Are there people who are using FitDay to keep record of what they're eating during the day? Does it help? I've found that some of the foods that I look up that they already have the nutritional info. for is off. I've been adding my own foods manually for everything that I eat.
Also, I've just bout Ketostix but I'm not sure if I'm using it correctly. I feel like I've had some of the symptoms of ketosis (ie. fatigue, 'metal' mouth) but the strip came up with just a trace of ketones. It hardly looked like the strip changed color from the original nude color!!
Lastly, I know that this WOE is supposed to make you feel fuller all the time, but I've actually found the opposite to be true. Especially if I eat breakfast (usually a ham, cheese, tomato, & mushroom omelette) I find myself hungry (as in stomach churning) right around lunchtime. I remember when I used to not eat, I wouldn't eat breakfast and I'd actually have no appetite for almost all of the day. Why is this? Am I not eating the correct foods to make myself feel full? This is an example of a day's menu:

Breakfast:
5 tbsp. of cream cheese
tomato, mushroom, ham & cheese omelette (4 egg whites)
1 Diet Coke

Lunch:
4 strips of sliced turkey sandwich meat
10 pieces of Galio salami
4 chunks of Laughing Cow cheese
4 lettuce leaves
1 tbsp. light mayo.
1 Diet Coke

Snack:
Atkins Advantage Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar
or Beef Jerky

Dinner:
1/2 chicken skinless white meat
side garden salad w/o croutons w/chinese dressing

I'm pretty sure I'm getting enough calories because I've multiplied my weight by about 10 and I've exceeded that.
Any help anyone could provide would be totally appreciated! I hope everyone else is doing great..keep up the good work!

Yes, many of us use fitday to ensure we are eating enough food every day - undereating is a problem with LCing - you just don't feel hungry like you used to.

What I see from your menu makes me want to ask three things; 1)where is your water? (are you drinking anything besides the diet coke? ) Water should be 64 oz a day minimum - this is not including anything else, but above and beyond it. And if you drink anything caffinated you should compensate with MORE water. and 2) those "LC" bars - most of them actually contain anywhere from 15 - 24g of hidden carbs. Try a search (globe Icon in upper right corner of every page) on "low AND carb AND bars" for a very eye opening read. and 3) why are you eating egg whites and not real eggs? Fat is supposed to compose 65-70% of your daily intake - part of the reason you're probably feeling hungry has to do with not enough fat (and those LC bars - they can set off cravings and hunger pangs like crazy). The fat will make you feel full and satiated. Try those omelettes with whole eggs - maybe not 4 of them but you get the idea. It is the yolk that contains all the good stuff your body needs.

Also, keep in mind, the 10x body weight rule is to satisfy your basal metabolic rate - it is the minimum you should be eating, not the maximum. Your BMR accounts for only 60-70% of your caloric intake. Eating more isnt a bad thing - especially if you're hungry!


Also, ketosis is ketosis is ketosis - no matter the colour. Trace can actually be better - darker is usually a sign you're dehydrated, not burning fat better. Of course it's quite possible that you're in ketosis and register 'negative' - not everyone shows up on those stix (they really arent that good a measure of fat burning)

HTH
Nat

Natrushka,
Thanks for your response. I am drinking water..I forgot to include it though. I drink about 2L a day. I will try my omelettes with the yolks from now on...I just have not been very accustomed with eating them. But, what about cholesterol? I eat eggs EVERYDAY (I love them!) but isn't consuming too much of the yolk not too good for you? I've already shocked most of my family with my changed eating habits, but how can I convince them of the way I've been eating? My family usually doesnt eat the yolk of eggs AT ALL. and my dad has been shocked with my sudden interest in all this cheese and meat! (I used to barely TOUCH fats...)

I'm not sure how to check for the total carbs in my atkins snack bars. The nutrition facts list 2.6g of carbs. Are these bars not good to eat? What can you recommend for snacking? I'm not a big fan of pork rhinds, though I see lots of people use that as snacks.

Also, is it bad to eat late at night? I used to lose weight by not eating anything after 8pm. I think I confuse being "hungry" with "wanting to eat" as in my mouth just wants to eat something. Since I was diagnosed with anorexia before, this WOE is a change for me. Though I still fit clothes the same as I did before and have lost a few pounds (I think mostly from water) I feel like I LOOK the same or even have put on a few pounds.

You seem to know a lot Natrushka, and I appreciate all your help for this forum. Any info. you can provide to help me out would be great! Have a good day!

Soma, eggs are good for you Interestingly enough the yolk of an egg is where the greatest concentration of cholesterol lowering nutrients can be found - ironic as well. Eating fat and cholesterol will not make you fat nor will it raise your cholesterol. Carbs make you fat, carbs raise your blood lipids. It has been generally accepted for a while now that the cholesterol your body makes (and it makes a good 85% of what it needs daily) is worse for you than that which you get from your food - if you're eating enough your body doesnt have to manufacture it.

FAT: In the abscence of insulin fat cannot be stored - insulin is secreted by your pancrease when it sense an increase of glucose in your blood. Glucose comes from eating sugars/carbs. No carbs, no insulin, no insulin, no fat storage. Fat wont make you fat - it is metabolically inert.

There's a tool under "Low Carb Tools" (top of every page) called the Hidden Carb Counter. If you plug in the numbers from your wrapper it will give you your true carb count. You can also take a peek at the article under "Low Carb Tips" (also top of every page) called "Sugar Alcohols" for some information (most of these bars are made from sugar alcohols and / or glycerine)

One of my favourite snacks is celery stuffed with cream cheese. Salami with cream cheese spread on it and rolled up is wonderful. You can also nuke pepperoni and cheese slices until they are crispy and voila, pepperoni chips / cheese chips.

Eating late a night isnt ideal - but it's better than being hungry. Although I suspect that you're hungry because of the so called low carb bar - it would definitely set of hunger cravings. The rule is if you're hungry, EAT.

Please keep in mind that it is possible you might gain a few lbs on this WOE - if you are coming from a low calorie, low fat protein deficient diet your body has some making up to do, and some muscle to build. Also keep in mind that gaining muscle is a good thing - it will increase your metabolism and burn fat while you are doing other things, like watching TV, sleeping, or typing a post.

If you'd like a really good explanation of how LC works and why it is so effective at lowing cholesterol and blood pressure, I suggest getting a copy of Protein Power from the library. It's a great book and will give you a more detailed understanding of why this WOL is so health friendly.

Nat

Hi,
Make sure you keep ketostix well closed and not in the bahroom (too humid). I've had better readings if I dip them in a urine sample instead of running under stream.

Good luck,
Ruy