Protein 500 cals, What about fat cals??

[SonoRoo]

Ok, I just started looking through the maintenance thread and a thought just occured to me.

We are supposed to have 500 cals a day of protein. I have to assume that is fat AND protein calories. No matter how low fat the protein is, there is still associated fat calories that accumulate at a MUCH higher rate than protein calories. I looked back through my ****** and I am getting about 1/4 of my 500 calories from fat and 3/4 from protein. Veggies & fruit are minimal in addition to that.

This has to be the way it is set up, otherwise I would have 500 calories of protein and an extra 125 calories of fat alone, which I am sure what is not intended unless I totally misunderstood the amount of calories we are supposed to be taking in. Does anyone have an answer to this? Thanks!

[With Gratitude]

SonoRoo,
I don't know the exact answer but I was told to ONLY count protein calories only (and carbs). After researching, from what I understand if you go under 500 calories of protein with little to no additional carbs, then your body will go into starvation mode and use your muscles as fuel and store any additional calories.

[NOT2fat4fun]

SonoRoo - I wouldn't worry about the fat calories other than trying to eat lean proteins. I do have a sausage in the AM sometimes because it satiates me - but I stay with the 500 calories. It does work. My suggestion is to keep it simple so you don't make yourself crazy

[SonoRoo]

Ok, so if I go over 500 calories I am ok as long as I don't go to far over and I am getting 500 protein calories???

[mommy2princesses]

What about yogurt? Does that count towards protein calories, or just extra calories? The clinic keeps saying I can have yogurt...but don't want to add in "extras" unless they count towards my protein or my veggie/fruit.

-Keri

[SonoRoo]

Ok, so I have been mulling this over and it is driving me crazy. I am averaging over 2 lb per week weight loss, which is more than reasonable, doing what I have been presently doing. I keep the carbs low but I have been including my fat calories with my protein calories because I have been getting them from the same source. I keep my protein/fat at or slightly over 500 cals/day. I keep my net carbs under 20g per day. Now I am a little perturbed.

This morning I am looking at my fat and protein calories and if I separate the two then I will consume well over 650 calories per day worth of protein, fat, and carbs. This is frustrating me. I will ask the NP at the clinic today when I weigh in, but judging by the randomness of the information available at the clinics depending on location, I am afraid I will get some vague answer that will frustrate me.

I have been really happy on this diet it doing it the way I thought it was supposed to be done and have been losing consistently so I am tempted to just keep doing what I have been doing. Ugh, I don't want this to change my attitude, but I tend to be like a dog with a bone and I get something in my head and it overrides every other thought. Like a puzzle I can't let go till I figure it out.

*sigh* Type A really is not attractive at times.

[NOT2fat4fun]

HI - I count my yogurt towards my protein - and I don't eat a lot of it. Same with the cottage cheese. I then have my veggies/and or fruit.
Shelley - maybe you need a hobby - 650 calories - are you in ketosis? A great indicator for most people if you are losing fat... which is the point. Keep doing what you are doing - 2.5 pounds a week is great - you are obviously doing what your body needs to do to drop the weight.

[eptexy]

Same with Macauley.

The program is very simple. Maybe you are overthinking things too much. Go back over your written material. Basic program is 500 calories + 2 veg a day. Don't go over 800 cal total.

Protein calories is just that. Food that is primarily protein and worth 500 calories. This includes meats, yogurts, cheeses. Condiments are extras. Don't separate it all out into fat and protein calories.

[SonoRoo]

LOL Macauley, I have no time for a hobby. I work, alot. Yes, I am in ketosis and have been since day 3. Almost exclusively in moderate ketosis. 650 calories would only be if I counted the protein @ 500 cals, fat at about 125 calories if 1/4 of my cals come from fats (since pretty much all protein has fat except for fat free dairy) and the remainder from veggie/fruit carbs.

Can anyone tell me how they are getting 500 cals from just protein and what their fat cals are and how much they total out at a day in cals? I thought I was supposed to have 500 cals per day max from everything except for carbs (meaning protein with it's associated fat content). How exactly are y'all doing it?

[SonoRoo]

Originally Posted by eptexy

Protein calories is just that. Food that is primarily protein and worth 500 calories. This includes meats, yogurts, cheeses. Condiments are extras. Don't separate it all out into fat and protein calories.

That's so awesome! That is what I was wondering and makes perfect sense to me. Thank you so much! You're wonderful!!!

[mommy2princesses]

Oooh...so good to know yogurt would count towards protein calories! I've wanted to add it in...but was thinking 500 calories of protein + veggie/fruit calories + yogurt calories..ugh, too high! But - mmmmm, having yogurt as a snack later!!! THanks!

[eptexy]

The thing with yogurt and cottage cheese though - higher in carbs. So choose the lower carb stuff so it doesn't throw your day off.

[mommy2princesses]

Yeah, I had bought the Dannon Light n Fit Carb Conscious Yogurt - I think its like 45 calories and 3 g carbs....its the lowest I could find. Let's hope it tastes good!

[eptexy]

It definitely does taste good! They're small though. Sometimes I take one of those sugar free jello cups that are 10 calories / 0 carbs and mix it together to double the size.

[irabeslim]

Originally Posted by eptexy

The thing with yogurt and cottage cheese though - higher in carbs. So choose the lower carb stuff so it doesn't throw your day off.

I was eating FF or LF cottage cheese (1/4 cup) practically daily for breakfast, believing that's OK since it was included even in the 1st week menu that I got from my clinic. Hence, it never occurred to me to count its carb count towards my daily carb allowance. Darn! Nobody at the clinic told me about that.

[eptexy]

Always count carbs no matter what! Allowed foods do not mean free foods! Even some packaged meats have carbs. Get in the habit of always always always reading labels!

[SonoRoo]

K, weighed in today and I'm not changing anything. I lost 4.2 pounds, so what I am doing is working!