How many calories do you need?

[Kombaiyashii]

This thing has been bugging me for ages...A grown male should supposedly eat 2500 calories per day...

This is impossible to do raw unless I was rich...I try to eat 4 organic romaine hearts with 2 carrots and some flax seed oil...That's my main meal of the day and it comes to about 300 calories tops.

I try to eat a bunch of grapes and a bunch of bananas (all organic)...I also eat a handful of soaked nuts...I'm getting in about 1,000 calories at most and it's really expensive!

I would rather eat less than more but I am a little worried that people would think I'm anorexic or something. I'm a man 25, 5foot11 and about 155lbs...

What's the minimum caloric intake should someone my size be?

Thanks very much, I really need this one cleared up...:D

[SmilingRawDancer]

Man I've calculated my food costs and it comes out to around 5-6$ per day, and I eat more than you!

Buy bulk nuts and freeze them (from online or costco, caromacsc has good macadamias) and drink some nut milk for more calories, make an oily nutty dressing for your salad for an extra 200 calories....

Your body needs caloric fuel, and you can live on raw inexpensively, just maybe not organically.

[SmilingRawDancer]

Oh yeah, FROZEN BANANAS. At costco you can buy bananas for dirt cheap, I buy a ton and freeze them and blend them into stuff. It's cheap and they've got a caloric punch.

[Robison]

This has been a concern of mine too. Im about 6'1" and I have a hard time getting over about 1100-1200 cal a day. Most of the problem is I have no real appetite but Im trying to add more nuts and stuff.

[snoops]

From what I understand from my reading here, 2500 calories a day is necessary if you are eating SAD and getting very few nutrients. I think that if you are eating raw your body does well on fewer calories. That said, are you losing weight you two guys because you probably shouldn't given what you weigh and you may need to add more fats. My two cents:)

[Robison]

I certainly FEEL better on fewer calories. Ive gotten to where I hate the full feeling I used to have all the time. I just feel rotten if my guts dont feel good.

[MiahTay]

If you want to up your calories for not a lot of $$$, check out some of Raweater's posts, he focuses on just that topic often.

Blessings,
Heather

[Inca_faerie]

Try buying calorie dense items such as virgin coconut butter/oil and honey etc. in bulk online. Sooo much cheaper than getting them at the health food store.

[oai]

From what I understand from my reading here, 2500 calories a day is necessary if you are eating SAD and getting very few nutrients.

I've read about needing fewer calories from sources on soilandhealth.org as well. One e-book I was reading was even talking about just eating a few berries a day. :eek:

[Jenifae]

I personally have no idea how many calories I take in and maybe I don't want to know since, I do take in quite a few nuts :eek: lol!

For me I think that eating Organic is as important as eating Raw. It doesn't make any sense to eat all the pesticides and herbicides along with the damaged soil. Seems to me like there would be a lack of nutrients along with our bodies having to eliminate the toxins we take in from non-organic. It's more expensive but, I think diffently worth it.

[SheLovesToEat]

This thing has been bugging me for ages...A grown male should supposedly eat 2500 calories per day...

This is impossible to do raw unless I was rich...I try to eat 4 organic romaine hearts with 2 carrots and some flax seed oil...That's my main meal of the day and it comes to about 300 calories tops.

I try to eat a bunch of grapes and a bunch of bananas (all organic)...I also eat a handful of soaked nuts...I'm getting in about 1,000 calories at most and it's really expensive!

I would rather eat less than more but I am a little worried that people would think I'm anorexic or something. I'm a man 25, 5foot11 and about 155lbs...

What's the minimum caloric intake should someone my size be?

Thanks very much, I really need this one cleared up...:D


you ABSOLUTELY need to look up raweater's posts! she lifts weights and eats 4000 calories a day! you can definitely get the calories you need.
go check out her posts ! alot of good information and some recipes !

[TaupeRawMan]

you ABSOLUTELY need to look up raweater's posts! she lifts weights and eats 4000 calories a day! you can definitely get the calories you need.
go check out her posts ! alot of good information and some recipes !

My understanding is that Raweater is a guy...

I only point this out cuz there are not of us around!

[Veganforlife]

This thing has been bugging me for ages...A grown male should supposedly eat 2500 calories per day...

