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Question about weight gain/loss and calories?
Hypothetical question meant to help me understand the process:
Let's say that every single day, my body's natural calorie burning combined with the calories I burn with exercise is exactly equal to the number of calories I take in and that this same number of calories taken in and also burned off remains exactly the same day after day after day.
Obviously, my weight would remain constant under this scenario.
Now let's say that on one particular day, I burn 350 calories less than all the other days and also on that same day I eat 350 more calories than usual too.
So on this one fateful day I took in 700 more calories than I burned off.
The next day I immediately go back to the previous pattern of equal calories eaten and burned and continue on that way.
I know that using the well-established number of 3500 calories=1 pound, I should gain exactly two-tenths of a pound under this overall scenario.
Now here's the question: WHEN would I actually gain that weight? At which point would a scale show that 0.2 lbs increase? That day? The next day? Later than that?
I need to clarify my question.
I know the scenario is contrived.
I know that no one can control their calorie intake or burnoff so precisely.
I know 3500 calories isn't a precise, magic number.
Again, my question is this: When there is a caloric discrepancy (net increase or decrease from baseline), how long does it take for it to manifest itself "on the scale"?
If not a fixed number of hours or days, then what is it a function of? What determines the time period if it is not a constant.
4 Answers
- .Lv 712 months ago
Your idea in theory is correct, however it's not as cut and dried as that. Chances are you would see no real change in your weight at all, due to that 1 day that you had a 700 calorie excess. IF you had a scale that could be that precise, then theoretically it could be up to 3 days for you to see that increase (because the amount of time it takes your body to process your meals, use or store the nutrients it's going to use or store, and eliminate the waste, can take from 1 - 3 days.
Your metabolism fluctuates constantly based on your activity, stress, etc. So just as it's VERY difficult to consume an exact number of calories daily (esp since nutritional information is not always exact, esp on packaged foods) it's also virtually impossible to calculate your exact calorie burn on any given day (it's not going to be exactly the same every day).
- Anonymous12 months ago
Its not a perfect system like that. You wont literally gain 2/10 of a pound if you are +700 calories for one day. The 3500 calories per pound of fat is more of a guideline.
- MetalplanttagLv 712 months ago
Your weight increases after you eat and drink, but decreases as you use the calories. So what this means is that one's weight changes during the day, that is why it is recommended to weigh yourself at the same time each day if you want to keep a track of weight loss or increase.
- Anonymous12 months ago
I'm not going to answer every detail the way you want me to. What confuses people in this ballpark is that this is not one big cup. Put 5oz in and take 5oz out it should be equal, right? No.
Some things store as fat some thing use fat. Various other things go through various other long and complicated processes. The advice I'll give you is running for hours after you just ate to burn off the calories is the one perfect way to make yourself as fat as possible. #the last 40 years of American society.
