Calories, calories, calories.

[BigSouthernBoy]

To those of you who have done a little bit of research (Georgiana, I'm eyeing you), I propose a question that I'm having difficulty with.

We've all heard the preaching of calorie-in-calorie-out. Supposdly that's as simple as weight loss gets. If you expend more calories than you consume, you lose weight.

Then, I've read articles that claim calories are irrelevant when doing Atkins and other low carb programs correctly.

Yes or no: is there such thing as too many calories on Atkins?

[somerset09]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

hi there, i'm new here so certainly no expert but Dr A did say that calories DO count, however his advice was worry about carbs not calories and eat till you are satisfied NOT stuffed, That bit i find hard because when eating carbs i never get that full feeling! what i have found tho is protein and fat do make you feel full and it's harder to overeat on these kind of foods for me than when eating carbs, in practise i could eat some dougnuts, chocolate and chips in large amounts in one sitting but its not so easy to eat ten eggs, a llb of bacon etc, So i think you naturally eat less calories, hope that helped a little.

[Georgiana]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

We've all heard the preaching of calorie-in-calorie-out. Supposdly that's as simple as weight loss gets. If you expend more calories than you consume, you lose weight.

Then, I've read articles that claim calories are irrelevant when doing Atkins and other low carb programs correctly.

If calories-in-calories-out fails, then it means the laws of thermodynamics fail. Now, since I'm doing physics (astrophysics, but nevertheless), that would obviously worry me.

The problem is that many people only count the calories they put in their mouth for "calories in" and they calculate their "calories out" using whatever online calculators that are not accurate in general... and not accurate for low carbers, in particular. I say they are not accurate for low carbers in particular because it appears there is a metabolic advantage associated with a low-carbohydrate diet. But this so-called metabolic advantage does not defy the rules of physics!

If you want to read more about this, I would recommend this paper of Anssi Manninen: Is a Calorie Really a Calorie? Metabolic Advantage of Low-Carbohydrate Diets

Yes or no: is there such thing as too many calories on Atkins?

If you eat 15,000 calories of butter, you will definitely gain weight.

[sallyseachange]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

Calories are important in as much as, if you stuff yourself, you won't lose weight... whatever you're counting. In induction, it's sensible to focus on carbs and forget about calories... however it's should be remembered that the plan states that one should eat to satisfy hunger no more, no less.

When you reach the later phases of the plan, being conscious of your calorie intake (but not obsessed by it) is not a bad thing.

[BigSouthernBoy]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

Thanks for the input guys. Do you monitor your caloric intake along with counting your daily carbs?

[liv]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

I think the problem with the calorie theory is that we burn stuff like an oven - I really do not think we do - there are so many factors that determine what is used, how it is used and what happens with our food.
The way I see it - the food is the important part - the energy is somewhat silly
I really doubt anybody could get fat - eating only fat

[ziggy]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

Thanks for the input guys. Do you monitor your caloric intake along with counting your daily carbs?

iv never counted calories in my entire life and i lost 150 pounds of fat and gained 50-60 pounds of muscle with atkins + full body gym exercise

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/main-atkins-diet-forum/81993-caloric-deficit.html

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

>>Do you monitor your caloric intake along with counting your daily carbs?>>

Only to solve a problem.

[meow]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

A "calorie" is the energy it takes to raise one cc of water 1 degree celsius. This is not what your body is actually doing when it metabolizes food.
Also, the energy required in the above definition varies, depending on altitude, and the starting point temperature of the water. It takes slightly more energy to raise the temp from 1 to 2C than from 20 to 21C.

Calories is a rough measure that works well in dietary theory, but not always in reality. Some people have more efficient metabolisms--which means we get more energy from less food, meaning we store the excess more readily, as well.

Since the Atkins plan requires your body to use an inefficient metabolic process, you burn more calores converting your food to energy. Plus, since there is a lower level of glycogen in the blood, the body is forced to draw upon its fat reserves.

So, calories do count--in that if you consume too many OR too few, your metabolism will not work properly. However, even though calories do count, they are not what WE count.

[meow]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

Ooo, I just read the link to the study. Excellent! Print it out and hand it out to everyone--friends, family, doctors, et al!

[Suzanne_H]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

Speaking for myself, when I started Atkins I was regularly consuming enough calories to support a 300 lb body, which I was well on my way to having! By the time I completed induction, however, I had lost the horrible cravings for sweets and starches. Also, I felt satisfied faster.

While I didn't personally count calories, I found I didn't need to. When I post my menus to FitDay I rarely go over what would be considered to be a healthy number of calories Atkins or not. Hope this helps.

[Georgiana]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

Do you monitor your caloric intake along with counting your daily carbs?

Depends how you want to call it...

There was a time when I was counting calories and undereating... and I ended up stalling. I slowly increased my calories (up to 1400 calories, then to 1600... and ended up at 1800) and began losing again. A few months ago I did a little "experiment" and went for 4 weeks without counting calories. Then I entered all my menus in FitDay (yes, it took me a few days to do that!) and my average for the month was somewhere around 1800 calories. So, whether I am counting or not counting, my average is approximately 1800 daily (I'm 5'8" and about 150 lbs).

These days I am not counting calories in the sense that, let's say, I ate 1500 calories until 5 p.m. and I plan another 300 by the end of the day. I see my calories in FitDay or in my food journal, but that's about it. There are some days when I eat only 1300 calories... and days when I go to 2000+.

[BigSouthernBoy]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

Okay, thank all of you for your replies. I've just had a difficult time lately with the whole low carb or low calorie thing. Though I've had significant results with low carb, I tend to think how wonderful it would be if I could have a sandwich, count its calories, and still lose weight. I think in a way I've been trying to justify a reason to switch to a program like Weight Watchers or something similar, because after all it's "calories-in-calories-out."

I'm definitely sticking with Atkins, however. Now that my body's kind of adjusting to this new lifestyle and not dropping weight as rapidly as I have in previous months, I really need to start closely monitoring what all I'm consuming so that I can accurately determine my CCLL and all that good stuff.

[BigSouthernBoy]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

Also, many of you referred to your new, smaller appetite, which ultimately offsets the need to monitor caloric intake. I went through the typical never hungry period during the first month or so, but these days I get hungry. The stomach growling kind of hungry. And that happens several times throughout the day. I'm not saying I pig out like I use to eat, but I do eat and it's not always just a bite.

[Georgiana]

Re: Calories, calories, calories.

these days I get hungry. The stomach growling kind of hungry. And that happens several times throughout the day.

Are you eating regular meals?

Are you counting net carbs?

Maybe you added a food that's triggering cravings.