This is impossible to do raw unless I was rich...I try to eat 4 organic romaine hearts with 2 carrots and some flax seed oil...That's my main meal of the day and it comes to about 300 calories tops.

I try to eat a bunch of grapes and a bunch of bananas (all organic)...I also eat a handful of soaked nuts...I'm getting in about 1,000 calories at most and it's really expensive!

I would rather eat less than more but I am a little worried that people would think I'm anorexic or something. I'm a man 25, 5foot11 and about 155lbs...

What's the minimum caloric intake should someone my size be?

Thanks very much, I really need this one cleared up...:D


Me personally? If you're asking me? I don't know and I don't care. I eat and enjoy it. And it's healing me. I save that energy for figuring out other things...

[Erika]

I saw a news report at one time and I can't for the life of me remember when or where it was at... wish I could.

They said that there are studies that show that people who were consuming between 500 and 1000 calories a day were living longer than those who are the recommended 2500.

That's something to think about. You might actually be able to find the information online if you search it in yahoo.

[lizad14]

My understanding is that Raweater is a guy...

I only point this out cuz there are not of us around!

Yeah thats what I thought

[Adagio Breezes]

I saw a news report at one time and I can't for the life of me remember when or where it was at... wish I could.

They said that there are studies that show that people who were consuming between 500 and 1000 calories a day were living longer than those who are the recommended 2500.

That's something to think about. You might actually be able to find the information online if you search it in yahoo.

Really? 500 to 1000 calories a day? And they're living longer? Personally, I think 500 calories is too low, anything under 1000, actually. There's something called the CRON diet (Calorie Restriction for Optimum Nutrition). I don't reccommend it though. CRON people seem to have a lot of side effects (feeling cold all the time, reduced libido, extreme thinness, having to sit on a cushion). These are also seen in people who are starving (famine victims) and anorexics.

Long post short, the number of calories you need depends on your activity level. The more active you are, the more calories you need. Try to incorporate more nuts and seeds into your diet.

[Inca_faerie]

I saw a news report at one time and I can't for the life of me remember when or where it was at... wish I could.

They said that there are studies that show that people who were consuming between 500 and 1000 calories a day were living longer than those who are the recommended 2500.

That's something to think about. You might actually be able to find the information online if you search it in yahoo.

That's true it's called the calorie restriction movement (CR). There's been tons of research done about it and it all points to eating less = living longer.

500- 1000 cals doesn't sound healthy at all though. I imagine some of those people must be sickly thin.

[SmilingRawDancer]

EVEN CR recommends not eating less than 85% percent of your "recommended" calories by BMR.

http://www.scientificpsychic.com/health/cron1.html


500 is too low for almost anyone, except maybe a 4'9 older inactive woman who is in the hospital.

Oh, and how you "feel" on an extremely low amount of calories may not be accurate, because your body significantly slows down to accomodate your lower intake which is good because you're conserving energy, but it's bad because you need a certain amount of nutrients daily and it would be hard to get all those needed nutrients on 500 calories. It's said that "appetite comes with eating."

[Coatlicue]

Really? 500 to 1000 calories a day? And they're living longer? Personally, I think 500 calories is too low, anything under 1000, actually. There's something called the CRON diet (Calorie Restriction for Optimum Nutrition). I don't reccommend it though. CRON people seem to have a lot of side effects (feeling cold all the time, reduced libido, extreme thinness, having to sit on a cushion). These are also seen in people who are starving (famine victims) and anorexics.

Long post short, the number of calories you need depends on your activity level. The more active you are, the more calories you need. Try to incorporate more nuts and seeds into your diet.

I agree that less than a 1000 calories is too little for basically any adult. Everybody has their basic caloric need, depending on the sex, age, height and weight. In addition to that comes the need for calories depending on the amount of activities and daily physical exercise. The individual metabolism speed counts, as well.

To lose weight, you should get approx. 500-750 calories less than your daily need is, what do you guys think, is it too much or too little, generally speaking?

[SheLovesToEat]

My understanding is that Raweater is a guy...

I only point this out cuz there are not of us around!

no raweater is a girl. i have sent her messages about some of her recipies.
if i am wrong i am sure she will tell me. LOL

[Robison]

I used that BMR calc and it says i need like 2500 cal per day.
I guess maybe I should add some more oils and stuff to my food cause I feel full all the time and according to fitday, I only had like 1700 yesterday and I was actually eating more than a normal raw day.

