Can You Gain Fat After One Weekend?

The composition of weekend ‘weight gain’ and why it is not fat

Now that everything is going back to ‘normal’ we find ourselves socialising more at the weekend with food and drink. This is great!

After a weekend of eating out and drinking, we often focus on the scales on a Monday morning, thinking the extra couple of pounds on the scale is body fat.

However, this is impossible.

How many calories do you need to gain extra body fat?

Once our food is digested (6-8 hours after eating), it’s building blocks (glucose, amino acids, fatty acids) are absorbed into the bloodstream. Your cells use what they need for fuel and store the rest in fat cells to be used later.

So yes, eating more calories than your body needs over the course of a day/few day’s will result in some of them being stored as fat. But not enough to move the needle on the scales. In fact, to gain one pound of fat you need to consume 3,500 calories above your daily calorie requirements.

Let’s do the math. Say you consume 2,000 calories a day and that your weight is pretty consistent. As I said above, one pound of body fat contains roughly 3,500 calories. That means that in order to gain a pound of fat, you’d have to eat 3,500 calories above that original 2,000 calories. So that is 5,500 calories in total!!! That is a lot of food, if you find you are consuming that much at the weekends then a re-look at your behaviors and mindset may be important.

What is the ‘extra’ weight gain?

The extra few pounds you on Monday morning is water weight. When you eat a lot of food you also take in extra sodium which causes your body to retain water. Excess carbohydrates from large portions of starchy foods (e.g., bread, pizza, pasta) and sugary desserts/sweets also cause water retention.

In addition, some of that weight might also be the meal itself. It takes about 24 hours before your body begins to eliminate undigested food. So, you’ve gained a little water weight, not fat. If you resume your usual healthy diet and drink plenty of water, you’ll lose that extra fluid in a couple of days. Of course, how people’s bodies respond to excess calories – and how quickly those calories add extra weight will vary.

What to do on Monday morning?

So what to do on Monday morning or after a few days of eating more than usual?

Don’t weigh yourself, there is no point stressing over the scales, it is not an accurate representation of your weight. In fact, weight fluctuates so much, up to 5 pounds and so many factors affect it (have a look at my post on facebook for more information on this, or message me).

Instead, just go back to normal eating. DO NOT restrict yourself, that won’t do anything but create a bad relationship with food. Continue to enjoy food in moderation.

Check out my other posts or recipe books with lots of useful content. Or get in touch to discuss any questions you have about your diet or lifestyle.

Eat healthy, live healthy

Robyn