you were not gaining weight, it comes down to calories consumed relative to how many your body is using.



    Well, that's true. But one of my points is people say that your body gets used to cardio and so it burns less calories. What I'm also pointing out as you just said is when your weight increases, your calorie burn increases. So in a way, it's like getting used to the fat you're eating. You can now eat more of it without gaining weight.

    Because it takes more calories to maintain your weight, not because you're somehow immune to pizza calories.

    People say all kinds of things. Your body doesn't get used to activity in that way and your body doesn't get used to burgers in that way. You're basing your beliefs on statements that aren't supported by evidence.

    Well, maybe.... Maybe not..... There might be a place were the body starts to constrain metabolism at a certain threshold. Its starts lowering the amount of energy it is spending on non vital function.. IE Reproduction.... Evidence....
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4803033/

    "We hypothesize that non-muscular physiological activity contributes substantially to activity energy expenditure2 and its adaptation to physical activity. Human studies and non-human animal models show that energy allocation across a broad range physiological tasks, including reproductive activity and somatic maintenance [5,13–19], may be reduced when physical activity increases, resulting in decreased activity energy expenditure2. Indeed, such physical activity-induced reduction in activity energy expenditure2 could potentially contribute to the beneficial health effects of exercise, reducing energy expenditure on inflammation and detrimental immune system activity"

    Not sure that’s really claiming the same thing, since it doesn’t posit the non-muscular activity dropping because of exercise being a single, consistent type. Presumably when the body doesn’t have excess calories to devote to things like inflammation, that happens pretty immediately and ends when the energy is supplied.

    That's why I said maybe, maybe not. There is a noticeable jump in people from low activity to moderate, but when reaching the higher levels of activity, there is a transient increase in calories that goes down over time. So, what I am saying is, yes... we can get "used" to higher activity rates over time. As I said above, I don't think changing the activity to "confuse" the body would work. Yes, if you could supply the calories, but there is a limit to how many calories can be digested, turned to fuel, and then used in a certain time frame. I think the Author of the studies proposes 2-2.5 BMR is the max that can be digested and used.

    I do wonder, though, if there's a "training effect" in terms of what can be digested/used. There would appear to be outliers (e.g., some elite athletes), but it's not clear what the underlying cause of that outlier-hood is, i.e., in which direction the causation arrows point: Do they become elite athletes because they have a higher innate ability to digest/use calories, or do they develop a higher ability to digest/use calories alongside developing other physical changes involved in being fit to their endeavor.

    I don't think any of that research represents much of a practical barrier to regular people doing the amounts of exercise that regular people, even very active ones, really do, and burning calories from doing so, in a context where training has a sensible progression. My triathlete buddies have a higher TDEE than my mixed-media artist buddies, on average, among people whose jobs aren't triathlon or arts.

    I think one needs to be a little cautious about what's a population effect, and what's an individual effect, in assessing some of this research. Most of what I've seen hasn't been long enough to assess any potential "training effect" at an individual level. I think it's good and interesting research, I just don't think that it very well supports that "body confusion" nonsense as a practical matter for typical people, even as I do believe that over-exercising (to the point of even subtle fatigue) can bleed daily life activity calories out of individual people's day in the short run. Intelligent fitness development matters, I suspect, and that's a long-term proposition.

    Edited: Minor wording clarifications.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,759 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    No.

    Just all no.


    Well if you wanna make your body immune to gaining weight from fat, you gotta get it used to it.

    No. Not how it works.

    The "body gets used to cardio" thing is false, too. "Body confusion"/"muscle confusion" is a myth spread by Beach Body and their ilk to keep you buying new & different programs and equipment.

    I was so relieved when I learned that was a myth!

    LOL me too!
  • Lhenderson923
    Lhenderson923 Posts: 102 Member
    Yeah... no.
  • FiberousJ
    FiberousJ Posts: 82 Member
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    They say that cardio makes your body too efficient at burning fat. Diet does too. I also believe the opposite is true. Extra eating makes your cardio inefficient at storing fat. That's why after a while when you've gained a certain amount of weight, it gets harder for you to gain more weight. You hit a plateau. The more fat and calories you eat, the more your body gets used to it and it gets tougher to gain. You become too efficient in the other direction. It only makes sense because it works both ways.

