[OShellszz]

Prisoner, thanks for the reminder on the root beer float

So glad to be back here. I'm enjoying reading these boards and messages each evening.

To everyone's success!
Catherine

[iqxdvjgmat]

avocado....yummy...and not a single one in sight....good thing tomorrow is shopping day...

Tril...the fact that we're only allowed 1/2 a one a day somehow seems to have skipped my attention...it's a good thing to know..AND REMEMBER..
especially since I have absolutely no problem eating the whole thing, no matter what the size...My only problem is that the ones, in our stores here, no matter how great the sale are all rock hard and take what seems like forever to soften up enough to eat and enjoy..

James..I'm a advocate of FITDAY.COM...keeping track of what I eat there has helped me a great deal...I'm not familiar with coconut oil...but use a lot of EVOO...I too had a bit of trouble getting in my calories at first...it has to do with the "honeymoon stage" of this WOE...being in ketosis is great for appetite control but does make eating enough a challenge..just keep on keepin' on...and you'll make it....best of luck...
Lynn

[freddyujnf]

I've always done Atkins by solely checking carbs, not calories. I eat a lot of fat so my caloric intake has got to be extreme and yet I lose weight every time (and gain it back when not dieting, but that's another subject). So, setting aside the yo-yo dieting subject, what I want to know - as a brand new member here & on my 5th day of minimal carbs - is what do calories have to do with Atkins? Or have I been missing something?[/img]

[iqxdvjgmat]

I'm probably not the one who can best answer that question seeings as this is my 4th month back on Atkins and I'm still sticking pretty close to induction...(I still have a lot of weight to lose)...but IF I'm remembering right...the further along you get in this WOE and as you begin to add carbs THEN calories DO begin to matter..

The reason Atkins is so successful for so many people IS the fact that there's no weighing, measuring, or calorie counting ...at least in the
beginning...I know, at least for me, and at the place where I am right now...calories do matter...it's still legal for me to eat however much I need to eat in order to feel full (trick is to stop there) but doing that and not watching caloric amounts tends to slow me waaaaaaay down...so I am keeping track of the calories...

I'm sure that someone else will chime in here soon..and give you the REAL reasons...so...in the meantime...just keep doing what you're doing..
And welcome to the forum....
Lynn

[freddyujnf]

I also generally stay at or near induction because the thought of counting calories and limiting my eating scares me off and I know it's downhill from there once I try to reintroduce carbs. I guess the only way I can ever hope to keep it off IS to learn to eat properly and not just say "to hell with it", but 95 out of 100 can't, so why should I be special? After 40 years of adult life struggling with weight I am realistic enough to know that, barring some life-threatening medical condition - I am like not to change behaviors.

Like my late brother always said, "I tried moderation once, but I couldn't get enough of it!"

[freddyujnf]

avocado....yummy...and not a single one in sight....good thing tomorrow is shopping day...

My only problem is that the ones, in our stores here, no matter how great the sale are all rock hard and take what seems like forever to soften up enough to eat and enjoy..

Lynn

The trick is to put the avocado in a brown paper lunch bag, fold the top, and put the bag in a cabinet under the sink where it's dark. Check daily by pushing against the base where the stem was. Don't forget them, though! Out of sight, out of mind, you know...

[iqxdvjgmat]

Ahhhhhhhh yeh...it's the outta sight, outta mind part that I have trouble with....that and when I actually buy an avocado it's generally because I want to eat that avocado RIGHT THEN AND THERE....lol

You asked "why should I be special?"...because YOU ARE SPECIAL....You DO deserve to be lighter and healthier...You CAN do this...I'm pushing 69 and have also struggled for 40+ years with my weight....You name any diet...any method of losing weight...and trust me, I've tried it, and failed multiple times...

The difference with this Way Of Eating (NOT a diet) is that through trail and a lot of error we learn to make this a lifetime thing and not just another quick fix...This is my second time on Atkins...and this time I'm succeeding....not necessarily because I've suddenly developed a super strong will-power, mind you...but because this time I finally GET IT...I
finally understand the reasons behind my being overweight and have the mindset to do something about it....

Coming here ...and the encouragement and support I receive from every-
one have helped me in ways too numerous to count...The main thing is that I'm no longer fighting this battle alone...AND NEITHER ARE YOU.....
So keep posting...there really is strength in numbers....

Here's to both of us being in that 5%

Lynn

[freddyujnf]

Thanks for the encouragement! I've always been a skeptic and cynic but I guess even old dogs can learn new tricks, so maybe I will, too. I just have a time doing anything in moderation.

[iqxdvjgmat]

Hey....if this OLD dog can learn...then there's no stopping any of us...

One nice thing, I've found, about this WOE, is that the results show up quickly...IF you stick to the plan...it was hard, for me, to NOT go by the old adage "if a little is good, then A LOT is better"...or in this case.."if you can lose some weight by eating Xnumber of calories then by eating MUCH less you can lose even more " Boy was I ever mistaken...I had to learn, by a lot of trail and and A LOT of error...that going overboard doing this actually slowed my losses down...It took a while, but I've finally found my perfect balance...

The results will soon convince your skeptic/cynic side...just hang in there..

Lynn

[Paul Bunyan]

My son never counted a calorie while on Atkins, but he lost 80 pounds on it. Had he been required to do that, he would never have bothered.

