(Very high calorie) Tree planting diet

WussPuss
WussPuss Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
I am seeking some expertise in estimating my daily caloric consumption. I will be tree planting in the very near future and would like to maintain my current weight.

The exercise is as follows and will be done over the course of 9 hours (including meal times) and repeated 6 days a week:

Note: I will be wearing a bag around my hips weighing about 30 lbs. that will be emptied down to 5 lbs. roughly every hour or hour and a half.

- bare minimum of 2000 squats (held for about 6 seconds each)
- roughly 6 regular distanced steps between each squat
- striking a small one handed shovel into the ground (3lbs) about 2500 times

These tasks will be performed on, more often than not, terrain that is on an incline.

I neglected to mention the climbing over top of fallen trees, walking to and from other caches of trees saplings, and the inserting of the trees into the ground. I feel that these are much less physically intense activities and so I won't include them in the assessment that I request you provide me with.

This is generally performed without stopping, except to eat, and the steps between each squat are of the pace one would take while power walking or a very light jog.

I am currently 160 lbs, at 6 feet, out of shape, but have a low body fat content. I'm wondering how much protein/calories and I should look at consuming on a daily basis. I went planting last summer and ended up losing weight (about 10 lbs).) by the end of the season due to insufficient food consumption, despite me having eaten pretty well as much as my body could handle. So a second question I have for you is, what are some additional foods (apart from my regular 3 course meal) that I should look into eating? Preferably something easily prepared and quick to consume that will provide me with a lot of energy. I should also mention that I am a pescatarian.

I would prefer to maintain my current body weight or at least not stray to far off.


Thank you in advance for your help, it is greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
    I'd calculate it as half of the time "gardening - planting" and the other half walking - "walking uphill" if it's rough and steep. Eat whatever you like - tuna & mayo sandwiches?
  • WussPuss
    WussPuss Posts: 2
    That would be significantly underestimating the intensity of the activity. Especial to neglecting the additional weight being carried.
  • MichaelRobinson1994
    MichaelRobinson1994 Posts: 83 Member
    I don't know how to calculate your calories, but snack on Nuts if you can! - Walnuts and Almonds are really calorific (600ish caloties for 100g) which are quick to eat, and contain plenty of fat and protein!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,222 Member
    Go to the bulk store before you leave and make your own trail mix, the list of possible ingredients is endless and keeps well........
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    That would be significantly underestimating the intensity of the activity. Especial to neglecting the additional weight being carried.
    ]

    Rather than calling half of it "walking uphill" I'd go with the "hiking, carrying >10 lb pack" activity in the database if you're on rough terrain with the 30lb seed packs.
  • Dahamac
    Dahamac Posts: 213 Member
    Just a thought that I've learned from Endurance Cycling:

    You might try Carb loading in advance of the trip. Not full blown carb loading but the idea is to eat excess before the event in order to gain carbs (glycogen = muscle fuel) before the event to prevent muscle cannibalism during the event.

    During the event, what access do you have to water? Are you able to carry a water bottle with you? If so, consider an energy drink mix - something along the lines of Hammer Perpetuem? So people handle such drinks well and some would rather chew on solid food. I've found that on the long rides that I prefer calories in my drink as eating a larger solid meal results in lethargy. I do eat some solid food during the event but just enough to keep my stomach satisfied.

    So, pastas and rice with beans for dinner. Nuts and dried fruits for solid snacks. Nut butters and whole grain breads as solid snacks. Possibly use liquid nutrition during the work day to sustain energy.

    Oh that I shared your problem of trying not to lose weight ;-)
  • Sara2652
    Sara2652 Posts: 158 Member
    First thanks for planting trees.

    I'm a curious person, what are you planting trees for?

    It sound's like you will be planting saplings which would be heavy gardening. If you keep up a good pace then hiking. I'm sure they have a 'heavy construction' option on here.

    I like the trail mix idea someone suggested.
  • kuolo
    kuolo Posts: 251 Member
    Use one of the online calculators to estimate your TDEE while you're doing this rather than counting it as exercise calories. There are some pretty detailed ones out there that literally break every minute of your day down. My husband and I just finished planting 1200 trees and that seemed to work for me.
  • tabbyblack13
    tabbyblack13 Posts: 299 Member
    Look into the homemade trail mixes with a lot of nuts, dried fuit, and shreaded coconut. If you are going to be where it's hot I wouldn't recommend anything that requreds refridgeration. Try cheese sandwitches made with hard cheese since those can be left out without going bad. Also try to get your vegetables in too since you will need the extra vitamins to help with recovery from the hard labor.

    If you are staying somewhere decient try to bring your scale with you so you can see if you are maintaining or looseing. You might need more calories then what these programs tell you. Plus don't forget to treat yourself for all of this hard work.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    I wear a BodyMedia Fit to track actual calories burned and I volunteer at a botanical garden. Planting and all the activities associated with it burn a ton of calories. A TON. You're not going to have to worry about gaining weight.

    You say you're a little out of shape; be prepared for a lot of soreness.

    And my advice is to eat all the calories you can because you're going to need the energy, especially towards the end. Have a big breakfast with plenty of protein. Pack some protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, etc. Things that are high calorie and easily portable. Lots and lots of Gatorade or other electrolyte replacement drinks, along with water.

    If you get on the scale at the end of the week, you'll likely be heavier from retained water as your muscles work to repair themselves. I wouldn't weigh myself for a couple of weeks if you're going to freak out from seeing the scale go up.

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