    That's why one summer I ate nothing but cheeseburgers and pizza every day. I couldn't gain weight anymore because my body got used to those foods. My body got used to eating fatty meals and it didn't have the same caloric effect as before.

    They say in cardio you got to switch it up because your body becomes too efficient. Same thing with eating and gaining. You gotta switch up the types of foods you're eating or your body gets used to it. Otherwise, you might actually start to lose a little weight if you don't switch it up. For instance, if you eat pizza every day your body gets used to it and so you start to get too skinny. So maybe try ice cream, to trick the body.

    You may think it sounds crazy but this actually did happen to me.

    That's not how it works. You most likely hit a threshold of body fat and your body kicked in satiety mechanisms. You actually ate less than you realized due to lower hunger.


    Maybe. But isn't that just a different way of saying the same thing? More or less? The result was I still wasn't obese but could not gain weight no matter how much I enjoyed my pizza and burgers. Worked out every day though.

    As you gain weight, the calories you need to maintain your current weight increase. Unless you eat more than that,you won't gain weight. This has nothing to do with pizza. If you were not gaining weight, it comes down to calories consumed relative to how many your body is using.



    Well, that's true. But one of my points is people say that your body gets used to cardio and so it burns less calories. What I'm also pointing out as you just said is when your weight increases, your calorie burn increases. So in a way, it's like getting used to the fat you're eating. You can now eat more of it without gaining weight.

    Because it takes more calories to maintain your weight, not because you're somehow immune to pizza calories.

    People say all kinds of things. Your body doesn't get used to activity in that way and your body doesn't get used to burgers in that way. You're basing your beliefs on statements that aren't supported by evidence.



    Well I don't know. Jullian Michaels says you have to switch up your cardio because your body is similar to when you get a callus on your hand from lifting weights but then your body gets used to it. She says that happens when you do cardio if you don't switch it up.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    You can believe whatever you want, but this doesn't mean it represents reality.

    I believe I am independently wealth..... Crap... still broke.....


    Well, an analogy is the more money you make, the more taxes you're supposed to pay. So it gets harder to get wealthier.

    The opposite is actually true. People with higher amounts of funds they can use to build greater wealth have an easier time accumulating wealth than those who must dedicate most of their money to meeting basic needs, even if the wealthy are paying taxes. Your initial statement is wrong and the analogy fails because it's also inaccurate.

    And the more wealthy you are the more creative you can be in avoiding paying taxes.

    This isn't even creative:

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/12/09/americas-three-richest-people-are-now-positioned-to-pay-zero-state-income-tax/?sh=1b9487757b63

    America’s Three Richest People Are Now Positioned To Pay Zero State Income Tax

    Billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates all live in states that don't collect income tax.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,617 Member
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    They say that cardio makes your body too efficient at burning fat. Diet does too. I also believe the opposite is true. Extra eating makes your cardio inefficient at storing fat. That's why after a while when you've gained a certain amount of weight, it gets harder for you to gain more weight. You hit a plateau. The more fat and calories you eat, the more your body gets used to it and it gets tougher to gain. You become too efficient in the other direction. It only makes sense because it works both ways.

    That's why one summer I ate nothing but cheeseburgers and pizza every day. I couldn't gain weight anymore because my body got used to those foods. My body got used to eating fatty meals and it didn't have the same caloric effect as before.

    They say in cardio you got to switch it up because your body becomes too efficient. Same thing with eating and gaining. You gotta switch up the types of foods you're eating or your body gets used to it. Otherwise, you might actually start to lose a little weight if you don't switch it up. For instance, if you eat pizza every day your body gets used to it and so you start to get too skinny. So maybe try ice cream, to trick the body.

    You may think it sounds crazy but this actually did happen to me.

    That's not how it works. You most likely hit a threshold of body fat and your body kicked in satiety mechanisms. You actually ate less than you realized due to lower hunger.


    Maybe. But isn't that just a different way of saying the same thing? More or less? The result was I still wasn't obese but could not gain weight no matter how much I enjoyed my pizza and burgers. Worked out every day though.

    As you gain weight, the calories you need to maintain your current weight increase. Unless you eat more than that,you won't gain weight. This has nothing to do with pizza. If you were not gaining weight, it comes down to calories consumed relative to how many your body is using.



