how many calories do you eat a day

[TommyHardHouse]

i eat on avereage 1600 cal a day - just wondering if anyone else eats low calories. you can bet when the sgd and i have to ration i'll be doing a better job then someone who eats 3000 + cal a day - does anyone even consider this ?

[Blast]

A person burns about 10 x body weight per day just sitting there and 20 x body weight if very active. Your 1600 calorie diet suggest you are a 160 lb person who doesn't do much physical activity, an 80 lb person who does a ton of physical activity each day, or something in-between. Considering my 8 year old, very skinny daughter (4'3" tall) is only 80 pounds I suspect you fall in the higher weight/lower activity range of the spectrum. The question then becomes how many calories will you need to keep going when you actually have to work hard?

-Blast

[jnathan]

There are a number of scientific models designed to figure out caloric needs. Using a very coarse measurement, a pound of lean muscle needs 50 calories per day to survive.

I try to eat at least 3500 calories per day, often well over 4000.

-Jeff

[TommyHardHouse]

A person burns about 10 x body weight per day just sitting there and 20 x body weight if very active. Your 1600 calorie diet suggest you are a 160 lb person who doesn't do much physical activity, an 80 lb person who does a ton of physical activity each day, or something in-between. Considering my 8 year old, very skinny daughter (4'3" tall) is only 80 pounds I suspect you fall in the higher weight/lower activity range of the spectrum. The question then becomes how many calories will you need to keep going when you actually have to work hard?

-Blast

i am 5'10" 175 lbs i work out 6 days a week 3 days of cardio , 2 days strength training , 1 day yoga. My Basal Metabolic Rate is 1766 calories ( pretty close to ten times) I run the 5k in 40 min. Granted i work in an office but that doesn't put me in the inactive catagory. So i guess your refering to hard work as building shelter , hunting , defending mine, i think i could get by on 1000 cal a day ration and be comfortable. But all of this is irrelevant to my question. How many calories a day do YOU eat and how many calories do you plan on rationing a day ? most Americans over eat, are in an unhealthy bmi range. Its one thing to store food and think about how your going to be set when TSHTF , then the day comes and you go through your 3 month supply in three weeks .

[MikeM]

As many as I can get my hands on!

Seriously, I used to try to count calories, now I just count carbs and let the rest take care of itself. I try for 200-250 grams of protein, and as long as I make that I'm happy. I'm one of my lifts goes down, or if my recovery slows, I eat more.

Lately, as I've shifted back to MMA from powerlifting I've found that I really need to up my calories, and it is damn hard to do with healthy foods.

On the other hand if I were to get my food from the royal restaurant, or the Scottish restaurant I could have the fun of too many calories, not enough nutrients, and still being hungry all at the same time.

The moral of the story is that it is waaaaay more than counting calories, if you are looking to get the most out of the machine.

-Mike

[wee drop o' bush]

I try to stick to 1400 in order for weightloss. It's sometimes more successful than others

[BigDaddyTX]

Depends on the day. Today I had a starbucks coffee shake, those things are almost 1000 calories, but I rarely buy one. I'd guess ~3500-4000 calories. My problem is they all come at one time, I don't eat breakfast, my lunch is usually pretty small, but I pound two servings of dinner and I snack while I make it. I've lost some weight recently as I realized I was getting even fatter than I should be though, and I'm trying to capitalize on that success. My goal for losing weight is 2500 calories a day, but I'm 6'4" #330.

[Doctorr Fabulous]

2500-3000, depending on what workout I do. On lazy weekends, I usually just drink light beer, liquor, and eat maybe once per day.

[duodecima]

Last time I counted it was 2200-2500, but I was pregnant at the time. It's less now, but I'm older, which explains why the weight tries to creep up. I was contemplating the activity factor today, since I eat fairly small breakfasts and lunches(200-250 kcal each) without feeling hungry, but I've got a desk job. And I do eat a big dinner as well. I try to overbudget calories when I plan SHTF food, since if we're less active, we can cut back to stretch the food longer.

[Blast]

i think i could get by on 1000 cal a day ration and be comfortable.

