Kimmer, you're confusing ME!

[HolyHottie]

Sorry Miss Kimm...I'm a little dense! I just need you to clarify for me, oh dear diet guru! So, I have taken your posts concerning a 2000 calorie version of atkins w/ net carbs vs. a 1000 calorie version of Atkins w/ exact carbs to heart. So today I am starting induction trying to keep my calories as close to 1000 as possible and not subtracting fiber. Then I just read a post of yours to keep it simple and not count calories (w/o going overboard of course ). Please help! Should I not worry so much about the calories? Should I just focus on carb counting? And if so, at what point SHOULD I worry about calories? Thank you for your help! Sorry I'm so easily confused!!!

Jocelyn

[Kimmer]

Originally Posted by HolyHottie

Sorry Miss Kimm...I'm a little dense! I just need you to clarify for me, oh dear diet guru! So, I have taken your posts concerning a 2000 calorie version of atkins w/ net carbs vs. a 1000 calorie version of Atkins w/ exact carbs to heart. So today I am starting induction trying to keep my calories as close to 1000 as possible and not subtracting fiber. Then I just read a post of yours to keep it simple and not count calories (w/o going overboard of course ). Please help! Should I not worry so much about the calories? Should I just focus on carb counting? And if so, at what point SHOULD I worry about calories? Thank you for your help! Sorry I'm so easily confused!!!

Jocelyn

I confuse you? Well, at least I don't make you mad, LOL!

My example of 2500 vs 1000 is for example only and to show that results will be different if people are eating too much.

There's no need to stay at 1000 calories, particularly if you haven't lose your appetite yet.

To begin, only count carbs. ALL carbs, no "net" carbs, no junk food and really watch how much fat you're using. It's easy to spend 400 calories in salad dressing on one salad. A ladle at a salad bar is 4 tablespoons and some people actually use two!

Skip desserts made with high calorie stuff like cream cheese or whipped cream.

Enjoy a variety of leafy salad greens and smaller amounts of "cooked" veggies like broccoli. Don't raise the calories by covering with butter, cheese or bacon fat ... a small amount of cooking fat or butter is fine.

You don't need to count calories, but don't pick high calorie items like cheeseburgers or "breakfast bowls" from fast food restaurants that run 600-1000 calories for one meal ... especially if you snack between meals.

Dont count calories. Don't make LC harder than it needs to be. Use your fingers and toes to count to 20 and that's it!

[HolyHottie]

Oh yes PLEASE Lord, let me lose my appetite!!! I hope that comes sooner than later! Thanks for posting. I think I was taking you too literally. So I'll just try everything in moderation, like you said, and see how my losses are for the next two weeks. Than you soooooo much!

[JuliaL]

I never lost my appetite. Some people don't. It did get smaller but I never felt like I could go all day without eating or anything like that.

When I first started I didn't have to count calories, but after losing 30 lbs. and stalling I started using Fitday to figure out how many calories per day I could eat and still lose. If just making lower calorie food choices works for you, then great - don't count! But some of us have to.

[Kimmer]

Originally Posted by JuliaL

I never lost my appetite. Some people don't. It did get smaller but I never felt like I could go all day without eating or anything like that.

If your carbs are low enough you will. This is especially pronounced with water fasters at 0 carbs.

Basal metabolism people might not, especially if they're overeating protein and having 40% of that converted to extra carbs.

[JuliaL]

What is a "basal metabolism person"? You mean someone who eats according to Fitday's estimate of basal metabolism? That would be sheer madness! As you pointed out to me many moons ago, Fitday's calories burned estimates are way off.

You're right, I probably never lowered my carbs enough to lose my appetite, but I lost weight steadily at 20-30g of carbs during induction and OWL so I didn't have to.

[Tater Head]

Hi Holly, maybe I can help you because your stats are similar to mine. I was 205 and now 182. Julia is right, at some point you will have to count both carbs and calories. I can't stand the taste of lowfat foods so I just don't use as much of the full fat kind. I keep my net carbs between 20-40, most days 32 avg. and my calories between 1200-1600, most days 1400 I will lose 2-3 pounds a week doing this. I'm over 50, take HRT and have insulin resistance.

What I have done is make small changes, like instead of using all mayo in my tuna salad I use a 50/50 mix if mayo/fullfat yogurt. I also went and bought pats of butter to put on my veggies instead of guessing what a pat was from the stick of butter. I will use 1/2 a packet of dressing at wendy's on salads instead of the whole packet. When I'm in a resturant I might order a ruben sandwich with a fruit cup and eat only the bottom part of the bun and 1/2 the fruit cup. If I order say, a chef salad, I have no way of knowing what the dressing is made of (like I do at wendy's) so I do the dip the fork in the dressing method instead of pouring it on the salad. These little changes have made a big difference in losing without giving up what you love to eat.

Right now I'm trying the protein power plan, but if it doesn't work as well, then i will go back to using fitday and counting everything ick!

Debbie....


.

[Kimmer]

Originally Posted by JuliaL

What is a "basal metabolism person"? You mean someone who eats according to Fitday's estimate of basal metabolism? That would be sheer madness! As you pointed out to me many moons ago, Fitday's calories burned estimates are way off.

You're right, I probably never lowered my carbs enough to lose my appetite, but I lost weight steadily at 20-30g of carbs during induction and OWL so I didn't have to.

Yes, that's my definition of a "basal metabolism" person. Even if they cut their carbs hard, they're going to struggle with the carb conversion sugars.

Don't you agree that the Fitday basal figures are crazy? Fitday imports all of its data from other sites, so its not "theirs" per se ... still insane.

[Kimmer]

Originally Posted by HolyHottie

Oh yes PLEASE Lord, let me lose my appetite!!! I hope that comes sooner than later!

You have to cut your carbs very hard for this to happen (carbs from a few small servings of veggies).

[Yellobrix]

HolyHottie -- I don't know if you saw my thread about cutting fat & calories, but Kimmer's suggestions have been SO helpful to me. My problem was that I was taking in too many calories. My carbs were low, so I wasn't all that hungry -- but honestly I was slowing my weight loss potential with good ol' calories. So my goal became to keep my carbs low while still cutting excess fat, and therefore excess calories. I've shaved off about 300 to 500 from my daily calorie intake just by managing fats better. My protein intake remained the same.

The main cut came from reducing the total amount of cheese I used each day. I was putting shredded cheese on my salads, and that's now gone. I used 1/8 cup shredded cheddar on my eggs at b'fast, and no other cheese all day. I replaced the half-n-half in my coffee with almond milk. The brand that I bought has 8 carbs and 60 calories in 8 ounces. So 2 ounces = 2 carb + 7.5 calories -- compared to 30 calories and 1 carb for 2 tablespoons of half-n-half! I am also using soy milk to thin out my salad dressing so that I use less.

These little changes have my total calories at about 1300/day whereas before I was getting about 1600. My carb intake is always less than 40 total, and some of that is fiber from veggies so has little or no impact on my glucose. These minor changes gave me a 2-pound loss in 3 days!

[trans4mation2005]

I am glad I have lost my appetite.. happened on day 3.. still force myself to eat.. just not as much..all I counted was total carbs.. calories will drop naturally as appetite lessens..even if it doesn't dissapear..and then you can add veggies to up carbs