How much energy per day?

[C_Kyle]

in the high desert here in Idaho I drink almost 3 liters of water an hour. No shade, no clouds, just 95 degrees of direct sunlight and miles upon miles upon miles of endless foothills. When I was stationed both in Florida and Texas I drank at least that during training exercizes and 2-3 3liter camelback bladders a day when goatroaping around. And while 4,000 calories a day may sustain you long term, there is no WAY you are going to get your hands on that much food in a combat environment, much less have the time to eat it. In long engagements you have to count on your metabolism slowing down-way, way down.

I'm glad you mentioned that. None of the high calorie requirements for sustained activity apply to me. My metabolism must be extremely low because I can live on sub-1000 calories/day for a long, long time.

 

[jfn]

I think I've read the army standard is 4000 cal. per day of strenuous activity.

 

[Rick Marchand]

Sounds like a great trip!

I'd like to do something like that, only not so cold and tracking something that can't impale me As for your weight, maybe you gained muscle from hiking around while your body burned the fat trying to stay warm Just a thought, ya never know.

Well when I asked my mentor a few days after... he explained it like this. He said that if I had been eating, I would have lost weight. Its the same principle as when folks gain weight on a starvation diet. Your body is aware that it's being starved and begins to store the food energy it has. Then it slows your metabolism to conserve resources. The cold weather played a major role in this,, too. If I would have eaten more, the flood gates would have opened and my body would have kicked into overdrive consuming food energy as fast as I could shovel it in.

Kinda makes sense, I think.... but I'm not a nutritionist.

Rick

 

[beef]

True, the body does try to save energy when in starvation mode, but the engine still needs fuel to run. It's amazing that no weight was lost at all. Normally there's a period of weight loss before the body realizes what's going on.
Very interesting

 

[Rick Marchand]

For seven days prior to the training I did a cleanse.... No dairy, no wheat, no refined sugar..... would that have anything to do with it?


Rick

 

[beef]

Hi Rick,
I presume your overall cals were much lower during this period because of all the things you weren't eating. Maybe your body had already passed the 'freak out' phase of starvation.

Thanks again for posting this experiment. Fascinating stuff!

 

[Old CW4]

Would like to point out there's a difference between 'outer' fat loss from such tissue atop the muscles and the loss of 'smooth' fat that surrounds the intestines and some other internal organs. Those losses, in a starvation situation, are what preceeds death and are not to be courted lightly in trial survival situations.

 

[Rick Marchand]

Would like to point out there's a difference between 'outer' fat loss from such tissue atop the muscles and the loss of 'smooth' fat that surrounds the intestines and some other internal organs. Those losses, in a starvation situation, are what preceeds death and are not to be courted lightly in trial survival situations.

I had always understood that your body begins consuming muscle after ALL fat stores are depleted. I also read that it consumes other organ tissue (including brain matter) prior to death. What you say makes sense.... but I find it amazing how resiliant the human body is.



Rick

 

[beef]

When depleted of cals, ie. glycogen stores completely depleted, it'll chew into some muscle and then begin to consume muscle and fat. Which is a bummer. I'd much prefer it to eat all the fat and leave the muscle.

Just points to the importance of weight training while losing fat. Have to remind the body "hey! we still need this". Doesn't completely halt the cannibalism but it does slow it down.