confused about carb counting

[7Miriam]

I just read a post where someone said the following: "While you do not have to count calories on Atkins calories do count. You should be eating at or near your BMR. I recommend www.fitday.com for you to enter what you eat and have a look at your ratios..they should look close to 5%carb/65%fat/30%protein. 12-15 of your 20 carb limit should be coming from your veggies."

What is BMR? Where do these percentages and the 12-15 veggie carb requirement come from? I don't remember seeing this in DANDR. I haven't been doing any of this and am concerned I've been doing it wrong.

[Elizellen]

You are right, DANDR does not have any recommendations about ratios of fat/protein/carbs nor does it mention having 12-15 net carbs from your veggies.

However the ratios come from a university study which analysed the menus in DANDR and found the ratios were what resulted. I had never heard of them when I started Atkineering but after discovering fitday and logging my previous week's meals for induction I found they worked out at roughly those ratios. If you follow the rules in DANDR I am sure you will see similar ratios.

As for the 12-15 net carbs from veg - that comes from the Atkins company website's new rules. I think they are trying to get the Atkins way of eating to be more accepted by nutritionist so are emphasizing the veg content of induction, which many detractors of Atkins overlook.

In DANDR we are told in the Rules of Induction

3. Eat no more than 20 grams a day of carbohydrate, most of which must come in the form of salad greens and other vegetables. You can eat approximately three cups-loosely packed-of salad, or two cups of salad plus one cup of other vegetables

So if you are having 'most' of 20 carbs from veg that would equate to about 12 or more carbs to be described as 'most'.

BMR stands for basal metabolic rate - the amount of energy (in calories) you are estimated to burn when you are naturally at a resting state and is calculated on your weight/height/age/gender.

[7Miriam]

Thanks Elizellen! I'll try to start paying attention to these. I put what I ate yesterday on fitday, and it did come out close to the percentages, and 13 of my 17 net carbs were from veggies.

[not2late]

Originally Posted by 7Miriam

Thanks Elizellen! I'll try to start paying attention to these. I put what I ate yesterday on fitday, and it did come out close to the percentages, and 13 of my 17 net carbs were from veggies.

Exactly. That's why if you follow the rules, you'll make those "percentages". Frankly, I think they are most useful for those of us who have been so brainwashed by the low fat craze that they can't bring themselves to even include a teaspoon of olive oil into their menues.

And if you eat a variety of veggies, you'll have no problem getting that "majority" of your carbs. However, if you eat only lettuce.....you'll run into that problem.