Neuro-Bob
Level 10 Valued Member
Despite the word “ballpark” being in the title, sadly this is not about hot dogs, nachos, or beer hats.
I read somewhere last year about an easy way to ballpark calorie intake (as opposed to strictly tracking ad nauseum). It popped into my head again recently as we as a people naturally look to eat less in Jan after a month+ of feasting. It’s for regular folks, not bodybuilders that need a specific aesthetic.
Learn the average calorie amount you eat at each meal and snack. Add/remove snacks or meals as necessary to achieve the target.
Armed with data, the question of “cutting/bulking by X calories per day” is easily ballparked by adding/removing a snack or a meal for an extended period. This also prevents the need to rework one’s normal menu/ingredients to meet the new calorie target.
Bulking? Add a triple-decker PBJ sandwich to whatever you’re currently doing.
Cutting? Just skip lunch for several weeks.
It’s not quite intermittent fasting, because it’s not a time restricted feeding window. But it is the concept of skipping meals. It’s still adjusting calorie intake one meal at a time. It just doesn’t matter which one or when, as long as the ballpark figure is your target.
For Example:
the general recommendation for losing 1/2 to 1lb per week is to cut 500 calories each day.
I know from my experience through the years that my habitual eating tends towards ~800 calorie breakfast, ~500 calorie lunch, ~150 calorie snack, and ~800 calorie dinner. I like big breakfasts and dinners, and survive with smaller lunches.
so using the ballpark method, to lose 1/2 to 1lb per week I would just skip lunch every day. It’s going to be close enough to the 500 calorie recommendation for the regular joe.
It’s nothing new and not rocket science. But maybe it’s helpful to someone out there.
I read somewhere last year about an easy way to ballpark calorie intake (as opposed to strictly tracking ad nauseum). It popped into my head again recently as we as a people naturally look to eat less in Jan after a month+ of feasting. It’s for regular folks, not bodybuilders that need a specific aesthetic.
Learn the average calorie amount you eat at each meal and snack. Add/remove snacks or meals as necessary to achieve the target.
Armed with data, the question of “cutting/bulking by X calories per day” is easily ballparked by adding/removing a snack or a meal for an extended period. This also prevents the need to rework one’s normal menu/ingredients to meet the new calorie target.
Bulking? Add a triple-decker PBJ sandwich to whatever you’re currently doing.
Cutting? Just skip lunch for several weeks.
It’s not quite intermittent fasting, because it’s not a time restricted feeding window. But it is the concept of skipping meals. It’s still adjusting calorie intake one meal at a time. It just doesn’t matter which one or when, as long as the ballpark figure is your target.
For Example:
the general recommendation for losing 1/2 to 1lb per week is to cut 500 calories each day.
I know from my experience through the years that my habitual eating tends towards ~800 calorie breakfast, ~500 calorie lunch, ~150 calorie snack, and ~800 calorie dinner. I like big breakfasts and dinners, and survive with smaller lunches.
so using the ballpark method, to lose 1/2 to 1lb per week I would just skip lunch every day. It’s going to be close enough to the 500 calorie recommendation for the regular joe.
It’s nothing new and not rocket science. But maybe it’s helpful to someone out there.
