Caloric needs: RDA's too high on Wai?

[djkvan]

If the RDA's in the nutrient calculator are too high, does it not make sense that the caloric recommendations are as well. How much of the energy consumed on a Sad diet is lost due to the energy required to digest unsuitable foods, or for cleaning up the body for that matter. When food digests easily, more energy is directly available. Similarly, when the body isn't made toxic by its food, less energy is required for maintenance, repair and homeostasis, so gains are made at two ends already. I know that my body will tell me when I need energy, but how many people are requiring too much energy because of the pursuit of a lifestyle which demands it. High-energy, calorically-demanding lifestyles certainly aren't optimal for longevity, are they (rhetorical), as RRM once observed. So if an RDA for a specific person is 2000Kcal on a SAD diet, what would the equivalent RDA be on the Wai Diet if all else is equal. If I could give an estimate percentage wise, that would be nice (i.e. Wai dieters require 20% fewer calories than they once did on their SAD diets), but I cannot. All I can do is experiment, and try to best meet my needs on a daily basis. Still, chasing the RDA's for energy intake is something that might thwart my efforts to consume optimal amounts of energy as I may always be aiming too high and trying to finish my calories for the day, when in fact they aren't necessary. I have seen administrators recommending that people who eat fewer that two thousand calories eat more. But if they acknowledge that RDA's are too high for micronutrients, is it not perhaps time to re-examine people's caloric needs and in turn the body mass indexes (BMI's)? I have been weighing about 170-180Lbs for most of my adult life, but my body feels most comfortable at around 140-150Lbs and might feel comfortable at an even lighter weight. Who knows? Of course frame size and climate considerations must enter into play when examining the issue of BMI and body-fat percentages. I would probably do just fine at 130-140Lbs or less if living with the bushmen in Africa, but not if living with the Inuit, and so on. Although I don't necessarily agree with his food choices on the whole, Stanley Bass (http://www.drbass.com/sequential.html) eats very little and gets by. Speaking earlier of homeostasis, what percentage of energy is used to breakdown and eliminate or store excess energy that one might have consumed. I think these questions are important considering the fact that the body is such a precise/efficient instrument.

[Oscar]

How much energy we need depends on a number of factors. It can even change per day. As such a generic RDA for any individual is impossible to give. The RDA in the nutrient calculator is based upon a certain age group, and a certain height and weight. How active a person is, can't be included. Besides, like you mention, we'd need less energy than people on a common diet. So what's left? Very general comments and recommendations. My mother is 79 yrs old, 1m50, 40kg (not quite sure about this), moderately active and has a daily intake of 2000kcal. I reckon most people will be younger, taller, heavier than she is, so 2000kcal as an estimated minimum guideline should be about right. Again, it's just a guideline. Especially beginners need some guidelines.

[djkvan]

Yeah... It is what it is, I suppose.