First day question!!!!
 

Hey guys! I finsihed my first day here.. but I did not eat alot.. I had 4 eggs, cheese.. hude salad with cheese and chicken.. should I increase the amount of food I eat? will it make a difference??

What You Actually Ate
 

Hi there Tarah and welcome to the forum.

Many of use use a website called fitday.com to track the food we it. It totals everything for you and is really handy. You should be eating 10-12 calories per pound of your present weight. For you, that means at least 2100 calories a day.

According to fitday, you actually ate today, approximately:

Calories Eaten Today
Total: ~ 1175~ ~
Fat: 69~ 625~ 55%
Carbs: 14~ 39~ 3%
Protein: 120~ 478~ 42%

And that's pretty low for both the calories and grams of carbohydrates. On Atkins Induction (first two weeks) You should have 20 g carbs a day. I probably figured it high too.

So the answer is YES you should be eating more. It will make a difference. Eating too little will tell your body that there is a famine and it will resist losing weight. You'll lose better by eating more. Hard to believe but true on this WOE.

Marlaine

Welcome back, Tarah. I've found a few of your old posts with some great information and ideas for you. Lots of good suggestions.

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=21417

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=20927

Also, your old Journal is in the Archived and Inactive folder should you wish to retreive it. Simply post to it where it is and it will be reactivated in the appropriate place.



Nat

Fat
 

Hi,

I've been lc'ing for a few days now. So far, I've lost 3lbs, which feels really great. However, I'm really concerned about the amount of fat that I'm consuming. I keep track of everything throught fitday.com, and since 4 December, 48-55% of my diet has been in fat calories. Is that really NO cause for concern?

Re: Fat
 

Yes, it is cause for concern, Ororo. But not the concern you're thinking. It's not enough fat . Generally your percentages should look like this: 5% carbs, 25-30% protein (ensuring you're eating your minimum protein requirement for the day; .6g x Lean Body Mass) and 70-75% FAT. Fat is your friend. Fat will make you feel satiated and full. Fat is metabolically inert; it will not cause any change in insulin levels; you want that fat in your diet.

Take a look at what others are eating by visiting the Journal / Bootcamp section of the forum. It will give you some menu ideas.

Nat

Hmmm. One of the big problems here is that I don't really like to eat red meat that often, and I'm mildly lactose intolerant. Also, I don't eat chicken or pork. That is, I'm vegetarian-leaning, so I tend to eat low fat animals, i.e., fish. As I don't (or, rarely) consume milk products, I don't generally have creams and what not. I'm losing weight, so I assume that not eating a lot of fat doesn't prevent me from participating in the program. Correct? Isn't this better for weightloss anyway? That is, my body will use already stored fat (once the carbs are consumed) rather than storing fat anew and consuming the new fat?

A bit perplexed here.

Being a near vegan most certainly does not preclude you from LCing, Ororo. It just takes more planning. And no, it really isnt better for your loss if you consume less fat. You may lose weight initially with low fat, low carb but you will not be able to sustain it; and chances are you're going to lose more lean muscle mass than stored body fat. When you remove carbs from the equation a few things happen.

1) Your calorie count goes down. This must be fixed; low cal and low carb do not work for fat loss. It is possible to eat only so much protein; and with carbs out of the picture the calories must come from fat. You need to be eating enough to fuel your metabolic proccesses or your body will shut down. It will not burn fat, it will hold on to water and fat and it will start sacrificing lean muscle mass. 10 - 12 times your body weight in calories is the minumum you need to eat every day.

2) In the absence of carbs dietary fat cannot be stored. I should say in the absence of insulin. Fat is metabolically inert; it causes no change in either glucagon or insulin in your body. Without carbs dietary fat will be burned, not stored, but it must be present for fuel.

There are other things you can add to your menus to increase fat; sardines, olives, olive oil, avocados, flax oil, mayonnaise (use 2 or 3 times the regular amount).

If you're interested in learning more about how LCing works and why fat is something you need get yourself a copy of "Protein Power " by the Eades. It explains in easy to read detail why LC works the way it does. It really is a must have for any LC library.

Nat

First Days Question
 

I'm not vegan. I'm vegetarian-leaning, but not even that really.

At any rate, I took your advice. I ate 1993 calories yesterday, including a ton of pork. Before eating the pork, I wasn't feeling particularly hungry, but felt perhaps I should try to push that fat level up. I got to 63% after eating the pork.

