I've read a few people comment on counting calories while on Atkins. I did not think that was necessary. I thought only carbs matter. Am I misinformed?? Dixiegirl

Welcome Dixie.

While Dr Atkin's says not to count calories, one has to remember not to go overboard with them. This does not mean to go wild and over eat.

As he points out in the book, eat until you are full, and only eat when hungry. Common sense would tell us that we won't lose weight by consuming 4000 calories a day when we are only burning 1600-2200, between our BMR and exercise.

Hi Dixie I have never counted fat or calories..i eat butter every day..and lots of it...I've lost 50lbs since April of this year and have never felt better Make sure you're exercising!

it does not matter what diet you are on if you consume more calories then you expend you will not lose weight.

I understand that that seems to be the rule..but for the amount of butter..cream..bacon..etc that i eat in a day..there is no way i'm coming even close to burning that many calories..not even close...just my experience though

You would probably be surprized at how many calories you are actually burning when you take the excess insulin out of the equation

LCing allows you to control insulin, a big problem for many of us. Once this is under control our bodies can work like they are supposed to. A 160 lb woman, just laying around all day in bed, would require approximately 1500 calories; just to keep her body working.

Many of us are also surprized at just how many calories we are eating (or aren't eating as the case may be). While 70% of my diet has been comprised of fat in the past it turned out to only be 120 grams. 120x9=1080 calories. That doesn't leave much for the other 30%.

If you use www.fitday.com have a look under the "Activities" tab. You'll get information based on the stats you entered when you joined up; activity level, basal metabolism, and any activities you've done for that day. The number may shock you (in a good way!)

Nat

Thanks Nat..I do use fitday everyday and love it..never gone in to look at those stats though..like i said in my early posts..I dont'really care..i eat a ton of fat and am losing like crazy..so whatever

I've been around these boards for 8 months and this topic has been debated 1000's of times.... and this is what I've noticed:

1) If you're 30+ lbs overweight, it seems that counting calories is not essential for losing weight.... eating until you're satisfied (not stuffed) works out alright for limiting calories. Ketosis also curbs the appetite for some and that also helps. This isn't always the case, however....and some have to really watch their calorie intake in order to lose weight. HOWEVER, "watching" calories only means that your intake should be reasonable.... try using 10-12x your ideal body weight as a guideline.

2) As you get leaner, it gets a little tougher to lose those last few pounds...the body is reluctant to let go of those reserves! If one has <20 lbs to lose I've observed that limiting calories to a reasonable level, tweaking carb levels and adding regular exercise seems to work best.

So.........the answer to your question is: It depends!! Every individual is different. Patience and a willingness to try new approaches are highly essential elements for long-term success.

Thanks Teri..great answer..everyone definately is different and there is no set rules for anything..there can't be..I say figure out what works for you and go for it..why mess with a good thing?

Just wanted to add specifics here as an example. I punched in my average day food into Fitday and came out with:

4000 calories intake
Biking every other day: 300 cals burned

Now I know we are burning calories all through out the day..but there is no way i'm burning over 3700 other calories while sitting at my desk all day working

Just wanted to give a direct example

If we're going to be truly specific how about the complete food list

Nat

No prob

Breakfast :

4 slices bacon
3 fried eggs
2 tbs butter
3 oz cheddar
2 mugs coffee
2 oz heavy cream

snack:

.5 cup tuna
2 tbs mayo
.5 stalk celery
1 mug coffee
1 oz heavy cream

Lunch

3 egg omellete
4 oz swiss
2 slice crumbled bacon
green onions
.5 cup mushrooms

snack

.5 cup tuna
2 tbs mayo
.5 celery stalk

Dinner

taco salad:
1 cup ground beef - spiced
2 cup head lettuce
.5 cup shredded cheddar
.25 cup sour cream
splash of hot sauce

snack

1 cup whipped heavy cream
.25 cup fresh raspberries

All day over 100 oz of water.


CALS: 4077
FATS: 350
CARB: 28
PROT: 203

forgot to add: I do 30 mins on my bike at home 3 times a week at a moderate/fastish rate ( for me ) aprox 15-20 km each time.

Have gone from 268# to 219# Since april of this year

Thank you Madame Baconbabe Anyone will tell you I am a big fan of 'eating more to lose better' - there is nothing like seeing an example of this at work.

Nat

Baconbabe,
Thanks for the input. I was on Atkins years ago and I lost a significant amount of weight without counting calories. I was eating like a truck driver who just came off a fast!! The allure of Atkins is that there is no need to count calories. In fact, Atkins says "Set no limit on the amount of food you can eat." I'm open to further discussion from anyone who disagrees. I'll keep you posted on my weight loss. Which by the way was a 3lb. loss the first day!! Dixiegirl

Cutting calories worked for me but I did not count them. When I dropped the carbs I did not make up for them by eating gobs of fat and protein. I am more liberal with olive oil and cheese on my salads. If I subtract all the sugar iced teas, beer, bread, rolls, buns, crackers, cookies, pretzels that I used to eat - there was a significant drop in calories per day. When I stuck hardcore to 20 g of carb a day I dropped weight fast. I probably dropped about 150 gram carb a day so compute the calories.

Now to maintain I still can not go back to the old calorie intake. I learned just how small the portions of food I should eat and still keep fairly low carbs. Added back fruit and supplement with low carb cereal like Ketocrisp, Carbsense, Atkins pancake mix.

My tract record now is:

1rst month lost 18 lbs, 3.5 months lost 37lbs total.

Have maintained for 3 months now since the 3.5 month induction at my target weight. I can control my weight +/- 1 lb with complete control.