[Sunrose]

For those of you on Atkins, I was wondering how many grams of fat and how many grams of protein do you average per day? Also, how many calories you eat (if you keep track)? I also wonder what percentage of your fat is saturated?

I have just started to log all my food onto Fitday.com and am just freaked out about the amount of fat (even though I know it's a high fat diet - just to actually see it written out in front of me feels a little weird).

If you could all let me know what you average on a daily basis, even if it's just an estimate, I think it would make me feel a lot better!

Thanks!

[snapless]

I don't personally keep track of anything except carbs and fiber. I also try to eat as many 'whole foods' as I can. The few times I've tried counting calories or counting fat the diet has failed miserably for me because I always felt like I was depriving myself (mental) and always felt famished (physical).

You need to do what works best for you however. If you need to count calories and fat I'd suggest eating mostly raw or lightly steamed green vegetables and lean meats.

[Sunrose]

Thanks for your response. I am still following the Atkins induction guidelines, and not limiting these items - just as the book says. I have been doing great and eating until I am satisfied and my cravings are gone for the most part, so that hasn't been a problem. It's just that I want to keep a record going so that if I ever reach a plateau I can go back and see if there's anything I need to adjust. And I've never been good at keeping a food journal, so I thought I would try it out.

[snapless]

I actually use the free blog here to keep a food journal, but before I signed up at 3FC I just wrote it all down in a bound journal.

Maybe just spend 10 minutes a day writing down on the free journal here what you ate and how much? If you really want to analyze it later, you can always go back and look up nutritional data, provided you have the foods and their quantities recorded.

[Timlin]

I was keeping track because, like you, I had trouble with the high fat content. I kept trying to go back to low fat products and had to force myself to keep the fat up. It's not a problem now.

I think I was at 65% fat, 30% protein and 5% carbs. I don't know the breakdown on the fats.

I don't count calories but I do watch my portions and I eat 3 meals a day ONLY. I never snack and that along with watching my portions means I don't feel I really need to worry about calories. I do count my carbs carefully.

I have just discovered that nuts are a bad deal with me.....I knew they might make me tip into feeling hungry and I was right. I just threw all the nuts out of my house......no point fooling with foods that make you crave.

[Sunrose]

Thanks for the response Timlin! Yesterday (the only day I kept track) my fat/protein/carb ratio was just about the same as yours, so it makes me feel a lot better to know that.

I just started adding some nuts and it's going okay I think. Sometimes I want to keep eating them but I've been pretty good at stopping myself, and they seem to satisfy my hunger rather than igniting it, so I think I'm on the right track.

Good for you that you just threw all the nuts out of your house. That's awesome!

[Timlin]

Sunrose it wasn't so much that I wanted to keep eating the nuts.....it was more that I found myself hungry and wanting to nibble between meals which hasn't been the case the last 4 months until I started to eat the nuts.

I'm fine so far today without the nuts but we'll see if I'm maybe letting the fats fall down a bit and that's causing me to be hungry or if it truely was the nuts. Time will tell soon!

Do you exercise everyday? I missed a few days with things happening but we are back to walking (over mountains!!!) for an hour each morning before breakfast. My DH says this is not walking.....he says it's mountain climbing!..ya gotta love a partner in exercise with a sense of humour!

[Sunrose]

Timlin,

I've been exercising fairly regularly, though I'm not to the point where I'm doing it every single day, but I hope to be there soon (physically I'm perfectly capable - mentally is another story). I've been exercising for a while, even before I started Atkins. It helps me feel better in so many ways. So far I've lost 10 pounds since starting Atkins three weeks ago today, so I know I'm on the right track!

[Timlin]

Sounds great!! I can't remember what I lost the first couple weeks....we were on holidays so I wasn't weighing myself but it's gone nice and steady for the last 4 months until 2 weeks ago and then it just really almost stopped. I gain 1/2 a pound and the next day I lose 1/2 a pound. I'm pushing to try to have a break through and start the scale moving down again.

I'm 64 and I honestly thought at my age I'd have a very hard time losing but honestly it's been 1 to 1.5 pounds a week until 2 weeks ago and I'm totally happy with that. 26 pounds makes such a difference in how I look and feel. I'd like the rest to come off but I will just keep pushing and we'll see how long it takes.