Please help me to understand how this works

ernie540 · 01-09-2009, 11:45 AM

I have looked over the details for the EFGT woe in these threads and I am interested. I am however, having difficulty understanding some aspects of this woe. I calculated my lean body weight at 149lbs. If I have done my math correctly, then that means I should take in no more then about 102 grams of Protein. My first question is, is the 102 grams of protein the basis for the 20%daily protein intake? If so, that means that I can only have 408 calories a day in Protein. It also means that I am now on a 2000 calorie diet as 400 calories is 20% of 2000 (1 gram protein = 4 calories). If I can only have 60 grams of carbs, that equates to 240 calories a day in carbs (1 gram of carbs = 4 calories). So now I am up to 640 calories a day plus 151 grams of fat,1360 calories (1 gram fat = 9 calories) (since that is all that is left, if it really is a 2000 cal diet?) I think this might be difficult to work out each day?? Currently to maintain my current body weight, it was figured out to be 2500 calories a day, so perhaps this works?? What happens when I lose weight, would I maintain the same ratio and calories?
I am pretty sure I have not figured this correctly, but at this point in time, this is what I have come to understand after reading the posts. Please forgive me if I am completely wrong. Feel free to call me stupid if I have it wrong, just tell me what the actual answer is afterwards.

Thanks

CarolynF · 01-09-2009, 02:25 PM

Hi Ernie:

Dr. Groves was on a 2,000 calorie diet when he lost his weight. I imagine he was about your size when he started 25 years ago.

You did figure this out correctly..15 percent carbs/20 percent protein/65 percent fat.

If you can maintain on 2,500, then of course, you need to cut back to lose weight..

Now..is your goal 145?????????????? That is really, really skinny for a guy and you might want to re-think that one.

If you can get the book Natural Health and Weight Loss by Dr. Groves, I do think you
will enjoy reading it and keep it handy for lots of advice, etc..

Ernie: You get your energy from the fat you eat and the fat on your body. So, when you are consuming 1360 calories of fat, you will be surprised how much energy you have.
The protein is enough to sustain your muscles and do some repair. You might be able to
go up 125 grams a day..more like 25 percent. Everyone is different.

Please join our New Year/New You challenge...and if you need more help, let us know.

ernie540 · 01-09-2009, 06:51 PM

Thanks so much Carolyn. I am sure to get the book soon and begin reading. With regards to the weight of 145, I am really not sure. I put that weight down as it was toward the lower end of what has been listed as my ideal weight for my height (5'8"). Probably 160 would be a better weight for me?? I will see when I get there.

I am pretty sure that the reason I have been stalling with the Atkins diet lately is because of the high protein intake. That is why I am looking at this woe. I think I have been taking in probably at least 3x the amount of Protein as I should. My carbs are way down, usually less then 15 grams a day (usually from nuts and eggs). My fat intake is fairly high. I suppose since I have been taking in so much protein, that might be the reason for my stall these last 6-8 weeks.

Well thanks for the info. I look forward to starting this woe tomm. I will see you on the boards!

CarolynF · 01-10-2009, 12:59 PM

Hi Ernie:

You and my dh are the same height..When he got down to 165, he looked good, but he has been cheating and gained a bunch back..No comment..

You certainly can enjoy veggies, salads, etc. to get your carbs up. I find when I have veggies, I don't want so much meat.

We are happy to have you..Join our merry little group..

lowcarbnz · 01-30-2009, 02:00 AM

Hi there,

I'm new to low carbing and haven't had a lot of success so far...

But I did communicate with Barry Groves via his blog recently about the protein intake as I too thought that might be why I wasn't losing weight.

He commented that the protein amount is based on your lean body weight and that this is a Minimum requirement. As long as your ratios are in order you shouldn't worry too much about eating too much protein.

Two thoughts he had for me as to why I wasn't feeling great and wasn't losing weight were that I was drinking TOO MUCH water... you only need 1.5 to 3 pints a day - don't drink more than half a pint with a meal as it dilutes the hydrochloric acid in your stomach and affects digestion.

