Calorie counting?
Jaimsterr
Posts: 2 Member
Today was day 5 of my low carb diet!
So far, so good and I am feeling fantastic!
I'm using MFP to track my carbs, but of course it has calculated how many calories, fats, etc. I should be consuming. I have quite a bit of weight I would like to lose, and MFP has me at 1,600 calories per day.
Should I be watching calories as well?
Usually I end my days at roughly 2,000 calories with 3 meals & 2 snacks, so I'm not going overboard.
And, is there anything else I should be careful to keep an eye on? Thank you!
So far, so good and I am feeling fantastic!
I'm using MFP to track my carbs, but of course it has calculated how many calories, fats, etc. I should be consuming. I have quite a bit of weight I would like to lose, and MFP has me at 1,600 calories per day.
Should I be watching calories as well?
Usually I end my days at roughly 2,000 calories with 3 meals & 2 snacks, so I'm not going overboard.
And, is there anything else I should be careful to keep an eye on? Thank you!
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Replies
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I wouldn't worry about calories for the first couple of weeks. Just get settled in with low carb eating. But in the long run, IMO, calories will count.0
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I second this ^^^^0
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Low carb (like any other diet) is not a magic formula. If you eat 10,000 calories a day you will gain weight, no matter what those calories consist of. Low carb will help you feel fuller for longer because of the satiety and nutrient density of the foods you are eating, however, sometimes it takes a while for your brain to catch up with your stomach. I would suggest counting calories until you get used to what 2000 calories a day looks like and your body adjusts to your new WOE. It's also a way of tracking your intake to figure out what truly works for you. I find that MFP always puts my calories too low... it set mine at around 1200 calories a day to lose 2lbs a week, but I'm losing close to that at 1500. In the end, it's about trial and error and finding out what works for you.0
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Yeah
Give it a week to get used to your new eating pattern. Then start tweaking your intake and exercise to something you can live on and not feel too tired or hungry
It has to last long term and let you have a chance to succeed!
I have settled in on 1690 calories for my average weight loss week. I find MFP gives me too many burn off calories for exercise, so I also watch how many I eat back.
Time and paying attention to your body will help you find the balance that works for you.
I have a great nutrition and exercise plan. It works great when I eat the right amount of food. I lose weight!
But I can over eat for my activity level as cause it to stall out.
Desk job does not help my cause!
Peace0 -
I think calories in < calories out is an important aspect of any weightloss plan; low-carb is no different in my mind. To ensure weight loss its often necessary to weigh and log everything you eat/drink so that you know exactly what you're consuming and become educated regards portion sizes, food choices etc. Macros are also very important on low-carb diets, perhaps even more so. Logging is key for me to getting these right.
In the first few days of going low-carb i would eat up to maintenance calories only if necessary (hunger, lack of energy, feeling ill etc). I would be strict with my carbs though - choose a maximum amount of grams per day and dont go over that. If you need extra satiation whilst adjusting to low-carb choose high fat medium protein snacks. Alll the time, even if you go over your calories, log log log. I find its the best way to be in control of everything that goes in your mouth from the start.0 -
Log the calories, but worry about your carb cap and eat based on your hunger cues (assuming you don't have a medical issue that prevents your cues from signaling, in which case then you can use the keto calculator to figure out how many as a guide). Some days you'll be over, some days you'll be under, but if you eat quality food products, you will probably find it averages out over time to something very reasonable.0
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I too recommend just focusing on carb counting for the first few weeks. And as long as you can sustain that until you stop losing. After that point, many people find it necessary to count calories. I've had to do that for 9 mo now. Also, visit the ankerl keto calculator and check your suggested macros. That's something to keep an eye on every once and awhile, even if you are just carb counting. IMO, finding out the appropriate protein range for you is important. And knowing your estimated BMR and maintenance-calorie level, is helpful info to have as well.0
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Personally I'm just worried about counting carbs. I was logging my food for like a week, eating around 2500 cals a day, and managed to stick to low carb, moderate protein and high fat. Everything seems to be moving along fine. If I were to track calories again, I think I'd go insane... but that's just me! They do count and don't magically disappear because we're eating low carb. I say after the first month or so, count calories if you find that suits you and your goals.0
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My plan is to only log calories occasionally. I have tracked calories and points for far too much of my life. I need to be free of it on a regular basis. I pay attention to carbs.0
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There are many threads on this here. I wish there was a good search function. But, the general consensus is that there is no consensus. Some of us don't count at all, and have success. Others need to count to have success. For April, we had a no counting challenge run for the month. I forget if there were any definitive results aside from find what works for you.
