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Weight Loss Forum / Low Carb / March 2004Weighing in on calorie counting
After reading the threads dealing with counting calories and seeing all the advice about about it and using fitday, I feel compelled to put in my 2 cents. Diets that rely on calorie counting have been a miserable failure for me and I'm guessing many others over the years. I came to Atkins and lo-carb dieting after regaining 67 of the 143 pounds that I lost in 1997. At that time I had lost all of the weight on a PSMF. I lost it quickly and what for me was easily, in about 6 months. I had gone down to 210, regained 20 and had settled in at 230 for quite a few years. The lion's share of what I regained all came back over the past year or so. The reason I regained it is two-fold. First, I had to stop excercising the way I had been. That way being 6 days a week, aerobic and weight training. I loved it but surgery put an abrupt end to it. The second reason is that I began indulging in what had become (Let's Examine The Calorie Myth, pg 9, 1992 ed.) If all one does is cut out the refined carbs, excess alcohol, and increase green veggies and salad, it's almost certain that one will lose some weight. Even with no other changes. After induction, counting every little carb or counting the calories in roasted chicken all seems like a collosal waste of time to me. The beauty of the Atkins diet to me is that it makes weight loss easy for someone like me. No bread, no pasta, no rice, no sweets. A plateau is normal. I know I've freaked over a stall and done so on this NG. On thinking about it, it's because the last time I lost a lot of weight I lost 5-8 pounds every week with no stalls. It was phenomenal. The other man in the group and I were losing like that while the women were struggling to lose 2 pounds. So I became spoiled. I'm still stuck on this plateau, but I know that's all it is. A plateau. If I continue to resist the junk, I will lose the weight. No calorie counting, no fitday. Whether the reason for the weight loss is lower calories or something to do with insulin resistance, is not improtant to me. I believe that's why Atkins came out with a simplified version of the book that goes light on the science. I'm writing this to offer support for all of those who post and are told to go to fitday and track calories, but like me are not interested in doing that. Try cutting back on what you KNOW are the wrong foods. Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full. Re-read the forbidden food list if you're on Atkins. It really is very simple and, on Atkins, very satisfying. Just MHO.  SignatureBear Grrrrrrrrrrrr :o) 297/271/210 Highest weight 353 http://home.earthlink.net/~polarbear50/index.html > After reading the threads dealing with counting calories and seeing all the > advice about about it and using fitday, I feel compelled to put in my 2 [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > Atkins. It really is very simple and, on Atkins, very satisfying. > Just MHO. Your plateau - how long has it lasted? If I stall for a month or so, no biggie. In fact, I'm in a little stall right now. But if it continues for a few more months, you damn well bet I'm going to eat fewer calories. If you don't want to count calories, that is okey dokey, but for people who have been stuck for several months, are already exercising regularly, getting enough water, etc, do you think that "ignore calories" would still be good advice? Also, calorie counting is not just a tool to lose weight, it can also be a reality check. If, say, someone is at 120 pounds and they want to weigh 110, and they find that the only way the scale moves is if they go ultra-low-calorie, like 500 a day, then maybe that will be a wake-up call that 110 pounds is unrealistic and unhealthy for their body. SignatureMichelle Levin http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick I have only 3 flaws. My first flaw is thinking that I only have 3 flaws. :: After reading the threads dealing with counting calories and seeing :: all the advice about about it and using fitday, I feel compelled to :: put in my 2 cents. Everyone is entitled, imo. :: Diets that rely on calorie counting have been a miserable failure :: for me and I'm guessing many others over the years. IMO, diets don't fail. The people following them do. Most any reasonable diet plan will yield results, but the main reason for failure, is people stop following them. For me, LF was simply hard to follow forever because I had a huge appetite and the food was relatively tasteless and obviosly high carb. I came to Atkins :: and lo-carb dieting after regaining 67 of the 143 pounds that I lost :: in 1997. At that time I had lost all of the weight on a PSMF. I lost [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] :: week, aerobic and weight training. I loved it but surgery put an :: abrupt end to