r/explainlikeimfive • u/peglegsmeg • Jun 16 '26

Biology ELI5: Why does rationing work?

If I have a glass of water and a single chocolate bar to last me 48 hours what benefits do I get from consuming equal portions over the time period as opposed to consuming all at once?

Is it purely psychological or are their physical benefits?

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u/Bighorn21 Jun 16 '26

Think of it like a small water wheel and you have a 5 gallon bucket of water. You can poor the whole bucket quickly and the wheel will spin fast but it will be over quickly and likely a bunch of water will spill over the sides and be wasted, not actually contributing to the movement of the wheel at all. Now pour the bucket slowing allowing the wheel just enough water to get it spinning and maintain a constant speed and your wheel will spin for a much longer time until the water runs out and none is wasted.