confused again, please help
 

I read on the forum that we should be consuming 10-12 calories per pound body weight. I weigh 247. 2470 calories sound like alot. I plugged my last two weeks into fitday and am only taking in about 1400-1800, only rarely hit 2200.

I also read 64 g protein and 75% fat.
I am on induction and carbs are around 5%.

20% protein would be over 120g protein. Do I up the grams protein or do I up the grams fat to 85%?

Do I really have to eat this much? I read that if I dont my weight loss would slow because my body would react live starvation mode.

Are the caloric expenditures on fitday for Basal metabolic rate, and lifestyle accurate. It seems so high.

I would love to hear from as many of you that are willing to give an opinion to respond. Thanks so much.

I lost weight on another program before switching to Atkins 2 weeks ago. I lost 30 pounds in six weeks, and only lost 2 pounds in two weeks on Atkins.

Karen

I would strongly suggest that you go back to the book which your profile says you have read and read it again. While there are many theories about amounts of protein & fats and how many calories, I don't think any of that is in the book. At least, I don't remember it from my last reading.

Just follow the plan.
Atkins has no maximum nor minimum amount of protein. (Protein Power has a minimum.)

Atkins doesn't say to count calories or eat a certain amount per body weight. He just says to eat "enough to satisfy hunger" but not to stuff yourself.

Atkins books only count carbs.

So don't stew about these numbers yet. Be interested in the theories but if you're losing, you are doing just fine. Just follow what's in the book and see how you do.

Hi Karen,

We are similiar in height & weight-- I also found it difficult to eat anything close to 10x my weight in calories. There is another theory floating around that, especially for those with alot of weight to lose, a total of 10x your GOAL weight is more realistic. And there are many, like BarB, that do best when they just follow body's signals.

For me, my bodies signals did not work after years of binge eating & yo-yo dieting. I literally could eat enough food for 5 people and never feel "full" or "satisfied". So a calorie total helps me keep my eating under control.

In your case, you lost ALOT of weight (congrats!!) in 6 weeks. Your body is most likely recovering from that & a 1-2 lbs. loss per week at this point is actually very good.

How do you feel? If you're feelin' good I wouldn't mess with it too much.

GOOD LUCK!

look, the 10X thing is only a guide and doesn't work as well towards both ends of the spectrum. Officially stated, it is never go below 10X goal, and aim for near 10X actual weight. SO thats where the goal weight thing comes in.

I think that it is isn't really important, unless you are having difficulties not losing. It is just important to remember that calories are still important, and if weight loss slows it may be worth looking at that rather then carbs.

And I thought I'd add, I really don't think 2500 calories is that much. Its just that the low cal diet mentalogy is so pervasive, that eating a normal amount of calories in healthful foods deliberately (rather then passive consumption of junk) seems perverse. Something like 50% of girls my age eat less then 1200 calories a day, which I just think is wrong. ABout halfway through atkins I started making a concerted effort to eat more then 2000 calories a day - wheras before I'd been following the 10-12x rule - and my weight loss increased dramatically.

Just saying don't worry about it, but remember 2500 only seems like a lot becuase formal diet plans usually have 1400.

[QUOTE=tofi]

I did read the book and read it carefully. I KNOW THAT NONE OF THIS IS IN THE BOOK! That is why I asked the question. I have been reading these forums, all under ATKINS, and there is much discussion on total protein, percent fat intake, and calories.

I did INDUCTION for two two weeks by the book and did not lose anything.

I was on a different diet until Mother's Day and lost 30 pounds. I have done exactly what the book says. I have not eaten a single thing not listed in induction. I have never exceeded 20 carbs and have looked each food item I have consumed up in a carb counter so I dont have hidden carbs. I have read labels and not taken any food with sugar, flour, cornstarch.

I have been reading the forums to see what I am missing.

I have problems with the reference to eat LIBERAL amounts of fat and protein. I had concern about what the line is between liberal and too much.
Since I had not lost anything on induction I was concerned I was doing something drastically wrong.

Obviously some on this forum feel that if your calories are too low, or your fat is too low you will stall. I know this is not in the book. Some also say that if you are consuming too much protein it is turned to glucose.

REREADING the book will not answer these questions.

I am hoping that someone who has had success with this plan will share their personal experience and not just tell me to read the book. I did, and many chapters I have read more than once.

Please dont condescend. I am asking a sincere question and would like a sincere answer.

I read the other diet plan and lost 30 pounds. It too came with a book. I know how to read.

Thanks to all who took the time to read this far, and God Bless You, to all who take the time to answer my questions.

