The MRE Diet
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P8riot0366
Posts: 3
Individual MRE's have between 1250 and 1350 calories, per envelope, depending upon the manufacturer of the meal. Typical "combat" calorie requirements are for a soldier to consume three of these meals, when possible, per day. That's between 3750 and 4050 calories PER DAY.
One must remember that a soldier in the field will be exerting him or herself way above the typical civilian's activity level, so that number of calories is essential to peak combat effectiveness.
I am hesitant to label what I do as "The MRE Diet," simply because it sounds like a fad. Also, I have only been doing this for eight days so I cannot, with a clear conscience, call it an actual diet just yet. It is just a way to closely monitor my caloric intake and judge the results as they become available.
So far, I have lost 2 pounds since I started eating this way. I am not experiencing any side effects that concern me (see below). Please understand that I am not advising anyone else to do this. I am simply passing along my experiences and results.
In the morning, when I wake up, I drink about six cups of coffee with Splenda for sweetening and a small amount of cream.
I go to work and park as far away from the building as possible, giving me a good 5 minute walk across the lot to my cubicle, down and then up two double-flights of stairs.
About an hour after I sit down, which is about 2.5 hours after coffee, I open the MRE and check the nutrition information in the My Fitness Pal database to make sure that the nutrition data are accurate. If not, then I add the food under the manufacturer name of "MRE - Sopakco," which happens to be the brand of these particular meals.
I enter my food for the day and save the entry. I then space out the MRE contents over the course of the work day, making sure that I do not allow my blood sugar to drop too low.
When I get home, I make dinner. This is a protein smoothie made with one scoop of protein powder, one cup of frozen fruit (strawberries or blueberries, usually), and a can of coconut milk. I add some Splenda for sweetness and some ice for consistency and let the blender do its job.
I drink half of this for dinner and save the other half for the next evening's dinner.
I have set my calorie limit to 1570 per day, and consistently come in under that number unless I decide to treat myself to some additional fruit or an ounce of beef jerky, just to provide some variety.
I currently weigh 250 lbs. My goal is 210-215, depending upon how I look and feel when I get down that far.
I used to be 315 lbs. 14 years ago, but dropped 50 lbs. over the course of time between then and now. Now I am in the "home stretch," as it were and am confident that I will reach my goal by the Fall.
MRE's are not haute cuisine by any stretch of the imagination. You want to be sure and drink water when you eat MRE's as some of the food tends to "firm" things up a little, especially the cheese spreads and peanut butters.
Until your body gets used to the food, you might also experience other digestive issues. Just keep the Imodium handy and you should be fine.
I have not had any problem sleeping. I have plenty of energy throughout the day. I have experienced a few periods of sharp hunger, but they do not last long and are usually brought on by the aroma of someone else's lunch in the cube farm at work.
If I discover any further "issues," I'll post them. Also, if anyone has any questions about MRE's, please feel free to ask. I am sure I am not the only one who has some knowledge of the meals.
Keep the focus!
One must remember that a soldier in the field will be exerting him or herself way above the typical civilian's activity level, so that number of calories is essential to peak combat effectiveness.
I am hesitant to label what I do as "The MRE Diet," simply because it sounds like a fad. Also, I have only been doing this for eight days so I cannot, with a clear conscience, call it an actual diet just yet. It is just a way to closely monitor my caloric intake and judge the results as they become available.
So far, I have lost 2 pounds since I started eating this way. I am not experiencing any side effects that concern me (see below). Please understand that I am not advising anyone else to do this. I am simply passing along my experiences and results.
In the morning, when I wake up, I drink about six cups of coffee with Splenda for sweetening and a small amount of cream.
I go to work and park as far away from the building as possible, giving me a good 5 minute walk across the lot to my cubicle, down and then up two double-flights of stairs.
About an hour after I sit down, which is about 2.5 hours after coffee, I open the MRE and check the nutrition information in the My Fitness Pal database to make sure that the nutrition data are accurate. If not, then I add the food under the manufacturer name of "MRE - Sopakco," which happens to be the brand of these particular meals.
I enter my food for the day and save the entry. I then space out the MRE contents over the course of the work day, making sure that I do not allow my blood sugar to drop too low.
When I get home, I make dinner. This is a protein smoothie made with one scoop of protein powder, one cup of frozen fruit (strawberries or blueberries, usually), and a can of coconut milk. I add some Splenda for sweetness and some ice for consistency and let the blender do its job.
I drink half of this for dinner and save the other half for the next evening's dinner.
I have set my calorie limit to 1570 per day, and consistently come in under that number unless I decide to treat myself to some additional fruit or an ounce of beef jerky, just to provide some variety.
I currently weigh 250 lbs. My goal is 210-215, depending upon how I look and feel when I get down that far.
I used to be 315 lbs. 14 years ago, but dropped 50 lbs. over the course of time between then and now. Now I am in the "home stretch," as it were and am confident that I will reach my goal by the Fall.
MRE's are not haute cuisine by any stretch of the imagination. You want to be sure and drink water when you eat MRE's as some of the food tends to "firm" things up a little, especially the cheese spreads and peanut butters.
Until your body gets used to the food, you might also experience other digestive issues. Just keep the Imodium handy and you should be fine.
I have not had any problem sleeping. I have plenty of energy throughout the day. I have experienced a few periods of sharp hunger, but they do not last long and are usually brought on by the aroma of someone else's lunch in the cube farm at work.
If I discover any further "issues," I'll post them. Also, if anyone has any questions about MRE's, please feel free to ask. I am sure I am not the only one who has some knowledge of the meals.
Keep the focus!