(1) I felt overstuffed. It's 12hours later, I still feel stuffed.
(2) Although I had been losing 1/2 - 1 lb a day prior. I'm a pound heavier today. :eek:

I think that I would like to go back to my 1500-1600 calories a day with 40-60% fat. I felt comfortable, and I was losing weight.

wow
 

Just checked out fitday.com.
Brilliant site.
Wow, have I had a shock though.

Not enough of certain nutrients and not enough calories?!?!?!?
Im a bit troubled and confused. Todays calories were 1390 which looks high to me (yes, I know, Im warped - before Dr A I was on 400-700 didnt lose any faster either) BUT according to Marlane (thanks for the info) after multiplying my body weight by 11 I got 1991 calories so I 'should' have eaten an extra 601 calories?

I read what Natrushka wrote about suggested percentages.
5% carbs - me= 4%
25-30%protein - me=30%
70-75% fat - me=66%
What should I do? Any (very welcome) suggestions? :confused:

I just read a post about fitday.com, should I go to that sight on a daily basis to check how I am eating for the day??? I never been on that sight before, but I am going to check it out! :thup:

Re: First Days Question
 

Weight fluctuates daily by 4 - 5 lbs. Weight fluctuates weekly by just as many lbs. If you've been eating too little for too long your body will think more food is a sudden temporary change and it's going to hold on to what it can because it thinks it's not going to last; when it sees this is not the case it will adapt and beging burning fat.

10 - 12 times your body weight is what your body needs to function. 10 - 12 times your body weight is enough food that you do not deprive yourself. 10 - 12 times your body weight is something that you can sustain over time. Go ahead and eat less and in the end lose muscle mass; I am simply quoting the facts, I cannot make you eat.

Nat

Calorie Levels
 

Okay....check this out for the convoluted logic of a food lover:

I figure if I can lose weight on 10-12 times my body weight...that is, 2070+ calories a day, just imagine how many I'm going to be able to eat when I get to the stage where I'm wanting to maintain. If I were to teach my body to lose weight on 1200 calories instead I'd have a lot less coming to me when I got to maintenance. I want to lose weight while eating the maximum that I can so that I'll maintain while eating a higher number of calories.

Am I the only one that this makes sense to?

Marlaine

P.S. I should add that you, Nat are the one that got me to up my calories and carbs and that's when I started to really lose (as recorded in my journal)! Thanks!

Re: wow
 

Yup!! You could be eating more. (see my last post above)

I am amazed at how that works. I used to have to get down below 1000 calories a day to lose weight. Since I've been learning to do LC properly, I'm losing better and faster than I have in years. I'm all for being able to eat "heartily" cuz truly I love food! I'm grateful I finally know which ones to eat.

Keep at it Harley! You're doing great! You might consider keeping a journal, or at least a food log so that you have a place here that folks can visit you and help you out.

Marlaine

Who would have thought that eating more would be so scary. Weird
I stated a journal here a few days ago but it is rather self pitying at the beginning, gets better near the end though (doesnt everything? :daze: )
Thanks Marlaine

But do you ever get days that you just can't LOOK at calories? Today was a perfect example:

Breakfast I looked at all the options: I could have had an omelette, or anything with cheese, some bacon, there was left over roast chicken with skin - I went for the tub of low-carb tabouli instead.

Lunch: Only thing that caught my eye was tuna. Couldn't face a piece of cheese even. Nor macadamias or almonds.

Dinner: Lean beef skewers because that is the way I buy it, that and I can't stomach the taste of beef fat (pork fat is fine, chicken fat too, just not beef.) - and sauteed spinach.

There is no way I came near the calorie level I need but I have a few days like this a week - where my body seems to be saying no to calories and fat.

Had a glass of red wine with dinner - at least THAT has a few!

Another Weight Gain
 

2000 calories yesterday, 75% fat and another gain of 1/2 pound.

Of course. No one can make me eat. My only concern is that I was losing 1/2 - 1 pound per day doing it the "wrong" way. Now, I'm in Induction and gaining weight where I had not been. Previously, I had been down to having lost ten pounds. That trend has definitely been reversing itself. I've also noticed that I've got the munchies more often, too. Prior to two days ago, I was completely satiated at 1500-1700 calories. Perhaps, not all bodies are made the same. After 4 days of euphoria, these setbacks are incredibly discouraging. A few days ago, I was making plans for Miami Beach. Today, well . . .

