how much do calories count & can I trust labels???
 

a few questions.

1) Atkins says "count carbs not calories...." yet surely calories MUST count some, right? heck, if I mix my tuna with tons of mayo and have a cup of mousse made with cream everyday, the carb count is low but thats a zillion calories! how closely should I watch my calories?

2) how accurate is label info on foods in general? I know carb counts are arrived at "by difference", but in general how truthful do corporations have to be when figuring amount of calories, fat, carbs, etc. can I trust what the label says?

thanks!

Ok calories are everything when losing weight, but don't get obsessed with counting them. Just listen to your natural hunger. Make common sense choices.

*Foods you drink and are convenient have a way of finding their way into your stomach easier than foods that need to be prepared and cut up.
*Foods that taste sweet and are snackable (such as low carb bars and nuts) are much easier to eat a lot of and should be watched and consumed in moderation.
*Using a lot of liquid fat (oil, butter, cream) can pad the calorie count a lot. Since these foods can hitch a "free ride" since they require no work to digest them, they can be eaten in enormous quantities before your mind can catch up with your stomach to tell you "hey, you're full, stop eating!". SO, you should be aware of how much of these you are putting in food.

In general, listen to your natural hunger and proceed with caution with foods that you can over eat on

I could be wrong ,but this is a WOE not a diet.I eat normal tuna fish with out extra mayo.If I snack, it's on some leftover steak or boild eggs or something from the Atkins list.I'm tired of being a prisoner of food!I went off of atkins not to long ago and tried the point system and hated counting everything that went into my mouth.I am so happy to accept this as a WOE and not a diet! So go eat!!

1. Of course they count. "...there's no question but that a 1,500-calorie, ten-gram carbohydrate diet will take off weight more quickly than a 2,000-calorie, ten-gram carbohydrate diet." (pg. 36 Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution, '72 Edition).

2. Personally, I DON'T trust the labels on products. I prefer to make my own salad dressings, mayo, and I only eat foods as WHOLE as possible. I will have a few things that include DaVinci's (liquid Splenda), but other than that, everything I eat is fairly UN-processed.

actually any way you eat is your diet, as in my diet consists of meat, eggs, cheese, and lots of veggies. People just use the word "diet" to mean "weight loss" when actually the word diet is what you are putting in your mouth to eat. I get tired of being corrected for saying diet instead of WOE or WOL.

i wouldn't worry about calories. personally, i have notice that as the months roll on i eat considerably less and less. some days i don't even have dinner. once you get started your appetite will practically go away if you were like me and craved carbs every minute of the day, and went to wal mart to by a package of cookies and couldn't stop eating them until they were gone...i've lost 40lbs eating this way, and trust me, your appetite will take care of it...

i mean, i've lost 40lbs on atkins and kept it off for about eight months...