why do calories not count on low carb?
Options
Replies
-
It may just be a mind over matter think sometimes. I can go straight to my mouth with 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil if semi solid but prefer it melted in coffee, etc. Now I do drink heavy whipping cream from a quart cartoon just like I use to drink boiled custard when it is out around Christmas/New Years.
Maybe stopping eating by 5 PM is more calorie restriction than anything else.
I can eat 5 over easy eggs, 6 strips of bacon, four cups of coffee with 10 mini creamer cups each and a large glass of water and be stuffed.
I did some counting last night and that meal does give me 70 grams of protein. I forget on the fat amount. The half and half pushes my carbs near the 50 gram limit if I am not careful. 1 -
sweetteadrinker2 wrote: »Actually I have consumed a whole cup of heavy cream in a sitting, and still munched through a whole bag of porkrinds after....
Plain heavy cream? The second time I did it, I had to sweeten it just to make it tolerable. How were your total calories that day? How many days in a row did you manage to eat well beyond your TDEE?
I am not saying it is impossible to eat after consuming that much, just that is gets rapidly unappealing. Especially if you've been at or above your calories the previous day(s). I was trying to hit over 4000 calories those days (well, except one time when I just wanted a cup of butter) and can tell you the thought of another cup/stick is just disgusting.
Pork rinds with melted butter... that I could totally do!
Yes plain. And I don't know how my calories were, but that days intake was like a bag and a half of pork rinds and probably 12 ounces hwc...I was at fair showing goats, so had limited foodstuffs available. And I managed to eat(probably, my logging sucked at the time) beyond my TDEE(since I gained weight) for about 15 days.
And yes, pork rinds with melted butter are delicious.
0 -
I'm still not convinced. It's an interesting data point, but it would be better with actual numbers and a longer time period. I think we really need a prolonged over-feeding experiment in here. Like find some (already overweight) people determined to put weight on (for science) over a month or two... while eating 10 g/day or fewer total carbs.1
-
I usually agree with you Goat, but it's pretty easy to eat 3000 cals a day on low carb. Fatty bacon and eggs cooked in butter. I have butter in every coffee (140cals each), salami, fatty meat, food cooked in oil, creamy sauce etc. The cheeseburger pie for example comes out to 1000 cals a serve as per the recipe, and I could easily eat more than one serve. For you, eating only meat, it would probably be difficult to eat that much meat. I think the point is though, you do need to watch your calories. With careful management I fall just under my 1800 a day. On days when I let myself eat how I want to it's more like 2600. Alot of people who are new to LCHF or Keto become discouraged because they watch their carbs but aren't getting the results they want because they aren't tracking and are simply eating too much.2
-
I definitely have no problems over eating on low carb at all. There is a pretty big difference between eating to lose weight and eating to maintain weight. I could probably control myself enough to keep at the same weight, but I would still be hungry and still have to keep an eye on my intake. I would not find it hard to eat over 3000kcal a day and I probably did every day anyway, before joining MFP. If I ate meat all day I estimate I could comfortably consume at LEAST 2000kcal worth. It doesn't take much fatty meat to hit that.
My partner eats over 3000kcal per day to maintain his weight of 75kg and doesn't seem to have trouble :-). He has about 13,000 kilojoules per day which is about 3100kcal I think. For my tummy to not scream in hunger at me all day 2400kcal is what it takes. Which means no weightloss for me. My TDEE is generally 2200-2400kcal depending on how active I am. I would still be hungry eating at TDEE but could handle it.
I was already overweight by the time I finished being a teenager, and continued to grow bigger and bigger until I was obese class 3 and had a BMI of 52 at age 32. I overate by about 600kcal per day last year judging by my weight gain.
