Friend eats 4500+ calories a day, not gaining weight??

[akm3]

OK, I did some calculations with/for a friend of mine.

On an average day he eats like 4500+ calories, lots of greasy fast food, several cans of pepsi, etc, etc.

He is 27, weighs about 225, and if I had to guess I'd say his bodyfat% is 25-30 or so.

He works a job as a satellite installer so it is relatively physically intensive, but only for short periods of time. The rest of the time his ass is riding around in a truck. He gets no other exercise.

He is maintaining his weight and has been for several months now. This doesn't seem possible to me??

Can he possibly be in caloric balance? (I figured his basal metabolic rate at around 2700, but could his job really be burning the difference?)

Could it be because he eats so much at one time (only one or two meals a day) that he isn't absorbing all the calories he's eating somehow?

I don't understand why he isn't putting on a pound or two of fat a week.

Anyone have any ideas?

[akm3]

P.S. He's not trying to lose weight or get in shape, *I'M* just trying to figure out why he isn't packing on more pounds of fat then he is.

Thanks

[Zachary]

My only guess would be that he has an extremely fast metabolism, but at some point he ate enough crap such that he actually DID gain weight, and now he doesn't revert to super-skinniness because he eats like a whale.

Other than that, the effect of the meals is possible -- there may be more than we know about short-term meal-induced thermogenesis, particularly due to carbs, but it's hard to say.

[BuggerOff]

What was your method in accessing his calorie intake? You'd have to follow him around for a week counting every single thing he ate.

Some people like that tend to eat "big" on one day and then hardly at all on another day. I've also know heaps of skinny guys that seem to be constantly eating **** food, but they only eat once or twice a day!

Very unhealthy, but it could explain the lack of calories.

Whatever the case, I read in Arnie's Bodybuilding Encyclopedia (I think that's where I read it) never compare yourself to others, because you will always compare the worst bits of you to the best bits of them. And also, you can never know REALLY what they eat and how they train. People like to shock. Like I said, you'd have to follow him around for a week, detailing every thing he put in his mouth.

Assuming you're actually trying ot loose weight, and not just posting a "general interest" question, I would recommend that it's much, much easier just to detail everything you put in your mouth and not worry about him.

[as0l0]

i was once (twice actually)at this point. around this weight and just eating anything i wanted. it took some time to reach that point, but once I was at that point I didn't gain any more no matter what I ate.

it's as if my body said. yes this is fine, i don't need to store more fat.

[akm3]

as0l0 thats what it seems like for him, but I am just curious where all the extra calories actually go?? hehe


I assessed his caloric intake by him journaling what he ate and then figuring out his "average". He was pretty consistent around 4500

-Allen

[user34566548717114]

my friend is 190 with like 14% body fat and eats the worst diet EVER, non step wendys coldstone and such, and he NEVER gains weight and is still very lean.....some people just have a cracked out metabolism, or a new popular theory is some people are lipostatic where your body will desire to be at a set body fat and is reluctant to change it.....some people are just lucky :-)

[stever]

Originally posted by akm3


On an average day he eats like 4500+ calories, lots of greasy fast food, several cans of pepsi, etc, etc.

He is 27, weighs about 225, and if I had to guess I'd say his bodyfat% is 25-30 or so.

You have just answered you question!!!

[as0l0]

but he should be getting fatter.

[Canadian_AF]

Originally posted by akm3
OK, I did some calculations with/for a friend of mine.

On an average day he eats like 4500+ calories, lots of greasy fast food, several cans of pepsi, etc, etc.

He is 27, weighs about 225, and if I had to guess I'd say his bodyfat% is 25-30 or so.

He works a job as a satellite installer so it is relatively physically intensive, but only for short periods of time. The rest of the time his ass is riding around in a truck. He gets no other exercise.

He is maintaining his weight and has been for several months now. This doesn't seem possible to me??

Can he possibly be in caloric balance? (I figured his basal metabolic rate at around 2700, but could his job really be burning the difference?)

Could it be because he eats so much at one time (only one or two meals a day) that he isn't absorbing all the calories he's eating somehow?

I don't understand why he isn't putting on a pound or two of fat a week.

Anyone have any ideas?

LOL.. sorry didn't mean to laugh but.. If I were him I wouldn't want to be putting on anymore fat 25-30% BF is very high..

Just to clarify let me get this straight.. your friend is 225lbs.. and 25-30% BF.. and he wants to put on more "fat" ???? Hmmmmm....

[akm3]

no no no he doesn't want to put on more fat.

