Just as an experiment I decided to put a typical menu from my "fat years" into FitDay, and I was completely blown away by the realization of what I was doing to myself.

On a conservative estimate, I was eating betweem 2800-3300 calories per day, with very little protein or fiber. Oh, and as little physical activity as humanly possible without being bedridden.

Gosh, I wonder why I kept gaining weight?

In a recent NY Times article called Fat Factors, an obesity researcher from UCLA said that the average 300+ pounder coming in for weight loss surgery eats more than 6700 calories per day. Yikes!

Based on what I know now about calories, I'm sure I was averaging at least 3500 - 4000 calories per day to maintain my 250+ pounds.

I earned every pound of fat the old-fashioned way - I ate waaaay too much. It wasn't my genes or my metabolism; nope, it was too many calories and no exercise.

I know what you guys mean. Mine were around the same 3500 but on the weekends...i cant even imagine. Considering that was a country bkf of biscuits, gravy, sausage, etc, then a fast food lunch, then olive garden dinner...and lots of laying on the couch between meals....geeze...just gross really.

I did a little rough estimating with the help of a website, and because of a daily meal at Mcdonalds coming in at 2094 calories and 101 grams of fat, I was bringing in at LEAST 4,000 calories a day. And I'm sure that's a very conservative estimate.

Oooh, I never even thought of putting in McDonald's stuff. I used to eat that pretty often; I better change my original estimate to something higher.

I used to eat about 4000 calories a day. At least 1000 cals a day came from my Mt. Dew. I did figure it up once and was always getting 300 or more carbs per day with an estimated 100 plus grams of fat per day. I deserved all them extra lbs. that I was carrying. It's a wonder the local KFC, Taco Bell, and McDonalds didn't go out of business when I stopped buying their food. My only form of exercise was making it to the kitchen table, and that was only if I couldn't get one of the kids or DH to bring my food to me.

It's really hard for me to think about what I used to eat. I would guess between 2500-3500 a day. About 50% of it was binge eating and the other was "normal" fattening food. Ugh, I feel ashamed of myself just thinking about.

My used to was 500-900 a day.

I did this a long time ago. I think I remember something about 3200 cals.
I also did a projection about where I'd be if I had continued gaining at the rate I was

I wish more folks would do this. It'd be soooo much easier to answer the question "how many calories should I eat"

I'm fairly certain I would routinely eat 4000 or more calories a day. Count me as one who earned every pound.

Hubby once calculated a typical weekend day for him. Between the coke, pizza, chicken wings, alcohol, mcdonald's, cheese and meats trays, and "super popcorn" (you don't want to know), not only was there little redeeming nutrition wise, but he was getting 6000 calories a day sometimes!

What amazes me is how so many of us can really live for so long without getting proper nutrition. Now that I eat better I see the benefits in many ways, but I never linked a number of my problems to bad nutrition (too MUCH food, yes, but I never really thought about nutrition).

My average was probably around 3500 a day...and during special events-parties with wine and food, holidays, etc. it was probably well over 4000 on those days. AAck!

I'd say I was somewhere between 3000 & 3500 a day. Easily.

Well, last night was a gliumpse into my old way of eating I made the mistakes of eating dinner way too early and then when DH & his buddy came home from Casino Royale with fried chicken and beer, I decided I earned 3 light beers. And that really would not have been a caloric tragedy except I then had to sample all the other food. Oh well. Today is another day and I am still not 227 lbs again...I'm just going to eat right, get my exercise in and chalk it up to experience.

There are days in my past that I ate/drank 6000-7000 calories in a day. Lots of those days. Those days are OVER!!!

I'm not sure I could calculate since most of mine was binge eating. How many calories are in a carton of cake icing? I always thought I was genetically fat. Now I realize I was actually genetically lucky not to have been bigger from what I was doing to my body.

Amen to that!!