Survivor contestants burn a lot of calories while competing on the show, but they also have to consume enough calories to avoid dangerous weight loss. The exact number of calories varies between seasons and castaways, but reports indicate they average around 1,000 to 1,500 calories per day.
Typical calorie intake on Survivor
During the 39 days of filming, contestants do not have consistent access to food. Their calorie intake depends entirely on how much reward and immunity challenge food they can win, and whatever limited food they can find at their campsite.
Reports from past Survivor contestants suggest they average around 1,000 to 1,500 calories per day:
- Rupert Boneham estimated he ate just 1,000 calories per day during Survivor: Pearl Islands.
- In Survivor: Guatemala, castaway Gary Hogeboom lost 30 pounds and said he ate probably 1,200 calories daily.
- Courtney Yates from Survivor: China claimed she ate just 300 calories in the entire first 4 days due to extremely limited food.
- James Clement said the cast of Survivor: China consumed about 1,200 calories per day.
- In Survivor Gabon, the merged tribe had food rationed by the show at 1,500 calories per person per day.
So while intake varies, 1,000-1,500 calories per day appears typical for Survivor contestants.
Why calories are restricted on Survivor
There are two primary reasons calories are limited on Survivor:
- Food scarcity is an intentional game element. Not knowing where their next meal will come from or having to win it creates physical and mental hardship.
- Restricted food keeps contestants lean and hungry. The producers want dramatic weight loss to visually convey the rigors of the island environment.
By putting castaways on severely restricted calories from day one, it guarantees continual weight loss and increasingly gaunt appearances as the weeks go on. This not only makes for good television, but adds to the real-life struggles they endure.
Daily calorie needs vs. intake on Survivor
To understand Survivor’s calorie restrictions, it helps to compare their intake to normal calorie needs:
Average male daily calorie needs
The estimated average calorie requirements for moderately active adult males are:
| Age | Calories Needed |
| 19-30 years | 2,400-2,600 calories |
| 30-50 years | 2,200-2,400 calories |
Average female daily calorie needs
The estimated average calorie requirements for moderately active adult females are:
| Age | Calories Needed |
| 19-30 years | 2,000-2,200 calories |
| 30-50 years | 1,800-2,000 calories |
So the typical 1,000-1,500 calorie Survivor diet represents just a fraction of normal caloric requirements, even for inactive people. And it’s far below what contestants would need with their extreme physical exertion and minimal body fat.
Why so few calories is dangerous
Eating so far below calorie needs has risks both in the short and long-term:
Short-term risks of calorie restriction
- Fatigue, weakness, dizziness
- Headaches
- Irritability, depression
- Muscle loss
- Starvation mode – reduced metabolism
Long-term risks of prolonged calorie restriction
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Gallstones
- Irregular heart rhythms
- Reduced bone density
- Refeeding syndrome
The show does medically monitor contestants and provides supplements to reduce these health risks. But severe calorie restriction inevitably takes a toll.
How many calories do they burn on Survivor?
Survivor contestants are estimated to burn around 3,000-5,000 calories per day:
- Daily camp life activities: 1,000 calories
- Challenges: up to 2,000 calories
- Just basic metabolic needs: 1,200-1,800 calories
Combined, this puts their average daily calorie expenditure in the range of 3,000-5,000 calories depending on the individual and the demands of the day.
Calorie burn from daily camp activities
Some average calorie burns from typical camp duties:
| Activity | Approx. Burn |
| Firewood gathering (30 mins) | 120 calories |
| Water carrying (30 mins) | 120 calories |
| Shelter building (1 hr) | 300 calories |
| Foraging for food (1 hr) | 300 calories |
Camp duties alone can burn 500+ calories per day even without deliberate exercise.
Calories burned in challenges
Challenges vary but can easily burn 1,000-2,000 calories:
- Endurance challenges: 700+ calories per hour
- Agility obstacles: 800+ calories per hour
- Physical contact games: up to 1,200 calories per hour
With some challenges lasting 2-3 hours, they impose a huge calorie demand.
