Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

[ttdriver]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

ahem ... let us not overlook the importance of burning those calories with rigorous exercise! (you knew I'd get around to that, didn't you?)


Betty

[cleochatra]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

I agree, America! Now if only I could be as brief as you, maybe I'd be a more effective writer. You really said it, girl! You look great!

Amen, sadie! And you're living proof of what you're saying. You're one hot mama!

Betty-- testify! WOOT!

[not2late]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

My 2 net carbs....

I find keeping track of and counting carbs is alot of work. So when I read Dr. Atkins advice that you don't need to count carbs, I thought "WooHooo! Makes life easier for me!"

But as Labarum's siggy says: "Atkins didn't say 'Calories don't count',
he said, 'Don't count calories.' "

I followed the Rules. I found that ketosis kept my appetite in check. And I eventually re-learned those hunger/satiety cues we all had at birth. Newborn babies will only drink that amount of milk/formula that it needs for energy. Once mom or dad or whoever starts forcefeeding ("Oh Junior only drank 3 ounces! He'll starve if he doesn't drink all 4 ounces") that baby, that baby begins to unlearn the inherent hunger/satiety cues. If that baby manages to escape infancy with his/her natural cues intact, it will probably be force-feed out of him during his toddler years and early childhood years ("Oh dear! Junior didn't finish his turkey leg! He'll starve to death if he doesn't eat that, 3 bread rolls, two helpings of green beans, and a big piece of pie!")

Personally, I found that by listening to my body, on some days I eat more than I do on other days. That's why I can't eat a certain number of calories day after day after day. If I force feed myself to "make" the daily calorie number on my not-so-hungry days, not only will I make myself feel sick from overeating, but I'll also will be force-feeding myself like those babies and toddlers.

[cleochatra]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

Megs-- you are so right on! I agree with so much of what you are saying! I definitely only eat to feed hunger, but when we use fitday anyway, it calculates the calories, and it really is not any extra effort. Thanks so much for weighing in!

[not2late]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

Fitday.....personally, I hate fitday. I only use it to calculate carbs in recipes I'm modifying.

I keep track of my foods, carbs, and exercise in a notebook. It's easier for me to just jot these things down in a notebook, than it is for me to enter all of it in fitday.

[cleochatra]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

{{{megs}}} I know plenty of people who feel that way, too. There's no crime in that. I usually calculate both by habit in notebooks, too, but I've spent the last 23 years of my life calculating calories and carbs, so it's definitely a habit for me.

[Analog6]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

I'm with Megs. We MUST all learn to listen to our bodies. I'm still learning. I do find writing everything down in my journal helps - it pulls you up if the meal is this huge list! And the other control mechanism is portion sizes. We buy chicken breasts in bulk and I bag them up with the grmas on the outside. So we might have ones from 150g up to 250g in the fridge. If eating individually, I use a small one, and lots of veggies. If having a combined meal with the DB, we use a large one between us. If the food on your plate looks like too much, it probably is.
I am pleased that lately I've begun stopping and having some letovers to go in the fridge. Thius NEVER happened before Atkins.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

yep we need to learn to listen and for those who say they can't like wannabe Dr Atkins has homework assignments for you in DANDR. you eat 1/ the amount on your plate and stop. put the food away and go do something else. when you are hungry again you come eat the other 1/2. keep doing that and you will be amazed at how quick you learn what your body says when it is hunger and what it says when it isn't.

Oncvew as Megs said you relearn your hunger signals the battle is won.

IF Dr Atkins wanted us to count cals he could have said 80 net cals of carbohydrates instead of 20 net grams. but he knew most folk were calorie brainwahsed and if they were calorie counting on his plan the high clas of the fatswould scare them off eating them and he would have a hotline ful of lean meat eating folk telling him his plan didn't work. So he tosses the concept of calorie counting as we know it out the windo and says eat net grams of carbohydrates and all it takes from the protein and fats lists to satisfy your hunger. Dr Atkins was very aware of how satisfying protein and fats are, how they take longer to digest, and how they effect blood sugar caused hunger and how hard it is to over eat them in and of them selves. Raise your hand if you can sit and eat a cup of fat. how about 1/2 a cup? nope see their is a limit to how much fat you can eat befoire you are satisfied. Now protein who can honestly say after the first couple of days of induction you could sit down and eat a whole plain chicken or a pound of tuna? any hands up? Now if you tossed BBQ sauce on that chicken I'd bet more hands would go up. but that brrings in the carbs and your 3 aday sweetner limit, doesn't it? See he knew what he was doing. Even if you ate the whole chicken cause you were hungry you have only consumed 450- 633 cals if it was a whole 1 pound chicken. it is hard to over eat fats and proteins because they are so satisfying. once you learn your body you will be stopping with much smaller portions/calorie servings.

it is very hard to over eat if ou are listenig to your body. Learn that and you will be a life long goalie.