Karen

Hi Karen,

I am relatively new at this, but at my starting weight (259) I found there was no way I could eat 2590 calories. I tend to hover around 1600 each day, with weekends normally going upwards of 2000-2100 calories. I eat about 70% fat, 25% protein, and no more than 5% carbs. I'm very satisfied with this many calories, but I also don't stress if they're higher or even a bit lower than 1600.
Could you maybe post a menu to let others look at what you're eating? If you don't feel comfortable doing that, that's perfectly okay. If you need a low carb buddy, I'm happy to talk anytime. The people on this forum have helped me tremendously through this first uncertain month, and I have learned quite a bit from their wisdom.
And no, I don't want you to read the book again! :D

What diet did you lose 30 pounds in 6 weeks on?

I was wondering why you stopped it then?

Hi Karen...see reply posted in your journal. :D

Hi there.

My .02, from someone who wasn't ever obese, but WAS very close to the edge, and growing, before getting off that train and starting Atkins.

I have lost, and kept off, over 30 pounds since the fall of 2001 when I started low carbing.

My suggestion to you is to eat until you are no longer hungry, drink LOTS of water, and keep your % cals from fats at 65-70% of total cals. With <20g from carbs, the rest, by default, is protein at around 25-30% of total cals.

This high-fat ratio will keep you from glycolyzing (converting into glucose) too much of the protein you eat.

Many who fail on Atkins do so because they cannot wrap their heads around "fat is good" after YEARS of being indoctrinated with "fat is BAD".

Plug a few days worth of food into www.fitday.com and see what your ratios look like. Forget calories for now.

If, after cranking hard on the fats and water, you are STILL stalled after 6 weeks, start looking at common stall-worthy items, such as cheese, too many nuts, "frankenfoods" such as atkins or protein bars, sugar alcohols, alcohol, aspartame, or coffee. Oh, and get in at least 20g of fibre a day. Constipation can actually slow down fat loss.

Meanwhile, if you are not yet incorporating exercise into your regime, please consider doing so. You don't have to KILL yourself, but a good brisk walk for 30-60 minutes every day or second day can work WONDERS when you're first starting out. Feels good, too. Later on, we'll get into resistance exercise, but for now, just move.

Good luck, and try to not get discouraged.

- Built

Hi again,
I am sorry Karen I didn't realise from your first post the full story of following the plan and not losing, I thought it was a 'inquiring minds want to know if I can lose faster' which seems typical around here.

It is possible that after losing 30 pounds, presumably on a fairly severe diet?? - that your body is just naturally stalling now unrelated to LC. Although that doesn't explain the intial 2 weeks no loss - could be you were insulin resistance and then this other diet helped you break thorugh, but now stalling.

I can give more detailed advice if you could post a typical days daily menu, either by typing it up here or on fitday. I would really like to help, I can sense your frustration, but without knowing more I could just tell you what you already know (thus peoples automatic response of 'read the book')...

Generally, I STRONGLY second builts post. Without knowing what you are eating the stallers action plan from here is
- keep doing as you are for 2 more weeks (if you are patient)
- eliminate common stallers, eliminate those you are eating most of first (more likely to be contributing). You have read the book so you would know some of these. Dairy, aspartamene.
- Alternatively, consider a temporary KISS if above step is taking to long and reintroduce. Information on this on this board, do a search.
- Alternatively, try a break through diet incorporating LC principles, such as fat fast or Stillmans
- I have rarely seen anyone do all these steps properly and not have success. If you don't have success you may need to consider the option that LC isn't for you. BUT keep hope - my experience on these boards has shown that it can be done, KISS is effective, break through diets are effective, when done properly after eliminating other problems

If you post a few days menu's I can identify more specific problems.

roast chicken breast
1 c. lettuce
2T blue cheese dressing
1 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1hard boiled egg
5 black olives
1 T. bacon crumbled

1 cup lettuce
1 egg
1 oz cheddar cheese
2 T blue cheese dressing
4 oz steak
decaf coffee one cup
1 T cream
1 packet Splenda

2 eggs scrambled in 1 T butter
1/2 c. mushrooms
1/4 c. cheddar cheese

********
1 c. lettuce with 1 slice tomato
1 T blue cheese dressing
2 fried eggs
4 slices bacon
1 c decaf coffee
1T cream
1 packet Splenda

1 c. lettuce
1 T blue cheese dressing
chicken breast

8 oz shrimp
remoulade sauce (sour cream, mayo and spices
about 1T)
1 c. lettuce
2 T. blue cheese dressing

*******
1 c decaf coffee
1 packet Splenda
1 T cream
2 c. lettuce
2T blue cheese dressing
6 oz salmon
lemon butter sauce for salmon