    Well, that's true. But one of my points is people say that your body gets used to cardio and so it burns less calories. What I'm also pointing out as you just said is when your weight increases, your calorie burn increases. So in a way, it's like getting used to the fat you're eating. You can now eat more of it without gaining weight.

    Because it takes more calories to maintain your weight, not because you're somehow immune to pizza calories.

    People say all kinds of things. Your body doesn't get used to activity in that way and your body doesn't get used to burgers in that way. You're basing your beliefs on statements that aren't supported by evidence.



    Well I don't know. Jullian Michaels says you have to switch up your cardio because your body is similar to when you get a callus on your hand from lifting weights but then your body gets used to it. She says that happens when you do cardio if you don't switch it up.

    If you want to develop a different dimension of fitness, then switching may be important. If my cardio is (say) running, my legs will only get stronger quickly from doing that for a while, then progress in leg strength won't be as fast if I just keep running the same distances. Maybe then I'd want to switch to some cardio, say cross-country skiing, that works more on upper body plus works lower body in a different way. That's about fitness capabilities, about a regular person wanting to be more well-rounded or keep making fitness progress in slightly different directions.

    Calorie burn doesn't work that same way.

    Elite athletes do pretty much the same things all the time, with some planned cycling of intensities and some cross-training, but mostly focusing on their sport. Cyclists mostly cycle. Swimmers mostly swim. They do those things for hours on a typical day, and those in endurance sports like that need to eat massive numbers of calories to keep up their workout schedule. They don't eat fewer and fewer calories as time goes by, to sustain the same general workout schedule.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,304 Member
    lgfrie wrote: »
    So all I have to do is eat more to lose weight? Sounds doable and fun.

    As long as you stick to the same foods ie pizza and burgers.

    I think that is what OP is claiming.

    Doesn't make sense OP - although I do agree after a point you would stop gaining weight. The calorie amount that I would gain on at, say, 120 pounds won't be the same calorie amount that I would gain on at 300 pounds.

    So if I started at 120 and kept eating same amount I might reach 300 and then maintain on that amount.

    But the point is calorie amount,not whether it is same foods.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,986 Member
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    You can believe whatever you want, but this doesn't mean it represents reality.

    I believe I am independently wealth..... Crap... still broke.....


    Well, an analogy is the more money you make, the more taxes you're supposed to pay. So it gets harder to get wealthier.

    What?!? I think this explains a lit. Are there countries that don’t have a stepwise approach to taxing and earning more leaves you with less?
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,759 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    You can believe whatever you want, but this doesn't mean it represents reality.

    I believe I am independently wealth..... Crap... still broke.....


    Well, an analogy is the more money you make, the more taxes you're supposed to pay. So it gets harder to get wealthier.

    What?!? I think this explains a lit. Are there countries that don’t have a stepwise approach to taxing and earning more leaves you with less?

    Not if you're fed ex, Nike, or 53 other companies.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,679 Member
    OP--reread your posts. It's full of "people say", "everyone is talking about", etc. WHERE are you getting all this information (to put it kindly)? Forget it all, and plug your stats into MFP to get your daily calorie goal. Get a digital food scale and weigh and measure everything you eat and drink. Stay within your goal everyday. Exercise instead of looking up info on social media. You'll be glad you did.

    Insightful times 1,000!!!!!!!
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    vanmep wrote: »
    Hmm how do people get to be 800 pounds then? And how do people starve to death?

    Actually, how hyper-obese people get that way is a more complicated question than you would think, and a field of study that's frustratingly complex.

    We don't entirely know why one person gets to 800 pounds. There are usually obvious behaviors like diet patterns, a lack of exercise, depression/anxiety, a family history of obesity and so on. But we don't entirely understand the specific mechanics that make one person only very obese versus so obese they can't get out of bed.

  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    kenyonhaff wrote: »
    vanmep wrote: »
    Hmm how do people get to be 800 pounds then? And how do people starve to death?

    Actually, how hyper-obese people get that way is a more complicated question than you would think, and a field of study that's frustratingly complex.

    We don't entirely know why one person gets to 800 pounds. There are usually obvious behaviors like diet patterns, a lack of exercise, depression/anxiety, a family history of obesity and so on. But we don't entirely understand the specific mechanics that make one person only very obese versus so obese they can't get out of bed.