He also thought I was eating too much... I was eating 1800 cals and I currently weigh 152. I've dropped my intake down to around 1500 and the weight is shifting - slowly...
One thing to think about is the nuts you are eating. I was eating heaps of roasted almonds a day (two handfuls). I've been reading a bit about the problems of vegetable oils under high temperatures (liking roasting the nuts) and it does very bad things to the carbs in food.

I don't have any science to lay my hands on about its affect on nuts

Acrylamide in Foods - Second Opinions, UK

and I may have made too much of a leap but I think we need to be careful about eating roasted nuts (darn it I was eating them cos they were higher in fat and yummier...) but it will be back to the natural almonds once I've finished the packet.

CarolynF · 01-30-2009, 01:32 PM

Thanks for the "insight" on Barry's comments..

Yes, I totally agree with drinking too much water at a meal..It does dilute the acid and sometimes food just sits there..

Roasted nuts are so easy to overeat as opposed to raw nuts.

Glad he made a comment about your calorie intake..

In his book, he and Monica were able to eat 2,000 calories..However, this may have changed through the years.

Everyone is different on the amount of calories they can eat..we have to pay attention to that, I'm sure.

lowcarbnz · 02-01-2009, 12:50 AM

Hi Ernie,

How's it going on your new WOE?

I also meant to say to use ******.com to input all your foods as it works out the % of carbs,protein and fat in each item. Really useful in keeping track of total cals and ratios. Dr Groves would tell you not to freak out too much about the protein... As long as you are eating enough saturated fat your appetite should eventually start working properly and start regulating the amount of food you need to eat. When you get the book this will make more sense! Good luck.

01-09-2009, 11:45 AM	#1
ernie540 Junior LCF Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Fredericksburg, VA Posts: 17 Gallery: ernie540 Stats: 239/226/145 WOE: Atkins Start Date: 10/10/08	Please help me to understand how this works I have looked over the details for the EFGT woe in these threads and I am interested. I am however, having difficulty understanding some aspects of this woe. I calculated my lean body weight at 149lbs. If I have done my math correctly, then that means I should take in no more then about 102 grams of Protein. My first question is, is the 102 grams of protein the basis for the 20%daily protein intake? If so, that means that I can only have 408 calories a day in Protein. It also means that I am now on a 2000 calorie diet as 400 calories is 20% of 2000 (1 gram protein = 4 calories). If I can only have 60 grams of carbs, that equates to 240 calories a day in carbs (1 gram of carbs = 4 calories). So now I am up to 640 calories a day plus 151 grams of fat,1360 calories (1 gram fat = 9 calories) (since that is all that is left, if it really is a 2000 cal diet?) I think this might be difficult to work out each day?? Currently to maintain my current body weight, it was figured out to be 2500 calories a day, so perhaps this works?? What happens when I lose weight, would I maintain the same ratio and calories? I am pretty sure I have not figured this correctly, but at this point in time, this is what I have come to understand after reading the posts. Please forgive me if I am completely wrong. Feel free to call me stupid if I have it wrong, just tell me what the actual answer is afterwards. Thanks

01-09-2009, 02:25 PM	#2
CarolynF Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Kansas Posts: 36,832 Gallery: CarolynF Stats: 195/141/139 WOE: Eat Fat, Get Thin Start Date: January 2001	Hi Ernie: Dr. Groves was on a 2,000 calorie diet when he lost his weight. I imagine he was about your size when he started 25 years ago. You did figure this out correctly..15 percent carbs/20 percent protein/65 percent fat. If you can maintain on 2,500, then of course, you need to cut back to lose weight.. Now..is your goal 145?????????????? That is really, really skinny for a guy and you might want to re-think that one. If you can get the book Natural Health and Weight Loss by Dr. Groves, I do think you will enjoy reading it and keep it handy for lots of advice, etc.. Ernie: You get your energy from the fat you eat and the fat on your body. So, when you are consuming 1360 calories of fat, you will be surprised how much energy you have. The protein is enough to sustain your muscles and do some repair. You might be able to go up 125 grams a day..more like 25 percent. Everyone is different. Please join our New Year/New You challenge...and if you need more help, let us know. __________________ May 1: 141

