salad dsressing question

[eschli35]

I have a great salad dressing that I love. My mom always made it for her special layer salad at christmas but it is WONDERFUL on a regular green salad with some chicken. It is just real mayo and parm cheese mixed together. We don't even really measure just taste it. It doesn't have equal parts it has more mayo. The question is are there just too many calories? Mayo is so so high in calories. I know you are not really supposed to count calories and I have read the book. But I was also told by a dr that the reason some people don't lose fast on low carb is because they eat way too many calories. She said she knows you don't have to restrict your calories like on low cal or low fat where you are eating like 1200 but going to eating like 2000 or 2500 cals will keep you from losing. Does anyone have any experience with that? Also what kind of salad dressings do you all use? Thanks

[not2late]

Re: salad dressing question

I have a great salad dressing that I love. My mom always made it for her special layer salad at christmas but it is WONDERFUL on a regular green salad with some chicken. It is just real mayo and parm cheese mixed together. We don't even really measure just taste it. It doesn't have equal parts it has more mayo. The question is are there just too many calories? Mayo is so so high in calories. I know you are not really supposed to count calories and I have read the book. But I was also told by a dr that the reason some people don't lose fast on low carb is because they eat way too many calories. She said she knows you don't have to restrict your calories like on low cal or low fat where you are eating like 1200 but going to eating like 2000 or 2500 cals will keep you from losing. Does anyone have any experience with that? Also what kind of salad dressings do you all use? Thanks

Salad dressings I use are typically oil and vinegar/lemon or lime juice. Sometimes I will use a homemade blue cheese dressing that uses mayonnaise, but that's not too often.

It takes very little fat to make your meal "high fat" (greater than 50% of the total calories coming from fat). Generally 1-2 tablespoons of added fat is all you need.

As for the number of calories and losing weight on a low carb diet, like Atkins. 2Big will be more handy with the numbers, but the ketogenic effect of Atkins will allow you to eat about 400 calories more than you would if you did a low cal diet. 400 calories roughly translates to 3-4 slices bacon, 3-4 tablespoon olive oil or butter, or 3-4 ounces of cheese.

Also, since exercise is a mandatory part of this diet, you'll be using up calories too.

The other thing is that ketosis/lipolysis is an appetite suppressant. So if you listen to your body and only eat the amount of food to satisfy you, your calorie intake has the potential to decrease. However if you disregard your appetite cues and you over-eat or continue to eat the same amount of food because "you've always have eaten" that amount, your weight loss journey will be challenging.

[2big4mysize]

Re: salad dsressing question

yep it takes more calories to metabolis fats and proteins then carbs. switching from the USDA high carb plan to Atkins high fat plan allows you the same weight loss on a plan with 30% more cals eatten in Atkins proportions so that means her 1200 cal diet to lose the weight ( boy did she want it off folk fast) would be a 1560 cal Atkins diet then you through in the mandatory exercise part of Atkins plan and you can have even higher cal intake since your cal out put will be higher. Now if you over eat your Atkins you could gain weight being in poerfect ratios too.

your salad dressing as long as you don't exceed your cheese limit should be fine.

[eschli35]

Re: salad dsressing question

Thank you both for the help. Do you keep a watch on calories or do you just eat until satisfied but not overful?

[not2late]

Re: salad dsressing question

Thank you both for the help. Do you keep a watch on calories or do you just eat until satisfied but not overful?

I just eat until I'm satisfied. I've never counted calories on Atkins because, let's face it, it's kind of a hassle counting carbs!

Basically, I will eat a quarter of the food on my plate. Pause a minute or two and see if I still want to eat more. If I do, I eat another quarter of the food, pause again, and see if I still want more. If I don't, I wrap the food and store it in the refrigerator for my next meal/snack (if I need it).

The other way I used to tell if I was satisfied or "stuffed" was I would stand up. If I could feel the weight of the food sitting in my stomach, then I was either at the "stuffed" point or very close to it.

[eschli35]

Re: salad dsressing question

That is a really good tip about eating a quarter of the food on your plate and then waiting. Thanks!

[Adena]

Re: salad dsressing question

Oh yum.... this post reminds me about the 7-layer salad... haven't had that in ages and I love it. I have to get to the starchy veggies rung for the peas, but I think everything else is already allowable...