Starting Week 4 - Question

#1

Starting week 4 today. I feel I could be close to becoming fat adapted but I believe it may take another 2 weeks because 3 full weeks may be too early.

My question is, if I am not hungry, should I eat? Especially if I am not fat adapted.

My macros for today (breakfast and lunch) at 8 g carbs, 56 g fat, 33 g protein for a total of 676 calories, but I worked out for 361 calories meaning I have consumed a net 315 calories for the day.

I am not hungry at all. How important is it not be on a low calorie diet without being fat adapted. For dinner should I consume 1300 calories to ensure I am getting my 1600 calories a day?

One other observation is that I initially lost 8.5 pounds the first week and now I have stalled. Could this be because I am under consuming calories?

(Meeping up the Science!) #2

I would aim for a weekly daily average of protein being no less than 50-60/day minimum, to help support your body’s natural need for maintenance. When there is a lack of protein the body begins to recycle what it can and it starts holding on to fluid - a possible reason for the stall. Short term this is fine, but on a daily basis long-term it is likely not prudent. An exception might be if you were predominately sedentary, or bed-bound.

The goal for us here is to keep serum insulin low and not necessarily caloric restriction. If you tend to not be hungry enough to eat large meals, it’s probably a good idea to make all of your meals very potent in fat and then protein, to ensure that you get enough of both to fuel basic body functions.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #3

The standard recommendation is to eat 80 to 100 grams a day of protein per lean body mass. This will maintain your muscle mass and keep you healthy. The bulk of your calories—the ones you’re no longer eating as carbohydrate—should come from fat, so that you can avoid stimulating insulin production beyond the minimum. If you eat enough fat to avoid hunger and can go quite a few hours between meals, then you are getting enough, whatever the calorie level may be. People who have body fat to burn usually find that by eating fat to satiety they max out around 1500 calories (according to Dr. Phinney), but those who have little or no body fat left have to get all of their daily calories from their diet. If you keep eating fat to satiety you will automatically consume the right level of calories (again, according to Dr. Phinney). There will be no need to keep track.

(Ms Hanson) #4

Thxnks for analysis & clarification.