You know, quantifying the number of calories you consume is mostly meaningless unless you know the number of calories you expend. It seems like you have an idea of your exercising output, so go to the doctor and have them measure your resting contribution. You can estimate it from several available formulas, but indirect calorimetry is the best available method. You'll have to make us something, like, "I feel tired all the time" in order for insurance to pay for it though.

Lost 95 pounds of fat and have kept it off. :)

Totally agree that indirect calorimetry is the only way to really know - even our best equations have a standard deviation of +/- 1000 kcals. But, in most hospitals, you’ll have to be a burn victim to get it. Not really fake-able.

More likely to find it offered by a university performance lab or sports dietitian.

1.78m (5ft 10)
83kg

If I eat more than 1500 calories I gain fat. I know it's not normal. I'm working through it.

I do a heck of a lot of fasting and am in the middle of Ranadan as well (food only at 5:30pm onwards)

Are you gaining fat or is your weight going back to normal as your glycogen stores are replenished? How are you measuring fat gain?

I used to think it was just glycogen or water extension. So I went low carb to test it. At 2k calories, my weight slowly increased each week.

I know there is a heck of a load of variables with calories but roughly for me 2k is too much. If I run for an hour a few times a week, I don't don't gain anything

Are you basically sedentary?
I ask because you mention 'if' you run an hour a few times a week, whereas I assume that most people here talking about eating 4000kcals per day are training for 90 minutes or more per day, every day.

It is possible that your BMR is lower than 2000, but I don't buy it when people say that they train for hours per day and eat 1000kcals and don't lose weight (or just keel over due to lack of energy!)

I used to think it was just glycogen or water extension. So I went low carb to test it. At 2k calories, my weight slowly increased each week.

I know there is a heck of a load of variables with calories but roughly for me 2k is too much. If I run for an hour a few times a week, I don't don't gain anything

I can send you my input and output if you want. I record almost down to the gram quite anal.

On average I'm 1k under per day and don't lose weight. Average 1400 ish calories training 8 hours a week

4-6000kcal most days. More towards 6000 on double/triple threshold session days and more towards 4000 on easy days.

Typical day:

M1: 60g of serial with 30g of whey 80 with milk (and jam/honey for double/triple days)

M2: 100g oatmeal, 30g whey 80, 50g of raisins, 1 banana, 40g nuts, some berries, salt, cinnamon and milk.

M3: 200g pasta/rice/couscous with 3 eggs and veggies

M4: 100g oatmeal, 30g whey 80, 50g of raisins, 1 banana, 40g nuts, some berries, salt, cinnamon and milk.

M5: 1kg potatoes/sweet potatoes with 125g of Salomon. Approximately 300g of beans and veggies + mushroom on top of that


In addition sports drink during sessions, post workout fruit and/or protein shake, in between snacks if I'm approaching -30 in training peaks (but then I know it is time to let go of the gas too).

191cm
82kg
17hours/week over the last year, 21hours/week last 3 months.

Hope this helps.

PS: yes, I weigh my food. I am a freak

It most certainly is not. A fit person of average build and weight, say 6' and 180 lbs, will need about 2000 - 2500 calories per day to maintain their health and weight - on days that they do no training. Add just a simple 56mi bike ride and you need an additional 2000 calories. Another 400-500 calories if you swim 1.2 miles before biking, and if you run also...well you need to add some more. 4-6K is a good ballpark figure.

If you just putter about while training, or just do one thing per day then you don't need 4-6K. Or if you are merely exercising to lose weight, then the calorie intake would be less. But if you are training to get stronger, 4-6k is in the ballpark.

Could you give an example day of what you eat? Do you include oil, butter, sauces, drinks etc in your calories?

If you have ever watched Secret Eaters, you'll forgive my skepticism! Lots of people there claim to eat 1500Kcals per day, but actually eat 5000+!

1 kg of spuds? LOL - that's some serious taters!
question - are you married or have kids? - Personally i find it difficult to stick to any strict regimen while also being in charge of feeding the rest of the family (need to make them all happy or at least not mad at me)

So using a generic calculator, your RMR should be around 2000 calories per day (with some expected smallish margins for error +/- 200 calories or so). That's not including regular daily activity or all the training. You either have EXTREMELY low muscle mass, a metabolic disorder, or you're recording your intake wrong.

I'm 100% sure you'll ignore this though.

Not sure, I can only answer too many.

I probably average 2500. 122 lbs, 5'6", female. I've been running 40-50 miles per week, swimming 4-6k a week, and sometimes I get on my bike.