does it REALLY take 3500 to gain?

I know the science -  3500 extra calories to gain one pound….

But honestly…..    &nb sp;  This does not sound right!



I ate about 3200 calories today (that is OVER estimating by the way)

Because I was super active.      &n bsp;  I do not normally need that much LOL.


However -  I feel absolutely STUFFED.

As in, I could barley breath, and felt SO SO SO FULL.

and hours after the food, I am STILL having trouble breathing!

Now - I probably only ate 1100 more calories than I burnt……

But HONESTLY -  I feel SOOOOO STUFFED….   

When you feel this stuffed - it DEFF feels like enough to gain weight!


Does it honestly take 3500 to gain?


Because I feel VERY stuffed on FAR less than this!

It takes an extra 500 calories over whatever you need to maintain your weight to gain one pound per week. IE if you need 2000 to maintain, 2500 to gain.

Now, you have to remember to account for activity levels, and also the fact that your body may adjust to getting a higher amount of calories and eventually may need more to continue gaining. 

It takes 3500 extra calories over and above your maintenance calories to gain 1lb of fat.

1g fat = 9kcals

Ax

Depends what substance you're gaining and over how long...   In temporary terms... eat a lot of bulky food = you gain the weight of the food.  Eating a lot of salty food = gain fluids.   Eat a lot of carbohydrates = gain fluids and glycogen.   Over the longer term...  eat 3600 calories in excess to what you need and you'll gain 1lb in fat.  Exercise a lot and eat excess calories and you might gain muscle

Original Post by personaltrainer87:

Thanks guys -       &n bsp;   this is a one off thing, so it really is only about 1200 MAX     EXTRA calories I consumed….

There were no other “ extra” calories from previous days that would have accumulated.

So the 1000 or so EXTRA was just that.

I just felt SOOOO sick, that is felt REALLY big - and therefore enough to make a difference!

I am active every day and I have started to strength train 2 - 3 days a week -  so logically I know that any extra weight would contribute to muscle mass as well as fat.


It is just hard to fathom that TECHNICALLY it takes 3500 to gain -  when I feel SO sick over about 1000 extra.

Gross -    it is almost 12 am midnight,   and my stomach is STILL seriously hurting.


That is why I made this post lol -     I mean,   I feel so darn sick from all the food -  so it is hard to imagine that such a sick feeling, would go without weight gain!

and OOPS lol -  I accidentally pressed " quote" for my last reply.   feel very sick still and do not know what I am doing LOL.

Relax, it's probably gas....   Sip some water, lie down, get some sleep..  Tomorrow you'll probably post a massive log to the ocean and feel all back to normal again.

Wow. I was in SO much pain at midnight, but I slept for about 2 hours, and I am already up at 2 pm,  munching on some granola!


Amazing how all that pain suddenly went away!

One thing about the 3500 equals a pound is that too often because of a lot of fluid retention and not having had an effective BM, many times we question how we could have gained 3 or 4 or 5 pounds in one day but not eaten 10,500 extra calories over our maintenance calorie intake.  I have tried to research carefully how calories are measured in a lab and how 3500 calories has been determined to be worth a pound.  It seems to me from what I can figure out is that enough lab data has been compiled to suggest that one can get a reasonably accurate assessment of how many calories are in certain foods and how many calories can cause a pound gain.  However, it is not nearly as an exact science as what some people would have us believe.

I keep an accurate record of my daily deficits and when I average it over a month, an I lose approximately 1lb per average deficit of 3500 kcals.  Day to day there are variations and it's not an immediate thing, but the maths work over time....

Remember that you don't have to eat an extra 3500 calories every day.  That probably would be excessive.  Just shoot for an extra 500 every day and make them calorie dense foods.  Maybe some peanut butter, avocados, nuts, anything you like.

I am not trying to gain weight.

So,  I am just going to average my calories for a month -  I mean,  even if I DID go over an extra 3500 calories ONCE,  I suppose I could STILL prevent permanent weight gain if I just ate normally from then on.

I wonder how that would work -  you eat an extra 3500 calories, but ONLY as a one off thing?    

Would you literally have to burn off every single one of those 3500 calories?

