Do calories count?

[not2late]

Re: Do calories count?

Once more with feeling: The complete 'calorie counting'/'calories matter' issue from DANDR 2002 Chapter 11 Frequently Asked Questions section:

I'm used to counting calories. How many am I allowed during Induction?

There is no need to count calories. The Atkins Nutritional Approach counts grams of carbohydrates instead of calories. At the beginning of Induction you are allowed 20 grams of carbohydrates, gradually adding them in 5-gram increments as you progress from Ongoing Weight Loss to Pre-Maintenance and finally to the Lifetime Maintenance phase of Atkins.

Although there is no need to count calories, they do matter. Gaining weight results from taking in more calories than you expend through exercise, thermogenesis (the body's own heat production) and other metabolic functions. Research has shown that on a controlled carbohydrate program, more calories are burned than in a low fat/high carb diet, so there is a certain metabolic advantage to the controlled carb approach. But understand that this does not give you a license to gorge.

Summary:
1. Caloric intake does matter on Atkins. Although there is a metabolic advantage, it will not work if you "gorge", ie: over-eat, your Atkins legal foods.
2. It is not necessary to track calories during Atkins, per DANDR 2002 Chapter 11 Frequently Asked Questions section. However, if you have a tendency to over-eat or have a tendency towards uncontrolled eating, then you might find tracking your calories helpful.

[not2late]

Re: Do calories count?

Here's a suggestion to everyone....

What I see is a difference in the interpretation of "calories count", specifically the word "count". And this is where the arguments/disagreements stem. As Laura pointed out, there are at least 2 definitions to the word "count".

So in order to avoid future confusion/animosity/upheaval, why don't we make it a "policy" that we use a word alternative for "count" definition number 2. If we want to say that calories have an importance or significance, let's use the phrase "calories matter" or "calories are important" or "calories are significant". That way we can reserve the word "count" to mean a quantitative measure or measuring method.

So maybe Blinsk can edit the title of this thread to "Are calories important?"---at least that way we can continue the discussion without further questions of the validity of the quantitative measurement of calories.

[Jasmain]

Re: Do calories count?

This thread was already started before, and stopped by Bren, an admin. This road has been travelled and it was deemed to not be a good thing by an admin. How's about a better idea.. stop the thread before she has to close this one too. That thread can be visited for any valid points that might be there. The fact that it was shut down once by an admin of the board should be enough. This thread does not advocate doing Atkins by the book.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Do calories count?

Binsk Ask about a specific caloric intake for Atkins because of usingthe net carbs as 5% andassigning those 20 net carbs a value of 80 cals since we all know carbs have 4 cals per gram. She was wrong cause she used net and not gross carb intake in her factoring just as anyone putting their net income inplace of the gross income on their taxes will discover when the IRS comes knocking.

now suddenly this topic is about using calorie counts in doing Atkins. the issue is not if cals count. Yes by the third law of thermodynaics our fuel intake must be less then our fuel expendature Dr Atkins says that in the Q and A of chapter 11 but we are not discussing that!
the issue is using an artificail number of cals as your daily limit. Cleo has proudly posted in another topic she gladly tells stalled Atkineers to cut their calories intake and they become unstalled. the issue wasn't that they were stalled by too many cals if they were losing before they became stalled and didn't make any changes other then climb the OWL or premaintenance ladder and add more carbs. If you do reach the 4 weeks of no pounds nor inches lost (and you are not in the premaintnenacne phase where Dr Atkins said it should take 6 months to lose those last pounds which if you got 5 pounds to lose means there is no way you can't go more then 4 weekswithout losing) and haven't had a lifestyle as Dr Atkins calls it change I will continue to tell you to see if you are feeding only your hunger and if you aren't then start doing so and if you are then back down your carbs as Dr Atkins tells us to in DANDR chapter 14 (something count/cut your cals advisor fails to do.) the use of carbs as fuel uses 4% of the availible energy to process that fuel from mouth to fuel molecule. Fats use 11% of their availible fuel to process them and since their is 2.25 more fuel in every gram of fat you are geting an increase in fuel burning of over 600% increase by just removing 1 gram of carbs from your food intake. See no cal cutting just remove some carb burn more fat!
that is what Atkins folk should focus on have they exceeded their carbohydrate ratio of fats to carbs and Dr Atkins does discuss the ratio of fats to carbs as being the important factor in weight loss.

Dr Atkins could easily have said eat no more then 80 net cals of carbohydrates but he didn't. he was specific count grams not cals to get cal counters away from cals as the focus of their program. he was vague in the amounts of fat and proteins we could eat too since he wanted us to discover for ourselves how much fat and protein food each needed to satisfy our hunger.
Yes you can eat Atkins Style but keep your calories artificially low and lose weight but will you learn your body enough to stay on the plan and keep from continuously jumping off plan and regaining and re-losing the same fricking pounds over and over again? I don't think so and nether did Dr Atkins. Do you Cleo?
so Iwill continue to tell Atkineers to not count the cals, focus on and learn hunger in your body. yes you maybe a slower loser initially then you'd like to be but you will be a big loser and stay that way cause you know how to apply the brakes to your food intake no matter what you are eating.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Do calories count?

thats it I got to take speed typing classes we were back up at Barbe's post when i started typing

[wannabethintoo]

Re: Do calories count?

Ok, let's talk about hurt feelings and let's use me as an example. I have given a lot of my time to ADBB through posting and helping out with boot camp. To make the statement: "If you are keeping track of calories then you are not doing Atkins" (this statement was made on the thread that got locked) is very hurtfull to those of us who use calorie counting as a tool. I was so upset that I left for a while only to realize that I was just hurting myself by leaving. If your intention is to exclude people like me from this board then come right out and say so. Otherwise live with the fact that some of us require the use of keeping track of calories as a tool.

[Richt]

Re: Do calories count?

And for that reason, I feel it is now time for this thread to stop.

Both sides of the argument have been discussed at length, both here and in the thread started a couple of weeks ago.

We are a happy go lucky place and I hate to see people getting upset and feeling hurt.

Its a shame that I have to lock it, but its the only way forward, how about we all just try to get along.

Regards

Rich