Percentages

[not2late]

Originally Posted by Slapshot

I hate to oversimplify this here, but it seems like this is a chicken-egg argument. But, if one follows the rules of induction (without worrying about percentages), it seems to me that magically, the percentages will generally be in line with the 65/30/5 numbers. I think you're all agreeing/saying the same thing.

I didn't follow percentages when I started and the time that I did to examine mine----I really fell down the rabbit hole and didn't get out until I re-read the book: specifically the part about "regular" exercisers having CCLLs greater than 60.

I didn't count calories: I just relied on following what my body told me to do. If 1 hard-boiled egg and a cup of green beans satisfied my hunger, that's all I ate for that meal. If it took an 8 ounce steak, a cup of broccoli and an ounce or two of cheese, that's what I ate for that meal. I never looked at a calorie number and said "I have to make sure I eat exactly that number every single day." Nope. I let my body tell me what it needed.

But then, I read the book cover to cover. I took notes. I made photocopies of the Induction Rules, the Induction Food List, the OWL Rungs, etc. It sounds excessive and slightly obsessive, but I didn't want to leave anything to chance and I didn't want to screw up the Diet in any way because I didn't know pinto beans weren't allowed on Induction or because I didn't know that 2 cups of cottage cheese wasn't 5 net carbs. And because I didn't find this Board until after I had started my Atkins, so I had to rely on soley me to do this Diet correctly.

But not everyone does what I did.

[neutronnorman]

Yup, Georgianna and Slapshot are totally correct. How do I know? Don't ask. Trust me on that one.

[ldyj]

Wow! And I just wanted to make sure that the fact that my proteins were less and my fats were more most days weren't going to cause me problems! I really did do a search before I asked my question (I always do) but I searched for "percentage" instead of "percentages." I don't know why it would make a difference, but apparently it did, because nothing came up using percentage.

Thanks for a wonderful discussion - I love to hear all sides!

[msanjelpie]

Perhaps docter Adkins thought I was 2 dumm to figure owt how 2 eat and count at the same time.

[not2late]

Originally Posted by msanjelpie

Perhaps docter Adkins thought I was 2 dumm to figure owt how 2 eat and count at the same time.

Actually, Induction is "dummy-proof" if you follow the Rules exactly, Dr. Atkins even alludes to that in the book. So, if you follow the Induction rules exactly, you don't need to count carbs because you will be eating no more than 20 net carbs daily.

However---people don't follow the rules precisely: they take advantage and overeat, they add sneaks and cheats, etc. And I know this happens because almost every single day, we have someone posting "I drank a shot of whiskey every day when I was on Induction and I lost weight" or "I drank a liter of Diet Pepsi----yes the kind with the aspartame--everyday and I lost weight" or "I ate Carb Smart Ice Cream during my Induction and I lost weight" etc. etc. etc.

BUT if the Rules are followed completely, then Induction is a mindless, thoughtless process. In fact, the ease of Induction is a reason why plenty of folks are too scared to move to OWL, because on OWL you need to count carbs and measure foods and do all the things that you can get away not doing on Induction.

[ErinB]

Originally Posted by Georgiana

...
Percentages. You can do without if you have read the whole book, including the part where it says that excess protein will be converted into glucose. Then you would understand that Atkins is a high fat, moderate protein, low carbohydrate diet ... But not everyone reads the book or some read it while doing Induction, so they don't get to read the "protein can convert to glucose" part, which only appears in one of the last chapters...

I just want to thank you for that post, Georgiana. I think I am blowing it here, naturally cutting back fat and adding protein and I believe I did miss that part of DANDR. Until now I have done ok (just ok) without paying attention to percentages, but you have convinced me I probably need to start using software to check on me.

If this works, this may be the second time you have "saved me." It is because of you and your mention of magnesium oxide I am able to enjoy some cheese in this WOE.

So, thank you and thank you again.

[IrishIrish]

I used FitDay for a week or so and every once and a while I went back to using it over the year I was on Induction (Yes, for me it was a year, but it was supervised by a doctor.). I would use FitDay to prove to myself that the percentages as in the Duke Study actually worked. And they worked without much effort on my part. I just ate what was on the Acceptable Food List and according to the Rules of Induction and it fell nicely into place.

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by ErinB

If this works, this may be the second time you have "saved me." It is because of you and your mention of magnesium oxide I am able to enjoy some cheese in this WOE.

I hope figuring out if you are overeating protein will help.

BTW, I have a pretty stupid question.... Let's see..... Do you need to have magnesium oxide every time you eat cheese? Doesn't it get things... umm... moving too much?

[ErinB]

Originally Posted by Georgiana

BTW, I have a pretty stupid question.... Let's see..... Do you need to have magnesium oxide every time you eat cheese? Doesn't it get things... umm... moving too much?

Not stupid at all. We're all so different. I now take (between my multi and an extra supplement) 950 mg each day and, for me, that is not too much. I have a lifelong issue with constipation, however, and cheese has always made that worse. Perhaps because I have an underactive thyroid, I dunno'.

Anyway, since I started the magnesium oxide, gradually upped the dose until I found the right amount for me, I'm doing well in that regard. It does seem to be the right solution for me.

[ldyj]

Erin, I take it that there's a difference between magnesium and magnesium oxide? I bought magnesium and have taken up to 1,000 mg a day - nada! I, too, suffer from a live long problem with constipation and if I'm taking the wrong thing . . . .well, I'd better get the right thing, right!!