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  #1   ^
Old Fri, Feb-22-02, 18:33
dearwing dearwing is offline
New Member
Posts: 10
 
Plan: calp
Stats: 130/120/115
BF:
Progress: 67%
Location: Calgary
Question # carb grams per day

After reading the forums I am gathering that Atkins allows 20 grams of carbs a day, I am following CAD at the moment, and have not found an actual # of carbs per day they reccommend, which I guess is the point of the balanced reward meal, you don't have a limit as long as it is balanced right? Can anyone give me an idea of how many carb grams would be too much even if the meal is balanced, or is that the whole point, that you won't eat too many grams of carbs cause you'll be full with the protein/veg/salad portions in there too? I would love to have a "magic number" of carb grams per day, it would help me feel I am getting somewhere if I know I was under or at that # each day. The just eyeballing thirds on my plate seems so imprecise, and hard to do in the case of certain foods like spaghetti or chiken noodle soup, or tacos or things like that. By the way I didn't do so well today, I had my reward meal at lunch and had an awesome sandwich and salad, but after, I had 1/2 a nanaimo bar without adding more veg/protein to the plate , I actually took a whole one but could only eat half (it didn't taste as good as the guilt felt bad, you know?). I am a bit disgusted with myself because I am so bad at restricting my sweet tooth. Makes me feel weak even though I know it is an insulin imbalance etc. Anyway enough whining! Thanks in advance for the advice I am about to receive!
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  #2   ^
Old Fri, Feb-22-02, 19:24
dizzyd's Avatar
dizzyd dizzyd is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 528
 
Plan: PPLP (Intervention) Dilettante
Stats: //
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Victoria, BC Canada
Cool Just for an example

Most of the folks on Atkins start at 20 grams of carbs for two weeks of "Induction" then you bump it by 5 grams a week until you stop losing, then com back down by 10 grams, and that's your "magic number". For some people it's as much as 60-70 grams a day, for others it's as low as 30-40. It's a total YMMV thing. (Your Mileage May Vary)

I think the best thing is to pick a program that is easy for you personally to follow and stick with it. If it doesn't work, then get another book and try again.

What I do, because I like a tad bit of structure is follow the basics of Suzanne Somers, which doesn't require any carb counting, but I still keep an eye on what my actual carb count is and try to keep it at about 30 grams per day. Enough flexability there for me.

Whatever you choose to do, good luck! And welcome! This is a wonderful place, with wonderful folks cruising the boards!

All the best!
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  #3   ^
Old Fri, Feb-22-02, 20:18
dearwing dearwing is offline
New Member
Posts: 10
 
Plan: calp
Stats: 130/120/115
BF:
Progress: 67%
Location: Calgary
Default

Hi Diz

Thanks for the reply, I think I need to get a little book on the carb content of foods then, as I really want to kknow how many grams I am eating. A friiend of mine is lo carbing it on 100 grams a day, but all of a sudden it doesn't sound so low! By the way is cornstarch very high in carbs?, I used about 1/2 tsp to thicken my stirfry tonite. Bye Bye
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  #4   ^
Old Sat, Feb-23-02, 01:25
Karen's Avatar
Karen Karen is offline
Forum Founder
Posts: 12,775
 
Plan: Ketogenic
Stats: -/-/- Female 5 feet 4 inches
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: Vancouver
Default

It sounds like you're doing CAD with an "Atkins mindset". Whatever plan you choose, you have to take it on faith that it will work if followed correctly. It's when you start to second guess or blend plans that things get confusing. You can do this later when you are a seasoned LC'er, but it's better to stick with one to start off with and read about others.