3 oz turkey breast
1 T mayonnaise

canned tuna in water 6 oz
2 T mayonaisse
1 c. lettuce
2 T ranch dressing

*****
2 deviled eggs (4 halves)
1 c. decaf coffee
1 T cream
1 packet splenda

four oz turkey
1 oz swiss chesse
1-2 T mayonnaise

6 oz steak
2 c. lettuce
2 T blue cheese dressing
.5 oz cheddar cheese
5 black olives
2 T crumbled bacon

*****

1 c lettuce
1 T blue cheese dressing
2 eggs
1 oz cheddar cheese
1/2 c. mushrooms

1 deviled egg (2 halves)
4 oz chicken breast

2 c. lettuce
2 T blue cheese dressing
1 oz cheddar cheese
8 oz crab
2 T butter
4 oz shrimp
1 T remoulade (sour cream, mayo spice)

Here are five days from the past two weeks while I started induction

When we ate in a restaurant I was very careful to question the waiter about
ingredients making sure there was no added sugar, cornstarch, flour, etc.
in something like the remoulade sauce

I have averaged between 10-20 carbs throughout the two weeks
calories by crude estimate ranged from low of 1500 to high of 2300

I have an Atkins journal and dont put anything in my mouth without writing it down and checking in the carb gram counter and recording it. When at home I measure all my salads and dressings so I am not "overestimating" and
80% of the time when we have eaten out I have taken along a measuring cup and spoon to measure my salad and dressing.

The previous diet I was on was Michael Thurmonds six week body makeover.
It was ZERO fat, no salt, 2oz protein six times a day, 3 1/2 c. servings a day of complex carb like potato, oatmeal, rice, 3 1/2 c. servings a day of fruit that was low sugar like berries, grapefruit, cantelope, 3-4 c. a day of low
carb vegetables like the ones allowed on Atkins induction.
They strongly encouraged eating fish as first choice, and poultry as second and stearing clear of red meat. The no fat was so strict I could not even eat an egg yolk.

I went 6 weeks with no beef, no fat, no salt, and those restrictions. I could not stomach another bite of fish with butter or mayo or tarter sauce. I was happy that I got a good start on this diet but knew with all the weight I have to lose that I could not live with this diet any longer than I already had.

The way I saw the switch to Atkins I was giving up carbs, but I had already for six weeks given up all the sugar, refined flour, pasta, breads, grains, etc.
I was giving up fruit for the short term because I knew eventually I would get the same fruits back during OWL, but I was gaining fat, which I really missed
on the other diet, the ability to use salt again to season.

Another ma jor change, I was taking a diuretic for swelling which I had in my ankles, feet, and often hands (tight rings). I read Atkins preferred you to not take these prescriptions if not absolutely necessary so I stopped it about the third day of the switch.

During the first few days before stopping the diuretic I dropped a couple pounds, then I stopped the pill and over the next few days gained a few pounds back, at one point being one pound above my start weight.
I yo-yo'd up and down the same half pound for the next week. Yesterday I dropped three pounds but today I was back up one and a half pounds. My net loss for my two weeks of induction resulted in a two pound loss over two weeks.

So there you have it.
Thanks so much for any and all i nput.
I have done my best to try and eat by the rules. If I am doing something wrong, I must not understand something, or misinterpreted something.

God bless.
Karen

Okay - that's great!

Now, go to www.fitday.com and enter these foods to see how your days break down.

one more bit of information, I have been on ketosis since the second day.

I have been drinking 8-10 glasses of water daily.

Karen

Eat normally. Don't over calculate an eating lifestyle. Just concentrate on lowering your carb intake to induction levels. Eat enough to fill you up without overeating. I eat, basically, 3 meals a day with a little snacking here and there. Fat is good for you, carb abuse is bad and that is the reason we put on weight. Eat your protein and fats.

MSKLLSWS, if your original diet was going so well, why did you switch? Perhaps that was the diet for you.

Karen
I think (and this is only my opinion) that now your body is taking the time to adjust from the other plan you were on.

Your menus look really good to me. All whole foods, just as I eat, with the exception that I dont drink coffee.

My advice is that you give it at least 2 more weeks in induction. Like you just started now. I think the last 2 weeks were the bodies attempt at getting ready and preparing you for ketosis, which was DRASTICALLY different from what you did just prior to this. The difference here will be that this is sustainable eating. This WOE can actually be full and happy!

2 two more weeks induction, and think of this as the new beginning. Forget the last 2 weeks as the time your body needed.

I am assuming you also do some exercise and that you will continue to drink your water, maybe even another 2 cups for a total of 10-12.

I know this works and sure wish you would let us know what happens this next weeks. Dont give up, you can do this.