Protein/Fat grams per day
 

How many protein and fat grams is 'normal' in a day? How many calories on average do any of you take in?

I'm just curious. I average about 400 cal/24g fat/37g protein, and i'm just wondering if there is any formula for the protein/fat/calorie ratios.

Cheers,
Cyka.

Cyka, general rule for weight loss is 10 - 12 times your body weight in calories a day. You need a certain amount of energy for your basal metabolic functioning; 10 x body weight allows for this. Following a LC WOE (way of eating) percentages are between 65 - 70% fat, 5% carbs and the rest protein (I typically average about 130g of fat, 25g of carbs and 120 g of protein and am losing a steady 2.5 lbs of body fat a week).

400 calories a day is low; too low . You are at starvation levels and in danger of causing permanent harm to yourself. Even the strictest low fat fad diet calls for more fat than you're presently eating. Your body need fat to function and you require a minimum 60g of protein a day.

Also, water should be at 64 oz a day minimum.

Your health is very important, the amount of food you're currently eating is not enough. How long have you been at such a drastic level?

Nat

If I take my weight in pounds and x 10, that's like 1300 calories! I don't think I could eat that much food even if I wanted to. Yesterday I had a scrambled egg with cheese for breakfast, rocket salad with mushrooms and parmesan, and a chicken breast with herbs for dinner with sugar free gelatin for dessert, and a couple slices of cheese before bed. total calories was just under 400. i honestly can't see myself trying to put more than that into my mouth. 130g fat is unfathomable to me! i started atkins because i understand the theory behind it, but i just don't see any way i can consume that much stuff. do you eat all day? is that how you do that much? does everyone eat that much? the water is no problem...i drink between 2 and 3 litres(sometimes more) a day. in fact, that's all i drink because i don't drink caffiene at all.

Cyka.

hi Cyka
 

Yes Nat is right, you need to be eating more than you are right now, regardless of the 10-times "rule".

It would be helpful if you indicated the size of the portions you ate. (you can state in grams, no need to convert to ounces ;)) .. Looking at your menu, I think perhaps you've miscalculated the calories and protein grams - but still too low for successful low-carb weight loss (and keeping it off afterward). And way, way too little protein for good health. Plus, Atkins is very clear that you may have 20g carbohydrate each day, so you should have 2 salads, or one salad and a portion of cooked vegetable - broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, etc.

Women require 60g protein minimum. That amount is necessary just for making hormones, enzymes, digestive juices and all the other chemical processes that take place in the body every day ... as well as normal repair and replacement of tissues, organs. After that has been accomplished, the body then uses any extra protein to build new muscles. If one does not consume adequate protein in the diet to perform those first vital functions, the body will break down the muscles to get what it needs.

As Nat explained above, when you eat too few calories, your body will adapt by turning the metabolism down, down, down ... until you stop burning fat altogether, and will stop losing weight. The trouble with this system is that each time your body slows the metabolism down, it "forgets" that it was ever running in a faster mode. You become stuck at that slower-burning level, and so you have to eat even less to see any weight loss ... but then the body slows more, so you eat less ... and so on and so on ... you see the picture???

I can tell you from my own personal experience that gradually increasing the calories to a level that is bare minimum of 8 to 10 times your weight in pounds ... in the form of fat (good olive oil and flax {fresh linseed} oil) .. will stimulate weight loss. I routinely eat over 100g fat per day, plus I make every effort to ensure 80 to 100g protein. I also keep my carbohydrate intake around 20 to 25g per day.

So, it would be good for you to make an effort to eat more ... and at the start, for your health ... please eat more protein. Then, add a little more fat ... use 10 or 15 ml good olive oil to dress the salad. Dip the chicken breast in seasoned mayonnaise. Have cooked broccoli with melted butter. 15 ml olive oil, butter or mayonnaise will give you approx. 120 calories, and 14g fat .. :) .. Fat is the low-carber's friend. Fat is the low-carber's friend. Fat is the low-carber's friend.

I think you will find that you have more energy and vitalilty. The weight loss will be successful, and you will have better luck at keeping it off. What's the use in starving yourself to lose a few pounds, if 6 months from now you gain it all back when you are sick to death (literally!) of eating starvation rations, and try to eat the way you plan to for the rest of your life?

Doreen

thanks for your reply. i put all of my foods into fitday.com and my journal is public(user name-cyka). i've heard that fitday's calories are sometimes higher than actual,but i'm a chef and the calculations there are more or less accurate. anyway, i eat what i feel i can put in my mouth. if i eat more than that, i feel unwell and bloated. 100g of fat just seems like way too much. i honestly can not put that much fat into my body, i would be sick.

Re: Flax oil supplement?
 

Could you tell me more about Flax (linseed oil) supplement. I am having a terrible time getting enough calories. It's averaging 1000 to 1100 a day. According to the rule of thumb used here, it should be a minimum of 1800. I really have to push it to get up to 1400.

I am eating 3 very well balanced and filling meals a day. I put butter on my veggies, make my own salad dressing with extra-virgin olive oil, have been using more mayo than I am accustommed to...short of drinking a cup of cream or 1/2 cup of mayo, I can't figure out what to add to my meal plans.

For dinner it is usually a piece of baked meat (skin with the chicken), a steamed veggie with double the butter I would have used before, and a salad. (if you look at my last journal entry for the day or the one in the daily meal plan thread for yesterday, that is pretty typical of how I eat.)

I have not been on a low fat diet in 10 years. Is flax seed something worthwhile for me?

You can increase your fat and calories by using higher fat salad dressings on your salad and using butter to cook with and such, that will help a lot.

Thanks for the idea. Maybe a few home made salad dressing made with mayo, oil, vinegar and spices. I used to make that in a honey dijon version, but omitting the honey and adding some spices would be worth experimenting with.