it. Yep. IMO, the main reason you planed worked is because 1) you were heavy, and 2) you exercised a lot. Hence, your plan was heavily based on burning calories via exercise. IME, the best plan is to learn to control intake first, and use exercise as a boost. That way, if you have to stop exercising, you can still maintain a reasonable eating plan. Hence, you should be able to maintain weight WITHOUT exercise, even though that is far from an optimal situation (it may still be the best thing to do) The second reason is that I began indulging in :: what had become (Let's Examine The Calorie Myth, pg 9, 1992 ed.) :: If all one does is cut out the refined carbs, excess alcohol, and :: increase green veggies and salad, it's almost certain that one will :: lose some weight. Even with no other changes. After induction, :: counting every little carb or counting the calories in roasted :: chicken all seems like a collosal waste of time to me. It's your cup of tea. Enjoy it as you see fit. The beauty of :: the Atkins diet to me is that it makes weight loss easy for someone :: like me. No bread, no pasta, no rice, no sweets. Sure, but you can still overeat other, approved-list foods. The fact is, people like to eat. I know I do. And where high fat food is concerned, it is easy to consume a lot of calories in a very short time. :: A plateau is normal. I know I've freaked over a stall and done so on :: this NG. On thinking about it, it's because the last time I lost a :: lot of weight I lost 5-8 pounds every week with no stalls. Yep...and you regained it. Fast weight loss typically leads to that very result. It was :: phenomenal. The other man in the group and I were losing like that :: while the women were struggling to lose 2 pounds. So I became :: spoiled. :: I'm still stuck on this plateau, but I know that's all it is. A :: plateau. If I continue to resist the junk, I will lose the weight. How do you know that for sure? :: No calorie counting, no fitday. Well, I can tell you how to lose weight without counting and using fitday. Just make sure you're hungry before every meal (speaking in term of being on LC now). That means you wake up hungry, you're hungry before lunch, and your hungry before dinner. You can even do several smaller means per day as long as you make sure you get hungry before eating again. You won't have to count anything. The problem is though, you may get really really hungry if you undereat by too much. That can make you end up on a binge (the obvious solution is to have another small meal). By associating calories in with what you weigh and how your body reacts to that calorie level, you can better clue in on what how much to eat. Whether the reason for the weight :: loss is lower calories or something to do with insulin resistance, :: is not improtant to me. okay....but understanding what's needed to lose weight ought to be. I believe that's why Atkins came out with a :: simplified version of the book that goes light on the science. Well, he realized it had to be simple. But that doesn't mean it was perfect. :: I'm writing this to offer support for all of those who post and are :: told to go to fitday and track calories, but like me are not :: interested in doing that. Try cutting back on what you KNOW are the :: wrong foods. But many of these people report, over and over, that they are eating the right foods. And many of them are exercising too. So if all they are doing is eating the right foods and limiting carbs, they perhaps they feel they can wolf down as much steak as they like. :: Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full. But what does full mean? Does it have the same meaning for you as it does for me? And what if I eat faster than you? Will I notice that I'm full before you do? The bottom line comes down to this: if you weight loss has stopped and you're unhappy about that, then you have to take things to the next level. The reason I started counting everything is because I got tired of "hit-and-miss" weight loss. Re-read :: the forbidden food list if you're on Atkins. It really is very :: simple and, on Atkins, very satisfying. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] :: Highest weight 353 :: http://home.earthlink.net/~polarbear50/index.html > :: After reading the threads dealing with counting calories and seeing > :: all the advice about about it and using fitday, I feel compelled to > :: put in my 2 cents. > > Everyone is entitled, imo. Thanks. > :: Diets that rely on calorie counting have been a miserable failure > :: for me and I'm guessing many others over the years. