2000 calorie deficit

Is it unhealthy to have a 2000 calorie deficit in a day? 

I own a small landscaping company and today I did hard yardwork all day (shovelling, raking, pulling tree stumps) and when I put in my activity it showed me as burning a total of 4650 calories for the day.  My recommended intake is 2400 and my actual intake was 2561 calories which is more than 2000 calories less than I burned.

I have reason to believe that this will happen occasionally as the spring and summer work season revs up.  I also have a fairly tough workout schedule where I burn 400 - 700 calories a day (it varies depending on the day...though I didn't go today.)  Perhaps I should change my settings to show me having a more active lifestyle, would it show a higher energy intake requirement?

Hey!

Unfortunately, yes, it is unhealthy to have a deficit of more than 1000 calories. But the good news is that because you know it might happen again during the summer you can plan ahead and buy some calorie-dense snacks, such as trail mix (or just nuts or dried fruit on their own, if you prefer). You can buy in bulk, package them in 500 cal bags, and have 2-4 during work breaks, as snacks. It sounds like a lot in calorie numbers, but 500 cals worth of peanuts is actually around 3 oz, something you can definitely munch away quite quickly and easily.

Also, good for you that you decided to skip your daily workout, I recommend doing this on any extremely active day. Your body needs some relax time as well.

I hope someone with more knowledge than I have chimes in.  I think the deficit really depends on how large you are and how your diet is otherwise.  You notice I am am not claiming to know anything about this.   But it seems to me that a large deficit is not unhealthy if you have a good diet and are getting all of your nutrients in.  In this case a large deficit would be more detrimental to your energy levels than your health. 

I cant imagine keeping up a large defict for very long without your body begining to conserve energy output.  IE too tired, feel depressed etc but for a day or two it won't stall your metabolism. 

Look at the biggest loser folk.  They operate on huge deficits everyday.  Part of this is because they have fat stores that they are using up and this is contributing to their energy out put.  They keep up this pace for 18 weeks?  So this is proof that one can maintain a big defict and still be healthy. 

I agree that long term this is not a great way to go.  But for the short term a few days of big deffict is not going to hurt.

With that kind of activity, your number one priority is staying well hydrated.  As for calorie intake, our bodies do a pretty good job of telling us if we need more.  You might need an extra boost of protein to help fuel your body.  Keep some natural almonds on hand, or some boiled eggs in the fridge (a great source of protein), or other high-protein foods.

If you feel you're truly burning more then 4,000 calories a day, then it wouldn't hurt to try to up your calories to 3,000 and see how it goes.  I've upped my calories since becoming more active this spring (I do a ton of gardening and yard work plus hit the gym every day).  In doing so, I've also been weighing myself every day just to make sure I don't pack on any new pounds!

I love this time of year!!!!!  Give me some dirt to play in!

I don't think I'll be burning more than 4000 calories every day, but apparently it happens occasionally.  To answer a couple of questions, I am not really overweight...I'm 5'10" and 175 lbs as of today.  I'm athletic as I am involved in competitive martial arts, though I was 205 lbs at Christmas time and my goal weight is between 160 - 165 lbs.  I'm losing the weight both for aesthetics and athletic reasons.  

In any case my diet is good, I seem to get A-'s pretty much every day and I'm aware of the need for additional protein.  I use protein shakes every day within 45 minutes after going to the gym.  I use a shake with a banana, strawberries, low fat vanilla yogurt, 1 cup of milk and 29 grams of whey protein along with a bowl of fresh mixed fruits, which include strawberries, peach slices, apple slices, orange pieces, and grapes. 

On my 4500 calorie day I did the same because I knew my body would need it to preserve my muscle mass. 

I'm sure that one day won't be an issue.  I'm in good shape and handled it very well but I wanted to know for future knowledge if it was unhealthy.

you seem to get the idea.  One day will not hurt you.  But if it starts happening more frequently your going to have to consider upping your cals.

I;m sure you will manage! Good Luck!