Hi Everyone ~

Since getting into ketosis, I have no appetite at all - I feel like I am force-feeding myself 3 times a day, hehe. Seriously though, in reading DANDR, I know we should not be counting calories, but I am only averaging about 1300 a day and I just don't want to send my body into starvation mode. I have done a search here and read a few good posts, but am still confused as to how you find the minimum you should eat . Any thoughts on this issue or resources would be very much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

~ Lori

Lori,

I think you can add some calories everyday without feeling like you are force feeding your self...use a little extra dressing..maybe a little bit more butter on your veggies..a serving of pork rinds or macadamia nuts..perhaps a celery stick with a bit of peanut butter on it...all might help to boast your calorie intake without making you feel like you are the human eating machine...I to sometimes feel like I have no need to eat as I am not hungry..I think that after all these years of eating on a "craving" system I have to relearn the signs of real hunger which I think are much more subtle than cravings. You'll be able to get beyond this, I think its great that you are looking forward to obstacles and trying to solve them before they become a problem for you!!

In my opinion, you won't send yourself into starvation mode by eating 1,300 calories a day. I would not go below about 1,200 calories, but -- assuming that 1,300 calories consist of nutrition food (meat, chicken, eggs, fish, vegetables, etc.) and not junk food (lowcarb candy or ice cream) -- you should be getting adequate nutrition and like all of us in the TDC, your body has plenty of stored fat to burn.

As Dr. Atkins stresses, it is important to eat three times a day, but you are doing that. Nowhere does Dr. Atkins says you need to force yourself to eat large quantities of food three times a day. As you move into ongoing weight loss and add a few more carbs, your appetite will probably naturally increase anyway. If you are concerned, trying adding a few berries and some more vegetables and see if that brings backs your appetite a little.

Thanks for the responses! I feel great, and yes the average 1300 daily calories are pure foods (i.e. meats, veggies). After reading a couple snippets, I started worrying that I could put myself behind without meaning to. Just me with silly worries really . Anyhow, I appreciate the response and affirmation. I have been considering moving out of induction and adding a small amount of fruit so maybe that will change my appetite as well. Thanks again for the help!

~ Lori

I too average 1300 calories per day, and like you never worried about counting calories because of what I read in DANDR. Thanks for sharing this, as I've seen threads about counting calories, so I was beginning to think I was doing something wrong.

some people have to count calories- others dont. i do. matter of fact, i count fat & protien & salt too along with my carbs. on average, i consume 900-1200 cals a day, which is pretty much where i should be at based on my bmi. im a lil obsessed, tho- so, dont mind me

Not obsessed at all Crystal! I think it is good to look at all things =). I guess what sparked this wondering for me was a thread where someone said your calories should equal 10X your weight!! That post wasn't in the TDC and I can't find it now =(, but I was wondering...is that 10X what your goal weight is? That would make sense, because it just seemed that eating 10X my weight now was too much! Anyhow, one thing is that I am learning to listen more to my body........when I am hungry vs. the old eating for sport =P, and I think that is a huge step for me so until I start to see stalls or feel badly, I will keep doing as I am now and adjusting as need be =)

“So if you suddenly drop 1,000 calories from your diet, your resting metabolic rate (the number of calories your body burns to maintain basic bodily functions, such as breathing and heartbeat) will automatically slow down, because your body now assumes that you’re starving.” says Jeff Hampl, Ph.D., R.D., a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association
you can safely lose any- where from half a pound to two pounds a week if you multiply your current weight by 11, says Liz Applegate, Ph.D., Professor of Nutrition at the University of California at Davis
"If you are used to counting calories and are more comfortable with such an approach, the general rule of thumb is to multiply your present weight by 10 to 12 to get the daily caloric range at which you would lose weight. For example a 150-pound woman who consumes 1,500 to 1,800 calories daily should continue to lose weight." per Atkins website

Thanks Cindy_Cfid! I appreciate the information. Of course that now means I need to increase the caloric uptake - I was worried about that, but am glad to know. Thanks again for the info!

Lori, your pup is adorable!

I find myself eating between 1300 and 1500 a day. If I ate 10-12 x current body weight I'd never lose anything. However, cutting down to 20-30 grams of carbs a day is what my body seems to need. Thank you, Dr. Atkins!

Are you tracking your food intake on fitday.com or another program? Is your fat intake a minimum of 65% of your calories? If not your body can break down protein into glucose.
I agree for a large person 10-12x body weight is a lot of calories but as long as you keep it above your minimum required for your basal metabolic rate you should not need to worry about starvation mode resetting and slowing down your metabolism.

Yes, I am tracking myself on fitday.com and my fat is usually around 65-70% with protein making up the rest, except for the 20g of carbs. I feel good, although have started getting hungry around 11pm at night just before bed =/. Kinda irritating, so I am gonna try eating more during the day and see what happens. Thanks again =)

Jagbender posted this link in another forum and said that going more than 15% below yoiur BMR is a no-no. According to this I should be around 1800 calories, so I think I may make some adjustments. Here is the link to the BMR calculator:

http://www.ecybex.com/education/cal...s/bmr_calc.html

I have heard that when you increase your cals not to go too fast or you will gain weight. Just start adding slowly so your body adjusts. Like add 100-150 cals a day for a week, then keep going like that.

Jenman - people like us are not obsessed, we're FOCUSED

Made me giggle Marebear =) hehe


Thanks also for the info!! Good to know and would certainly be a bit easier to do a gradual increase!