calories???

[kati]

Hi,
Probably this is the one of the hundered messages asking again and again the same question, but I would like to know the answer again and again.
I am watching my carbs, but not very closely, I make sure that the foods I eat are low carb. So I am more a PP follower than Atkins. I have set up a Fitday account today. It is wonderful, except that it does not give me a feedback on how clever my intake of calories etc is.
I can check my own carbs that is no problem, I know the limit there.

But what about the calorie intake?
Fit day listed something like 2200 kcals for a day ( Iam 58 kgs=126 lbs and 1.67 meter = you have to calculate it yourself something like 5 feet and some more inches. It gave me a report of burnt calories. But how do I incorporate it into my calorie intake? In other words how do I balance burnt and eaten calories? If I do some extra activities like sports then I should eat let say 400 kcals more? The rule I have heard so many times is 10 calories for every lb you weigh, hm so is it 1260 kcals or 2000 kcals that I should consume a day?
My protein intake I will calculate at home taking my PP book, but if someone would know what the minimum intake is, please let me know.

(All this became so important to me after having eaten 4 pieces, yes 4 servings of low carb creations cookies. I will not buy these goodies, because I just end up eating too many of them.)

Thanks,
Kati

[Karen]

But how do I incorporate it into my calorie intake? In other words how do I balance burnt and eaten calories?

With low-carb diets, it's not so much the calories, but what the calories are made up of that counts. You can get to a point where calories do count, but if you're fit and active, I wouldn't worry about it.

fitday gives you the percentages of the nutrients, and most low carbers keep it around this range:

Carbs: 5%
Protein: 20-25%
Fat: 65-70%

However, this is something that gets tweaked as you get more comfortable with this way of eating and the physical needs of your body.

For protein, it depends on your level of physical activity and lean body mass. Protein Power walks you through the calculations of this.

Karen