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > had a huge appetite and the food was relatively tasteless and obviosly high > carb. I disagree. The diet industry has failed people. > I came to Atkins > :: and lo-carb dieting after regaining 67 of the 143 pounds that I lost [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > should be able to maintain weight WITHOUT exercise, even though that is far > from an optimal situation (it may still be the best thing to do) Odd coming from you. You stress excercise more than anyone on this NG. Also, I had to lose a lot of weight first. I was not even able to walk a block at first. It was the combination of discontinuing the excercise and eating the wrong foods. > The second reason is that I began indulging in > :: what had become (Let's Examine The Calorie Myth, pg 9, 1992 ed.) [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > people like to eat. I know I do. And where high fat food is concerned, it > is easy to consume a lot of calories in a very short time. Of course one can, but it's less likely. When was the last time you sat around and ate a bag of steaks? How about potato chips? Which one is easier to do? > :: A plateau is normal. I know I've freaked over a stall and done so on > :: this NG. On thinking about it, it's because the last time I lost a > :: lot of weight I lost 5-8 pounds every week with no stalls. > > Yep...and you regained it. Fast weight loss typically leads to that very > result. Unfair. I only gained a portion after keeping it off for 4+ years. Also, I continued to lose after stopping the diet. When I stopped I weighed 250, the next 40 were lost just watching what I ate. Settling in at 230 was fine for me. I'm a big man. My wrists are 7.5 inches for god sake. > It was > :: phenomenal. The other man in the group and I were losing like that [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > How do you know that for sure? It's called common sense. > :: No calorie counting, no fitday. > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > what you weigh and how your body reacts to that calorie level, you can > better clue in on what how much to eat. I eat plenty and I'm losing fine. I'm never hungry because I don't eat 3 big meals but 6 smaller ones. I never binge and never have. I gained becuase I ate and drank crap. > Whether the reason for the weight > :: loss is lower calories or something to do with insulin resistance, > :: is not improtant to me. > > okay....but understanding what's needed to lose weight ought to be. The common wisdom when I was growing up (thin by the way) was if you want to lose weight, stop eating starches like bread, pasta, and stop eating sweets. We didn't need to understand any more than that. It worked. > I believe that's why Atkins came out with a > :: simplified version of the book that goes light on the science. > > Well, he realized it had to be simple. But that doesn't mean it was > perfect. Nothing is perfect. > :: I'm writing this to offer support for all of those who post and are > :: told to go to fitday and track calories, but like me are not [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > is eating the right foods and limiting carbs, they perhaps they feel they > can wolf down as much steak as they like. If they're woofing down steak they are not following Atkins. > :: Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full. > > But what does full mean? Does it have the same meaning for you as it does > for me? And what if I eat faster than you? Will I notice that I'm full > before you do? Full is full. If you don't know when you feel full, seek medical help. > The bottom line comes down to this: if you weight loss has stopped and > you're unhappy about that, then you have to take things to the next level. > > The reason I started counting everything is because I got tired of > "hit-and-miss" weight loss. If you're unhappy about you're weight, and you are clearly overweight, you must do something about it. If you're unhappy about you're weight because you don't look like a model, you may not be overweight in the first place. Body size's vary and always will. God doesn't use cookie cutters. It all boils down to common sense. Once again, IMHO. Signature-Bear Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr : o) 297/271/210 >> :: After reading the threads dealing with counting calories and seeing >> :: all the advice about about it and using fitday, I feel compelled to [quoted text clipped - 72 lines] > easier > to do? Why is this, anyway? I used to eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's, along with an entire pizza, both of which are loaded with fat. I understand the high carb aspect of things, but it's strange to me that I can eat one thing filled with fat and carbs and have cravings a short time later, yet eat nuts (or something similar) with the same or more fat content but lower carbs and not have any cravings later. It's because of this that I don't believe "a calorie is a calorie is a calorie." However, I do believe that calories count. SignatureBob in CT Remove ".x" to reply Just to clarify what I'm saying: I believe that calories count. I'm not sure we all need to count calories. Signature-Bear Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr : o) 297/271/210 > > >> :: After reading the threads dealing with counting calories and seeing [quoted text clipped - 82 lines] > believe "a calorie is a calorie is a calorie." However, I do believe that > calories count. :: Just to clarify what I'm saying: I believe that calories count. I'm :: not sure we all need to count calories. if you can get where you need/want to be without counting, more power to you. > Just to clarify what I'm saying: I believe that calories count. I'm not sure > we all need to count calories. nicely put, Bear. Thank you. Signature-Bear Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr : o) 297/271/210 > > > Just to clarify what I'm saying: I believe that calories count. I'm not sure > > we all need to count calories. > > nicely put, Bear. :: On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 16:57:03 GMT, Bear <polarbear50@earthlink.net> :: wrote: [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] ::: ::: I disagree. The diet industry has failed people. Nope....no diet will work if it is not followed. :::: I came to Atkins :::::: and lo-carb dieting after regaining 67 of the 143 pounds that I [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] ::: Odd coming from you. You stress excercise more than anyone on this ::: NG. Exercise is important. Period. However, it is not the key thing for weight loss. Diet is. I can easily out eat what I can exercise off. Also, ::: I had to lose a lot of weight first. I was not even able to walk a ::: block at ::: first. It was the combination of discontinuing the excercise and ::: eating the ::: wrong foods. Same thing happened to me. First, quit exercising, then stopped eating well. I maintain that the reason for this is my whole weight control notion at the time was based on exercise - being heavy I could burn a lot of calories. If I did that, then I would eat properly. Now, I eat properly first, and exercise for further benefit. The difference is in the way of thinking about it, not in terms of what you do. :::: The second reason is that I began indulging in :::::: what had become (Let's Examine The Calorie Myth, pg 9, 1992 ed.) [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] ::: one is easier ::: to do? It's less likely? What are you comparing to, here? You don't have to eat a bag of steaks to prevent weight loss.....we're not talking about gaining weight, we're talking about not losing weight. And beside, put up a large bag of nuts and I'll show you how easy it is to pack away lots of low-carb food quickly. And give me some tasty ribs that are cooked just right, and I show you how to pack away some ribs very quickly. :: Why is this, anyway? I used to eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's, along :: with an entire pizza, both of which are loaded with fat. I [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] :: later. It's because of this that I don't believe "a calorie is a :: calorie is a calorie." However, I do believe that calories count. Damn! I meant to reply to Bear's post, not your Bob. Crap...I ain't doing this again..... :: -- :: Bob in CT :: Remove ".x" to reply > Exercise is important. Period. However, it is not the key thing for weight > loss. Diet is. I can easily out eat what I can exercise off. They give a good example of this in The Hackers Diet. They something like "You can spend the next half hour on the treadmill, or just not eat that Snickers bar. Your choice." :: "Roger Zoul" <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> writes: ::: Exercise is important. Period. However, it is not the key thing [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] :: like "You can spend the next half hour on the treadmill, or just not :: eat that Snickers bar. Your choice." haha....good way to put it too....imagine, I can inhale a snicker bar in mere seconds...just thinking about it makes my mouth water. hmm....sometimes I really feel there is a very thin, fragle line between diet control and diet disaster. > :: Diets that rely on calorie counting have been a miserable failure > :: for me and I'm guessing many others over the years. > > IMO, diets don't fail. The people following them do. Most any reasonable > diet plan will yield results, but the main reason for failure, is people > stop following them. But for certain people (and not a small number, BTW) eating high carb diets cannot work for fundamental biochemical reasons. There is a stereotype of what obesity is all about which is directly or indirectly propagated by the media and the medical establishment. The claim is that obesity results merely from overeating. Overeating means lots of calorie input so the intellectual giants in government and medicine decide to attack high calorie fat as a means to regulate "excess" input. At the same time the total calories still have to be reduced since the obese or overweight individual is assumed to be