THE MATH OF THE CALORIES
If you eat 3000 calories every day and stay completely sedentary, then that's 21,000 calories that go into you for one week. That may sound like a lot however we have to subtract the 7,000 needed for the actual fat and muscle rebuilding that has to happen each week. Fat is not an energy storage unit, it is the largest and most critical hormone-producing organ in your body.
That leaves 14,000. But then there is the amount just to keep you breathing, heart beating—that basal metabolic rate thing that just keeps you alive. Estimating, that assigns another 7,000 or so.
To repair damaged heart, skin, nails, hair, kidneys, digestive system, brain areas, bone and blood formation systems...you are actually giving your body only 1,000 calories a day to go to that effort. That's if you dependably eat 3,000 calories each day. The less you eat, the longer it takes to recover as the harder it is for your body to find any excess energy to repair the damage.
Recovery Guidelines for calorie intake based on age/height and sex for when 2500 calories applies as a minimum daily intake for recovery:
You are a 25+ year old female between 5’0” and 5’8” (152.4 to 173 cm) and,
The regular menstrual cycle has stopped and/or,
You have other symptoms of starvation: feeling the cold, fatigued, foggy headed, hair loss, brittle nails, dull skin and/or,
Even if you were only underweight/dieted for a very short space of time (a few months), these guidelines apply.
Here are the guidelines for when 3000 calories applies as a minimum daily intake for recovery:
You are an under 25 year old female between 5’0” and 5’8” (152.4 to 173 cm) or an over 25 year old male between 5’4” and 6’0” (162.5 and 183 cm) and,
The regular menstrual cycle has stopped and/or,
You have other symptoms of starvation: feeling the cold, fatigued, foggy headed, hair loss, brittle nails, dull skin and/or,
Even if you were only underweight/dieted for a very short space of time (a few months), these guidelines apply.
Here are the guidelines for when 3500 calories applies as a minimum daily intake for recovery:
You are an under 25 year old male between 5’4” and 6’0” (162.5 and 183 cm) or female with young children or an equivalent and unavoidable level of activity.
The regular menstrual cycle has stopped and/or,
You have other symptoms of starvation: feeling the cold, fatigued, foggy headed, hair loss, brittle nails, dull skin and/or,
Even if you were only underweight/dieted for a very short space of time (a few months), these guidelines apply.
Exceptions:
If you are taller than the guidelines listed above, then add 200 calories to the guidelines that match your age and sex. If you are shorter than the guidelines listed above, then you may eat 200 calories less than what is suggested for your age and sex, however these are all minimum guidelines and everyone is expected to eat well above them for a good portion of the recovery process in any case. Please see this this blog post for more details: Extreme Hunger: What Is It?
If you want the scientific references behind why these intakes are defined as they are, please see I Need How Many Calories?!!
Everyone in recovery should cease all exercise and workouts and any discretionary activities. The energy you take in is required for weight restoration and repairs.