Hi Babs
funny you should say that about the calories. Ive found that if I cant have the foods I really like/am addicted to then I actually have to make an effort to have enough calories. Food as food doesnt really 'do' it for me. I am a snacker of sweet things by choice. I cant stand fat on meat and have been off oil for so long that I dont like it (apart from chips!) I have to force myself to eat on this diet because 'allowed' food doesnt interest me. However with my brand new attitude (ggl) I am thinking of all the yummy cheeses I can have.
However my cholesterol level is worrying me with all the fat I am eating (yes, I know it is supposed to lower it but I must admit to being a teeny bit disbeleiving here)
I love red wine and have lately been treating myself to a glass every so often.

Hi Ororo
I cant really advise you about the weight gain as I dont feel I know enough but might be able to help with the snacking craving. I think you need to find the best way to accomodate the diet to your needs. For eg. I found (after ages) that I need to eat something every 2 hours, it's only something small but enough to fill me up (I also have digestion problems and eating this way is the best for me) I found that every 2 hours I get nervous and cranky and when I eat (protein) i feel much better. But it has to be protein. When I started the diet and stuck to 3 meals a day I found that on days when I had 2 meals I felt awful in the evenings, cravings and snack mad but whenI had 3 protein meals I felt ok.
Hoe this has been helpful
Good luck

Calories are key though...
 

I can't believe how wonderful the fitday.com website is! That makes it so much easier to keep track of calories, percentage of proteins, not to mention carb grams - I never realized how few calories I was eating, though I felt full all the time.

My weight was stalled and when I picked up the calories it started coming off again - whodathunkit? It almost seems like a chore to eat so much now - I never would have thought I would be in that position. But it's worth it when I go clothes shopping and can now buy a "large" instead of "x-large" or 14 instead of 16 - and I'm gonna keep on going baby!

This forum has helped me so much it's unbelievable - thanks to all for your words of encouragement and advice!

Re: Another Weight Gain
 

Ororo, I can understand your frustration. What you're eating is as important as how much you're eating. How about starting a journal and listing your foods (quality and quantity). Are you keeping your water intake up?

Eating extra protein to boost calories is hard; it's very filling and there's only so much you can handle. Adding an extra tbsp of olive oil to your salad, frying in more butter, using more mayo; these are small things that are mostly fat and make a compounded increase in calories. Listing what you've been eating and how much of it would help in pinpointing what's going on. A brief 'dieting history' would also be in order; did you yo yo diet in the past? have you been eating too little protein for a long time? Are you taking any kinds of medications?

Nat

Gaining Daily
 

Gee Wiz!! I just wrote this really long message and erased it by mistake.

The gist was as follows:

I've been drinking AT LEAST 80oz water a day. (64oz + 8oz for every 25lbs to lose) Over the past two days, I've had 96oz and 112 oz of H2O, respectively.

I started dieting in early November. I was eating 1500 cal/day and exercising for about 1.5hrs - 2hrs. I lost 8lbs that way. And, I gained 4lbs back during Thanksgiving. I managed to get some of that off again. However, I wanted to lose weight more quickly and, more importantly, to be able to maintain after having lost. So, I decided to start lc'ing.

Before last Tuesday, I got most of my protein through fish and a soy protein drink. I started eating beef again to increase the amount of fat intake. I cut out the soy protein shake because it had to many carbs. I was still eating around 1500 calories and up to 1800 on some days. But, I felt full. I rarely needed a snack. I lost 3.5 pounds.

After learning that my calorie and fat intake were insufficient on Friday (?), I ate some pork. My fat and calorie intake have skyrocketed. BUT I HAVE STOPPED LOSING WEIGHT. In fact, I have gained 1.5lbs.

I've planned my meals for today. I've already had lunch.

Breakfast: 1tbsp wheatgerm in 1 cup soymilk; 1 cup soymilk to drink; 1 tbsp flaxseed oil

Lunch: 1 6.5oz cheeseburger (20% fat beef); 1 salad - 1 cup iceburg, 1 cup spinach, 1 tbsp capers, 1.5tbsp Italian dressing with oil & vinegar.

I am absolutely stuffed at this point.

Dinner: 8oz boneless catfish baked in butter
salad - same as previous with stuffed green olives added.

According to fitday.com, this puts me at 1639 calories. 67%fat, 4% carbs, 29% protein.

If I am full after all this, I'm not certain why I should attempt to cram more food down my gullet if doing previously so has only caused me discomfort, added weight and lost time.

Re: Gaining Daily
 

In terms of percentages, Ororo, this is good. This is where you want to be. 70% fat. This is better than the 48 - 55% you first mentioned.

If you were exercising 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day and only eating 1500 calories no wonder you lost weight. Are you still working out to that extent? What kind of exercise are we talking here? Weights? Basketball?

