HOW MUCH FAT CAN YOU GAIN AFTER ONE DAY OF OVEREATING?
CALORIES IN VS CALORIES OUT??
As I’m sure you’re aware, eat more calories than you burn and you gain fat (and ?muscle). Burn more than you eat and you lose fat (and ?muscle).
If you’re not aware of this piece of vital information, then please click here to check it out 
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...YEAH, OKAY..ANSWER THE QUESTION!!..
SO, WHAT ABOUT CHRISTMAS DAY??
If you eat 1,000 to 1,500 calories more than you need to maintain your weight in a single day, you’ll probably only gain ⅕ to ¼ of a pound of fat!!
So, let’s say it’s Christmas Day or Thanksgiving and you’re about to tuck into a massive, delicious 3-course meal. You might find yourself eating up to 3000 calories more than you otherwise would.
This would probably lead to half a pound of fat gain which is basically nothing!!!
SO, DON’T FEEL TOO BAD TUCKING INTO THAT SCRUMPTIOUS CHRISTMAS DINNER, ICE CREAM, CHRSITMAS PUDDING, ETC…..ENJOY YOURSELF ON THE DAY!! AS LONG AS YOU DON’T TREAT EVERY DAY LIKE CHRISTMAS DAY, YOU’LL BE FINE!!!
But The Scales and Mirror Tell A Different Story!!
But The Scales and Mirror Tell A Different Story!!
Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, someone’s birthday, or perhaps a ‘cheat day,’ you will inevitably gain 5 to 10 pounds of extra weight over a very short time period when you decide to overeat!! 😭
SO, IF IT'S NOT FAT, THEN WHAT IS IT?
WATER
Water is the main cause of short-term weight gain when one overeats. This is especially the case when you’ve been dieting for a while beforehand. The more you eat, the more water that is pulled into the cells of the body, and this gives rise to that horrible ‘bloated’ feeling/appearance.
SODIUM
Salty foods such as crisps, chips, pizza, etc. are rich in sodium. It’s the sodium that creates that osmotic effect.
This results in more water being ‘pulled’ into the cells of the body.
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrate is stored in the muscles and liver in the form of glycogen.
1 gram of glycogen is stored with 3 to 4 grams of water. Consuming 400g carbs would, therefore, pull 1.2-1.6kg (~3 to 4 pounds) of water into your muscles and liver.
THIS INCREASE IN WATER WEIGHT GIVES RISE TO A ‘PUFFY’ APPEARANCE
GIVING OFF THE FEELING AND ILLUSION OF BEING FAT!!!
THIS INCREASE IN WATER WEIGHT GIVES RISE TO A ‘PUFFY’ APPEARANCE GIVING OFF THE FEELING AND ILLUSION OF BEING FAT!!!
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR THIS HORRIBLE BLOATED FEELING TO GO AWAY???? 
THE GOOD NEWS!!
Well much of this water weight will usually drop off after around 2-4 days of normal eating and your weight will return to your previous weight usually by the end of the week.
Also, you have to take into account all that extra food hanging about inside your digestive tract waiting for nature to take its course (if you know what I mean).
THE BAD NEWS!!
Eating the odd cheat meal [or even having a whole cheat day] will not interfere with any dieting regime if your long-term goal is to burn fat!!
However, it’s very easy for 1 cheat day to turn into 5 cheat days (if you know what I mean). Although the odd binge will bring about massive psychological relief, be weary not to get carried away moving forward 👍.
....And That's All Folks...
To learn more about cheat meals, fasting, fat-loss, and diet breaks, why not treat yourself to a copy of my new book ‘The Essential Guide to Sports Nutrition and Bodybuilding.’
To learn more about cheat meals, fasting, fat-loss, and diet breaks, why not treat yourself to a copy of my new book ‘The Essential Guide to Sports Nutrition and Bodybuilding.’