Calories for basic bodily functions
The basal metabolic rate (BMR) averages:
- Men – 1,400-1,800 calories
- Women – 1,200-1,500 calories
This is the minimum needed just for basic organ function, nerve signaling, breathing, circulation, etc..
Net calorie deficit and weight loss
With a typical intake of 1,000-1,500 calories but a burn of 3,000-5,000 calories, the average Survivor contestant is likely in a deficit of 1,500-4,000 calories per day.
This normally equates to:
- 1 lb of fat loss every 1-2 days
- 10-25 lbs of weight loss in 39 days
Some contestants will lose even more weight based on body composition, muscle loss, and metabolism changes from near starvation. Jeff Probst has stated some castaways lose 2-3 pounds per day.
Supplements provided by Survivor
To counteract health risks, Survivor provides basic supplements:
- Multivitamins
- Electrolyte pills
- Salt tablets
- Bottled water at challenges
Jeff Probst also said they monitor glucose levels and give supplements for dizziness or lightheadedness when required.
But supplements only partially offset the effects of such an extreme calorie deficit sustained over weeks.
Ways contestants increase calories
Some strategies past Survivor players have used to get more calories include:
- Trading rewards or personal items for food
- Eating as much challenge food as possible in a short time
- Conserving calories any way they can to avoid energy crashes
- Fishing or foraging any possible food sources
- Smuggling small food items from rewards
But options are very limited, so getting enough usable calories remains extremely difficult.
Changes in calories over the season
Calorie intake tends to decline further as the season progresses:
- Tribe rewards provide extra food early on
- Foraging options dwindle over time
- Contestants become more emaciated and sluggish
- Challenges get harder with weakened bodies
- Metabolisms adapt to starvation mode
So calories often go from inadequate to completely insufficient, leading to dramatic weight crashes near the end for some contestants.
How to increase calories on Survivor
If producers allowed it, recommended ways contestants could healthily get more calories include:
- Bringing nut butters, oils, dried fruit, and nuts
- Fishing more efficiently such as weir traps in tidal areas
- Building more elaborate shelters to conserve energy
- Foraging for coconut, mangoes, and banana plants year-round
- Cooking rice or beans whenever possible to add calories
But ultimately the low calories are intentional for game difficulty, so the show limits options to prevent workarounds.
Do they eat more after getting voted off?
At Ponderosa after being voted off, contestants can eat unlimited food but have to reintroduce calories slowly. Drastic increases risk refeeding syndrome, which can be fatal.
Nutritionists supervise their return to normal eating, slowly ramping calories by:
- Adding just 300-500 extra calories every other day
- Consuming frequent small meals for better tolerance
- Eating simple, easily digestible foods at first
- Emphasizing nutrient-dense over junk foods
- Stopping immediately if feeling signs of refeeding syndrome
This gradual process continues until calories stabilize at a maintenance level.
Long-term impacts on metabolism
Prolonged calorie restriction can cause adaptive thermogenesis – a long-term drop in metabolic rate. This makes it harder for former contestants to keep weight off after the show.
Other possible metabolic effects include:
- Decreased muscle mass lowering calorie burn
- Hormone changes such as low leptin
- Gut bacteria changes increasing hunger signals
- Overshoot of post-loss appetite increasing cravings
These effects can persist for months or years after calorie restriction ends, complicating weight maintenance.
Conclusion
Survivor imposes an extreme calorie deficit on contestants both for competition integrity and television dramatics. They average just 1,000-1,500 calories per day despite burning 3,000-5,000 calories with high activity in a tropical climate.
This 1,500+ calorie daily shortage results in dramatic weight loss but also risks health effects contestants must endure. And the impact on metabolism can make keeping weight off a continued battle even after the cameras stop rolling.