Karen
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  #5   ^
Old Sat, Feb-23-02, 05:32
wawtigress's Avatar
wawtigress wawtigress is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 251
 
Plan: cad/calp
Stats: 200/186/160 Female 67 inches
BF:
Progress: 35%
Location: florida
Default hi Karen

I agree with you on sticking to one plan at a time and not confusing the two. I have been on Calp about two months and steadily losing a little over a lb. every week. I'm not hungry anymore and skip lunch everyday and at my reward meal I balance my meal like they say and eat my dessert without counting carbs at all. I'm strict about the 1 hr. limit on this meal. My husband can not believe the food i eat and still lose weight. And i'm not talking about portions either. I'm talking about Tin roof ice cream or chocolate cake if i want it. I still eat sf jello several nights a week with a cookie . I couldn't be happier and never count carbs.Have a great dieting day. Wawtigress
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  #6   ^
Old Sat, Feb-23-02, 11:47
Scottty's Avatar
Scottty Scottty is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 64
 
Plan: CALP
Stats: 207.5/203/190
BF:
Progress: 26%
Location: South Carolina
Default

I do count my carbs; but mainly the reason is for my LC meals. I have to keep my LC meals at 5 carbs or less in order for me to lose steadily.

I am also keeping track of everything I eat on fitday.com. So, in a way, I am tracking the carbs during my RW; but not so much for the carb count. But, it does show that sometimes, my daily carb count will vary between 40 and 100. The two LC meals account for a maximum of 10, so the RW varies from 30-90. Maybe this helps you a little? It's not so much "how many" carbs during the RW as it is to make sure you learn how to balance that RW.
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  #7   ^
Old Sat, Feb-23-02, 21:21
dizzyd's Avatar
dizzyd dizzyd is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 528
 
Plan: PPLP (Intervention) Dilettante
Stats: //
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Victoria, BC Canada
Arrow Carb counters

Hey Dearwing

There are a couple of places that you can get carb counts. The first one is at the top of every page in these forums. It's in the orange tool bar, and it's called Low Carb Tools. In there you will find a carb counter, as well as a hidden carb counter, which can be an eye-opener! You can also go to www.atkinscenter.com, you will find a carb counter there, and I believe that there is a printable list.

Happy Low Carbing! Keep me posted on your progress!
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  #8   ^
Old Sun, Feb-24-02, 05:24
Betsy Betsy is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 79
 
Plan: Carbo Addicts modified
Stats: 199/185/145
BF:
Progress: 26%
Default Hi Dearwing

Although I'm not required on CAD to count carbos I've chosen to stay under 100 at each reward meal. Then I chose foods that provide a balanced meal which always includes starting with a salad and ending with a dessert. Two meals a day are 3-4 oz of protein only and nothing else. I believe that by giving myself a set amount of carbs I'll be able to monitor my losses or lack of them to understand my personal pattern. If I lose slowly, I'll then lower that to maybe 80 and see if that provides more of a loss but not too fast. If I continue losing on 100 I'll just stay here. We can all share our stories, but at the end of the day we each have to find what works for our own bodies. Enjoy the journey!
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  #9   ^
Old Sun, Feb-24-02, 12:59
animaldoc's Avatar
animaldoc animaldoc is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 312
 
Plan: Zone
Stats: 165/163/145
BF:
Progress: 10%
Location: Burton, OH
Post # Doesn't matter..

The number of carbs at the RM doesn't matter because you will release the same amount of insulin no matter how many g of carbs you eat.....here's why.

1. When you start eating, you release the same amount of insulin that you released at your previous meals. Your body remembers how many g of carbs you released at those meals and releases the same amount-like it assumes you have a constant amount of carb intake.

2. If you are still eating 60 to 90 min later, you release another surge of insulin based on the amount of carbs you are currently eating. This is why the RM is limited to 60 min. This additional surge also influences how much insulin you release at your next meals.

3. Eating foods with 4g carb or less at LC meals will keep your initial surge of insulin low (promoting burning of fat instead of storing) and eating carbs in a RM that takes no longer than 60 min will not release the second surge of insulin, so your insulin surges will stay low.

