Yes, 4000 calories per day is a lot. 4000 calories is the equivalent of two full meals, plus snacks and beverages, for an average person. Eating this much each day can lead to an extra pound of weight gain per week and it may increase your risk for certain chronic diseases.
4000 calories a day is much higher than a typical diet, so this meal plan is mostly geared towards a bodybuilder during bulking, or an endurance athlete. This diet plan is only intended as an example of what a diet might look like for 4000 kcal with high protein.
Aim for a High-Nutrient Dinner
A typical dinner on a 4,000-calorie meal plan could be 2 cups of cooked brown rice, 5 ounces of grilled or broiled salmon and 2 cups of steamed green vegetables like brussels sprouts. This meal would supply around 1,260 calories.
4000 calories can be too much depending on your age, height, weight and activity level. Generally, the average adult needs between 2000-2500 calories per day to maintain their weight. Eating more than that can result in weight gain, especially if you are not burning enough calories through physical activity.
There are people who eat 10,000 calories every day, like Britain's strongest man Eddie Hall or Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps. They need these calories because for them, intense exercise is practically a full-time job.
Food Is Fuel
On average, active teenage boys need 3,000 to 4,000 calories a day, while teenage girls who are active may need 2,400 to 3,000 calories daily. Choose quality calories from fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads and cereals, low-fat dairy, lean protein foods and heart-healthy fats.
According to a study of bodybuilders during their bulking phase, women consumed an average of 3,200 calories per day. Men took in 3,800 calories per day on average. These numbers give you a good idea of what real bodybuilders eat because researchers based the numbers on nearly 400 competitors.
To create a meal plan for a 5000 calorie diet, you need to follow this macros distribution: 15-20% protein, 20-25% fats, and 60-65% carbohydrates. Always opt for fresh and whole food when it is available. Stay away from processed food with little nutritious value as it will not help you reach your muscle gain goal.
Eating smaller meals more often and drink fluids before and after meals to leave room in the stomach for food. Adding concentrated calories to your usual foods, such as adding cheese to chili, or adding peanut butter to a whole grain muffin. Prepare oatmeal and other hot cereals with milk instead of water.
Zack George is the fittest man in the UK and he told Insider exactly what he eats to fuel his training. George consumes 4,000 calories a day, with a diet focused on protein and whole foods.
Dirty bulking is a dietary approach characterized by eating as much food as possible on a daily basis. Bodybuilders and performance-minded athletes will sometimes dirty bulk as an extreme method of guaranteeing that they're eating enough calories and macronutrients to meet their goals.
If it's only a day of eating 4000 calories, then you continue eating like you normally do (within normal capacity) then it's unlikely you'll notice any weight gain.
If you ate five times that amount—5,000 calories more than you need to maintain your weight—you could expect to gain about a pound of fat. You can get rid of that with about a week of proper dieting.
Actual Weight Gain
A small study on 15 healthy young males eating 6,000 calories for one day revealed a total weight gain of 1.87 pounds. This calorie level is extremely difficult to do regularly. Remember, some of this weight gain would be water weight and some undigested food.
You will starve to death eating only 250 to 350 calories per day; you're on a semi-starvation diet. You'll become malnourished, weak and ill. Please talk to your doctor about your desire to lose excess fat weight so you can do it gradually and safely. Starving is not the healthy way to go about it.
Generally, the recommended daily calorie intake is 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men.
For example, a 90 kg bodybuilder might consume 40–50 g of protein at 8–9 am for breakfast, train at 11 am, have 40–50 g of protein at 12–1 pm for lunch/post-training, 40–50 g of protein at dinner between 5–6 pm, and then a final meal of 40–50 g of non-whey protein at 9–10 pm before heading to bed by 11 pm.
The three-time Classic Physique Olympia champion breaks down what he eats to get in 5,000 calories per day.
6,000-8,000 calories a day
The number of calories he consumes to fuel his body when preparing for a Hollywood role can reach 8,000 calories in one day. Breakfast = cream of rice or oatmeal with some buffalo and eggs. 2nd breakfast = a fast-acting carb such as white rice and chicken to digest it quickly.