Can we talk about calories?

[believe]

I know Atkins says calories don't really matter. He says I will naturally curb my appetite if I do this correctly. I know all this stuff. The trouble is that I love to eat and I can eat a lot! I try to pay attention to my feelings of satisfaction, and I would swear to you that I never leave the table stuffed anymore. But still, I eat a lot! Today I'm in it for just under 2,300 calories I think. At least, that is, according to Fitday which I feel is always just a guesstimate because I don't measure stuff either.

If I have thought through this ketosis thing right, then am I right in concluding that it is possible to eat enough fat and protein that you body won't need to use your body fat for fuel, it will just use what you consume that day?

If this is true - but not worth worrying about because the diet works so well as long as you follow it, could someone please let me know? I'm worried about calories and I want to stop worrying, I just need someone to help me "trust and believe" that it will work for me too.

Thanks!

[Evermind]

Re: Can we talk about calories?

Well, if you're in induction, don't sweat it. DO post your menu for someone to look at, just to be sure you're eating the right stuff in the correct quantities.

The fact is that long-term, eating more calories than your bmi is going to cause you to gain weight - 3500 calories = 1 lb.

And yes, you can be in ketosis and gain weight.

But right now, you cannot be eating enough carbs to cause a weight gain, and your appetite will adjust.

It's good that you are trying to be mindful of your appetite and whether you are full or not. This is a good time to begin to examine your relationship to food.

[D14965]

Re: Can we talk about calories?

I would start measuring and weighing your food to train your eye as to what a serving actually is. When i started to do this and to use fitday correctly it gave me more accurate readings for my calories and percentages etc. And that may help you to stop worrying about your numbers .

[not2late]

Re: Can we talk about calories?

I know Atkins says calories don't really matter. He says I will naturally curb my appetite if I do this correctly. I know all this stuff. The trouble is that I love to eat and I can eat a lot! I try to pay attention to my feelings of satisfaction, and I would swear to you that I never leave the table stuffed anymore. But still, I eat a lot! Today I'm in it for just under 2,300 calories I think. At least, that is, according to Fitday which I feel is always just a guesstimate because I don't measure stuff either.

Many of us are overweight because we are over-eaters. Since you know you love to eat and can eat alot, you might fall into this category. So, you should pay attention to not only your appetite/feelings of satisfaction, but also to your portion sizes.

As for measuring, it's important to do it. Here's why. Many of us either overestimate or underestimate our food portions. If you underestimate, you're cheating yourself out of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fiber) that your body requires. If you overestimate, you might run into trouble when you go over your CCLL and stop losing weight (pounds and inches). In the past, we've given advice to people on ADBB who swear up and down that they are only eating 3 cups of Induction vegetables, 2 eggs, 1 or 2 pork chops, 3 ounces of tuna fish, 4 ounces of cheese, 4 tablespoons of mayo and 2 tablespoons of salad dressing every day. Only later, we find out that they aren't measuring their foods and have been overestimating their foods: 8-10 ounces cheese, 8 ounces of tuna and 1 cup of mayo rather than 4 tablespoons, etc. These little things do add up. So even during Induction, it's best to get used to measuring the foods. That way, you'll get the idea of what a proper Atkins "serving" is.

The other thing about measuring is that during the OWL and Pre-Maintenance phases it becomes very important to properly measure 5 or 10 net carbs of the Carbohydrate Ladder foods. Again, estimating these foods will get you into trouble. For example, each food has it's own carb count. 1/2 cup pumpkin puree has 5 net carbs while 1 1/2 cups of broccoli has 5 net carbs. So if you estimate that you are eating 1/2 cup of pumpkin, but you have really eaten 1 cup, you've actually eaten twice the amount of carbs you thought you ate.

If I have thought through this ketosis thing right, then am I right in concluding that it is possible to eat enough fat and protein that you body won't need to use your body fat for fuel, it will just use what you consume that day?

Exactly. That's why it's possible to over-eat the legal foods and not lose or gain any weight. But if you only eat the amount of food your body needs, the chances of over-eating are decreased.

If this is true - but not worth worrying about because the diet works so well as long as you follow it, could someone please let me know? I'm worried about calories and I want to stop worrying, I just need someone to help me "trust and believe" that it will work for me too.

Thanks!

For me, counting carbs was enough work. So the idea of counting carbs and counting calories didn't enter my mind. I followed Dr. Atkins' advise and only ate the amount of food that satisfied my hunger. I noticed that some days I ate more than other days, particularly on days where I was more physically active. So, if I did follow my calories, I'm sure on some days my calories were higher than other days.

I learned that my body won't let me 'starve' if I feed the hunger I had. Of course, that meant there were times when 1/2 cup of celery sticks and 1 hard boiled egg were enough food and there were times when 2 chicken drumsticks, 1 cup broccoli and 1/2 cup asparagus were enough.