This is why the actual # of carbs does not matter (on this plan). Keep enjoying those RMs!

-animaldoc
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  #10   ^
Old Mon, Feb-25-02, 02:45
Betsy Betsy is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 79
 
Plan: Carbo Addicts modified
Stats: 199/185/145
BF:
Progress: 26%
Default Carbs would have to matter

If we are talking about carbs in the reward meal of course we can eat as many as we want, but it will make a difference as to the weight loss timeframe. If you cut back on your carbs voluntarily to a lower amount it stands to reason you will lose faster, just as if you cut back on your calorie total for each day. Its a matter of numbers that can't be denied no matter what food plan a person chooses. The insulin surge won't change if its eaten in the hour, but how much weight you want to lose in a certain timeframe will differ. Faster loss means less carbs. More carbs or calories will mean weight loss will simply be slower. That's why I am limiting myself to 100 carbs at the reward meal. So far its working for me.
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  #11   ^
Old Mon, Feb-25-02, 06:08
wawtigress's Avatar
wawtigress wawtigress is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 251
 
Plan: cad/calp
Stats: 200/186/160 Female 67 inches
BF:
Progress: 35%
Location: florida
Default Animaldoc you are correct

If you strictly follow the book , you won't have to worry about carbs. When people say carbs do count , they're not following the book.I've been doing what the book says and not counting carbs and still losing. I'm down to 175 now. If you start changing the diet your way to count carbs , you're back on Atkins so why confuse people who really want to do this diet with all this carb counting confusion.If you follow portions , you won't have any problem. Keep the GOOD advice coming.Wawtigress
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  #12   ^
Old Wed, Apr-10-02, 17:20
Vyvial Vyvial is offline
New Member
Posts: 21
 
Plan: CKD
Stats: 22530/17216/20010
BF:
Progress: 153%
Location: Austin, TX
Default Is animaldoc right?

I don't know if I believe that the insulin will remain the same. I count carbs at my RM and I also skip many RMs because I just don't want carbs anymore and the last three weeks I average 1 pound a day of fat loss. I didn't see loss like that when I ate the carbs I wanted at my RM. I also eat 6 small meals a day.

Please tell me where you read this so that I could research this myself

thanks
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  #13   ^
Old Thu, Apr-11-02, 13:04
animaldoc's Avatar
animaldoc animaldoc is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 312
 
Plan: Zone
Stats: 165/163/145
BF:
Progress: 10%
Location: Burton, OH
Post Carb counts....

It is in the CAD book, and any medical textbook that has endocrine physiology. You should read the CAD book....they also tell you NEVER to skip your RM.

-animaldoc
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  #14   ^
Old Thu, Apr-11-02, 13:26
Vyvial Vyvial is offline
New Member
Posts: 21
 
Plan: CKD
Stats: 22530/17216/20010
BF:
Progress: 153%
Location: Austin, TX
Default

Animaldoc, thanks for the reply, actually the first book I read was CAD but as I'm sure you know just because it's in a book doesn't make it true...

I need to define my skipping my RM, after my noon weight workout I would take 1/2 a carb recovery drink like Ultrafuel and count that that as my RM and my other meals would be Atkins style CM meals.

Thanks but I still have the same questions.
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  #15   ^
Old Fri, Apr-12-02, 08:59
animaldoc's Avatar
animaldoc animaldoc is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 312
 
Plan: Zone
Stats: 165/163/145
BF:
Progress: 10%
Location: Burton, OH
Post CAD

I didn't just get it from CAD....it also fit in with what I read in my medical texts. You can read it for yourself in medical textbooks, or do a search on medline.

If you're following CAD, then you should follow the book since the research that was done supports that. Atkins and CAD have different guidelines and if you're counting carb grams throughout the day you should just follow Atkins.

Everyone has different plans that work for them, but since the research has been done already by the people that wrote the LC books, why re-invent the wheel?

-animaldoc
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