    This is just based on my impression, so I could be very wrong, but honestly, it has always surprised me that the people who gain this much weight do so and don't die along the way due to the extra stress on their vital organs. I know many of them have medical problems, some of them serious, but I felt so fatigued and worn out in the 200s. I don't think my body could have handled being twice or three times that - I think I likely would have died first.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    psychod787 wrote: »
    If my bank account becomes efficient, I’m golden. Booking my trip to Bali.

    Can I come. I will fetch the Singapore Slings and towels for you..

    Been years since I had a Singapore Sling..... I remember them being pretty good. From what I can remember. :)

    I got lost after the first couple posts on this thread. Some days I can only come up with WTH?
  • FiberousJ
    FiberousJ Posts: 82 Member
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    They say that cardio makes your body too efficient at burning fat. Diet does too. I also believe the opposite is true. Extra eating makes your cardio inefficient at storing fat. That's why after a while when you've gained a certain amount of weight, it gets harder for you to gain more weight. You hit a plateau. The more fat and calories you eat, the more your body gets used to it and it gets tougher to gain. You become too efficient in the other direction. It only makes sense because it works both ways.

    That's why one summer I ate nothing but cheeseburgers and pizza every day. I couldn't gain weight anymore because my body got used to those foods. My body got used to eating fatty meals and it didn't have the same caloric effect as before.

    They say in cardio you got to switch it up because your body becomes too efficient. Same thing with eating and gaining. You gotta switch up the types of foods you're eating or your body gets used to it. Otherwise, you might actually start to lose a little weight if you don't switch it up. For instance, if you eat pizza every day your body gets used to it and so you start to get too skinny. So maybe try ice cream, to trick the body.

    You may think it sounds crazy but this actually did happen to me.

    That's not how it works. You most likely hit a threshold of body fat and your body kicked in satiety mechanisms. You actually ate less than you realized due to lower hunger.


    Maybe. But isn't that just a different way of saying the same thing? More or less? The result was I still wasn't obese but could not gain weight no matter how much I enjoyed my pizza and burgers. Worked out every day though.

    As you gain weight, the calories you need to maintain your current weight increase. Unless you eat more than that,you won't gain weight. This has nothing to do with pizza. If you were not gaining weight, it comes down to calories consumed relative to how many your body is using.



    Well, that's true. But one of my points is people say that your body gets used to cardio and so it burns less calories. What I'm also pointing out as you just said is when your weight increases, your calorie burn increases. So in a way, it's like getting used to the fat you're eating. You can now eat more of it without gaining weight.

    Because it takes more calories to maintain your weight, not because you're somehow immune to pizza calories.

    People say all kinds of things. Your body doesn't get used to activity in that way and your body doesn't get used to burgers in that way. You're basing your beliefs on statements that aren't supported by evidence.



    Well I don't know. Jullian Michaels says you have to switch up your cardio because your body is similar to when you get a callus on your hand from lifting weights but then your body gets used to it. She says that happens when you do cardio if you don't switch it up.

    And what evidence does she cite to support this claim?


    Well, I admit Jillian Michals confuses me a little. Here in the video, she says that cardio isn't efficient for weight loss, but is only good for extreme weight loss. In other videos, I've seen Jillian say cardio is how you lose weight fast, but then in others, she says it's not efficient.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY-PtsNkrvY

    Here at the 2-minute mark, Jillian says ''When we do the same thing over and over, your body adapts to the stress and we no longer progress. You gotta constantly change the stimulus.''

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTiEDc-Bf74
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    They say that cardio makes your body too efficient at burning fat. Diet does too. I also believe the opposite is true. Extra eating makes your cardio inefficient at storing fat. That's why after a while when you've gained a certain amount of weight, it gets harder for you to gain more weight. You hit a plateau. The more fat and calories you eat, the more your body gets used to it and it gets tougher to gain. You become too efficient in the other direction. It only makes sense because it works both ways.

    That's why one summer I ate nothing but cheeseburgers and pizza every day. I couldn't gain weight anymore because my body got used to those foods. My body got used to eating fatty meals and it didn't have the same caloric effect as before.

    They say in cardio you got to switch it up because your body becomes too efficient. Same thing with eating and gaining. You gotta switch up the types of foods you're eating or your body gets used to it. Otherwise, you might actually start to lose a little weight if you don't switch it up. For instance, if you eat pizza every day your body gets used to it and so you start to get too skinny. So maybe try ice cream, to trick the body.

