4000 calories?!

[agumble]

Just for curiousity's sake, I decided to record my calorie intake the past few days to get an idea of how much I was eating. I tried not to alter my eating patterns at all, just eating whenever I was hungry, and I found that I was taking in about 2000-2500 calories each day, which has kept me at a pretty constant weight of 115 lbs at 5'4". But today I was really hungry and I ended up eating close to 4000 calories! Is that normal?? I work out every morning, but I thought body builders were the only people who even came close to consuming that many calories. I don't really have a problem with the fact that I ate that much, but this is just one of those things that baffles me since I'm so used to the theory of calories in/calories out for weight maintenance, yet that doesn't seem to be the case with raw since I can't imagine that I actually burned 4000 calories today. Just wondering what all of your opinions are.

[maui_butterfly]

I don't really have a problem with the fact that I ate that much, but this is just one of those things that baffles me since I'm so used to the theory of calories in/calories out for weight maintenance, yet that doesn't seem to be the case with raw since I can't imagine that I actually burned 4000 calories today. Just wondering what all of your opinions are.

Yep, apparently that calories in / calories out thing is hogwash. How cool is that?!?! :)

[northernstars]

I only say this because I had a stroke and had been watching my calories for several months. I only ate about 1800 calories a day but continued to gain weight! I was exercising by walking an hour a day at least 3 times a week as well as counting calories! The weight came regardless of what I was doing and that contributed to sleep apnea and that caused the stroke.

I was also eating about 3 - 4 ounces of meat that had been thoroughly trimmed of all visible fat, and the cheese was also low fat. That cautiousness did not help and certainly did NOT prevent the stroke!

[SmilingRawDancer]

I eat below (by 300-500 calories) the allotted amount of calories that someone my age is "supposed" to eat/burn (1800), and I still haven't lost weight.
So it's stupid, and I'm frusterated.

[rawfigure]

GO WITH IT !! Lucky you. If your body needs it, eat it. You may find you will level back out at a more normal (for you) calorie consumption.

I track every few days or so and if I eat 1400-1600 I freak. I maintain at a measly 1200-1400 cals a day and gain much over that. SO ;) ENJOY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Revvell]

I never count. When I ate more, I was thin; now I eat less, I gain. I agree with Maui_Butterfly... hogwash.

[iluvcacao]

The first time I went 100% raw I kept track of my food on fitdiary, mainly to answer all the questions of "is that safe"...then I could say, yep, I am getting everything I need! :) Well, I was eating over 4000 calories a day and it wasn't a problem. I dropped 5 pounds that first week, and I wasn't trying to, as that wasn't why I went raw. I found it fascinating that I could lose weight while eating all that food :D

[momma-rawma]

For perspective--I spent 10 hours this weekend net, walking and running a marathon. I'd have to pull out my garmin...but I burned roughly 4K or more calories after 7 hours on the full marathon....and about 2500 or so on the half. But I didn't lose a pound. (well--I probably lost one permanent pound from a calorie standpoint)

So if any of your exercise was endurance based...and you are maintaining...theoretically--if you need 2000 to maintain...and burned 2000....you'd still need an extra 2000 for 4000 total.

And if it helps--after all that activity this weekend..my weight is a bit up (just a wee bit). Despite me going back to sad--I burned way way way more than I consumed over the weekend. But then again--my body was probably was in shock. There's that....and that there are TWO types of activity...aerobic and anerobic.

Endurance activity--once you reach a certain threshhold, you are no longer burning fat for fuel..you are burning glycogen...so though you are burning calories--you aren't burning the fat off. So there is that whole thing, too.


While I think the raw lifestyle is great--I'm not of the opinion that all health science is bunk as to body chemistry and why things happen and don't happen.

Eating more doesn't equal overeating for some people.
Eating less doesn't equal weight loss for some people.

Some people just aren't eating enough if their desire is to lose weight. Weird--and I wish it was me.:D

[MiahTay]

I've always had a theory that a cooked calorie is NOT the same as a raw calorie, unfortunately there (to my knowlege) had never been an official study done to prove or disprove this. It sort of piqued my curiosity when that book "Negative Calories" came out a few years ago but I've not really looked into it further.

Heather

[subbacultcha]

agumble, I am jealous of your metabolism! I am also 115 at 5"4 and if I eat anything over 1500 cals I gain weight, despite copious exercise :rolleyes:

[Vivafree2]

I am with you Smiling Raw Dancer!! I know what you are saying. There are theories, testimonials, inspirations and hard reality - we are all different people. I am determined to speed up the metabolism otherwise i will gain weight by looking at food. So far no progress but i am, working on it. When i do not have enough fuel i don't feel like excercising - no energy. My calories intake is below 1200 and i am 5'5 180 lb and not loosing.

[momma-rawma]

Those with low calorie, who want to lose weight but are not doing so on raw...I do wonder if maybe it isn't enough calorie consumption.

Does anyone know if on raw--this has come into dispute at all versus the SAD that if you don't eat enough, your body might go into self preservation and hold onto weight b/c it thinks it is starving?

I know that happens on "healthier" SAD ways of eating when folks are trying to lose....but just wondering if that theory applies to SAD.

I mean it is quite easy to not eat enough on Raw if one is not careful. KWIM?

(I haven't read anything to the contrary so do wonder if just like anything....you still need the fuel for your body.)