0 -
EbonyDahlia wrote: »I usually agree with you Goat, but it's pretty easy to eat 3000 cals a day on low carb. Fatty bacon and eggs cooked in butter. I have butter in every coffee (140cals each), salami, fatty meat, food cooked in oil, creamy sauce etc. The cheeseburger pie for example comes out to 1000 cals a serve as per the recipe, and I could easily eat more than one serve. For you, eating only meat, it would probably be difficult to eat that much meat. I think the point is though, you do need to watch your calories. With careful management I fall just under my 1800 a day. On days when I let myself eat how I want to it's more like 2600. Alot of people who are new to LCHF or Keto become discouraged because they watch their carbs but aren't getting the results they want because they aren't tracking and are simply eating too much.
Exactly. I can maintain well just counting carbs. But if I want to lose weight, I have to count cals. I have to watch the fatty foods really close. Particularly cheese, nuts, and mayo. Nuts are currently my nemesis. I can eat ALL THE NUTS. I can have them, I just have to reign them in.
I don't think Goat has much trouble with those since he cuts them out and doesn't need fats and sauce to adorn the veggies he doesn't eat.
And new LCers often still have unresolved food issues or still haven't figured out hunger cues, both of which can cause unintentional overeating. And us older LCers (even me) sometimes struggle with remnants of those issues sometimes, too.
2 -
Oh yeah...and the booze. Mucho kcals...
Nuts and booze. Bad habits for me. They add up real quick.3 -
Oh yes. Mayonnaise. I could eat 100g in a go easily. That's probably 700kcal right there. I try to avoid it.0
-
Oh yes. Mayonnaise. I could eat 100g in a go easily. That's probably 700kcal right there. I try to avoid it.
I could eat good mayo by the spoonful, too sometimes. Shame on me.
I count my calories every day. I use a scale, measuring cups and tsp/tbsp. Why not? Can't hurt. It's better to know what you're taking in calorie wise, low carb or not.
It definitely doesn't hurt to be mindful of what you are consuming.0 -
baconslave wrote: »EbonyDahlia wrote: »Nuts are currently my nemesis. I can eat ALL THE NUTS.
I've pretty much cut out nuts for this reason. They're just too easy for me to binge on.0 -
I'm about to wander way off into wacky-land, for some of you. I'll probably step on some keto-toes. This is all my opinion. Much of it is supported with many of the books I've read about various low carb diets, but you can reject it as lunatic ramblings if you want. Just don't forget, you can't win an argument against a goat in a suit.
Don't get me wrong. Keto did a lot of good for me, but there are some things that are "keto" that drive me crazy. I could be completely wrong. At the risk of committing a "No True Scottsman" fallacy, I've got to say that if you're having trouble being satisfied, naturally, eating an amount (on a low-carb/keto diet) that causes your weight to normalize on its own, then you're probably doing something wrong or your body is recovering from years of adapting to famine-level calories and will get on board when it realizes that this isn't just a temporary thing.
If you're not losing weight and you're adding butter to coffee, you're doing something wrong. I like butter in my coffee, sometimes. It's delicious. But, it's not something I think is a great idea unless you're using it as an IF type thing to replace a morning meal that would otherwise spike your insulin. And, if you're adding butter to your coffee and eating too much, that's the first thing I would kick out.
Similar things with nuts, cheese, fat bombs, and alcohol. While they all can play a role in a successful low carb diet, they are things which can make it nearly impossible to eat without restriction.
First, and foremost, a low carb meal should be centered around a fatty meat. It should be the first thing you eat as well. Then you should think of low carb sides (vegetables, salad, etc.) that you might want with the meat. For example, "Strong Medicine" advocates for a minimum of 8 oz of what would be equivalent to 75%/25% ground beef three times a day. After you've eaten the meat and fat, you could have more meat and from a limited selection of vegetables (although even those were removed if you weren't losing weight). Plus, you get a cup of coffee. This was the minimum for all patients on the program to lose weight. That's around 2,000 calories as a minimum each day. I'm not saying you need to go that high. But, if you are hungry, your first instinct should be to eat a meal centered around a fatty meat.
