How much can I eat? Portion sizes?

[Debismyname]

Hi all

Well I've read over many posts and know what I can and can't have during induction but how much of the 0gram carb foods can we have? For example if I was having omelette for breakfast, how many eggs should i use? I used to have an eating disorder so my hunger/ full messages are all mixed up so if I go with how full i feel, i'll never be satisfied (as I used to binge eat). Anyway, can someone please give me a guide as to appropriate portion sizes/ calorie intake (even though i know that atkins is not about counting calories).

I just want to make certain I eat enough but not too much.

By the way, I exercise 1.5 hours a day (7 days a week) on a stationary bike.

Thanks Deb

[Desertthorn]

Re: How much can I eat? Portion sizes?

You are suppose to eat til your full, not stuffed and not still hungry. So somedays you might eat one egg and be full, the next 3 eggs won't fill you. Remember to eat slowly. When it's eggs, I usually start with 2 and then add some veggies and cheese or bacon. Never let yourself get hungry because then your body will start to hold on to the fat thinking it's going into starvation mode.

[Debismyname]

Re: How much can I eat? Portion sizes?

Thanks so much for your reply Desert. I'll use your suggestions as my guide and try to listen to my body and its full/ hungry signals

[Elizellen]

Re: How much can I eat? Portion sizes?

Also you need to be sure of your numbers of net carbs so use something like the USDA database to look them up. From it you will find that eggs are not zero carbs but have nearly 1/2 carb

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

You can use the carb list in the back of DANDR too, but he counted 0.6 carbs per large egg.

BTW in USA the manufacturers give their nutrition label 'per serving' numbers and often one serving is something as small as a teaspoon. Also they are allowed to say zero carbs if one serving has less than 0.5 carbs, so if you had a tablespoon of dressing with zero stated carbs per teaspoon you could be eating nearly 1.5 carbs!!

So get in the habit of looking at the list of ingredients as well as the nutrition numbers.

If a food item is made with eggs, tomato paste and dextrose in it there is no way it can have zero carbs evne if the label says 0 carbs as all of them have carbs either from natural sugars (eggs and tomato) or real sugar (dextrose). For items like this I would count 0.5 carbs per serving.

[Georgiana]

Re: How much can I eat? Portion sizes?

I've read over many posts and know what I can and can't have during induction

You should really read the book to learn Atkins, not posts here or on other forums.

The book we go by here is Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution (2002).