[cleochatra]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

Truedat, 2big!

Still, it's extremely easy to eat too many calories and gain weight on Atkins!

An example: I stalled out on Atkins when I didn't realize I was getting so many calories from mayonnaise that I had actually stopped losing. Adjustic intake, started losing again. I've had quite a few people come to me and tell me they were stalled. We adjusted their caloric intake and boom-- they started losing again!

Atkins definitely naturally controls most things, but caloric control is still important, especially after induction, and especially when someone encounters a stall for other than the usual reasons.

I don't think any of us are disagreeing. I do believe that people should consider that while there is still a ketogenic advantage to liploysis, acknowldgement of the importance of calories doesn't get thrown out the window with the high-carb treats.

[ttdriver]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

I agree with Megs .. the enjoyable part of Atkins is doing it "RIGHT" and not having to obsess over calories. Conscious of calories, yes, but obsessed over them, no.

My body does best when I 'shake things up' and don't stay in a certain eating pattern day after day. In other words, some days I eat more, some days I eat less. But I always eat ENOUGH.

Betty

[cleochatra]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

I agree, Betty! Obsession in anything can be pejorative. The beauty is, there is no need to obsess over calories, but also not to disregard them as a data point.

{{{Betty}}}

[wannabethintoo]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

So if you're not counting calories then the 65,30,5 % rule becomes pretty important. What would stop someone from choosing really high fat foods ALL the time....adding a lot butter to everything they eat, eating a lot of bacon, etc. ....Wouldn't someone end up gaining weight even though they are following Atkins?

[not2late]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

The one thing I wish I had when I started on Atkins was that "appetite scale" (I have a link to it in the thread called "Train your Brain" in the 14 Day Induction Forum). That would have been really, really, really helpful in figuring out how hungry/satisfied I was between meals and during meals.

[ttdriver]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

So if you're not counting calories then the 65,30,5 % rule becomes pretty important. What would stop someone from choosing really high fat foods ALL the time....adding a lot butter to everything they eat, eating a lot of bacon, etc. ....Wouldn't someone end up gaining weight even though they are following Atkins?

Yes, I think that's right ... I eat ALOT of fat (well, until I feel satisfied and fat satisifies me pretty quick!), but I also BURN ALOT OF FAT for fuel. I put butter on just about everything .. eat alot of full fat dressings, etc., and haven't had any weight gain. But I also recognize that were I to quit running (HEAVEN FORBID), I'd definitely have to cut back on the FUEL (fat).

Betty

[2big4mysize]

Re: Calories still matter, even on a low-carb plan

So if you're not counting calories then the 65,30,5 % rule becomes pretty important. What would stop someone from choosing really high fat foods ALL the time....adding a lot butter to everything they eat, eating a lot of bacon, etc. ....Wouldn't someone end up gaining weight even though they are following Atkins?

there own body would Wannabe. the hunam biody has fat censors rihgt as the food leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine. when those sensors are activated they immediately notify the brain WARNING HIGH FAT FOOD COMEING OUT!!!!! and the brain in turn generates a signal to the stomach SHUT UP!!!! and the stomach opening to the small intestines does just that. it closes back up for more tummy churning and only that small amount of high fat food was released for use as enegy along wiht any carbs and protein that got out. SO you get a nibble to keep your blood sugar stable and then you get another and another. As long as you listen to your hunger you would not be hungry and you would be not eating for a long time. When it was time to eat again you would be at the 6 hr more and need to follow the rules and have just a bit of carb fat/protein and go from there.

If you remove the food triggers from your enviornment TV ads food out in plain view, etc. you will see you can go till an alarm rings to tell you 6hrs have passed and you need to eat again.

There really is science behind why Atkins works