Welp. Time to go make breakfast.

[Robison]

no raweater is a girl. i have sent her messages about some of her recipies.
if i am wrong i am sure she will tell me. LOL

Raweaters avatar is a male displaying his back in a pose. At least I hope that is a male.

[SheLovesToEat]

Raweaters avatar is a male displaying his back in a pose. At least I hope that is a male.


nope..... raweater is a very well muscled girl. she's accomplishing her bodybuilding goal. her hair is either short or its swept up in the back.
if shes reading this i am sure shes having a laugh LOL.
like i said if i am wrong i am sure she will me know.
raweater is no shrinking violet. LOL

[SmilingRawDancer]

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=34789&highlight=raweater+woman

scroll down, it's a DUDE

[SheLovesToEat]

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=34789&highlight=raweater+woman

scroll down, it's a DUDE

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! my mistake ! SHE is HE! wow and all this time i thought she was a chick. I guess the low starting weight threw me off.

ok Raweater.... if you are reading this i DO deeply APPOLOGIZE !
i am now laughing at what a PUTZ i am.
sorry.

[ShantiLove]

Well I was just looking throug Gabriel Cousens book Spiritual nutrition and there he talkes about several studies done that restricted calorie intake prolong life, and with test on animals they showed more energy, youth and stamina (and lived much longer). But I do belive that he means that a raw food diet is calorie restricted in itself (meaning dont undereat), and you will get much more nutriens on a raw food diet but less calories.
I think that an allround balanced raw food diet is the best. And you have to listen to your body if you need to eat ex. more potein or less or more fat, or ? a.s.o.
If you thrive on your diet, dont loss way to much weight, build muscles easely, have energy and are happy, why worry about calories ?

I dont think that eating more fat (meaning nuts/oil a.s.o.) is healthy. There has to be a balance. I was really shocked to read in Douglas Grahams book that the average rawfooder eat way more fat than an average american on SAD. Fat is fat, eventhoug some is more healthy that others. But there can be to much of a good thing. There has to be a balance. The china study is a good book to read about this.
Oh Doug Graham advise to eat fruit to up you calorie intake, a loooot of fruit ;)
Calorie rich fruits are; Bananas, avocado, mango, dates, rasins, but even two small appels have 104 calories (they are cheap ;-), and im shure there are more :)

[Adagio Breezes]

I agree that less than a 1000 calories is too little for basically any adult. Everybody has their basic caloric need, depending on the sex, age, height and weight. In addition to that comes the need for calories depending on the amount of activities and daily physical exercise. The individual metabolism speed counts, as well.

To lose weight, you should get approx. 500-750 calories less than your daily need is, what do you guys think, is it too much or too little, generally speaking?

In my opinion, that's too excessive. I think you would be better off cutting about 250 calories from your diet and buring another 250 through exercise.

Shantilove, excellent point about not wanting to increase fat intake too much. Why didn't I think of that? :rolleyes: You gave a lot of really great higher-cal non-fat foods! Other dried fruits aside from rasins (like dried cranberries) and sprouted beans/lentils other ideas.

[Coatlicue]

In my opinion, that's too excessive. I think you would be better off cutting about 250 calories from your diet and buring another 250 through exercise.

Exactly, just like I wrote, "approx. 500-750 calories less than your daily need is", so if you take 250 calories away from your diet and another 250 from exercise it adds up to having 500 calories less than normally, that was my point also. And if you're really motivated and you feel like it, you can push it up to 750 calories, just as long as you have at least 1000 calories daily (preferrably more).

[rockstar135]

While CR seems to work very well in rats, it showed little aid in helping extend the lifespans of larger mammals, particularly ones that started CR at a more advanced age.

[Mango]

Have they done calorie restriction diets on raw foodists? Are the studies based on people consuming a SAD diet? If it is based on people eating SAD, than eating less SAD would prolong a life. Something to think about.

[walnutty]

Little money + Higher calories = Bananas & Avocado's!!! :D


Also, use raw, organic sunflower seeds as opposed to nuts. They can replace nuts in almost all recipes! At less than $2.00 per pound they are a winner for those of us that need to eat frugally!