So, I believe counting calories is a more recent wrinkle. There is an optimum way to follow the plan, and that involves counting calories, per the new program...but that is not to say that you will fail if you don't.

Your body will tell you. Good luck!

Toni

[freddyujnf]

My son never counted a calorie while on Atkins, but he lost 80 pounds on it. Had he been required to do that, he would never have bothered.

So, I believe counting calories is a more recent wrinkle. There is an optimum way to follow the plan, and that involves counting calories, per the new program...but that is not to say that you will fail if you don't.

Your body will tell you. Good luck!

Toni

Yikes! 80 pounds? How long did it take him and what was his height/weight when he started (if you don't mind such a personal question)? And, how long did it take him?

What after? Or is he still doing it?

[rostpribru]

Atkins with calorie counting... it's a relatively new twist. And it's really not necessary IF you can control your portions without it, IF you can limit the things that can push you from where you will lose over the edge to not losing. In the last edition of the book Atkins put a very small reference to calories... he gave a range for women and a range for men. It seems to have taken on a life of it's own... and now, if you go to the atkins site, you will see MANY messages of "eat at least this many calories...", "don't eat too much cheese because it's calorie dense...". LOTS of references to calories.

There's a small (very small) metabolic advantage to eating low carb. Which means that (theoretically) you can eat more calories on a low carb diet than you can on a higher carb diet. I read once that the advantage is around 100 calories a day. That's a TBS of EVOO. OR an ounce of cheddar. Very easy to lose any advantage.

So... the answer is, NO, you don't have to count calories. But you should consider and remember that overeating is still overeating. You can eat 0 carbs a day and still overeat. You can eat your 20g a day and still overeat. The key is to eat to your appetite/hunger. It's all through the book... eat until you're no longer hungry, satisfy your physical hunger... and stop eating. I think it's Toni who says, "Just because you can eat a cow doesn't mean you should." Or something like that!

As you get closer and closer to your goal wt it becomes harder and harder to lose. There's simply a much smaller deficit between what you eat and what your body requires. So there's less need for your body to draw on body fat for energy needs. At that point, it might be helpful to keep an eye on calories as well as carbs. Of course, you'll also be quite a ways up the carb ladder... having reintroduced many of the higher carb foods AND you'll have reduced your fat intake (assuming you follow Atkins as written). Calorie counting at that time might be a tool you'll consider... but you don't HAVE to.

[Paul Bunyan]

He's 42 yrs old, 6 foot and weighed 270 maybe and got down to about 190, maybe 185 for a little while. I think it took him a little less than a year. He kept if off for a couple of years but "life" interfered, a lot happened, and he gained a bunch back.

He's been back on track for 3+ weeks and has lost 13 pounds.

I know you can do well too!

Toni

[freddyujnf]

He's 42 yrs old, 6 foot and weighed 270 maybe and got down to about 190, maybe 185 for a little while. I think it took him a little less than a year. He kept if off for a couple of years but "life" interfered, a lot happened, and he gained a bunch back.

He's been back on track for 3+ weeks and has lost 13 pounds.

I know you can do well too!

Toni

I'm an inch taller and started Atkins at 275, so your son and I are of similar size. Day 18 and my scale says I'm down 18!

[Paul Bunyan]

18 POUNDS!! Tremendous!!! You have a fantastic start...hope you still are finding it easy enough to continue on the way you are going!!

Toni

[freddyujnf]

So far it's been a piece of cake (figuratively speaking, that is). Other than accidental carbs I consumed when I was misled into believing that the lobster salad I was buying only contained real lobster, mayo, celery, etc., when it probably had that fake "krabmeat", I haven't purposely eaten carbs yet. I knew it had carbs in it because afterward I could feel my heart pounding and racing.

When I want a sweet I make a rootbeer float (Diet A&W or Barq's or Mug plus heavy cream) or chew sugarless gum, but I'm surprised at how infrequent that is. It was never this easy in the past so I hope it continues to be this easy in the future as I am very encouraged to go as far as possible, thanks in part to the support and encouragement I've received from you folks.

[Paul Bunyan]

How gratifying that is to hear!!! Now that a year has gone by for me, I truly can't imagine NOT eating like this...at least I hope this year proves, for me, that I am changing. That's my goal.

Thanks for the update! I love hearing such good news from newcomers!!

Toni

p.s. You are right - that fake crab stuff is REALLY high in carbs...they must emulate the sweetness of crab with sugar!

t

[rostpribru]

Imitation crabmeat is made with fish... but it's very high in carb due to the other ingredients. Depending on the brand (I looked at several) it ranges from 10 to 15 grams (no fiber) per serving (85g/1/2cup serving).

Avoid this stuff....

[rostpribru]

Try adding cream to a sf orange soda... creamsicle!!!

[CDCL7WKJ]

I've actually tried finding an answer to this but there does'nt seem to be anything out there.

I'm on a low carb diet and having trouble meeting my daily 1500 calorie goal. The problem is I don't even get hungry but I want to make sure I keep losing weight.

Can I subsitute deficit calories with something like oils or fats. I've hear coconut oil is supposed to be really good for you.

It would be pretty easy for me to make it up with carbs but unfortunately they're off limits for now.

I just want to make sure that my body will use the oil as energy and not store it as fat.

Thanks,
James