From 1500 to 1900 is 400 calories; whether you increase that with pork or with 3 tablespoons of butter or salad dressing (preferable) is up to you. But I can tell you that one is much more filling than the other. I'd also try to incorporate a little more protein with breakfast. Incidentally, according to recent research you shouldn't be including the flaxoil in your calorie totals; it is generally agreed that flaxseed oil is used for purposes other than fuel by your body. (Yeah, I know, there goes 120 calories and 13 fat grams off your total)

Have you tried eating more frequent smaller meals throughout the day?

N

Hi Ororo, :wave:

It occured to me that if you were eating insufficient calories, and not much protein/red meat, plus exercising this much each day, you body was probably burning muscle as well as fat for fuel . Now that you have upped your calories and your bodies getting the protein it needs, I'd hazard a guess that the weight gain is your body replacing the muscle you lost back when you weren't eating enough. There is always some muscle breakdown during exercise, and if you don't eat enough your poor bod can't rebuild it.
Remember- Your body can't store fat in the abscence of insulin spikes (ie carbs), you could be eating 16 or 17 times your body weight in calories each day and not store fat- as long as you keep your carbs down. (this I know from personal experience! :D ) You may not lose fat either, but you won't store it. Cool huh?

Hope this is some help
Angela

Hi Ororo
Oh dear.
Your type of weight loss and gain sounds a lot like a friend of mine.
I will probably get yelled at by more veteran carbers but if you dont want to eat more then dont! I havw also worried a bit that my calorie intake is low but I am beginning to find a way of eating that suits ME and I think you have to do that. Do take advice and get as much info as you can but you must start learning what your body needs and respond to that. It isnt easy and it does take time. Dont force yourself into eating more than you want or things that you dont want. Try to look at low carbing/dieting as a health issue, a path. Set yourself small goals and concentrate on the journey and not the end.
Keep going and be strong
All the best
Harley

EEEEEKKKK! No wonder I didn't lose as much on "induction" as I hoped to! I just entered my stuff into Fitday (finally went there after Nat and the rest of you talking about it). I'm getting WAY too many carbs, and apparently have been! Boy, they add up fast.

I'm gonna use this resource more often, and stick with a big juicy steak tonight :D

Thank God, No Gain
 

Well, I decided not to overstuff myself yesterday, and I didn't gain any weight. Who would have thought that after three days of losing weight, I would be so happy just to maintain. Perhaps, some people don't need an overabundance of calories. I guess DANDR or lc'ing is not one size fits all.

I'm going to go back to what I was doing and perhaps I can actually start to lose weight again.

Thanks Harley for your encouraging words. I also want to thank those of you who attempted to help me. I realize that no one meant any harm despite what has happened.

Good luck to everyone.

You're most welcome.
Not leaving us I hope?

Harley

Leaving?
 

Hey Harley,

I'm not sure. I like the list, but it is linked with this current setback. Maybe I will feel better once I've lost the weight that I've regained. I know that I will think twice before taking advice again. :confused:

Think about the advice though
 

Although you were losing weight eating only 1500 calories and exercising, the weight you are most likely losing is muscle which is not good. It may be easier to get your fat and calories in 5-6 smaller meals rather then 3 meals. Nat really knows what she is talking about as other veteran low carbers that have given such advice here. I hope you don't leave, but you need to see the FACTS behind the advice, this is not only their opinion, but fact.
Good luck with whatever you choose to do, and I hope you lose the weight you would like.
Cindy :sunny:

Hi Ororo
You sound upset, lost, desperate, disapointed etc etc. I really know how you feel as I have spent most of the time since Feb feeling like that (been dieting since then apart from 6 weeks break for marriag & honeymoon) I know what you are going through. Especially being on a low carb diet where instead of getting sympathy and understanding etc as you would on a 'conventional' diet you get weird responses and no sympathy etc. Apart from the fact that everyone is convinced that you are crazy of course. I will say what i said before. Listen to everything everyone has to say (whether written or verbal) think about it and try different things. listen to your body, find the sensible voice and dont listen to the destructive 'I want/I deserve' voice. Perhaps (members dont shoot me!) low carb isnt for you and if it is maybe Dr A isnt the low carb diet you need to be on. Write everything down - a diary, either on the site or on paper; what you ate, carbs, cals how you feel, what you weigh. try also to measure yourself as sometimes you lose on measurements and not on the scale.
I dont think you should leave the site because even if you are an observer and not a participant you are still part of a community that want to help and really understand what you are going through, you wont be alone.
Again this is my opinion only and again I have yakked on for too long.
Whatever you decide, do the best for yourself and lotsa luck.

If you want to 'talk' etc contact me