I think you are really overestimating your ability to get by on 1000 cal a day. At this level of calorie intake even just sitting there you'll burn close to double that 1000 calories. Do any sort of manual labor and you are quickly going to start feeling the effects of starvation as your body breaks itself down in search of energy. A good primer on the effects of your planned calorie limit can be found in the fascinating research done in the Minnesota Starvation Experiment

Description of the research:
The main objective of the Minnesota Experiment was to characterize the physical and mental effects of starvation on healthy men by observing them under normal (baseline) conditions, subjecting them to semistarvation, and then following them under conditions of rehabilitation. The study commenced in November 1944 with a standardization period of 3 mo in which the men received ∼3200 kcal (13,389 kJ) of food/d. This was followed by a 6-mo semistarvation period, beginning on February 12, 1945, in which they received ∼1800 kcal (7531 kJ) of food/d, with the starvation diet reflecting that experienced in the war-torn areas of Europe, i.e., potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, dark bread, and macaroni. The final 3 mo were a nutritional rehabilitation period, in which the men were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 energy intake groups; each energy level was subdivided into 2 protein levels, and each protein level into 2 vitamin levels.

For the record, I'm 6'5" and 218 lbs. I run and do yoga three times a week but my day job is 50/50 standing/desk. My weight has remained stable for the last 2-3 years so I'm guessing I consume somewhere around 3000 calories per day. My current emergency food supply is also set for 3000 calories a day for me, 2000 for my wife, and 1000 for each of our children plus the ability to occasionally add an extra 1000 calories to my diet 1-2 times a week if needed. After hurricane Ike I spent six days cutting up trees and hauling logs while sticking to that 3000 cal limit and I did lose about eight pounds.

-Blast

[duodecima]

For the record, I'm 6'5" and 218 lbs. I run and do yoga three times a week but my day job is 50/50 standing/desk. My weight has remained stable for the last 2-3 years so I'm guessing I consume somewhere around 3000 calories per day. My current emergency food supply is also set for 3000 calories a day for me, 2000 for my wife, and 1000 for each of our children plus the ability to occasionally add an extra 1000 calories to my diet 1-2 times a week if needed. After hurricane Ike I spent six days cutting up trees and hauling logs while sticking to that 3000 cal limit and I did lose about eight pounds.

I don't know the ages of your kids or anything, but even my littlest (when I calculate at low-active) comes out above 1100 kcal/day, and goes up to 1500 for "very active". The older (grade school) child needs 1500-2000 depending on activity. I was using http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/energy/energyneeds_calculator.htm.

That whole growing thing creates so many issues...

[LBB]

Somewhere between 1000 and 6000 calories.
Depending on what I am doing and how much time I have to eat.

[Clover]

A zombie's basic calorie intake a day is...0.

[TommyHardHouse]

i think i could get by on 1000 cal a day ration and be comfortable.

I think you are really overestimating your ability to get by on 1000 cal a day. At this level of calorie intake even just sitting there you'll burn close to double that 1000 calories. Do any sort of manual labor and you are quickly going to start feeling the effects of starvation as your body breaks itself down in search of energy. A good primer on the effects of your planned calorie limit can be found in the fascinating research done in the Minnesota Starvation Experiment

Description of the research:
The main objective of the Minnesota Experiment was to characterize the physical and mental effects of starvation on healthy men by observing them under normal (baseline) conditions, subjecting them to semistarvation, and then following them under conditions of rehabilitation. The study commenced in November 1944 with a standardization period of 3 mo in which the men received ∼3200 kcal (13,389 kJ) of food/d. This was followed by a 6-mo semistarvation period, beginning on February 12, 1945, in which they received ∼1800 kcal (7531 kJ) of food/d, with the starvation diet reflecting that experienced in the war-torn areas of Europe, i.e., potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, dark bread, and macaroni. The final 3 mo were a nutritional rehabilitation period, in which the men were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 energy intake groups; each energy level was subdivided into 2 protein levels, and each protein level into 2 vitamin levels.

For the record, I'm 6'5" and 218 lbs. I run and do yoga three times a week but my day job is 50/50 standing/desk. My weight has remained stable for the last 2-3 years so I'm guessing I consume somewhere around 3000 calories per day. My current emergency food supply is also set for 3000 calories a day for me, 2000 for my wife, and 1000 for each of our children plus the ability to occasionally add an extra 1000 calories to my diet 1-2 times a week if needed. After hurricane Ike I spent six days cutting up trees and hauling logs while sticking to that 3000 cal limit and I did lose about eight pounds.

-Blast

i think this is a good thread - the last two years ive lost 160 lbs so i am a bit fanaticle onwhat i eat these days .but i got to thinking it would be a good discussion because WTSHTF and rationing what food we have is also going to be a chalange - i see people taking dry runs - i think it would be a good idea to know how your body will react when you are forced to cut you intake dramatically. today i didnt eat but maybe 400 cal and then and went and ran 5k -i could tell i was weaker and when i stopped i was a bit dizzy and had to sit and rest. just something else to think about i guess

[Blast]

Awesome weightloss Tommy, you should be proud of that!

