I know that calories aren't the main focus with the Atkins plan, but I still watch them anyway. I usually average between 1300-1500...usually stay @ lower end. I am on my 4th week of the plan & lost 8 # the first week & 2 # each week since. I now stay @ between 20 - 25 g of carbs.

Today I made beef ribs 4 dinner & thought...no carbs, I can eat this! So I did. Well, according 2 my calculations, I ate about 1000 calories in those 2 meaty, boneless ribs!!!! I was all ready @ 1036 calories for breakfast & dinner & 18 carbs. That puts me at 2036 calories 4 the day! Ahhhhh!

I feel as big as the cow I ate! So will this excess calorie boo boo thwart my weight loss 4 this week? I have little time 4 excercise but try to spend 20 minutes 3-4 times/ week on elliptical & started working with free weights this week.

Sorry 4 the long, panicked rant but I'm really enjoying the consistant weight loss & don't want 2 screw it up!

You might be surprised that the increase in calories could actually help your weightloss.

I don't do atkins, but calorie count and I always plan one high calorie day in my week. That way my body doesn't get used to the same amount of calories each day. It shakes up your metabolism.

Don't worry about it and see how you do when you weigh in.

I think it's important not to get too paranoid about screwing up. Mistakes and experimenting are part of the process, and you learn from them and move on. 2000 calories is probably not enough to gain weight, unless you're already very tiny. At worst, you probably broke even for the day.

That's not to say that calories don't matter. If you eat enough calories, even if they're low-carb calories, you will not lose weight or could even gain weight. Some people's bodies seem to react similarly to carb calories and protein calories, that is they'll lose about the same weight on 1500 calories regardless of where the calories come from. Many people though find that they can eat far more calories on low-carb than on high carb. That's definitely true for me. To lose weight, I can eat 300 to 500 calories more of low-carb (reason enough for me to prefer low carb, eat more and still lose weight, sign me up), and even with this difference I lose more weight on low-carb.

Thanx so much for the replies! I haven't lost weight like this in so long & I panicked @ the thought of screwing up the momentum. I'm currently 164# (haven't been that in 11 yrs!) after yo-yoing between 200 & 184 # for yrs!
At my highest I was 230 6-7 yrs ago. So, I'm pretty excited about this progress!

Thanx 4 the encouragement! I'll just keep on trucking and see where the diet road takes me!

Hi Marie,

For me...the calories didn't so much count as much as WHAT the calories were. I can eat much more protein (meat, butter, fish), mayo and butter (almost regardless of calories) yet have a huge problem if I eat too much cheese, sour cream or cream cheese....even too much avocado or nuts or pork rinds. But the butter and mayo I had to pile on....not enough would slow down the loss. And I love dark meat and the skin and that sort of stuff never slowed down the weight loss.
And veggies? I could almost eat as much as I wanted of the low carb veggies and still lose.

Atkins is the kind of diet where you will learn exactly what items can cause a slowdown for YOU. Especially when you use the ketostix and track the ketosis....you'll be able to figure out exactly what items cause problems.

I never worry about calories, to be honest. After some time on the diet...you really measure food differently....by carbs, not by calories. And fat takes on a whole different meaning. It turns many previously held food concepts upside down eventually. Fatty meat, butter, mayo = good but sugar and flour = bad.

deena

Also..forgot to add that mulder is correct....calorie-cycling can also be used to help weight-loss. I would use this when I'd hit plateaus.....alternate a few lower-calorie days with a few high-calorie days. Usually worked well.

Also forgot to congratulate you on your success so far. Congratulations!

I pulled a calorie-shifting maneuver yesterday -- at just under 1500 and tried really balancing my nutrients -- and it got me into the 140s at last. I've been stuck at 150 lbs for 20 days. So yes, I believe in the power of calories, they do factor in. You just have to learn your body and how to use the calorie factor to your advantage.

Hehe....shoot, firefly....I need to get it in gear and do a calorie-cycling stint to lose this one darn pound that's keeping me from goal. Not that it's gonna make much difference to how I look now.....but it's the principle of it.

But yeah....I really need to discipline myself and do that here soon. That scale is just taunting me with the darn 136 lbs.

deena

Thanx 4 the congrats Deena & Kudos to u on ur success. I feel like I've got so far to go. And my stubborn spots (butt, tummy & saddkebags) r the slowest to melt away. I feel like a funhouse mirror's reflection!

Wonder if carb shifting would work like calorie shifting. Maybe I could have a higher carb day to shake things up & then go back on induction.

Sumtimes our body gets used to the chemistry of a diet & needs a little wake up call.

It really depends on the individual. Both me and my DH at one point (closer to goal) had to watch our calories. Remember, if your not losing weight you could be losing inches