increasing calories...

[Erin80]

So I'm on the first rung of owl and have lost another 2 pounds this week....so that's good! However, I'm eating REALLY low carlorie wise. Today I ate 1200 calories, my fat intake was 52%, carbs at 8% and protein at 40% (I know, too high, but it's because I had a steak)...usually my protein is around 28-33%.

I can eat up to 2000 calories a day, but I'd like to stay around 1800. How can I increase calories, without increasing the fat too much (since on OWL you're supposed to cut back on fat a little bit while increasing carbs), or the protein? Is the only way to do that when you get up into the higher rungs of OWL and the food itself is higher calorie?

[*Emma*]

Re: increasing calories...

Seems we all have the same questions lately.... these bloody calories and percentages!!

Chickens the best protein you can eat IMO that wont increase your fat... but maybe... ummm... on the fats that you are eating, say mayo and butter etc, can you just lower the amount you use, cut down that way?

Someone smart will be along soon and help you out further im sure

[Buddyjay]

Re: increasing calories...

From your post it sounds as if your % are okay except for an occassional high protein day? Just back down the protein and increase the fat.
If overall you are happy with your %, then just increase the volume of foods. The percentages will stay the same and the calories will go up.

[sallyseachange]

Re: increasing calories...

One thing to remember is that by raising your carbs in OWL and thus the carb percentage, you'll gradually be reducing the other percentages naturally, without altering the amount you eat of fat or protein at all. I sometimes wonder if this is what Dr Atkins meant when he talked about the fat percentage lowering as you get nearer goal.
Does anyone have any idea about this?

Sorry if I went off at a tangent...

[not2late]

Re: increasing calories...

On Rung 1, you eat the same amount of fat you did during Induction.

On Rung 2, you exchange 1 serving of added fat for 5 net carbs of the Rung 2 food.

On Rung 3, you exchange 1 serving of added fat for 5 net carbs of the Rung 3 food.

Let's say that during Induction your fats came from 4 tablespoons of added fat (butter, mayo, etc.) and 4 ounces of Induction cheese to get your percentages to the Induction 65/30/5.

During Rung 1, you don't change the amount of fats. You'll see your percentages will decrease slightly, maybe to 64% fat, because you added an extra 5 net carbs to your menu.

During Rung 2, you drop a serving of added fat or Induction cheese for your 5 net carbs of Rung 2 food. Rung 2 foods have about the same amount of fat per serving as a tablespoon of butter or an ounce of Induction cheese. But these Rung 2 foods have a higher carb count than butter or Induction cheese, so the fat percentages will again, slightly lower (maybe 63-64% fat).

During Rung 3, you drop a serving of the added fat or Induction cheese for the 5 net carbs of Rung 3 food. The reason is the same as the Rung 2 foods: Rung 3 foods have more carbs than added fat and Induction cheese.

Rungs 4-9 foods are low to no fat, but they still have more carbs than butter or Induction cheese. So if you eat the same amount of fat that you did during Rungs 1-3 and add these low-to-no fat carb foods, the percentages will slightly lower again.

Think of this like an old-fashioned scale, like the "scales of Justice". If you have equal weights on both pans, the pans are on the same level. If you start adding more weight to one pan, the scale will lower in that direction. That's what you're doing on OWL with the carbs, you are adding more carbs but keeping the actual amount of fat you eat the same or slightly less.

[not2late]

Re: increasing calories...

And what I mean by eating "slightly less" fat is eating 3 1/2 ounce of Induction cheese rather than 4 ounces. Or eating 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, rather than 4.

[sallyseachange]

Re: increasing calories...

Thanks Megs, for that clarification... I was always hazy on that point. I've read DANDR three times but still managed to miss it... or was reading in my sleep! Lol!

[not2late]

Re: increasing calories...

Don't worry Sally. Dr. Atkins didn't break it down like that in the book. All he says is that fat and protein remain your mainstay. He never says to eat the same amount of protein and fat, but increase your carbs only. We figured that out on ADBB through a lot of trial and error!

[sallyseachange]

Re: increasing calories...

Ahhhh... good to know. And it's a sensible and logical conclusion.