July 3,000+ Calorie Diet Challenge!

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MinimalistShoeAddict
MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For July I plan to eat an average of over 3,000 calories a day without gaining weight. My goal is not to make fun of low calorie diets. In fact I lost weight last fall (when I was less active) with a fairly low calorie diet.

Since January I have been maintaining my ideal weight (as of this morning I am 61.8kg at 176cm which I think is near idea for marathon training) while slowly increasing exercise and caloric intake levels. I wish I had started exercising more a few months earlier (more strength training during my weight loss phase might have helped me preserve more muscle mass during my cut) but that is not the topic of this thread. My reasons are simple: I like to exercise and I like to eat.

Currently I am training for a marathon 5 days a week overlapping with my Stronglifts 5x5 lifting schedule, plus cross training (often swimming or cycling) one day a week and one day of rest.

How much more will I exercise? Enough to keep my TDEE over 3,000 calories per day on average. Yes it is possible for someone of my size to consume over 3,000 calories daily and maintain weight. Since I don't want to increase my mileage much above my marathon training schedule recommendation, I will likely be doing more cross training in July.

Who wants to join me in this July challenge? While my goal is to maintain my weight while increasing fitness, feel free to join if you want to lose weight as well. Just make sure that your exercise efforts can support your food intake of 3000+ calories!

Lets prove that weight loss/maintenance is possible at any caloric level so long as you are willing to be active!

Who is with me in committing to consuming at least 3,000 calories a day in July while maintaining or losing weight?
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Replies

  • Raddichio
    Raddichio Posts: 163 Member
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    Would love to try, but at my age/weight/activity level, if I ate 3000 calories a day I would be ready for Sumo wrestling in no time! It will be interesting, though, to hear updates on how it works out for you.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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    I don't know that I can do every single day but I can support this 5 days a week at least. I need a couple rest days but if you average it out it comes out to over 3,000 a day.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    I don't know that I can do every single day but I can support this 5 days a week at least. I need a couple rest days but if you average it out it comes out to over 3,000 a day.

    That sounds like full compliance to me! As someone who tracks macros/calories on a weekly basis I think averages are far more important than individual days anyway.

    An average (mean) of over 3,000 calories sounds great!
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    Guess I'm in...I've lost 5 lbs in the last 5 weeks at 3,000 a day :wink: I plan on losing another 10-12 in the next two months.
  • IronAngel26pt2
    IronAngel26pt2 Posts: 129 Member
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    heyyyyy!!!!....I want to eat too!?????? how many calories for a female? I'm assuming you are a male. I see hair on dem legs...
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    I will try my hardest to get a 1K+ burn at least once to say I got close to this challenge..lol.
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
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    Can we join if we already eat 3,000 + cal / day?
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
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    Sure, I'll try. Its only a couple hundred more than what I burned last week on average per day (2666 average), and that was a rest week for the most part.
  • ngyoung
    ngyoung Posts: 311 Member
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    http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sam-feltham/my-21-day-5000-calorie-challenge_b_3303439.html

    Based on popular calories in calories out he should have gained around 17lbs. He instead gained around 3lbs and his waist SHRUNK. He also ate closer to 5800 calories then 5000. His point was to show that are bodies are not like a bank with simple deposits and withdraws. What we deposit can effect how much comes out just as much if not more then physical activity.
  • SJVZEE
    SJVZEE Posts: 451 Member
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    Hmmm, this kind of eating has never crossed my mind but I'm very intrigued :) I'm also in maintenance and have just started running, to train for my first 5K. I wonder how much I'd have to exercise, to eat that many calories? That's a lot of food lol.

    I need to figure out how to even figure out the numbers-I may be interested in doing this, let me check into a few things and I'll check back in!
  • SJVZEE
    SJVZEE Posts: 451 Member
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    heyyyyy!!!!....I want to eat too!?????? how many calories for a female? I'm assuming you are a male. I see hair on dem legs...

    Good question! I just checked with a TDEE calculator and even choosing heavy exercise (6-7days) it put my TDEE at 2,316 calories? And I don't know what the definition of what 'heavy exercise' is.

    I'm a female
    34
    125lbs, in maintenance
    5ft, 6in
  • MsEndomorph
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
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    Sounds great!
    I don't think I'll ever get to the point of eating 3,000 calories a day, but I can't wait until I can get closer to 2,000.
    Good luck to ya!
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    heyyyyy!!!!....I want to eat too!?????? how many calories for a female? I'm assuming you are a male. I see hair on dem legs...

    Good question! I just checked with a TDEE calculator and even choosing heavy exercise (6-7days) it put my TDEE at 2,316 calories? And I don't know what the definition of what 'heavy exercise' is.

    I'm a female
    34
    125lbs, in maintenance
    5ft, 6in

    Yes I am male and 176cm tall. I sit most of the day and am pretty sedentary while not exercising. That being said I am currently training for a marathon and exercise quite a bit.

    I started July at 61.8 kg. I expect to end the month at about the same weight

    For the first 3 days of the month:

    July 1st
    TDEE 3441
    consumed 3439
    2 calorie deficit

    July 2nd
    TDEE 3343
    consumed 3343
    0 calorie deficit/surplus

    July 3rd
    TDEE 3086
    consumed 3102
    16 calorie surplus

    Since I take a rest day each Friday I need to burn more than 3000 calories most other days to compensate.
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
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    I logged 5,400 calories yesterday.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    MTD calorie and macro intake vs goal as of July 7th:

    calories 21,997 (avg of 3,142) vs goal of 22,147

    carbs 2,854g vs goal of 3,045g

    fat 776g vs goal of 731g

    protein 957g vs goal of 824g

    My weight remains stable as planned
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Why do you need to prove this? What's the point? If that's what you need to maintain your weight fair enough but who and what are you trying to prove. Seems like a rather bizzare challenge to me
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    Why do you need to prove this? What's the point? If that's what you need to maintain your weight fair enough but who and what are you trying to prove. Seems like a rather bizzare challenge to me

    I want to prove that people can consume as many calories as they desire so long as they adjust their exercise levels accordingly. Over time if your consumption = your TDEE your weight will remain stable. I will eat much more in July than I did in June (my weight has been very stable all year) yet I believe my weight will remain stable because of my increased exercise levels.
  • chinoplata
    chinoplata Posts: 12 Member
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    Thumbs up to you buddy. The body is ridiculously smart and if you restrict calories in the long run the weight will gain just as fast. Dr Layne Norton suggests increasing calories veeeeeryy slowly with minimal cardio to increase metabolic capacity. Also for people who think theres no point in doing this look up Alberto Nunez dude eats 400+ carbs on a LOW carb day and 700 on a high carb day.
  • alyhuggan
    alyhuggan Posts: 717 Member
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    I logged 5,400 calories yesterday.
    Can't wait till I can eat 4000+ regularly as my bulking amount
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
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    I logged 5,400 calories yesterday.
    Can't wait till I can eat 4000+ regularly as my bulking amount

    I agree that sounds nice!

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