I use fitday on a somewhat regular basis to track my carbs and fiber. I don't really generally watch the calories too closely. However doing an experiment last week I tried to stay under 1600 instead of just worrying about carbs minus fiber.
My weight loss went the wrong way. I don't think in any way it was from dropping my cals a bit. I believe it was from a night I sampled bites of Atkins bars (though I was still in ketosis) and the fact that tom ended today.
However it got me curious and wondering if other low carbers track calories. If you don't necessarily try to control calories do you consistently find yourself around the same number of cals??? When I went back at looked at my previous entries they were all over the board.
I'm not sure if you are doing straight Atkins, if you are, I was told and read in the book not to count calories but to count carbs (especially during the Induction Period). Before I bought the Atkins book dated 2002, I made the mistake of buying those Atkins Advantage Bars, BIG MISTAKE on my part! Even though I still lost weight (I think it was water weight) those bars messed me up so I had to start all over again. I think one bar is 19 carbs all by itself or something like that as I don't have the label in front of me (good thing!). Induction is eating 20 carbs a day and most of those carbs should come from veggies.
So no, I don't count calories at all.. I just concentrate on my carb intake.
I haven't tried the bars because I have heard that some people stall on them. I don't know why. I read some article once that said that some people have such a problem with insulin, that even something that tastes sweet, like a diet dessert, triggers an insulin release even though it doesn't have any sugar or carbs to speak of! Somehow the body is so ready to release insulin for some people, that it responds even to that.
It's my TOM and I gained 3 lbs. overnight. I know I did not overeat yesterday, and didn't go over my carb allowance, so I am figuring it is a result of TOM and the salty olives I had as a snack yesterday. I normally gain about 5 lbs. every month, so gaining 3 lbs. overnight is par for the course for me and I'm not worried about it. And I refuse to change my weight stats because I know it's water weight and will come off again in a week or so!
I don't count calories on purpose, but I do use SparkPeople to count carbs, so it tells me what calories I've taken in. So far I'm right around 1600-1700 every day, but I'm only on day three and I'm single so I tend to eat the same thing every day for a week.
Toby I agree on those bars. I'm not quite 100% Atkins but close. MY carbs are usually higher than induction levels by a bit. I seem to feel and lose much better with more veggie carbs than induction. Closer to owl I guess. I have 3 books, 1972, 1990's and 2002. I like the later versions that deduct fiber
Lori I usually see a gain from ovulation on. At least you know it will woosh back off. I think those bars are too much like candy and just set us up.
Thistoo It is interesting you find your cals fairly consistent. I wonder if mine will be eventually. wow on your stats!!!!
You might be right, Michelle, about the bars - there was some study that said that in some of us, even just a sweet taste (even from fake sugars) can make the body secrete insulin. Not fair! But that's how it goes I guess.
Thanks for sharing the info with me about how your cycle affects your weight - it's good to know this is normal, and to know what to expect as I diet each month!
I don't care what the scale shows (well, I do care some, in the long run I mean) - I am going to stick with this diet! My only hope is that I will be closer to my goal weight by the time it starts getting hot around here (June) because I would like to have a more comfortable summer than when I am very heavy.
If I remember correctly, those bars claimed that even though the sugar alcohols were carbs, they didn't count, for some reason. I was always extremely skeptical...as it sounded like a bunch of smoke and mirrors to me....not to mention, too good to be true. They listed the actual carbs and then somehow cut that WAY down to a very small number of net carbs...via magic and hocus-pocus, if you want my honest opinion.
I also don't really count calories....and even when I do, I basically eyeball them and approximate. One of the reasons is that on Atkins...for me...the same amount of calories of chicken or butter or mayo....versus the same amount of calories of cream cheese, cheese or sour cream....cause totally different results. The first items, I can eat almost unlimited quantities of and still maintain consistent loss...whereas with the second group, I have to be really careful or I'll end up stalled. Because it's a metabolic diet....every calorie isn't exactly the same.....so I honestly don't even worry about calories.
The only time calories have even factored in was that just by sheer accident, I observed that when I got close to goal.....having the odd day here and there, where calories were low, seemed shake things up and get me out of a stall....but I had to be sure to only do this infrequently, or it would work the opposite.
Deena thanks for sharing! It is amazing to see what stalls 1 person versus another person. I can tell you the bars did raise my blood sugar on my meter so I'd say the carbs count even though Atkins says they don't. Congrats on being so close to goal!
Lori I'm hoping to be down a bit by hot weather too. I didn't even wear shorts in public last year. Did you lose all your weight so far on Atkins?
Really? They raised your BS? See, that tells you that there's something fishy. I couldn't imagine that Dr. Atkins himself had approved these for induction. You can't just wave a magic wand and turn a carb into a non-carb.
If you think about it, though...there ARE people who lose weight on a "kinda low-carb eating plan"......eating many more carbs than Atkins allows but not nearly as many as the average junk eater does. So that shows that some people don't have to stick to the plan so rigidly and still lose weight. I, on the other hand, do have to stick rigidly to the plan to have it work for me. I'm wondering if it just has to do with how efficient one's metabolism is.
I think it's best to adhere rigidly in the beginning...since one is more likely to stick with a diet if they are experiencing success. Then eventually one can add back in additional carbs, one type at a time, to see if they are, indeed, one of those with a great metabolism. But at least if they run into a problem, they know they can go back to the more rigid adherence and have success again.
I've stayed on induction the whole time and the only thing I added in was some nuts in moderation. I like to see fast results. Impatient.
If you think about it, though...there ARE people who lose weight on a "kinda low-carb eating plan"......eating many more carbs than Atkins allows but not nearly as many as the average junk eater does.
That's exactly what worked for me for the first 90 pounds. Then it stopped working very suddenly, and when I hit that wall I knew it was the carbs holding me back.
calories and fitday ????
