I am having a little problem of eating the amount of calories that I need to eat, from what I have been told. Something about 10-12% (1900-2280 calories of my weight.........should be the amount of calories I should be eating. There are more days than not that I am so full, I just can't get past maybe 1500 calories.

My question is: Where is this information coming from about us having to eat the 10-12% of our body weight? Is it the Protein Power Plan? I did Atkins about 2 yrs. ago and I never remember that in his book, but I might be wrong. I know I didn't follow that and yet, I did lose weight. I don't like this having to worry about eating more calories than I feel like eating. However, I am on my last day of Induction, and I have lost 8 pounds, but I keep getting an extra 2 pounds on the scales ..........like I am gaining about every 3 days! Could this be the problem that I am not eating enough calories? Does the Atkins program demand that 10-12% or your body weight?

I will certainly appreciated any help with this situation about having to eat a certain amount of calories????????

Thanking Ya'll in Advance,
Jo Ann in TEXAS

This comes from human biology JoAnn; not from any one plan. Your body needs so much energy to function - 60 - 70% of the calories you consume go to making sure you stay healthy and everything works like it is supposed to. If you eat below this level - your BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate) you stress your body. A stressed body wont lose fat. It will hold as tightly as possible to water and fat; and it will sacrifice lean muscle. Lean muscle is what raises your metabolism, losing it is actually one of the worst things you can do to yourself. Starvation diets work - at first. You see the numbers on the scales going down and you're happy. What you're losing is muscle. When you go back to eating a healthy amount of food you start gaining weight - you've lost so much muscle that your metabolism is slower than ever and your body stores everything it can as fat in preparation for the next 'famine'.

10 - 12 times your body weight a day satisfies your BMR. Chances are if you've been eating below this for a long time you are dealing with what I described above. Eating less will not make this situation better.

This post will explain BMR .
And this one is some advice you received a few days ago about eating more .

HTH
Nat

I really appreciate your help and pointing this out to me! That has to be the reason, I keep putting the same 2 pounds back on and having to take it off.

I will be sure I get my calories up! Even, if I have to CHOKE it down!

Jo Ann in TEXAS