Just wanted to ask if I am supposed to be eating 10x my current weight? confused: That is an awful lot of food.
I weigh 269.


Thanks
Bev

I'm wondering the same thing. I'd have to eat 3000 calories! Something about that doesn't sound right. I'd would a least stay above 2000 calories to keep from going into "Starvation Mode".

Personally i think u should trust ur body... i think the idea of the formula (10-12X body weight) is to avoid 'starvation mode', a guideline, but i would not stuff myself simply to fill this quota. If you're full and satisfied , i think that's good , u need to keep some empty space in ur stomaches . That's just my opinion

It does seem like an awful lot of calories. Isn't there like 3500 calories in a pound? When I do a calorie boost I am suppose to do 13x my current weight...whew...that's way too much!
Hoping someone who has been doing low carb a while can answer this for me.

Are you familiar with Protein Power? Somewhere in the chapter about how to calculate LBM Lean Body Mass, there's a proviso about the tables (provided info used in the calculation) being helpful within a certain range of weight; i.e., those that are, say, somewhere around +30% under- or over-weight tend to get "skewed" figures so need to use a bit of discretion with the numbers. This, I think, applies to the 10 (loss) and 13(maintain) calorie multipliers, as well.

HOWEVER (and pardon the pun but this is a big BUT), that being said, you must keep in mind that your body is working hard at maintaining and carrying around your particular weight, i.e., the Basal Metabolic Rate is roughly 10 kCals per pound of weight (just sleeping and breathing, one normally uses that amount of energy, use more and it comes from blood glucose or fat stores) and the "Maintenance" Rate is roughly 13 kCals per pound (normal activities, energy use).

Think about the "Standard" recommended average of 2000 kCals per day for the "average" woman of 150 pounds... and you'll see where the numbers come from.

So, YBYSE Your Body Your Science Experiment so you need to see what your personal metabolic system is comfortable with. All the LC Plans pretty well say Eat Til *Satisfied*, But Don't Feel Stuffed... Also remember that as one loses the pounds, it's a sliding scale... My personal scale (at 190 right now, should never have quit smoking and aiming for 150) is **up to** 1900 kCals **but no less than** 1500 kCals, which is 10X current weight and 10X goal weight respectively, except for Calorie Boost days where I will attempt to eat 2470 kCals (but will stop if I feel too full). It shouldn't be TOO hard if I get those extra cals from olive oil, butter and such. Find out on Day 3 (tomorrow) I guess!

PS: I've been reading and LCing since July 1998

Great explanation, thanks. Makes soooooo much more sense now.

Nat

The way to boost calories is through fats. Vegetable fats: extra-virgin olive oil, flax seed oil, Essential Balance Oil, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, avocados. Dairy fats: butter, cream cheese, whipping cream; high fat, surface-ripened cheese (brie, Cambozola, Camembert, etc.) and the fat found in meats.

I prefer those of the vegetable and meat variety.

Thought I would do a little exercise and look at an “average” diet for one day.

Breakfast
1 cup Muslix with 1 % milk
Toasted Bagel with cream cheese
2 Coffee with 1% milk and 1 tsp. sugar

Mid morning Snack
1 bran muffin
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Coffee with 1% milk and 1 tsp. sugar

Lunch
Club Sandwich
Small French Fries
1 16 oz. Coke

Mid afternoon snack
1 chcolate covered granola bar
1 Coffee with 1% milk and 1 tsp. Sugar

Dinner
2 cups Pasta with meat sauce
2 cups Caesar Salad
2 slices bread
1 cup ice cream
1 beer

What’s the damage?

Calories: 3848
Fat: 140 grams
Carbs: 507 grams
Fiber: 36 grams
Protein: 131 grams
Alcohol: 13 grams

If you only ate half of that, it’s still 1924 calories. Many of us probably used to eat this in a day with out batting an eye. Food for thought?

Karen

I spent many years on <500 calorie/day diets. they DID effect my basal metabolic rate.

Because of that history, though, I lose best at about 1200-1300 calories/day, though my current body weight is 170. If I raise the calories, even keeping the carbs super-low, I gain. For people with similar histories, they may experience a similar limit.

However, if you haven't spent oodles of time on very low calorie diets, do NOT start now! I'm living, breathing proof that all it does is mess you up. I'll have to eat 1200 calories/day forever to maintain, too...don't let yourself get there!

I understand about eating "good" fats to boost calories (and even if you're not trying to boost calories) but why does no one mention sour cream? I love to eat it straight out of the carton-- two tablespoons are a very satisfying treat and only have about 60 calories and 1 gram carb. Am I way off base here?

.. You're right, and Karen did mention using dairy fats. The problem with most commercially available sour creams is that they contain modified starch ingredients and gums to keep the product thickened and to prevent "wheying-off". It would be good if you can find an additive-free product, since for some persons, the cornstarch can be a bit of a stall problem. European delis are a good source to find additive-free dairy products. As well, the additive-free type is lower carbs .... 1g per 30 ml/2 Tbsp serving ... as opposed to 1.8g for the regular type with the cornstarch added.

Cream cheese is another dairy fat where it's best if you can find an additive-free product ..... since the modified starches and gums are added there as well. Carb counts for the additive-free are 1g for 30 ml/2 Tbsp. The label on the Philadelphia brand, which has the starch added .... is 1g for 15 ml/1 Tbsp.

Doreen