01-30-2009, 02:00 AM	#5
lowcarbnz Junior LCF Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 7 Gallery: lowcarbnz Stats: 168/150/132 WOE: The Gabriel Method/EFGT Start Date: Jan 08	Protein Hi there, I'm new to low carbing and haven't had a lot of success so far... But I did communicate with Barry Groves via his blog recently about the protein intake as I too thought that might be why I wasn't losing weight. He commented that the protein amount is based on your lean body weight and that this is a Minimum requirement. As long as your ratios are in order you shouldn't worry too much about eating too much protein. Two thoughts he had for me as to why I wasn't feeling great and wasn't losing weight were that I was drinking TOO MUCH water... you only need 1.5 to 3 pints a day - don't drink more than half a pint with a meal as it dilutes the hydrochloric acid in your stomach and affects digestion. He also thought I was eating too much... I was eating 1800 cals and I currently weigh 152. I've dropped my intake down to around 1500 and the weight is shifting - slowly... One thing to think about is the nuts you are eating. I was eating heaps of roasted almonds a day (two handfuls). I've been reading a bit about the problems of vegetable oils under high temperatures (liking roasting the nuts) and it does very bad things to the carbs in food. I don't have any science to lay my hands on about its affect on nuts Acrylamide in Foods - Second Opinions, UK and I may have made too much of a leap but I think we need to be careful about eating roasted nuts (darn it I was eating them cos they were higher in fat and yummier...) but it will be back to the natural almonds once I've finished the packet.

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01-09-2009, 06:51 PM	#3
ernie540 Junior LCF Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Fredericksburg, VA Posts: 17 Gallery: ernie540 Stats: 239/226/145 WOE: Atkins Start Date: 10/10/08	Thanks so much Carolyn. I am sure to get the book soon and begin reading. With regards to the weight of 145, I am really not sure. I put that weight down as it was toward the lower end of what has been listed as my ideal weight for my height (5'8"). Probably 160 would be a better weight for me?? I will see when I get there. I am pretty sure that the reason I have been stalling with the Atkins diet lately is because of the high protein intake. That is why I am looking at this woe. I think I have been taking in probably at least 3x the amount of Protein as I should. My carbs are way down, usually less then 15 grams a day (usually from nuts and eggs). My fat intake is fairly high. I suppose since I have been taking in so much protein, that might be the reason for my stall these last 6-8 weeks. Well thanks for the info. I look forward to starting this woe tomm. I will see you on the boards!

01-10-2009, 12:59 PM	#4
CarolynF Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Kansas Posts: 36,832 Gallery: CarolynF Stats: 195/141/139 WOE: Eat Fat, Get Thin Start Date: January 2001	Hi Ernie: You and my dh are the same height..When he got down to 165, he looked good, but he has been cheating and gained a bunch back..No comment.. You certainly can enjoy veggies, salads, etc. to get your carbs up. I find when I have veggies, I don't want so much meat. We are happy to have you..Join our merry little group..

01-30-2009, 01:32 PM	#6
CarolynF Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Kansas Posts: 36,832 Gallery: CarolynF Stats: 195/141/139 WOE: Eat Fat, Get Thin Start Date: January 2001	Thanks for the "insight" on Barry's comments.. Yes, I totally agree with drinking too much water at a meal..It does dilute the acid and sometimes food just sits there.. Roasted nuts are so easy to overeat as opposed to raw nuts. Glad he made a comment about your calorie intake.. In his book, he and Monica were able to eat 2,000 calories..However, this may have changed through the years. Everyone is different on the amount of calories they can eat..we have to pay attention to that, I'm sure.

02-01-2009, 12:50 AM	#7
lowcarbnz Junior LCF Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 7 Gallery: lowcarbnz Stats: 168/150/132 WOE: The Gabriel Method/EFGT Start Date: Jan 08	Hi Ernie, How's it going on your new WOE? I also meant to say to use ******.com to input all your foods as it works out the % of carbs,protein and fat in each item. Really useful in keeping track of total cals and ratios. Dr Groves would tell you not to freak out too much about the protein... As long as you are eating enough saturated fat your appetite should eventually start working properly and start regulating the amount of food you need to eat. When you get the book this will make more sense! Good luck.