A lot of people don't realize how calorie-dense modern food is. As a foraging instructor I have a very good idea of how hard it actually is to acquire enough calories from nature every day. The average male would need to eat between 17 and 24 squirrels a day to meet their caloric requirements. This knowledge has made me very paranoid about storing calories.

I do a lot of backpacking and have learned that I need to constantly be nibbling on trail mix otherwise I get tired too quickly. Peanut M&Ms plus raisins keep me powered up!

My kids are 5 & 8 and weigh 48 and 81 lbs. Frankly, my experience is in a situation like after hurricane Ike I want them just sitting somewhere reading a book rather than trying to "help".

-Blast

[aus.templar]

Literally no idea

[kcor_77]

It depends on how much I am working. Right now I am eating four meals a day and there pretty good sized meals. When I am back in the states not working all that hard I eat two good meals(breakfast and supper) plus snacks. My weight seems to stay around 180-185 pounds at 5'11.

[Chantrea]

I do 1200-1600 a day; I'm actively losing weight (lost 61 lbs since 5/11!!!!). I don't do no-carb, but I'm careful about the type of carbs I eat (I'm not sure I buy 'bad carb' vs. 'good carb', but there are certain things that trigger binges on my part, so I've decided to eliminate them, since none of my triggers are nutritious anyway)

I eat three meals a day, plus one snack if I've had a strenuous workout. I know that it's supposedly healthier to eat more small meals, but that just does not work for me.

Feel the need to edit to add: Yes, this is a relatively low calorie count, but it was signed off by both my doc and my dietician. I've had absolutely no problems with energy or feeling good, my numbers are awesome. However, I really can't imagine a man doing well on what I eat, unless he's petite and relatively sedentary (which wouldn't be great for other reasons).

For PAW planning purposes, I've bumped up my menu planning to 1800-2000/day for me. Maybe I'd eat extra, maybe I wouldn't...but considering that I want to be prepared to be able to fuel more physical demands on my part (and I'm still in my reproductive years, can't not count on an ooops) I wouldn't feel comfortable putting myself on "weight loss diet" and just planning on that, if that makes sense.

[crypto]

I aim for a daily caloric budget of 1200. Most days it ends up being closer to 1500-1800 though.

[0122358]

i try to eat about 1200-1600 calories a day but im trying to loe weight and get...well in "good lookin" shape as well and have the ability for endurance and strentgh. Im 5'8" and 140ish now and want to weigh 120...with as low as body fat percentage as humanly deemed safe. Im starting to work out hardcore again this week (hopefully ) with swimming 6 times a week, eliptical 6 times a week, running once a week, strength training 4x a week and HIIT 4x a week along with a diet change up...again. I think i fugured out id be burning like 4000 caloires so im happy. Right now im just doing basic wieghts, push ups and crunches with the eliptical for 30 mins/day 6 day a week with an hour long hike 4x a week...

Its all about if you want to lose weight or stay hwere you are or even if your trying to gain wieght. Its all about your goals.

[cv66er]

Hi TommyHardHouse, what I recommend is to not only focus on the amount of calories you eat, but to rather focus on the type of food you eat.

I recommend eating a lot veggies and fruit, because these type of foods are very low in calories and they provide us with the nutrition our bodies need to function at its optimal levels.

In addition, incorporate some sort of physical activity or exercise whether you want to lose weight or not, exercise will burn the extra calories you consume.

I must say 1600 calories is too little for an adult, although it is the minimum calories recommended for men.

It takes a bit of both, quality and quantity. I have diabetes, and my doc sent me to a dietician. We went over my typical diet, and reviewed what I had eaten for the last couple weeks. Afterwords she told me I was eating a very healthy diet...FOR THREE PEOPLE! "Portion size!", she kept repeating...

[The Observer]

1473-1723/day currently

I'm using the daily burn free nutrition tracker right now to lose weight. It tracks what I eat as I put things in with calorie/protein/fat/carb goals. So far I have lost about 20 pounds just by doing this because it makes me make better choices.

[DJH]

I generally eat about 2500-3000. Lately I've been cutting back a bit tho as I try to get my body fat % down. 1800-2200 or so.

[crypto]

i eat on avereage 1600 cal a day - just wondering if anyone else eats low calories. you can bet when the sgd and i have to ration i'll be doing a better job then someone who eats 3000 + cal a day - does anyone even consider this ?

I shoot for 1400-1600 and usually end up around 1800 after snacks.