Maintenance diet problem (for men)

[Emre Yigit]

I apparently need to ingest about 2,400 calories a day. (While the Atkins WOL does not require calories watching, I get the impression from DANDR that he was fairly strict about portion control, and that comes to the same thing.)

If I try to eat anything close to this while trying to keep my carbs below 100 (!), I find that either (a) I am ingesting truly massive doses of fat (I have taken to drinking a couple of tablespoons of olive oil!) or (b) I end up by eating truly massive doses of protein (eg 200g +).

What do you suggest? Let rip with the carbs, so long as they're not pure sugar? Or throw the calorie counter out of the window?

[sallyseachange]

Originally Posted by Emre Yigit

I apparently need to ingest about 2,400 calories a day. (While the Atkins WOL does not require calories watching, I get the impression from DANDR that he was fairly strict about portion control, and that comes to the same thing.)

Dr A's philosophy on portion control was simply to eat according to the plan but to eat to satisfy hunger, no more no less.

If I were you, that's exactly what I'd try for a while... it works.

[Emre Yigit]

Except that if I eat to satisfy my hunger, I take in few calories and lose weight. Which I do not (now) want to do. My problem is that even with a daily intake of 2200 calories I am steadily losing weight. And at that level, I am ingesting truly monstrous amounts of fat and proteins.

[sallyseachange]

Sounds like your CCLM is over 100g/day. It happens... and if so, how lucky! How much are you exercising? Why not try posting a menu (specifying you don't want to lose weight) in the Review my Menu section...
You're in maintenance... maybe try experimenting with your carb levels... the right kind of carbs, of course.

[liv]

So are you saying you have not found your CCLL. I don't think I understand this?
How do you determine you need to eat 2400 calories? Is it your BMR?

[Emre Yigit]

Yes, my CCLL is over 100 grams. My problem is that it appears to be a very finely balanced thing. If, say, I eat 100 grams, then I lose weight (while eating a lot of protein). If I eat 105 grams, then I gain weight (while eating a lot of protein). Either way, I'm going to end up with gout.

My BMR is 1800 and given the amount of exercise I do, about 2400 calories is apparently what I should be ingesting.

I went to see a dietician. She gave me a list of starchy foods that I should eat. In fact she really frightened me. I'm really quite confused. Ah well, I guess I'll experiment and find a happy mean.

[liv]

I don't know how you count your exercise but it is not really all that easy to exercise for over 4000 calories.. Even a marathon runner does not burn that much.
I hope you find a happy balance in there. Let us know what happens.

[Elizellen]

Originally Posted by Emre Yigit

I went to see a dietician. She gave me a list of starchy foods that I should eat.

Have you added any of the higher OWL rung starchy veggies into your menus? That might be a way of increasing your net carbs if you have stuck mainly to induction veggies choices?

[Emre Yigit]

First, thank you all for your interest and kind help.

Originally Posted by liv

I don't know how you count your exercise but it is not really all that easy to exercise for over 4000 calories.. Even a marathon runner does not burn that much.
I hope you find a happy balance in there. Let us know what happens.

Oh, no, not 1800+2400, but just 2400. 4000 would mean that I would need to jump rope - not an activity I've done for many years - or run for about 4-5 hours! Too much, thanks!

Originally Posted by Elizellen

Have you added any of the higher OWL rung starchy veggies into your menus? That might be a way of increasing your net carbs if you have stuck mainly to induction veggies choices?

I've done everything except eat sugar cubes. Seriously, though, the highest rungs are low in calories, so I would have to eat an awful lot to make up for the excess protein. 1 cup of Uncle Ben's (uncooked) is about 380 calories and 86 grams of carbs - and a serious amount of rice. My old müesli is 330 calories per 100g and 186 grams () of carbs (again, a serious amount of müesli). A mere 3 tablespoons of olive oil (about 40g) is 360 calories.

Well, there's no two ways about it. I'm going to try a week of starch (bread, pasta, whatever) with my meals. It feels very strange after doing Atkins, let me tell you.


(On a side note. I went to Vienna for a short business trip this week (which is why I was unable to reply for a few days). On Monday morning, I weighed 79.6 kgs (175.5 lbs, down 0.9 from my target). I ate normally for one day, the rest was apfelstrudel, ice cream, drinking, loads of protein. This morning (Saturday) I weighed 79.9 kgs (176.2 lbs). Which shows that it is possible to put on weight just as easily as losing it, but given the sheer amount of both Atkins WOL and carb-rich food I ate, is truly remarkable. There is a possible explanation for all of this: my metabolism might just have increased from the exercise that I do. I shall just have to monitor myself closely for a few months. Thanks again, all.)