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Replies
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Being military, I've eaten my fill of MREs so I am very familiar with their contents; stews, pound cakes, lasagne/pasta, commercial candies (M&Ms, etc.) trail mixes, peanut butter, crackers, cheese, etc.
I'm not going to pick apart your post and tell you what you should or should not be eating or how many calories you need in my opinion, but my one question is; what about vegetables? There are basically 0 in an MRE in any form, and you don't seem to be including any in your diet otherwise. I see you are adding some fruit so there are some micronutrients there, but not many.
Do you find that the MRE provides you with the micronutrients your body needs? Do you at least take a multivitamin?
I see how it would be convenient but it just seems that a diet where 90% of your calories consist of processed foods might have some health implications.0 -
I'm confused. Why are you eating MREs?0
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If you're 250, why are you eating 1500ish cals? Seems a bit low imo0
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Also, you're losing weight because you're eating 1500 cals, not because of the MRE's.
Work towards something more sustainable - fruits & veggies, lean protein, & complex carbs, with occasional allowances for real-world food (you can't eat MRE's at a company lunch or a wedding!).
Figure out your BMR and TDEE, and eat 20-25% below it. You'll likely be a lot more satisfied & can stick with this long-term moreso than a diet of just MRE's and protein shakes.0 -
geez that sounds miserable, but if you are happy and it's working, more power to you.
also: prepare for constipation.0 -
geez that sounds miserable, but if you are happy and it's working, more power to you.
also: prepare for constipation.
The OP did say that they expected it, but yeah... it's not pleasant and they are DESIGNED to stop you up because who needs to be stopping to have a BM in the middle of a ruck march or fire fight?
Seems like it might be counterproductive anyway... "I might be losing weight but I have no idea because I haven't *kitten* in a week..."0 -
geez that sounds miserable, but if you are happy and it's working, more power to you.
also: prepare for constipation.
The OP did say that they expected it, but yeah... it's not pleasant and they are DESIGNED to stop you up because who needs to be stopping to have a BM in the middle of a ruck march or fire fight?
Seems like it might be counterproductive anyway... "I might be losing weight but I have no idea because I haven't *kitten* in a week..."
lol, yeah, true.0 -
This makes me sad. But if it makes you happy, I guess that's all you need!0
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Being military, I've eaten my fill of MREs so I am very familiar with their contents; stews, pound cakes, lasagne/pasta, commercial candies (M&Ms, etc.) trail mixes, peanut butter, crackers, cheese, etc.
I'm not going to pick apart your post and tell you what you should or should not be eating or how many calories you need in my opinion, but my one question is; what about vegetables? There are basically 0 in an MRE in any form, and you don't seem to be including any in your diet otherwise. I see you are adding some fruit so there are some micronutrients there, but not many.
Do you find that the MRE provides you with the micronutrients your body needs? Do you at least take a multivitamin?
I see how it would be convenient but it just seems that a diet where 90% of your calories consist of processed foods might have some health implications.
Agree with the above. Doesn't seem like a good or sustainable way to do this. On another note, JossFit, if that's you in your profile pic, you look amazing! Tight tummy and love the tats too.0 -
I have eaten lots of MREs over the years and I would NOT recommend this to anyone. You are getting absolutely zero fresh fruits or veggies. They are laced with preservatives. How much are you paying for these things? If you have to buy them they are very expensive.0
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Holy preservatives, Batman!0
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Gag me with a spork....one from the packet if necessary. I've had my fill of MREs and laugh when I see one laying around the house or getting pulled out of a box we forgot about after moving. If you can stand them, sure, have at it. The only problem I would see is that you can't trade with someone for the beef stew every day. Oh and the being backed up issue. There are stories of people getting med-evac'd during training exercises because they couldn't go.0
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Are you hunkered down in a bunker somewhere? Is there something we should know? :frown:0
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I'm confused. Why are you eating MREs?
According to my military friends they are commonly referred to as "Meals Ready to Exit"0 -
I have to agree with most of the posts. If you need prepared meals because you don't cook there are plenty of frozen options that have better variety than MRE's! They'll still be full of sodium and maybe preservatives, but you should be able to stick to a decent calorie goal (probably higher than 1500) eating real food instead of the MRE's.0
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Are you going to eat MRE's for the rest of your life? Or is this soley for the purpose of trial and error?0
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Are you hunkered down in a bunker somewhere? Is there something we should know? :frown:
Could tell you, but then we'd have to...
OPSEC, OP! Don't answer!0 -
I wonder what a typical MRE macro looks like. I would guess 1/3 of prot carb fat each.0
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I'm confused. Why are you eating MREs?
According to my military friends they are commonly referred to as "Meals Ready to Exit"
bahahaha :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
So true, my husband is military and that's what he says.
MREs are expensive too!
Why would you wanna eat 3 of them a day talk about a crap load (lol) of preservatives.0 -
Being military, I've eaten my fill of MREs so I am very familiar with their contents; stews, pound cakes, lasagne/pasta, commercial candies (M&Ms, etc.) trail mixes, peanut butter, crackers, cheese, etc.
I'm not going to pick apart your post and tell you what you should or should not be eating or how many calories you need in my opinion, but my one question is; what about vegetables? There are basically 0 in an MRE in any form, and you don't seem to be including any in your diet otherwise. I see you are adding some fruit so there are some micronutrients there, but not many.
Do you find that the MRE provides you with the micronutrients your body needs? Do you at least take a multivitamin?
I see how it would be convenient but it just seems that a diet where 90% of your calories consist of processed foods might have some health implications.
Agree with the above. Doesn't seem like a good or sustainable way to do this. On another note, JossFit, if that's you in your profile pic, you look amazing! Tight tummy and love the tats too.
Thanks! Yes it is... I got in shape from eating MREs.
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