He is NOT a bodybuilder, he is NOT concerned with his body at all. He just IS.

What *I'M* trying to figure out is eating like he does why he isn't balooning up bigger then he is? How can you eat 1000 calories more then you burn, on average, and not gain a pound of fat every 3 days?

-Allen

[BuggerOff]

The answer is simple: he's not taking in a surpluss of calories.

It's your methods of calculation, counting or analysis that are off, not the fundamental laws of physics and energy. Whatever the reason that your mate is not taking a surpluss of calories, I can guarantee it's not magic. ;-)

You could either follow him around for a week, noting every single thing he ate and measuring all of his energy expenditure, or you could forget the whole thing and take my word for it.

[Zachary]

Originally posted by BuggerOff
The answer is simple: he's not taking in a surpluss of calories.

It's your methods of calculation, counting or analysis that are off, not the fundamental laws of physics and energy.

Not necessarily true, though you're probably right.

Dvv makes a good point -- the body may simply adapt after a certain BF% to no longer add fat (this relates to set-point theory). It might accomplish this in a variety of ways -- I'm not really sure; perhaps increasing the metabolism in response to increased food intake, or a similar mechanism that's often seen in severe ectomorphs often at low BF% (i.e. that's why they have to eat 4000kC+ every day to gain -- until a certain point, their metabolisms just increase in response to increased food intake).

[BuggerOff]

What I'm saying still holds true. If his body has adapted - which would mean his metabolism would have sped up due to all the junk food he was eating - he's still not taking in a surpluss of calories, is he? He's burning them with his adapted super-junk-food-burning-body.

Personally I find this unlikely, although possible. Either way, what I said still holds true.

[Zachary]

Originally posted by BuggerOff
What I'm saying still holds true. If his body has adapted - which would mean his metabolism would have sped up due to all the junk food he was eating - he's still not taking in a surpluss of calories, is he? He's burning them with his adapted super-junk-food-burning-body.

Personally I find this unlikely, although possible. Either way, what I said still holds true.

That is indeed true, I just mean that there could be other explanations besides a failure in counting (though that's most likely). In reality though, I would tend to agree -- I just like to throw every possiblity on the table.

[BuggerOff]

Yep, gotacha & agree 100%

My post was actually a direct answer to old mate's question, "How can you eat 1000 calories more then you burn, on average, and not gain a pound of fat every 3 days?" A: He's not eating 1000 caloreis more than he burns on average.

[mister_geeman]

I am sure that we all have some buddies that say "I just can't seem to put any weight on....and I eat heaps"....that fact is (as stated) if you were to follow them for a week - they are not eating anywhere near enough or what they should be. A classic for me was a buddy that swore black and blue that he ate 3000-4000 cals a day...when I sat down with him and we worked out exactly what he was eating it was more like 2000-25000 (and the wrong ratios!). Now thats a huge difference!

Cheers
G

[akm3]

I agree with you BuggerOff. I guess I was just confused where the extra burn was coming from.

Theoretically then, if he has this "super fast metabolism", he would be able to VERY quickly drop fat if he started eating right and exercising.

Maybe that'll help motivate him before he keels over dead.

Thanks everyone!
-Allen

[BuggerOff]

Yeah. Good on you mate if you're getting your mate out of a rut! You deserve a slap on the back.

[johnnyironboard]

Originally posted by as0l0
but he should be getting fatter.

At 37 he'll be 320 and need Viagra to get a hard-on.
At 47 he'll be 400 and will need metphormin to keep his urine from being sweeter than Pepsi.
At 57 he'll be 450 and riding around in a scooter.
At 62 he'll be losing weight because he'll have had a leg or two amuputated.
At 65 he'll be lowered six feet under with a crane.


Dude needs to change his ways.

[user34566548717114]

Originally posted by Zachary
Not necessarily true, though you're probably right.

Dvv makes a good point -- the body may simply adapt after a certain BF% to no longer add fat (this relates to set-point theory). It might accomplish this in a variety of ways -- I'm not really sure; perhaps increasing the metabolism in response to increased food intake, or a similar mechanism that's often seen in severe ectomorphs often at low BF% (i.e. that's why they have to eat 4000kC+ every day to gain -- until a certain point, their metabolisms just increase in response to increased food intake).

bump......I am not saying he has a "super fast metabolism" I am stating the lipostatic or "set point theory" as Zarchary is pointing out......where your body goes ok cool I have enough fat for me to be happy (for whatever reason) and your body will slow down or speed up your metabolism to keep that set point of body fat.....of course extremes can change this but 1000 calories whichever way may not.....there is alot of evidance in support of the lipostatic theory

