I have a very silly question guys and gals..... Is there such a thing as not eating enough on the lc diet? Im on a serious plateau, so i lowered my carb intake to about 10. I also weigh in at a local support group Thursday nights, so i tend not to eat a whole lot so that i dont have a gain, and so I can show some kind of loss. Doing this, am i setting myself up for failure?

Also, do any of you use the Atkins bars and what are your experiences with meal supplements and low carb bars?

Would love some advice here.. almost at the end of my rope and I dont know what else to do so i can start dropping pounds faster. one pound a week just isnt enough for me....

thanks in advance!
Lainbc
(lori)

Yes, there is such a thing as not eating enough. I've heard of people on this board who experience quicker weight loss at higher-calorie levels. If you severely restrict calories you run the risk of shutting down your metabolism so that your weight loss slows even more. Especially since you are not near goal yet, you need to eat enough, and on low-carb you can eat more (not a LOT more, mind you) and actually stimulate your metabolism and lose more fat. And remember this is a Way of Life. You have to do it in a way that is livable. This WOL is NOT about deprivation. Some people say you should eat 10 to 12 times your current body weight in calories per day. I throw that out for what it's worth. I'm not sure that really applies when your body is at a very high fat level. Anyway, try allowing yourself to eat more while continuing to restrict the carbs, drink your water, and exercise if you can. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Missydog

Hi Lori. Yes, there is such a thing as not eating enough. From the reading I have done, you should be eating 10-12 times your body weight in calories. So take your weight, multiply it by 10, and that is approximately how many calories you should eat. I am on a major stall right now, have been for about 4 weeks. But I haven't let it worry me. I feel really good and my clothes are fitting better. I had a couple of bad days this week, but I started on induction yesterday, to jumpstart me again. Hopefully that will work.
I eat Atkins bars once in awhile, but not often because of the hidden carbs. I only use them as emergencies when I am out.
Hope this helps.

Glenda

HI Lori and welcome to the forum

Yes, there certainy is such a thing as eating too few calories. Low Carb and Low Calorie doesnt go hand in hand. Quite the opposite, actually. Your body requires a certain amount of food to function; 10 - 12 times your weight is the generaly accepted number. This caloric total is for basal metabolic functioning. It does not take into account exercise or style of living. If you eat too little your body will learn to make do with less and less until eventually you're in starvation mode. Prior to that happening your system will start preparing what it considers to be an impending famine; it will hold on to water and fat. This is a very undesireable situation.

If you've been severely restricing your calories, start upping them slowly. Be sure you're getting your minimum protein requirement (60g is the bare minimum a female needs every day) and do not be afraid to eat fat. You need the fat; it tastes good, it makes you feel full and satiated and there are some fats that can only be found in the foods we eat (these are called Essential Fatty Acids and they are just that, essential).

As for the "low carb" bars; many of them contain hidden carbs. While they may claim to have 2g per bar some have as many as 15g (or more). There is a hidden carb counter located under "low carb tools" at the top of every page. Punch in the numbers from one of your wrappers for more details. Also, check out the article under "low carb tips" about Sugar Alcohols. Very sobering material.

Best of luck to you,
Nat