stuffing their face at every opportunity (forgetting for now that such behaviour may be an indicator of a problem not related to psychology). Like most stereotypes this one is a pathetic myth. The high carb, low fat diets deny the existence of insulin resistance as a problem. For insulin resistant individuals starch calories go into fat accumulation at *any* realistic level of caloric intake since there is no way to avoid the insulin spike unless only a few grams of food are consumed. Normal indviduals respond to the insulin spike by turning the starch calories into heat instead of fat. They can consume excess starch calories and then lose them as heat so they do not have a problem with obesity. I know one individual from a near equatorial country who consumes enormous amounts of carbs and cannot put on any weight (he has to do excercise to build up muscle and put on weight this way). Insulin resistant individuals do not get to use most of the starch calories they consume since they are stored (never to be used if they keep on eating a high carb, high insulin diet). Since the starch calories are a large part of the total calorie intake this requires them to eat more calories to fill the gap created by forced storage. So it is no big surprise that insulin resistant individuals are in the starvation regime if they constrain their total calorie intake to the "right" value for their weight (according to tables that are compiled based on statistics that reflect the normal majority). The only way for these people to constrain their total calorie intake is to remove most of the starch which they cannot process normally. The other option is to do levels of physical activity that most modern jobs do not support and ignore the total calorie intake (something like the pioneer farmer lifestyle). It is the high carb diet that is predestined to fail and blaiming the individual misses the mark. Yeah, right. SignatureSomeone on my forum claimed to have gained 30 lbs in 3 months eating 800-1000 calories/day. In the FFID universe, 800 cal can magically cause weight gain. Lyle > > :: Diets that rely on calorie counting have been a miserable failure > > :: for me and I'm guessing many others over the years. [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > It is the high carb diet that is predestined to fail and blaiming the > individual misses the mark. >:: Diets that rely on calorie counting have been a miserable failure >:: for me and I'm guessing many others over the years. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >had a huge appetite and the food was relatively tasteless and obviosly high >carb. I'm surprised you consider yourself such a failure (sarcasm). After all you couldn't stay on a diet as simple as LF(even more sarcasm). I think you should consider that, while calories count, your body isn't a simple calorie in calorie out machine. Composition of the diet certainly seems to be INCREDIBLY important. You can count calories all you want but calories won't matter if you can't control them. If I eat 1200 calories of Twinkies & diet soda(for extremist's sake), I can't expect to maintain that diet. And I would say the nutrional deficients would interfere with the body's metabolism to the point where results would be affected. I think there may be fundamental issues with going low-fat that prevent a lot of people from being successful in the long run. If you are only slightly overwieght with end of year holiday weight, I think any diet regime could help you. Any increase in exercise or drop in calories will have the desired effect. But a lot of people are beyond holiday fat, and maybe that is where Atkin's can do the most benefit. I've tried to cut down, like an addict--attempting moderation. A week or two later I backslid into every bad habit. My weight has been determined by my professional life, not by willpower. The more active my jobs, my weight would slip. Atkins had a big effect for me. During induction I gave up sugars & caffeine and refused to use any sugar alcohols or substitutes. I'm finishing up week 7 and very happy with how I'm eating. I'm up to 30g and had spicy tacos on LC soft tortillas (La Torilla Factory,net 3g,7" round, not bad at all). The other day I had a PB&J sandwich. I found LC chocolate cheesecake muffins that worked as a nice small snack so the chocoholic in me doesn't go berserk (I ate only four muffins in 20 days). This from someone who ate chocolate multiple times a week for the last twenty years. I feel this is very sustainable now. My daily average is 1800 calories now (based up last 14 days--I've been busy & eating a little less). That's whithout trying to control my calories. I will continue to watch them and see if they start increasing but I credit Atkin's with enabling me to control my calories. Sure as sh.t wasn't willpower. DiGiTAL_ViNYL (no email) 350/328/200 Atkins since 1/12/2004 I think the key here is