Or,  would eating “ normally”  from then, and NEVER exceeding your maintenance be enough?

I do not know how technical it is….   Because logically, if you eat normally for say, two months,  and go over 3500 on ONE day,  it would not FEEL like the 3500 would necessarily be permanent?

Although, at the time you would feel pretty sick and it WOULD feel like a huge gain lol.

the problem most likely isn't how many calories you went over the the problem is that you overate.  If you have been dieting for very long at all consistently then your body, your stomach more specifically gets used the little amount you are putting in, so likely anything over can make you feel sick.  I have had this phenomenon with no where close to 1100 "extra"calories in a day simply because it was just more than I needed and really should have had.  Not because of the weight issue but because it was one of those, "there's only one left, why not? but I'm not really hungry for more." moments.

it can also be deceptive about weight gain.  when many of us splurge on off limit foods we often go for very high sodium foods which of course retains that water which makes our scales, as early as the next day, go up.  solution, drink more water, cut back on sodium and don't weigh yourself the day after consuming high carbohydrate foods/meals.  carbs create glycogen which needs water (in other words this is why you and how you retain water) which hangs out in your body.  consuming more water actually flushes that out.

I do not normally diet.

At about 5 ‘ 5and only about 112 - 115 lbs, I eat about 1850 - 2000 or more per day. But that was when I was sedentary  or very lightly active.  

That was more than all the online calculators recommended. But I like a little extra for security.

However, I have recently upped my activity levels, and have been eating much more than usual.

I have been about 112 lately but I am sure I will be at least 115 after this.

I do not eat sugar or additives/chemicals, I eat pretty clean.  But I did eat a LOT of sodium these last two days!!!!!

And I ate a lot of foods I normally do not enjoy - I normally enjoy eating very simple/ simple combinations each day….   But I had a cocktail  of dif ingredients and foods, therefore  it SHOCKED my body.

So about 3000  extra calories have been over consumed over a two day period.



I mean, every week or two I do have 3000 calorie days.  And at least two other days I will have an extra 500 or so calories than I need.      &nbs p;  It never makes a difference.   Eating extra can be good for the mteabolism (in SOME people)  any ways.

 I just have NEVER done it for TWO DAYS IN A ROW BEFORE!      Yuck!

So I have eaten about 1100 extra, for two days in a row.

And no it was not because I was hungry -     I have started to use food to deal with all  my feelings - to the point where I cannot feel reality because it is unbearable -      with out food. My drug of choice, I have STOPPED being able to deal with NORMAL, every day feelings.

It SUCKS -  because you can not quit food.

And every night I always have a treat/snack before bed -    I have the extra calories because it usually makes me “ get over”  wanting to use food to deal with my feelings -  because if I am generous and give myself a little extra every day,  it USED TO take the desire away to need to use food for other non hunger related reasons.

I just look at it as some excess calories/weight  that I have to spare -  instead of having to eat 500 extra calories after a workout,  I don’t have to because I already HAVE the extra surplus, stored in my body as fat LOL.

So I guess it can be convenient in a way -   during my next 2 - 3 workouts, I don’t have to bother eating extra haha.

I will if I am hungry of course - but  whenever I have over eaten in the past,  I am typically never as hungry the next day or two.

Our bodies must just dictate to us when we have extra calories - they must shut off our hunger a little when our bodies have extra weight that it does not need.

Does any one else have any experiences with this sort of thing?

I am interested - because weight gain and the 3500 rule is obviously not set in stone and various from person to person.

I wonder if other people are just as hungry as usual after over eating,  if people’s bodies just naturally dictate what they are supposed to do, or if some people have to work hard to work off every last calories they have gained.

I only to exercise I enjoy, with other people, other wise I would go crazy if I had to force myself to do extra exercise that I HATED, simply to lose  pound or two.

I would be a pretty depressed person if I had to make myself exercise ONLY for the purpose of losing weight.  I have to want to do it to feel healthy and happy - and the weight loss/when if I need it is just a by product.



GROSS. Well I feel a little silly and sick from two days of LOTS of food -     but instead of hiding inside (due to feeling like a greedy pig)     I am actually going to get outside and be as active as I usually would.

I think that it is best to continue the normal healthy routine.