Percentage Carbs & Calorie Intake

[AussieGal]

I've done lots of reading here but haven't found the answer yet... I am starting OWL this coming Wednesday, and was wondering what the % should be on fitday then?

Also, how many calories are ideal for someone 5' 1" currently weighing 147 lbs? I have been having between 1200 and 1700 calories on induction. I know I will have to watch how many calories I have then, so what should be the limit? I did read that someone has between 1000 and 2200 per day, but I'd just like to know the upper limit if possible?

I am really looking forward to starting OWL - I have NEVER been on it yet! But I've read several cases of people's weight loss getting a jump start, and I do need that, as I have reached a plateu :/

Thanks for any advice

[*Emma*]

The place i like best for finding out your BMR is www.fittogether.net... its also fantastic for logging measurements each week!

Your protein percentage will always stay at 30%
As you know, the guideline for induction is 5% carbs this will only raise slightly during the first couple of rungs on OWL, like 8% ish?
Theres no set guideline so i cant say EAT TO THIS.... dont worry tooo much about percentages, add in your 5 net carbs keep the rest of your diet where it was in induction and you'll be good!

[not2late]

Emma is right. There are no "percentages" listed in the book for OWL and it's almost impossible to say what they should because OWL is very individualized.

Protein remains at about 30%, and fat remains your mainstay during OWL. In another book, Dr. Atkins alludes that during maintenance phase, fat should be about 50% of our daily calories.

[AussieGal]

Thanks for answering. I had a great weight loss overnight - 3 lbs - but I had been on a stall lately. Maybe the extra water did it, as I drank heaps yesterday, but still not enough (because I pee soooooooo often).

Re %s, every night, I go to fitday and see if the % turned out right, and if not, I eat food to balance it up (not going over 1700 calories). Without that to rely on, I will be a bit lost at first, but will see how I go - it will probably be easier than I think

[not2late]

Don't eat just because your percentages are off or because you didn't make the calorie limit. Eat because you are hungry.

The percentages are only a guide. If you ate only 40% fat today, don't run to the kitchen and start slinging back a bottle of olive oil. Just make a note of it and adjust your menu for tomorrow.

[AussieGal]

Hi again... it was interesting to read your message, because last night when I got home from work at 9 p.m., (my first day on the job, and gee it's strange coming home that time of night!) my percentages were out with about 55% fat. So I ate salami etc. to alter it. You're saying to not worry about that.

And as far as calories go, the first time I did Atkins earlier this year, I used to eat less than 1000 calories (about 900), and was told it should be at least 1200, to avoid starvation mode. So these days, I make sure it's over 1200. But you say not to worry about that.

So for the next few days, I'll not be too concerned about the percentages much, nor how many calories I have, and see how that goes

Anyway, tomorrow is the first day of OWL, so the % are going to be a bit different anyway!

Thankyou

[not2late]

Originally Posted by AussieGal

Hi again... it was interesting to read your message, because last night when I got home from work at 9 p.m., (my first day on the job, and gee it's strange coming home that time of night!) my percentages were out with about 55% fat. So I ate salami etc. to alter it. You're saying to not worry about that.

And as far as calories go, the first time I did Atkins earlier this year, I used to eat less than 1000 calories (about 900), and was told it should be at least 1200, to avoid starvation mode. So these days, I make sure it's over 1200. But you say not to worry about that.

So for the next few days, I'll not be too concerned about the percentages much, nor how many calories I have, and see how that goes

Anyway, tomorrow is the first day of OWL, so the % are going to be a bit different anyway!

Thankyou

Like I said, if you look at today's percentages and you see that you are only at 40%, don't run to the kitchen and drink a bottle of olive oil to bring the percentages up. Since you are keeping track of your menues, you only need to look at what you ate today and figure out where you can add extra fat in tomorrow's menu.

As for counting calories, many people do it out of habit from other diets. While they do matter, if you follow Dr. Atkins' advice and eat only to satisfy your hunger, you'll find that some days you will eat more than others. That's because your body knows when it needs more food---it won't let you starve! Hitting a certain number of calories daily works---provided you use the same exact number of calories everyday. Which means you do the same amount of activity everyday, your body regulates your temperature control etc. the same amount everyday. I don't live in a plastic temperature controlled bubble and some days I do more, activity wise than others, so it makes no sense to me to eat the same amount of calories on days when I'm not so active and on the days I'm more active. I let my body tell me what it needs for energy from food: I don't tell my body---"okay, it's only 1200 calories today, eventhough you biked 7 miles more, walked 2 miles more and climbed more stairs than usual." If my body wants to eat 1500 calories in order to keep up with whatever activity I'm doing, I let it. If it wants to eat 1100 because I spend the day in bed snoozing and reading, I let it.