A question from another fourn that I figure guys on here could answer

[Dan Heaney]

I am curious about the answer myself. That is why I brought it here. There are guys who post here that I am confident could answer it. Thanks

How many calories can your body metabolize at a time?

I guess a better way to phrase it would be 'how many calories should be in each meal?' My breakfast is usually between 600-1000 calories (composed of all fat and protein; less than 15 g carbs that are all veggies), and I'm wondering if that is simply too much for a single meal.

Is my body using all of it or is most of it being stored as fat? I think my fat loss is stalling terribly and I bet this is the reason why.

I eat this much every morning after I run (either couch to 5k or 1 hour of agility work), and then after I eat on TR, I lift (TBT) and have a boxing class.

Appreciate it, folks.

[Troy Archie]

You're forgetting that food can take up to a day to digest. When you eat it doesn't magically get completely digested once it hits your stomach, in fact it doesn't really digest in your stomach but in your small intestine where again it can take up to day plus to go from your stomach to your rectum.

As for it using all of it or it being stored as fat? Well again that comes down to expenditure and income of calories and quality of your calories.

[Mike ODonnell]

Eating high quality food sources will not result in fat gain....if your fat loss is stalling it is because you may have too much routine in your diet for:
- the same food and calories day in and out
- the same marconutrient ratios every day
- the same workout protocols every day

The body responds better to change....not routine....

[Greg Battaglia]

The amount of calories you eat in one meal does matter when it comes to body composition. The problem with excessively large meals has nothing to do with the speed at which food is metabolized, but rather the transient rise in insulin when compared to smaller meals (assuming frequency of meals remains static). Excessive stretching of the stomach (such as with a large meal) alone causes a rise in insulin secretion even on a low carb diet, although to a lesser extent than a high carb meal. 1000 cals in a meal is a lot. In the Anti-aging Zone Sears states that the average male only needs 1500 cals/day. Using this logic the poster on that thread was eating 2/3 of his calories needed for health in one meal. From personal experience, this is detrimental. You're body can metabolize as much food as you can put into it, it's just a matter of how those calories are metabolized. Grossly large meals tend to divert calories to fat storage rather than muscle and other important functions. Eat in moderation.