According to the Atkins site, they recommend about 60% fat, 30% protein, and 10% carbohydrate, although they say you can safely go up to 70% fat. You can adjust those numbers 5-10% and still be within guidelines, but after your induction period is over you'll better be able to figure out what works best for you. Just don't forget to include the minimum of 12 g. net carbs of good veggies each day. Those and drinking plenty of water are two of the most important aspects of the plan, IMO.

My DH lost 60 lbs. on the plan and has maintained his loss for over a year, and I lost over 50 lbs. so even though those numbers sound scary they do work. I hit a long stall and did a Whole30 recently to jumpstart my weight loss again, and I've switched to a paleo lifestyle for a while to enjoy a few fruits and veggies that were forbidden on Atkins. My weight loss started again, so I can happily recommend either plan. I discovered my problem was mainly artificial sweeteners and dairy. After cutting them out on the Whole30 I'm back on track and losing weight again.

I recommend you read Colette's blog on the Atkins site. She answers many, many questions in those posts. This is a good one to answer questions regarding fat: http://blogs.atkins.com/Blogs/colette_heimowitz/Archive/2011/12/14/80.aspx

Welcome,

We are all different (don't you just hate that phrase, wouldn't a magic ratio be great?) but 60% fat, 30% protein, and 10% carbohydrate sounds ballpark OK.

I'd add more fat and cut back on the protein myself, from my experience anyway, it helps with the, er, bowel stuff too.

IMO Atkins is too restrictive initially and adding *some* fruit would be OK at the beginning if you are strict with everything else.

I'll go with cramernh ... you can afford to let the 20g carbs out a bit (if I interpret the comment correctly) ... 20g to 30g carbs, the difference ain't going to be much for you weight-loss wise (IMO, etc).

Especially if you load up on leafy greens. In my opinion leafy greens almost shouldn't count as carbohydrate at all ... They are good for you and keep you full Can't stand leafy greens? (I hear ya) Cover with some fatty sauce and both bases are covered

Here is the thing with fruit, which I learnt yesterday (so is subject, as usual, to me being completely wrong ) ... The fructose in fruit will head straight for the liver and be used to top-up liver glycogen first (the form of carb storage for the liver).

Ketosis will only happen effectively when liver glycogen is near-empty (i.e. there is no 'glucose' left in the liver to use as energy so the liver has to generate ketones).

So, fruit/fructose has a unique ability to slow/prevent ketosis.

Anyone feel free to put me right on this.

Having said that, if you crave fruit then a bit isn't going to harm.

(edit) Go Paleo! By the way. Check out Mark's Daily Apple for more.

Correct. That's why I can't stand non low carbers that preach sugar from fruit is fine , yet you must watch refined sugars.

Sucrose is 50% glucose, 50% fructose. The glucose can be used by the entire body and therefore gets used reasonably quickly.
Fructose can only be processed by the liver. If the liver stores are full .... bye bye, gets converted into fat and packed off to be stored.

Thanks, I've been re-reading Lyle McDonald's "The Ketogenic Diet" which goes into this in some depth.

I'll make an exception for my home-grown strawberries ... lovely (and not too sweet, a good thing).