overeat 1 day a week to boost metabolism or . . . .

Just curious. Does anyone know if one day of "binging" is good for a metabolic boost or do you actually need to eat for a few days, as Curves suggests, until you have gained some weight so that returning to the "diet" does a more effective job? This is a little confusing. Thanks to any and all who reply to this post.

I can only speak for myself, but once a week I go out to eat for dinner and eat chicken wings/nachos/beer.  I eat very  healthy at breakfast/lunch and I make sure I work out that day.  (burn 500 calories usually)  Next day I drink a whole load of water to rid most sodium.  I am still losing weight.

Just my experience.

~H~

**Edited to add I do NOT count calories for dinner at all....just eat!!! **

I don't binge for a day, but I do allow myself two cheat meals or two minor cheat treats during the week. 

For instance, it was my friend's bday on Tuesday, so on Monday night, I made cupcakes from scratch that definitely were not diet.  I made cupcakes specifically for portion control for the both of us.  When they cooled, I bagged them up and tossed them into the freezer.  Out of sight, out of mind, and at the same time, when I want one, it's there.   

I've eaten two this week, but I've included them within my calorie range as best as I could.  When I went over, no big deal - that's the idea of a small caloric zig zag/cycling.  They were mild cheats which didn't adversely impact my diet and I still got satisfaction. 

Restricting calorie intake lowers the metabolism over time.  So if you eat more than normal one day out of every 2 weeks, say, you do give it a boost.   It's also quite good for the spirits to have a day when you up the calorie intake.   Carrying on for more than a day could be counter-productive.  Weigh yourself once a week only so that your body has had chance to adjust.  Weighing the day after a day when you've eaten more than normal can give you a skewed figure

Just don't call it 'bingeing' because that has very negative, self-reproaching connotations.

Original Post by haley_2008:

I can only speak for myself, but once a week I go out to eat for dinner and eat chicken wings/nachos/beer.  I eat very  healthy at breakfast/lunch and I make sure I work out that day.  (burn 500 calories usually)  Next day I drink a whole load of water to rid most sodium.  I am still losing weight.

Just my experience.

~H~

**Edited to add I do NOT count calories for dinner at all....just eat!!! **

You make me feel so much better. I have been doing the same thing. It isn't always intentional though. I eat well all week, then saturday rolls around and I will usually go out to eat and have some beers too. I feel real guilty sometimes, although, I know deep down I am still doing something right. I have been consistantly losing about .5-1 lb per week, which is slow but I am trying to make a life style change while still incorporating things I like.

What if I eat clean around 1200 calories everyday and 1 day a week I eat 2000 calories (plus 500 calories burn from extra excercies).

Mon - Thursday : 1200 calories -- no excercise .. just being a student walking around the campus Friday - 2000 calories (400 calories burn from running in trademill) Saturday - 1600 calories (400 calories burn from running in trademill) Sunday - 1400 calories (400 calories burn from running in trademill)

I'm 16 years old, 5"1 and 106 pounds....I don't know how much I should eat anymore!!!!! Today...I overeat big time (2000 calories) because me and my friend decided to eat chips and I had 3 serving of chips and I tried 3 protein bars today (1 powerbar pria - 110 calories and 2 of 180 calories LUNA bars...it's a special day...I usually eat neither.)

How much will it effect me if I didn't want to lose any weight (just want to maintain)??? Did I overeat too much??

I have seen professionals comment to the effect that 1 day "overeating" per week is good for the metabolism.  Generally speaking, if you are trying to lose weight and you incorporate this one day per week overeating, assuming you are on a 500 to 1000 cal deficit on normal days, and your "overeating" day is say 1000 cal over your maintenance level, you would still be well under for the week, and you give your metabolism a boost.

Imy, assuming you are moderately active, your maintenance level according to the general calculation is 1850 calories.  Now, once again, it is not crucial to stick to this every day, but if you average this rate over the week, your weight should stay constant.

oit -

I tried so many BMR calculator and they all tell me differently. I'm trying to stop counting calories (I had excercise bulimic before and I do NOT want to go back to be like that again....ever..) but I feel like it's a bit hard to me to just stop counting immediately. I eat very healthy most of the time though. But I think since I'm still 16...the calculator kinda estimate my calories allowance differently so.....should I be eating that much..1800 calories per day I mean....

I just ate a giant donut, 2 chicken tacos, and a cup of coffee for dinner. This is one of the worst days I've had in months. Get this though, I'm only over by a few hundred calories, and I've yet to workout. Go figure. At any rate, I hope this metabolism boost things is real, otherwise I may be in for an ass kicking at my next weigh-in.

mortal monkey -

during my bigne during the beginning of my ED recovery, I ate a pint of ice cream + halp box of Cheerios cereal on top of normal meal....that was a bumer. And 2 weeks ago, I went to New York and I ate over 2000 calories....all from M&M because me and my friends was about to be late and we were lost in the subway. I was sooo stress so I start eating my M&M that I got from M&M world....HAHA...and I ended the day with a New York cheesecake and 4 Godiva truffle (those truffles are AWESOMEEEEE !! )

Good Luck on your weight in!!

Oh yeah.... before I started counting calories, I ate 2 donuts perday for like....4 days in a row.....when I realize that dinuts are fried, I alomst choke, but I think if you just had it first time in the month...hope that wouldn't effect you that much...

:D

Original Post by charming_imy27:

oit -

I tried so many BMR calculator and they all tell me differently. I'm trying to stop counting calories (I had excercise bulimic before and I do NOT want to go back to be like that again....ever..) but I feel like it's a bit hard to me to just stop counting immediately. I eat very healthy most of the time though. But I think since I'm still 16...the calculator kinda estimate my calories allowance differently so.....should I be eating that much..1800 calories per day I mean....

 Yup, on average anyway, so if you have days that are 2000 to 2200 or so, if you also have a few days of 1600 or 1400, or even 1200, you are ok, although dont go below 1200.

If you are having trouble with it and don't really want to be counting calories, then I think for someone your age, if you are pretty confident to say you eat healthy most of the time, like 5 or 6 days out of 7, then had a bit of a scoff on the other day, you are almost certain to be just fine! 

Just be sure not to give yourself a mental beating on the days when you overeat as you should think to yourself it is OK, and quite normal.

I haven't found that overeating boosts metabolism. If I overeat I always gain weight. It's usually a much greater gain than the calories eaten. I chalk this up to water retention and the inability of the body to "catch up" with the excess food in the system. It takes 2-3 days for this weight to come off, with normal eating and exercise.

For me, the only way to boost metabolism is to exercise.