My advice? Don't be afraid to try it without counting for a while. You may be pleasantly surprised.0 -
AngInCanada wrote: »I wouldn't worry about calories for the first couple of weeks. Just get settled in with low carb eating. But in the long run, IMO, calories will count.
+1
ETA: The people that I try to watch are those similar to me who have had success. Those about my age (and therefore perimenopausal or of similar hormonal make-up) , female, with a similar amount of weight to lose who have been successful watch both carbs and calories (and eat a relatively boring diet). That's what I try to emulate.0 -
I am counting calories loosely, I don't use a food scale and estimate a lot of the time, but I am finding that I am most often under my calorie goal eating this way and feeling satisfied and full on less. Before I was always having to juggle to try to meet my goal and often wishing I could eat more. And, the scale is now moving, so not only do I feel more satisfied, feel physically better in so many ways, I'm starting to see visible progress.0
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While it will still come down to calories, whether or not you track them is really up to you. More specifically, I'd base it on how you feel about tracking calories and whether or not you succeed with/without tracking.
If low carb dieting gives you a substantial boost to satiety (which it does for many but not all people) then there's at least a good chance that you can have some success without tracking, and if it's easier/less stress to do it without tracking then that would be a big win.
Just understand that tracking is a behavior that allows you to attempt to monitor calorie intake and that calorie intake matters a great deal -- but tracking calories and eating a reasonable number of calories are not the same thing.0 -
While it will still come down to calories, whether or not you track them is really up to you. More specifically, I'd base it on how you feel about tracking calories and whether or not you succeed with/without tracking.
If low carb dieting gives you a substantial boost to satiety (which it does for many but not all people) then there's at least a good chance that you can have some success without tracking, and if it's easier/less stress to do it without tracking then that would be a big win.
Just understand that tracking is a behavior that allows you to attempt to monitor calorie intake and that calorie intake matters a great deal -- but tracking calories and eating a reasonable number of calories are not the same thing.
Ha!
This makes me laugh!
I so relate to it.
I would buy a bag of reduced fat chips.
Eat the whole bag!
I counted calories alright. Just not the ones I was eating.
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I am keeping up with my calories but not as much as I am the carbs. Carbs first than calories is what I am doing. I'm on 30 carbs 1200 calories. Trying to stay around 22 for carbs.0
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I am not counting calories because I find whenever I do I become obsessed with food and it is counterproductive. I am even reluctant to count carbs for same reason. I have stopped eating grains, potatoes, sugar and processed food and have been tracking for these initial weeks just to make sure I am below 100 gms. Plan to stop tracking now I have a good idea of what I can eat. Think this is the best approach for me as I need to see this as a long term WOE and not a 'diet'..0
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giftbouquets wrote: »I am not counting calories because I find whenever I do I become obsessed with food and it is counterproductive. I am even reluctant to count carbs for same reason. I have stopped eating grains, potatoes, sugar and processed food and have been tracking for these initial weeks just to make sure I am below 100 gms. Plan to stop tracking now I have a good idea of what I can eat. Think this is the best approach for me as I need to see this as a long term WOE and not a 'diet'..
^^^^THIS^^^^^ I want to get to this point. For now I am tracking things since I am a relative newbie, but once I get the hang of things, this is what i want to do.0 -
I totally agree with this. I hope to eventually get to the point that I can keep my calories and carbs where they need to be without having to track everything because the thought of tracking for the rest of my life isn't a pleasant one. That being said, if that's what it takes to keep the weight off and stay healthy then I am prepared to do it.0
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When I was heavier I didn't worry so much about calories, but the less weight I had to lose, I realized I had no idea how many calories I was actually eating. When I wasn't counting calories, I struggled to get below 172. If I did, it was for a day and I'd bounce back up again. I was 165.8 this morning. So I think when you get to a certain point in your journey tracking calories does matter.0
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Those closer I get to target weight the more counting calories and counting exercise burn off matters.
When I was over 325 lbs it was easy to lose weight. Now it is a bit tougher.
But I'm better at shopping smart
I buy 3/4 pound packs of chicken breast or cutlets. It makes it just cook and eat!
