Hi, Greg.

From looking at your stats, I'd really suggest you not worry about maintenance or even pre-maintenance right now. Concentrate on the OWL phase (which I would guess is where you are in Atkins's plan, again from the stats).

Be sure you're taking in AT LEAST 10-12 times your weight in calories, daily. You read it right. Twenty-five hundred, AT LEAST. That will support your Basal Metabolic Rate and keep your system from going into starvation mode (hanging on to every last calorie, for fear it won't get any more, ever). Once you support the BMR, your system realizes you're *not* out to starve it, but to *feed* it--and it lets the fat slip away. It allows the state of ketosis/lipolysis to *work*.

Also be sure you're drinking plenty of water. You require at least 64oz a day, plus another 8oz for every 25lbs you want to lose. I routinely drink 3-4 litres daily. I only *need* 72oz at this point, but I feel better and find the pounds and inches move better when I drink more. There's no such thing as too much water. Too little, though, and you're courting dehydration. Not a good thing.

I suggest taking a look at FitDay.com. It's a food-tracking system (among other things) that lots of us here have found very helpful. I use it to plan my menus a day ahead. Without it, I'd have no clue if I were getting my 70% calories from fat, 5% from carbs, and 25% from protein. I just don't have that kind of capability in my head. With the FitDay program I can play with my food (hee hee hee) until the numbers are within a reasonable range of my target.

If you have any more questions, by all means, ask! I know someone will answer--we ALL have opinions around here!