    You may think it sounds crazy but this actually did happen to me.

    That's not how it works. You most likely hit a threshold of body fat and your body kicked in satiety mechanisms. You actually ate less than you realized due to lower hunger.


    Maybe. But isn't that just a different way of saying the same thing? More or less? The result was I still wasn't obese but could not gain weight no matter how much I enjoyed my pizza and burgers. Worked out every day though.

    As you gain weight, the calories you need to maintain your current weight increase. Unless you eat more than that,you won't gain weight. This has nothing to do with pizza. If you were not gaining weight, it comes down to calories consumed relative to how many your body is using.



    Well, that's true. But one of my points is people say that your body gets used to cardio and so it burns less calories. What I'm also pointing out as you just said is when your weight increases, your calorie burn increases. So in a way, it's like getting used to the fat you're eating. You can now eat more of it without gaining weight.

    Because it takes more calories to maintain your weight, not because you're somehow immune to pizza calories.

    People say all kinds of things. Your body doesn't get used to activity in that way and your body doesn't get used to burgers in that way. You're basing your beliefs on statements that aren't supported by evidence.



    Well I don't know. Jullian Michaels says you have to switch up your cardio because your body is similar to when you get a callus on your hand from lifting weights but then your body gets used to it. She says that happens when you do cardio if you don't switch it up.

    My primary form of cardiovascular exercise is cycling and has been for pushing a decade now. I don't burn fewer and fewer calories just because my body gets used to cycling. Outside of a lab, cycling with a power meter is about as accurate as you can get in regards to work and calories expended. If anything, the more I cycle, the more calories I burn...because the more I cycle, the stronger I get and the stronger I get, the more power (watts) I can put out. That power is what dictates my energy expenditure.

    Yep, I've been running for several years now. It's my primary activity. Since I eat back the calories burnt through running, I'd know pretty quickly if it wasn't burning any calories because I'd be gaining at least one pound a week.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,497 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    They say that cardio makes your body too efficient at burning fat. Diet does too. I also believe the opposite is true. Extra eating makes your cardio inefficient at storing fat. That's why after a while when you've gained a certain amount of weight, it gets harder for you to gain more weight. You hit a plateau. The more fat and calories you eat, the more your body gets used to it and it gets tougher to gain. You become too efficient in the other direction. It only makes sense because it works both ways.

    That's why one summer I ate nothing but cheeseburgers and pizza every day. I couldn't gain weight anymore because my body got used to those foods. My body got used to eating fatty meals and it didn't have the same caloric effect as before.

    They say in cardio you got to switch it up because your body becomes too efficient. Same thing with eating and gaining. You gotta switch up the types of foods you're eating or your body gets used to it. Otherwise, you might actually start to lose a little weight if you don't switch it up. For instance, if you eat pizza every day your body gets used to it and so you start to get too skinny. So maybe try ice cream, to trick the body.

    You may think it sounds crazy but this actually did happen to me.

    That's not how it works. You most likely hit a threshold of body fat and your body kicked in satiety mechanisms. You actually ate less than you realized due to lower hunger.


    Maybe. But isn't that just a different way of saying the same thing? More or less? The result was I still wasn't obese but could not gain weight no matter how much I enjoyed my pizza and burgers. Worked out every day though.

    As you gain weight, the calories you need to maintain your current weight increase. Unless you eat more than that,you won't gain weight. This has nothing to do with pizza. If you were not gaining weight, it comes down to calories consumed relative to how many your body is using.



    Well, that's true. But one of my points is people say that your body gets used to cardio and so it burns less calories. What I'm also pointing out as you just said is when your weight increases, your calorie burn increases. So in a way, it's like getting used to the fat you're eating. You can now eat more of it without gaining weight.

    Because it takes more calories to maintain your weight, not because you're somehow immune to pizza calories.

    People say all kinds of things. Your body doesn't get used to activity in that way and your body doesn't get used to burgers in that way. You're basing your beliefs on statements that aren't supported by evidence.



    Well I don't know. Jullian Michaels says you have to switch up your cardio because your body is similar to when you get a callus on your hand from lifting weights but then your body gets used to it. She says that happens when you do cardio if you don't switch it up.