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While it will still come down to calories, whether or not you track them is really up to you. More specifically, I'd base it on how you feel about tracking calories and whether or not you succeed with/without tracking.
If low carb dieting gives you a substantial boost to satiety (which it does for many but not all people) then there's at least a good chance that you can have some success without tracking, and if it's easier/less stress to do it without tracking then that would be a big win.
Just understand that tracking is a behavior that allows you to attempt to monitor calorie intake and that calorie intake matters a great deal -- but tracking calories and eating a reasonable number of calories are not the same thing.
This.
Also, it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing thing, necessarily. You can, in general, not track, but then track for a week or two to ensure you're still on base, or track when you have a new food or something to see where it sits in relation to your diet.0 -
I need to plan my meals in advance, and usually on Sunday I cook for the next week lunches and dinners. Before I shop or cook anything I enter "ideas" meals for combinations of ideal macros, see what that looks like compared to the prior week. I do shoot for 1200 cals,15g carbs as my key parameters. Some weeks are slightly higher, depending on my breakfasts,and my evening snacks those being my variable meals. "Pre-tracking" makes this doable and easy for me to follow a plan where I feel satisfied, not hungry, and I know it's not in vain, because it consistently works.0
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Dragonwolf wrote: »While it will still come down to calories, whether or not you track them is really up to you. More specifically, I'd base it on how you feel about tracking calories and whether or not you succeed with/without tracking.
If low carb dieting gives you a substantial boost to satiety (which it does for many but not all people) then there's at least a good chance that you can have some success without tracking, and if it's easier/less stress to do it without tracking then that would be a big win.
Just understand that tracking is a behavior that allows you to attempt to monitor calorie intake and that calorie intake matters a great deal -- but tracking calories and eating a reasonable number of calories are not the same thing.
This.
Also, it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing thing, necessarily. You can, in general, not track, but then track for a week or two to ensure you're still on base, or track when you have a new food or something to see where it sits in relation to your diet.
Exactly. I've experimented and found that by counting carbs and eating till full, I can maintain easily. So I plan to track carbs most of the time. Then weigh once a month. If I'm good, then I will keep on. If I've creeped up, I'll track everything for a week or 2 to recalibrate, and then go back. When I get there that is.
Until then, I personally have to watch the calories really close. 10lb to goal is nice, but being so close is maddening and loss slows down quite a bit. If I pre-track everything, like @slimzandra said, then it's pretty darn easy to stay under cal goal. After breakfast, I quickly enter what I think is going to go on food-wise for the day. That way there are no unhappy-surprises. And it helps to have a plan to stick to if you get the mad-hungries and are tempted to go nuts.
But other people find this level of obsession stressful, so they don't track as much. I'd love to be able to do that. I've found that that doesn't work for me. My appetite tells me it wants my body to maintain. I'm not ready for that yet. And that's all ok. No shame. Finding what works for you is key, period.0 -
I stay below 1500 calories, and below 30 carbs and I've been losing about 1/2 a pound a day. *knock on wood* it won't be like that forever, but for now ? I'm digging it.0
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There are many threads on this here. I wish there was a good search function. But, the general consensus is that there is no consensus. Some of us don't count at all, and have success. Others need to count to have success. For April, we had a no counting challenge run for the month. I forget if there were any definitive results aside from find what works for you.
My advice? Don't be afraid to try it without counting for a while. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Its very easy to make links to previous discussions. I keep the below in a text file and copy & paste.
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
It's Ketogenic or Bariatric! How I Found the Ketogenic Diet
Blog #10 Keto: Abbreviations, Acronyms & Terminology Used on the LCD & Keto Discussion Groups
Blog #13 DittoDan's Milestone's, First's And Good Changes Since Starting the Ketogenic Diet
DittoDan's Keto Blogs
How I got Off of Diabetic Prescriptions Drugs Since I Started Keto
Blog #11 Really Good Keto Websites
Low Carb Discussion Group on MFP (LCD)
Ketogenic Diet Discussion Group on MFP
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Today was day 5 of my low carb diet!
So far, so good and I am feeling fantastic!
I'm using MFP to track my carbs, but of course it has calculated how many calories, fats, etc. I should be consuming. I have quite a bit of weight I would like to lose, and MFP has me at 1,600 calories per day.
Should I be watching calories as well?
Usually I end my days at roughly 2,000 calories with 3 meals & 2 snacks, so I'm not going overboard.
