Serious question about metabolism...
 

I'v got a very serious question about metabolism, and I'm hopefull there's a doctor or dietician here on the forum that could help me answer it.

At what rate does the human body convert *food* into actual *weight*???
And I *dont* mean "calories into fat"...

Example:
Several of my friends are dieting with me, and I'v heard more than one of them say [more than once] "I messed up yesterday and binged... Thank god I didn't gain any weight".
Then 3 or 4 days later, after getting "back on track" with the diet, they're *shocked* that they have either gained a couple pounds, or cant go any lower than what they already are.

I know it takes 24 hours for the body to convert "food" into "waste", but how long does it actually take to convert it into "weight".

Obviously the "weight" comes from either water or fat. Does this "one day binge" actually convert the few hundred extra calories into fat that quickly? Or slowly? Are there other contributing factors? Does it alter your metabolism? Force your body to hold it in the gut and process it more slowly?

I'v done a pretty extensive search for an answer, but have found none.

Any help anyone could offer would be greatly appreciated. :D

Hey! :wave:

I'm a biologist, but the question is a complicated one, so please don't take what I have to say as cast in stone! ;)

Our bodies are constantly storing and releasing nutrient molecules. For example, all night long, when we aren't eating, we are using up stored nutrients. During the day, the body switches to storage when we are digesting a meal, and to using up the stores when we are between meals.

If one consistently eats more than is needed, then storing "outweighs" utilization. But the reason this doesn't show up right away is kind of complicated.

Say someone eats 3000 calories in a day and burns 1500. Obviously there are 1500 left over to be stored. (I know you didn't want to talk about calories, but I don't know how else to do it.) Suppose their plan calls for them to eat 1200 calories a day to lose weight. It goes like this:

day 1: 3000 eaten 1500 burned +1500
day 2: 1200 eaten 1500 burned -300
day 3: 1200 eaten 1500 burned -300
day 4: 1200 eaten 1500 burned -300

Net so far: +600

So, from this it looks like one day of overeating significantly will require FIVE days of eating on plan to offset the excess.

That's why people who say they have 1 day a week as a "cheat day" often find they do not lose weight...

Sometimes a person can offset things more quickly by eating lower than 1200 calories for a couple of days or by increasing their exercise. But this is a cycle one is best not to get into, in my opinion.

As for why it can take a couple days for the gain to show up? Probably because digestion isn't immediate. Weight is a lot of things--food you've just eaten, wastes in the bowel that haven't been eliminated, water retention from salty foods, and of course muscle, fat, organs, etc. So it's not surprising that it could take a couple days for that scale to go upward.

It's a complicated situation--that's why weighing every day isn't always the best thing. Too much can change from hour to hour... once a week is a better measure of actual weight changes.

Jay

Since it's a quiet day here and I'm just poking away at housework, I'm going to have a shot at this question.

I bow to Jay the biologist who definitely has superior knowledge on the subject ;)

Obviously the "weight" comes from either water or fat.
The biggest most immediate fluctuations in our weight do come from water.

Does this "one day binge" actually convert the few hundred extra calories into fat that quickly? Or slowly? Are there other contributing factors?

There are many, many contributing factors.

Does it alter your metabolism?

Having a stomach full of food does cause some metabolic activity because the body needs energy to break it down. However this is probably minimal in the grand sceme of things.

Force your body to hold it in the gut and process it more slowly?

No, fiber and protein keep you feeling full longer, just because they are harder for your innards to digest. Then again you get that minimal increase in metabolism. Catabolic I think it's called.

This is fairly simple but it helps me ... The body breaks food down into the minutest of particles of things it needs. Your gastrointestinal tract takes away microscopic bits to build into fat, muscle, new cells etc.

Jay? How bad was that?

That was good, SusanB! :cheer3:

Jay

Oh, I've wondered about this too. It explains why I've been having trouble losing. Thanks for clearing it up.:)

I guess the answer is something along the lines of... probably longer than overnight! :)

This is a great question -- in general I think most of us don't realize how complicated the process is! I've really only just started to learn all this since I started coming here to 3fc!

This can also vary from person to person on how efficient their body is operating.

I read an article a while back (unfortunately I did not save a copy or a link). It noted that a study had shown for people that generally eat healthy and proper proportions, that when it comes to the occasional spike/binge in calories (the example was Thanksgiving dinner) that they don't typically need to diet or compensate afterward. As long as they returned to their normal eating pattern they would not generally gain weight.

The study basically concluded that the body could kick into high gear and deal with burning off the additional calories when these types of days were infrequent.

Lori

I look at gaining as being somewhat similar to losing weight. When you start you don't notice an immediate result (with the exception of retaining or losing water weight). However, that doesn't mean that nothing is happening. It just takes some time, cumulatively, for you to visually see it in your waistband or scale. But the lack of immediate results is why you need to quickly get back on track or keep up with your diet plan and exercise. Just because you're not seeing a change doesn't mean your actions aren't affecting your success.

Falling off the wagon is nothing to stress about but you should take it seriously. If you fall off, just pick yourself back up and get right back on. If you're really worried, then up the inensity on your cardio a bit for the week or add on some extra time to your normal routine. I find it's easier for me to adjust the exercise than it is for me to replan my meals etc.

For someone who has lost 60 pounds already and getting so close to goal...this was a very informative post. Thanks for posting such a great question Mathtchr. Thanks to Jay and Susan for being so helpful and insiteful. And to all the others who have posted. I feel like i have really learned something new about weightloss and the human body from this post. Thanks!!

I, too, am learning so much from this website. The answers i get here really help me learn how to put food and excersize into perspective. I feel so blessed to have found this website.