[as0l0]

Originally posted by johnnyironboard
At 37 he'll be 320 and need Viagra to get a hard-on.
At 47 he'll be 400 and will need metphormin to keep his urine from being sweeter than Pepsi.
At 57 he'll be 450 and riding around in a scooter.
At 62 he'll be losing weight because he'll have had a leg or two amuputated.
At 65 he'll be lowered six feet under with a crane.

yeah, it take s along time to bulk :/

[user34566548717114]

Originally posted by BuggerOff
Yep, gotacha & agree 100%

My post was actually a direct answer to old mate's question, "How can you eat 1000 calories more then you burn, on average, and not gain a pound of fat every 3 days?" A: He's not eating 1000 caloreis more than he burns on average.

no no your totally right the laws of energy do apply here.....its just his body will speed up his metabolism or slow it down according to the calorie intake for that day.......but in reality he is still burning what he takes in......the question that really should be asked is why does his body adapt to that calorie intake with that amount of body fat, it must be hardwired in somewhere

[muaythaikingben]

P.S. He's not trying to lose weight or get in shape, *I'M* just trying to figure out why he isn't packing on more pounds of fat then he is.

Thanks

If your eating loads of low fat carbs and no animal, then you aint gonna pack on the fat. Eating oil/body fat from animals is the BEST way to pack on fat. Eating loads of carbs just means we have full glycogen stores so we can live harder. Any excess carbs just get pissed out or oxidised via the krebs cycle.

[bhilgert]

You've said he's been doing this for a couple months? Was he previously fit or active before? Could his body be losing muscle and gaining fat at the same rate? This could be one explanation of why he's not gaining weight. Having a demanding job only requires you to get fit enough to perform, not necessarily means you burn a lot of calories, which sounds like he doesn't during his day to day activities. Just one theory though.

Could he also be lying to you about what he has been eating to make you jelly? I've seen people do this, to try and show that not everyone has to be fit to be happy.

Anyway, nothing you do or say will make him change. Peer pressure can only do so much. Change is something that comes from within and regardless of what you tell him, he'll probably continue eating that way. My best advise would be to drop the weight topic around him, until HE mentions it in the "I want to change" type of convo.

[JuzzyDee]

If your eating loads of low fat carbs and no animal, then you aint gonna pack on the fat. Eating oil/body fat from animals is the BEST way to pack on fat. Eating loads of carbs just means we have full glycogen stores so we can live harder. Any excess carbs just get pissed out or oxidised via the krebs cycle.

You dont seriously believe that right? You seriously believe someone can eat 6000 calories of carbs a day and not gain fat?

Wow.

[mod4sale]

If your eating loads of low fat carbs and no animal, then you aint gonna pack on the fat. Eating oil/body fat from animals is the BEST way to pack on fat. Eating loads of carbs just means we have full glycogen stores so we can live harder. Any excess carbs just get pissed out or oxidised via the krebs cycle.

Slow down with the bro science.

[jon1995]

legendary bump

[nhclone]

You've said he's been doing this for a couple months? Was he previously fit or active before? Could his body be losing muscle and gaining fat at the same rate? This could be one explanation of why he's not gaining weight. Having a demanding job only requires you to get fit enough to perform, not necessarily means you burn a lot of calories, which sounds like he doesn't during his day to day activities. Just one theory though.

Could he also be lying to you about what he has been eating to make you jelly? I've seen people do this, to try and show that not everyone has to be fit to be happy.

Anyway, nothing you do or say will make him change. Peer pressure can only do so much. Change is something that comes from within and regardless of what you tell him, he'll probably continue eating that way. My best advise would be to drop the weight topic around him, until HE mentions it in the "I want to change" type of convo.

Potentially good advice....although I doubt the situation is exactly the same as 2003....strong bump here fellas.

[Verbalcody]

SOunds similar to me. When I was 21, I was up to about 230 pounds. I used to eat like 2 litres of ice cream all at once, or like an entire pie or whatever

Large pizzas and wings, and I was as always a hardcore alcoholic

I never got above 230 after literally like an entire year or more of eating like this

Assume its got a lot to do with age and obviously metabolism because now if I eat 2500 cals a day I am putting on weight.

By the way I was a horrible looking 230. Cant imagine your friend feels too good

and your observation about his super fast metabolism being able to help him lose fat quickly. Yes. I went from 240 to 175 in about 4 months of consistant gym and 1800 cal a day diet cutting out liqour and sugar completely.