reasonability and functionality. I use www.fitday.com as a tool to help me manage my controlled carbohydrate eating. I do this to use it as a training tool to teach me new eating habits. My motto is "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it." My goal is to develop and sustain a new way of eating, to develop "automatic" "subconscious" healthy eating habits by re-enforcing "workable" habits. I do this using www.fitday.com to track calories, total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, and protein. The standard that I use is, I think, consistent with the Atkins advisories. My statistics are 203/156/145 Calories: min - 1560 max 1872 (based upon min = 10 x current weight and max = 12 x current weight) Total fat: min 130 grams max 156 grams (based on fat intake being 75% of caloric intake) Saturated fat min 35 grams max 42 grams (based on saturated fat intake being 20% of total caloric intake) net carbs min 20 grams max 24 grams (based on net carbs being 5 % of total caloric intake) protein min 78 grams max 94 grams (based on protein being 20% of total caloric intake) So you see ... my entire formula base ... my whole tracking system is based on caloric intake ... which is based on current weight. As my weight changes ... so does my parameters for calories, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, and protein. I noticed that it is important to keep protein input under control because 58% of protein converts to blood glucose (hope I said that right). Anyway ... as you can see ... within the guidelines of eating THE WAY Atkins recommends, I use calorie intake to measure and monitor my daily performance. Placid 203/156/145 P.S. My biggest problem is that my nightly medications make me hungry and it is not uncommon for me to eat half of my caloric intake in the last two hours of the day. I am trying desperately to correct this very bad problem/habit. Happy low-carbing! Placid > After reading the threads dealing with counting calories and seeing all the > advice about about it and using fitday, I feel compelled to put in my 2 [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > Atkins. It really is very simple and, on Atkins, very satisfying. > Just MHO. :: P.S. My biggest problem is that my nightly medications make me :: hungry and it is not uncommon for me to eat half of my caloric :: intake in the last two hours of the day. I am trying desperately to :: correct this very bad problem/habit. Placid -- I frequently do this too. The reason it I go to the gym on MW at 8:30p and do cardio on TTH at 7:30...I don't like to eat before, so I eat after them gym or cardio. Since I cook my meals, I'll sometimes end up eating after 10 p or so (I get up early too). However, since I'm eating a calorie restricted diet, I don't see any problem from it. Why do you see this as a problem? > :: P.S. My biggest problem is that my nightly medications make me > :: hungry and it is not uncommon for me to eat half of my caloric [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > calorie restricted diet, I don't see any problem from it. Why do you see > this as a problem? Roger, When do you sleep : ) Or are you one of those people who needs only 4-5 hours/night? My SO is like that. He's a night owl, never retiring before 2 a.m. Marsha/Ohio :: Roger Zoul wrote: :: [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] :: needs only 4-5 hours/night? My SO is like that. He's a :: night owl, never retiring before 2 a.m. I go to bed about midnight...and get up between 5 and 5:30 am....I try to get on the stationary about 10 to 6 and get off at 6:30....shower...leave house at 7:30... After 3 or 4 days of this, I'm worn out...then I crash at 9:30 :) > I do this to use it as a training tool to teach me new eating habits. I keep a food log from time to time as a way of doing just the above. > My motto is "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it." I work on the motto, "Your body, your science experiment." SignatureRudy - Remove the Z from my address to respond. "It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!" -Emiliano Zapata Check out the a.s.d.l-c FAQ at: http://www.grossweb.com/asdlc/faq.htm > Eat when you're > hungry, stop when you're full. Sounds so simple, doesn't it? Bear, if I could do that, I wouldn't have gotten fat in the first place. Your suggestion would work as poorly for me as you say calorie counting has worked for you. I can believe that calorie counting won't be the best way to approach a diet for each and every person from the get-go. But I maintain that when someone who is not counting calories stalls out, it is sound advice for that person to try counting calories, at least for a little while. carla carla - I understand how you feel. I was speaking for myself and I know that we're all different. It's really the point of the post. I felt someone who had the same attitude I had needed that opinion voiced. My problem has always been the quality of the food and drink I consume, not the quantity. Good luck to you. -Bear Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr : o) 297/271/210 > > Eat when you're > > hungry, stop when you're full. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > carla quoted from Bear.... After induction, counting every little carb or counting the calories in roasted chicken all seems like a collosal waste of time to me. The beauty of the Atkins diet to me is that it makes weight loss easy for someone like me. No bread, no pasta, no rice, no sweets. ------- I agree completely Bear....I've lost from 199 to 148 and not counted the first calorie nor have I worried about the little carbs. I am as much against Atkins types making money on my fat as I have against the diet industry charging me weekly to weigh me. I just have something against it. I also don't worry about the flour in the breadings and such. I figure if it means I can't lose quite as fast, so be it...at least life is more normal when I'm not always searching out some strange ingredient to buy. However, I can see that if I am to lose the last 13 lbs that I want to, I need to add exercise to this routine. Thanks for your two cents. Many here are making what Atkins proposed so difficult, IMO.... Of course, people are different, so what works for me may not for you, but computing calories goes against what the whole main idea behind Atkins is about, I thought. If the difference is only psychological, then I understand, but it there is a powerful difference to think, "I can eat, only I won't, because I'm not hungry" as opposed to, "I can't eat because it is against my diet." Of course part of the key is really listening to your body and not overeating. This is such a difficult thing to learn! JMO, Becky P. www.family.solidrockpl.org Thanks for the supportive post Becky. I checked out your website and you look great! I''m glad you posted. Signature-Bear Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr : o) 297/271/210 > quoted from Bear.... After induction, counting every little carb or > counting the calories in roasted chicken all seems like a collosal waste of [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > I agree completely Bear....I've lost from 199 to 148 and not counted the first calorie nor have I worried about the little carbs. I am as much against Atkins types making money on my fat as I have against the diet industry charging me weekly to weigh me. I just have something against it. I also don't worry about the flour in the breadings and such. I figure if it means I can't lose quite as fast, so be it...at least life is more normal when I'm not always searching out some strange ingredient to buy. > However, I can see that if I am to lose the last 13 lbs that I want to, I need to add exercise to this routine. > > Thanks for your two cents. Many here are making what Atkins proposed so difficult, IMO.... > > Of course, people are different, so what works for me may not for you, but computing calories goes against what the whole main idea behind Atkins is about, I thought. If the difference is only psychological, then I understand, but it there is a powerful difference to think, "I can eat, only I won't, because I'm not hungry" as opposed to, "I can't eat because it is against my diet." > Of course part of the key is really listening to your body and not overeating. This is such a difficult thing to learn! > > JMO, > Becky P. > www.family.solidrockpl.org > I'm writing this to offer support for all of those who post and are told to > go to fitday and track calories, but like me are not interested in doing > that. Try cutting back on what you KNOW are the wrong foods. Eat when you're > hungry, stop when you're full. Re-read the forbidden food list if you're on > Atkins. It really is very simple and, on Atkins, very satisfying. > Just MHO. you don't *have* to track calories all the time but i think it's a good idea to have some sort of clue what you're consuming. i think a lot of people don't realize how fast things like cheese and nuts and cream add up calorie-wise. it doesn't take much to push you over the edge. but yeah, not everyone has to track their calories. if you find yourself eating well and losing weight, then more power to you. It may be counterintuitive, but you do not have to _count_ calories to _limit_ calories. I limit my calories by limiting my portions and eating known portion sizes. For example, my lunch that I take at work, I always pack into a one pint container, plus low calorie vegetables. I do not count calories in that one pint container and put whatever I want in there. I know that it works great in the sense that I do not overeat. I do not have time and patience to weigh and look up every piece that I put in there. That would be crazy. Nevertheless, I know that my calories are limited, and I even logged all my food into fitday for one week, to get an idea where I was. A diet that only limits calories, but allows the dieter to eat lots of carbs and junk food, may be less successful than lowcarbing that also limits calories. Hence the proposition that limiting calories does not work, may not apply to lowcarbers limiting calories. I know that I would not be able to limit my calories had I not lowered my starch and gave up sugar. As of now, limiting my calories to about 2,000 per day on average (I fast on Thursdays), is not that psychologically difficult. i > It may be counterintuitive, but you do not have to _count_ calories to > _limit_ calories. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > calories are limited, and I even logged all my food into fitday for > one week, to get an idea where I was. Then you counted calories, ig. I can't speak for everyone advocating calorie counting, but all I'm advocating is that anyone who is (a) just starting out on a plan, or (b) stalling do exactly what you did - count and measure for a week or two as a reality check. Although I count every day and have continued to do so for the three months I've been on my plan, I recognize that not everyone can maintain this or will find it helpful. Personally, I find it invaluable, just as I found strict journalling essential to my weight loss when I was on Weight Watchers. carla > I do not have time and patience to weigh and look up every piece that > I put in there. That would be crazy. Wow, that was one crazy 110 pounds I lost doing just that. Hi stranger! > > I do not have time and patience to weigh and look up every piece > > that I put in there. That would be crazy. > > Wow, that was one crazy 110 pounds I lost doing just that. Being AR can have its rewards. ;-) How are you doing? Take care, Carmen > Hi stranger! > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Take care, > Carmen Just got back from 5 days in Paris! Lost half a pound. Must have been the six miles a day walking...took my pedometer just to see! Good hotel. Decent shopping, but the exchange rate stinks, and the restaurant prices are insane! Signature***************** Wayne Crannell Atkins + 10/21/01 250/139 ***************** I agree in many ways. I don't count calories because I don't feel the need to. I am in tune with my body and know how much I should eat by feel. On the other hand, I think there are plenty of people that don't have a good feel for this and need to count and use fitday. There are some really unlucky people that have a great deal of difficulty in losing weight to the point they need to keep track of everything and counting everything may work well for them. Although, I think exercise is a key in really making your body a furnace to lose weight, some people are not able to exercise for various reasons. I am like you however Bear, no need to know how many calories I eat at this point. I have counted them for educational purposes in the past, but no need now. Enjoy, Curt SignatureStarted low carb May '03 211/184/185 . . 6'2" 15.78% BF Highest weight 250 5+ years ago > After reading the threads dealing with counting calories and seeing all the > advice about about it and using fitday, I feel compelled to put in my 2 [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > Atkins. It really is very simple and, on Atkins, very satisfying. > Just MHO. I never counted calories, just carbs when I started Atkins, but when I got closer to goal (about 15 - 20 lbs from it) I reached a plateau and I couldn't understand why. I was doing everything right. I then stepped back and gave some thought about my calories. I started counting them and it jump-started the weight loss. I didn't realize how many calories I was actually consuming until I started tracking them. No wonder I stalled! I was eating much more than I thought I was. But this is JMHO. As hooked on phonics says "Werkd for me" Marty > I never counted calories, just carbs when I started Atkins, but when I > got closer to goal (about 15 - 20 lbs from it) I reached a plateau and I [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > stalled! I was eating much more than I thought I was. But this is > JMHO.?As hooked on phonics says "Werkd for me"? Marty I don't have any statistics to back this up, but I'd bet it's pretty common for people with weight problems to not actually realize how much they're eating. SignatureMichelle Levin http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick I have only 3 flaws. My first flaw is thinking that I only have 3 flaws. > > I never counted calories, just carbs when I started Atkins, but when I > > got closer to goal (about 15 - 20 lbs from it) I reached a plateau and I [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > for people with weight problems to not actually realize how much they're > eating. There have been several studies proving you right. |
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