General Induction Questions from NEWBIE

[Griffs Goddess]

Hi all ...I am interested in the amount of calories that are too low or too high to be having during induction...some days I feel they are low but I am ok and satisfied with lots of energy...last night I couldnt get enough and ate alot of protein and some veggies...the protein I had is high caloric and high fat..where in the ballpark should I be shooting for? I appreciated the fat content thread and printed it out...thanks!

Also do you really lose with the 20 grams veggies because I am pretty insulin resitant and do better with protein only but dont want to put myself for risk with kidneys etc...am drinking LOTS of water...walking 2 to 4 miles every day...some days not so much, had recent knee surgery...

Does caffeine really make you stall?

Diet drinks?

Thanks all ...any assistance greatly appreciated

[Sera]

most of us lose at 20 net carbs and keep doing so when going higher.
I'm now at around 35 and still lose and from past experience this shouldnt change for a while for me.
most people say you should aim your calories at an amount that's close to 1800-2000 as that's what your body needs for all basic functions.
I have been above that more than once, just happens sometimes, and kept losing.
if you stay too far below that level your body will eventually go into starvation mode and you will stop losing.

[Evermind]

I hope you've already checked out the stickies on this forum and looked at all frequently-asked questions. Most people have the same or similar questions and the answers are usually available without much of a search.

Calories don't count in induction. Trust me. Eat. Within a week, you won't be hungry at all, and you'll be forcing yourself to eat, because if you don't eat ENOUGH calories, you won't lose.

Yes, everyone loses with 20 net carbs.

And 2-4 miles on average a day is enough exercise. Try an aqua aerobics class if your knee bothers you. You will want,eventually, to get into some weight training to build lean muscle mass, which will help you lose faster and more consistently.

[Griffs Goddess]

ty all ... I will check the FAQ'S also...I didnt realize not eating enough would stall...my keto stick was TRACE today abd I was at 400 calories...I also did not get in a walk but did errands for 5 hours...I can see i need to exercise for ketosis to kick in...

[Evermind]

Just fyi -

You are either in ketosis, or you aren't. There aren't degrees of ketosis. The difference in color on a ketostix is just due to concentration of urine -if you are drinking enough water, it will just show pink, whereas if you haven't had a lot of fluids, it'll be purple. Either way, you're in ketosis. And that's it. (most of us don't use the stix.)

If you only ate 400 calories, we have a problem, Houston. Get an account at Fitday.com. Answer all of the site's questions about height, weight, and activity level. If you click on the "Activities" icon, it will show you a table that tells you how many calories you are burning per day. The second line on that table says "basal". That number is the amount of calories you should be eating every day, give or take a hundred or so (up or down). If you go much below that, you will enter starvation mode and stop losing, because your body will be striving to keep you from what it perceives as possible imminent death.

So eat! Eat, I tell you! And stop worrying about the ketostix!

[Griffs Goddess]

Thanks for your time and info..will make adjustments!

[Griffs Goddess]

Thanks everyone for the support~ This board and its members ROCK!

[not2late]

Don't pig out on protein....According to Dr. Atkins, excess protein is converted to glucose by our bodies. What's not used immediately for energy is stored as fat. So eating "a lot" of protein is as bad as eating "a lot" of carbs.

[Griffs Goddess]

well I figured anything out of moderation is bad...I tend to be all or nothing and need to seek more balance..am struggling with adding carbs...the 20 grams because I want to lose but know from past experience thats a big NO NO, I did induction for almost a year about 6 years ago...I am down 9 pounds since 09/23...and have gained and regained from various yo yo dieting so I better do what I need and thats adding in the veggies...getting "concerned" thoughts from my husband whom feels this isnt balance and "unsafe"...I feel like I am constantly under scruntiny and have to defend what I am doing...althogu I get desperate and attempt desperate measures...sooooo....cant blame those concerned for me...