Hi everyone...

I joined this site about a week ago and have been doing allot of reading ever since.....This is a great site....I am so happy to have found all of you....

I have been somersizing for more than a year and as of May 10th, I started to count carbs.... I have been in the introduction stage .... I have been keeping track of what I eat with Fitday.com..... I don't always reach my 20 carbs aday...Most days its between 10 to 15....Is this ok?.....

With keeping track of what I eat, I noticed that my calories are way up there....They are never less than 3000 aday....Sometimes its allot more....Is this ok?.....

Should I stay in the introduction stage till I get to goal?

Also (last question) is it ok to have Atkins Advantage Bars in the introduction stage?

Julie,
I am in the same boat, started 10 days ago and i am doing exactly what you're doing. Hope you get some answers. Sorry I cant help, but I'll be watching for replies. Good luck
Etelka from Oz

Generally, you should soon feel full enough that 10 - 12 times your current body weight in calories should be enough.

That's the idea of not 'needing' to count calories. Personally, I always have to count because I could eat down the house every day and not lose (compulsive snacker!).

The bottom line is that if you eat too many calories, of any sort, you will not lose weight. That sucks, right? Stupid laws of nature!

Jinx

AND - most people around here claim that Advantage bars are not cool during induction. Stall city! I personally can't stand them...imagine that...
Jinx

Remember you only count net carbs, net carbs=total carbs-fiber & sugar alcohols. Try upping your veggies to up your carbs. By restricting carbs to less than 20g you won't have any benefits like losing faster. So aim for 20g, but don't worry if you're at 18g or so. Your calories do sound rather high, so you might want to try cutting back some. 3000 calories or more a day seems excessive unless you're a serious athlete. Advantage Bars contain sugar alcohols, which some people are sensitive to & can cause stalls. I've used them since Induction without any problems, but many aren't so lucky. My advice would be to wait until you're steadily losing before adding them, so you can accurately assess how they effect your progress. Good luck.
Remember to get at least 64oz of water daily & take a good multi-vitamin.
God Bless,
Amy-Lynne

Thank you both for your reply....

As of today I have even more reading to do...I finally found my Atkins book...Atkins for life....

When people have the Advantage Bars, do they have them as a snack or has a meal replacement?..........I am not sure when to have them....

Thank you so much for the help...

Over 3000 calories a day just doesn't sound right at all.

I noticed on FitDay that you really have to watch what it inputs. It used to have me over ALL THE TIME. Like 1 cup of butter instead of 1 tablespoon. go back and look at you food log and make sure the portions are the right size.

Could you give an example of a daily menu? Just curious...

~Shelly

PS No bars no shakes until after induction, and then in moderation.

Hi Shelly...Thanks for helping...

Oh no...no bars....I was so excited that I finally found some in my area...I thought that maybe as a meal replacement so that I could cut back on calories?...Are they a meal replacement or are they just for snacking?

Here's my menu for yesterday....

Breakfast
1 oz 100% cranberry juice diluted with water
3 fried eggs
3 veal left over cutlets
1 cup of steamed broccoli
1 cup of decaff with cream

Lunch
2 chicken legs with thigh
2 cups mixed green salad with olive oil and vinegar
1 cup of decaff with cream

Dinner
1 large rib steak 1 1/2 in thick
1 cup of streamed cauliflower
1 cup of decaff with cream

My total net carbs is #16
My calories #3048

Not all my days are like this....Some times I only have the salad for lunch cause I am really not that hungry (but its rare)

What do you think?

PS...I forgot to mention all my water that I drink....At least 3 liter

Wow, that is over 3000 calories! Looks like breakfast and lunch was double the amount you need. You might want to try and cut it down to about 2000 calories a day. For example I usually have two soft boiled eggs (with butter) and a couple of slices of bacon for breakfast, or a two egg omelette. Lunch is usually leftover meat from the night before and a salad...

For induction it says three cups loose salad or two cups loose salad and one cup of cooked veggies per day, so you might want to cut back a bit on those too.

~Shelly

I have read two different things on the boards and now I am not sure which one I am looking at.

Some say the calories you eat should be around 10 to 12 times your current body weight and some it should be around 10 to 12 times your goal weight.

Thanks for the advice Shelly....

Some days I do get only about 2000 but that is when I skip or have a very small lunch....That is why I am so interested in knowing about those Advantage Bars....

Sorry Rickin.....I wish I could help...Hopefully someone will get back to you soon.....

Quote:

Some say the calories you eat should be around 10 to 12 times your current body weight and some it should be around 10 to 12 times your goal weight.

RickinTN: You are correct, you have read both on this board. That is because, there are several schools of thought about this. I do not think there is a "correct" answer. It's based on what works for you. It's just a general guideline for you to follow. You could try to eat around 10-12X your current body weight at first. If you don't lose weight, then perhaps try 10-12X your goal weight. Happy LCing!!!

And to those of you whose profiles indicate that you have not read the book for the plan you say you are following, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go and read the book. Borrow it from your library or get a copy in a second hand book store but do read it. You will find the REAL advice from the doctor who started it. And get answers to questions that you haven't thought of yet.

As to the 10-12 times thing: that isn't in the books (that I know of). Check on the websites of the various plans to see if it's in the FAQs.

Atkins says that you should eat "enough to not feel hungry" not all you can stuff in. I know that I eat much less food now that I am on Atkins than I did when I was eating carbs. Then I could shove in huge plates full of spaghetti or potatoes but now, I can't finish a usual LC meal.

At first you may fear that you will be hungry, but that fear is soon put to rest after a few days when you forget to eat lunch or find that you can't finish a meal. Sometimes it is better for losing to eat more meals (6) per day but smaller. You may have to experiment to find out what fits your lifestyle and body.


PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Read the book.

Hi everyone....I finally found Dr Atkins book yesterday "Atkins for life"... I can't wait to get started reading it.....Mean while, can someone tell me about the advantage bars if there are to replace a meal or just for snacking....If you look back at my menu you will see that my meals are balanced (protein with little carbs) and not all you can eat....I am not stuffed when I am finished ... My concern is that, I know that the calories are high and I am trying to figure out a way to cut them back without feeling hungry....I am having a tuff time doing this....I know I can eat one leg instead of two but I am still hungry and that could set me up looking for snacks (like cheese that is also high in calories) and if I break it up into 6 meals, the protein (calories) are still the same....Please help...

Julie, please ignore that calorie voice!

I am doing this plan without Fit Day or calorie charts or anything like that - no ketosticks either. I refuse to be dictated to by a piece of litmus paper.

I am going strictly by Dr A's book and nothing else. I feel great, look fab and am losing inches and pounds too! This isn't supposed to be complicated, we're meant to ENJOY our food.

Have yourself some luscious rib eye steaks, mushrooms sauteéd in garlic with butter or olive oil, griddle shrimp, or even things like tofu marinated kebabs, crunchy salads, home made creamy mayonnaise, good cheeses and cream in your coffee.

People at work can't believe I'm losing weight when they see me putting cream in my coffee and olive oil and lemon on my salads.

Good luck and remember - take it easy on yourself.

Oh and a PS - don't sweat it about the cheese! You're allowed 3-4 ounces a DAY on induction.