Bottom line - I think it is a good idea, particularly for beginners, to keep track of the calories and weigh the food left over each trip. Over time, this helps you put together a better ration package. If you only do short trips, I would not get too focused on calories - but if you are doing long trips (say the PCT) then it is very important! Deficient calories hurt performance and excess calories (say, just 3 oz. a day), are pounds of extra pack weight.
I've basically always done this, which as I mentioned before just gets me down to the 2000->2600
calories a day that I seem to be carrying. However, I'm always a "short trip" guy - doing a week or less at a time (love to do more, but darn that work and family thing). ( Wonder if I'd get away for my 40th with telling she who must be obeyed that I need to do GDT for midlife crisis instead of buying a candy apple red sports car and a trophy wife <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> )
In short, I'm not going to worry about it unless I'm out for multiple weeks at a time. I don't find myself sluggish without more food, so I'm probably inclined to believe daisy on this one and simply
not worry about it unless I'm out for a month - or I accidentally lose 100 pounds that don't find me again! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
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