And, is there anything else I should be careful to keep an eye on? Thank you!
Like everyone else said, get used to eating lo-carb first. Then when you start stalling on your weight loss, or worse, gain, then start plan B, tracking with MFP. Tracking is preferred. For example, lets say you had a problem with credit cards and your debt kept piling up. You could tear up the credit card, then start budgeting. Maybe you would log everything you purchased on Quicken accounting software. You would also track what was coming in. Then at a glance, in the software, you could see if you spend more than you take in. The same effect with tracking on MFP, you can see if you're going over very easily. I'm not saying its impossible to do the diet without MFP, but it just makes sense, especially if things go wrong.
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
It's Ketogenic or Bariatric! How I Found the Ketogenic Diet
Blog #10 Keto: Abbreviations, Acronyms & Terminology Used on the LCD & Keto Discussion Groups
Blog #13 DittoDan's Milestone's, First's And Good Changes Since Starting the Ketogenic Diet
DittoDan's Keto Blogs
How I got Off of Diabetic Prescriptions Drugs Since I Started Keto
Blog #11 Really Good Keto Websites
Low Carb Discussion Group on MFP (LCD)
Ketogenic Diet Discussion Group on MFP
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If you got lots to lose, many people can do lazy keto and still shed scale weight. But as you get leaner, the margins of your deficit get smaller...making it easy to obliterate the deficit. At some point in time, most people need to start weighing (grams) to get a better estimate of caloric intake.
For example: Some people can load their BPC with tablespoons of stuff and still lose scale weight. I can't have BPC at all, because I'm down to the very last ca 3-4 lbs.
The subject of «more accurate» tracking is constantly an issue both here on MFP and on /r/keto. IMO, when you start stalling, it's time to recalculate TDEE, scrutinize your routines and troubleshoot what might cause stalling. The most glaring error people in general do (yup, me too ) is to underestimate kcal intake and overestimate activity level. Find a system that works for YOU. 0 -
Today was day 5 of my low carb diet!
So far, so good and I am feeling fantastic!
I'm using MFP to track my carbs, but of course it has calculated how many calories, fats, etc. I should be consuming. I have quite a bit of weight I would like to lose, and MFP has me at 1,600 calories per day.
Should I be watching calories as well?
Usually I end my days at roughly 2,000 calories with 3 meals & 2 snacks, so I'm not going overboard.
And, is there anything else I should be careful to keep an eye on? Thank you!
Like everyone else said, get used to eating lo-carb first. Then when you start stalling on your weight loss, or worse, gain, then start plan B, tracking with MFP. Tracking is preferred. For example, lets say you had a problem with credit cards and your debt kept piling up. You could tear up the credit card, then start budgeting. Maybe you would log everything you purchased on Quicken accounting software. You would also track what was coming in. Then at a glance, in the software, you could see if you spend more than you take in. The same effect with tracking on MFP, you can see if you're going over very easily. I'm not saying its impossible to do the diet without MFP, but it just makes sense, especially if things go wrong.
I hope this helps,
I agree with this. Ive tried both ways and i've found that not counting calories is a disaster for me - i just overeat, even if im strict with my carbs, and more calories coming in than going out is a sure-fire way to gain weight imo.
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I don't know about this CICO thing... I mean true you eat a boatload of calories, weight gain is inevitable... But if you "listen" to your body, I don't think you need to count as strictly... If you eat, just to eat, opposed to eat when your hungry and only eat as much where you start to feel satisfied, then count calories, otherwise it's not that important.
I have read over and over is that sugar makes you fat faster than other things... I didn't say foods, because I don't think sugar should be considered a food, but a poison... Look it up on the internet, sugar is not good in any quantity. But since we're talking low carb, sugar usually doesn't play a big role in your diet, or it shouldn't.
So I'm up in the air with counting calories... eating natural, unprocessed foods is more important, and knowing when to stop... Even if there's food still on the plate.
My $0.00002 worth.
Michael.0 -
I definitely have to count but that is probably due to my past with binge eating disorder.
I could probably eat to maintain but I can't do it to lose weight with no tracking.
I am 149cm (about 4'11") and have lost 32kg/70lbs so far. I have varied from 700 to 1350 kcal per day. I'm attempting to sit around 1250 and apparently that will lose me .5 of a kilo a week which is just over a pound. I don't know how much more I want to lose. Maybe another 60lbs.0