    My primary form of cardiovascular exercise is cycling and has been for pushing a decade now. I don't burn fewer and fewer calories just because my body gets used to cycling. Outside of a lab, cycling with a power meter is about as accurate as you can get in regards to work and calories expended. If anything, the more I cycle, the more calories I burn...because the more I cycle, the stronger I get and the stronger I get, the more power (watts) I can put out. That power is what dictates my energy expenditure.

    There may be a bit of truth in the idea of your body "getting used to it" as one does the activity more, especially if skill is involved in the activity. Take swimming as an example All other things consistent, if I suck at swimming my stroke will be much less efficient and I will burn more calories flaying around to cover the distance than if I was an excellent swimmer covering the same distance in the same time. ,

    Now what usually happens is the person covers the distance faster and/or does more distance as they "get used to it".
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    edited April 2021
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    FiberousJ wrote: »
    They say that cardio makes your body too efficient at burning fat. Diet does too. I also believe the opposite is true. Extra eating makes your cardio inefficient at storing fat. That's why after a while when you've gained a certain amount of weight, it gets harder for you to gain more weight. You hit a plateau. The more fat and calories you eat, the more your body gets used to it and it gets tougher to gain. You become too efficient in the other direction. It only makes sense because it works both ways.

    That's why one summer I ate nothing but cheeseburgers and pizza every day. I couldn't gain weight anymore because my body got used to those foods. My body got used to eating fatty meals and it didn't have the same caloric effect as before.

    They say in cardio you got to switch it up because your body becomes too efficient. Same thing with eating and gaining. You gotta switch up the types of foods you're eating or your body gets used to it. Otherwise, you might actually start to lose a little weight if you don't switch it up. For instance, if you eat pizza every day your body gets used to it and so you start to get too skinny. So maybe try ice cream, to trick the body.

    You may think it sounds crazy but this actually did happen to me.

    That's not how it works. You most likely hit a threshold of body fat and your body kicked in satiety mechanisms. You actually ate less than you realized due to lower hunger.


    Maybe. But isn't that just a different way of saying the same thing? More or less? The result was I still wasn't obese but could not gain weight no matter how much I enjoyed my pizza and burgers. Worked out every day though.

    As you gain weight, the calories you need to maintain your current weight increase. Unless you eat more than that,you won't gain weight. This has nothing to do with pizza. If you were not gaining weight, it comes down to calories consumed relative to how many your body is using.



    Well, that's true. But one of my points is people say that your body gets used to cardio and so it burns less calories. What I'm also pointing out as you just said is when your weight increases, your calorie burn increases. So in a way, it's like getting used to the fat you're eating. You can now eat more of it without gaining weight.

    Because it takes more calories to maintain your weight, not because you're somehow immune to pizza calories.

    People say all kinds of things. Your body doesn't get used to activity in that way and your body doesn't get used to burgers in that way. You're basing your beliefs on statements that aren't supported by evidence.



    Well I don't know. Jullian Michaels says you have to switch up your cardio because your body is similar to when you get a callus on your hand from lifting weights but then your body gets used to it. She says that happens when you do cardio if you don't switch it up.

    My primary form of cardiovascular exercise is cycling and has been for pushing a decade now. I don't burn fewer and fewer calories just because my body gets used to cycling. Outside of a lab, cycling with a power meter is about as accurate as you can get in regards to work and calories expended. If anything, the more I cycle, the more calories I burn...because the more I cycle, the stronger I get and the stronger I get, the more power (watts) I can put out. That power is what dictates my energy expenditure.

    There may be a bit of truth in the idea of your body "getting used to it" as one does the activity more, especially if skill is involved in the activity. Take swimming as an example All other things consistent, if I suck at swimming my stroke will be much less efficient and I will burn more calories flaying around to cover the distance than if I was an excellent swimmer covering the same distance in the same time. ,

    Now what usually happens is the person covers the distance faster and/or does more distance as they "get used to it".

    In the specific sense of the claims being made by OP and Jillian Michaels, I don't think they're talking about differences in form. It seems more like an actual claim that your body will get "used" to activity -- regardless of form differences -- and that your body will stop burning calories as a result.

    When you lay it out like that, it's really such a weird claim! I feel like building efficiency is going to save really only a few calories max, even when you're doing some kind of activity for hours and hours. The perception of difficulty changes, sure, but that's probably more a psychological thing that anything. It *feels* stressful and hard because you don't know what's going on.

    If being stressed out made me burn more calories, I would never have gained weight. :D