21,000 Calories Later

Week one of the 3,000 calories a day challenge is in the books. Wow, that was much harder than I thought. I typically log my calories the next morning but in an effort to reach 3,000, I had to be a bit more proactive at night. For the week, I ate a total 21,200 calories or just over 3,000 per day. My weight was down exactly one pound with my body fat holding steady.

For the first week, I tried to not alter my diet too much. Obviously I was forced to add things to the list but overall I don't think I went out of my way to eat more. I tried to rely on items that would occur naturally in my diet. I ate out about as much as I normal would. I ate the typical portion sizes. Here is what I learned:

• This was harder than I thought it would be. Trying to be proactive on the calorie count, I was consistently hitting about 2600 calories for the day.
• Even harder was getting 150g of protein a day. I tried and I only hit 117 for the week.
  
• Milk, nuts and cheese are my friends. This means planning more snacks during the day. My afternoon snack is cube cheese, almonds, macadamia nuts and cashews. Voila, another solid 3-400 calories.
• Smoothies are a staple. I don't see a way around it. A smoothie for mid-morning snack gives me about 500 calories. Plus, it fills me up!
• Milk before bed. I drink whole milk and a large glass provides me an additional 200 calories before bed. Add chocolate syrup and make it 300 calories. :)
  
• My dinners are still on the light side. Chicken, fish and sushi might be a great source of protein but the calories don't add up. I need more options.
  

What I found most interesting is that I was content at night. This seemed to be about the right about of food...comfortable but not stuffed. Of course, I suppose the real lesson here is that I need to train my body to take in the extra calories. Adding a 500 calories a day to my diet certainly shouldn't leave me hungry but riding 3 hours should.

For the first week, I can't say that I felt any difference in working out. But then again, given that it was post ING and a big week, I probably can assume that the lack of calories would have left me even more sluggish. My body certainly needed all the food to aid in recovery. And I think my body is enjoying all the food.

Moving forward, I am going to make a few subtle adjustments. First, I need to eat bigger dinners. I need more dense food to accompany my meal. I probably need to eat more for breakfast, even if it is just a glass of juice. My focus this week will be not eating out. I would rather devote those expenses to my grocery bill. Finally,