[ Edit: This would still be a very ketogenic diet, assuming the minimums. It would be around 108 grams of protein, 172 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbs... 78% fat and 22% protein. So, it's high meat... but not high protein. As, I believe most low-carb diets should be. ]
Second, added sauces and fats are excellent, assuming that using them is still allowing you to make your goals and they aren't playing a leading role in a meal. If you've got lean meat, a heavy cream based sauce is an excellent addition to balance the meal out with some fat. If you want to add some butter to make the vegetables more palatable, that's probably fine. A 4 oz chicken breast with 1,000 calories of Alfredo sauce just makes no sense. Fat is great, don't fear fat. Fat should be the majority of your calories, but it doesn't need to be the majority of what you eat.
All your calorie data from a mixed diet is useless when eating low carb. I can't use the fact that I gained weight at 1,900 calories when eating a "balanced" diet to help me determine a calorie goal to lose on low-carb. In fact, I lost almost all my weight averaging around 1,900 calories on low-carb. Have people gained weight doing everything right on low carb? Yeah, I, personally, know someone who gained weight for six months. They started at a "healthy" weight that they had been starving and exercising to maintain. They gained weight for six months when the stopped counting calories. Then the weight all went back off just as fast as it came on. Still without counting, except the person now felt and looked better. And, that person was now able to eat until satisfied all the time and didn't need to exercise, unless they wanted to.
I know people here are struggling to keep making progress at 1,400 calories a day. And, maybe 1,400 is the right amount for you. But, if it was, it wouldn't be something you needed to struggle to manage. It would be something that would happen automatically. If you're struggling to make it happen, you're probably messing something up. Chances are, you know what it is too. My areas have always been cheese and nuts. I would know I ate too much on them. I would feel it.
In the end, it all comes down to my belief that everyone should be able to trust their body and eat as much as they want while maintaining a healthy and normal weight. For some, especially those with metabolic issues and/or diabetes, this may be a pipe-dream. I'd like to believe those are the exceptions though, and not the rule.1 -
I count my calories every day. I use a scale, measuring cups and tsp/tbsp. Why not? Can't hurt. It's better to know what you're taking in calorie wise, low carb or not.
This makes the most sense to me. I'm a data-driven person, I like to see the trends that exist.
My current eating plan is set up for 1600cal/day. However, I often forget to eat a meal and scramble to make up the protein. My average day is 1350, I think.2 -
I don't think maintaining is so much of a problem, it's the whole weightloss thing that makes it hard.
Plus there is no way my family could afford to keep me in meat for each meal which is sad. I would love to at least try it out.
I definitely lose more weight than I should on low carb, given my age gender weight and height.1 -
So you're losing!!! That is soooo fabulous!!! For whatever reason, this is working for you. I think all these varied answers just show how everyone is different (my guess is men don't need to pay as close attention to calories while women do). But in any case, it's working for me too and I actually don't care that much why it works-- even though I'm a science geek. I'm just going to keep repeating what's worked.1
-
If you're not losing weight and you're adding butter to coffee, you're doing something wrong. I like butter in my coffee, sometimes. It's delicious. But, it's not something I think is a great idea unless you're using it as an IF type thing to replace a morning meal that would otherwise spike your insulin. And, if you're adding butter to your coffee and eating too much, that's the first thing I would kick out.
I add butter to my coffee because I'm not prepared to give up coffee, I can't tolerate it black (heartburn and a headache) , and cream and milk add up to too many carbs. It's taken months and months of trial and error to arrive at this way of drinking it. I've given up smoking, I've given up anything sweet or carby, I don't even drink anymore (used to have a couple of bottles of red a week now I would have a glass of wine every three months or so) - I am NOT giving up my coffee. What else would I have to live for?
I do use a butter/coconut oil coffee as a breakfast replacement, and I do weigh my butter for each coffee (20g) but for me the bulk of my calories, should I allow myself to eat as I want (under 20g of carbs but as much food as I want) I would consume from dinner time until bed time. And I can still easily do 2500 cals.
0 -
I have a desk job, so im sitting all day. my TDEE supposedly like 1700 ish and im eating that at least but usually under 20g.. so how am I still losing without technically losing any weight? How does it work?!
It works because fat is filling. Low carb usually means low carb high fat. You eat less calories (I avg 1100) and never feel hungry because you are limiting type. I can eat a whole bag of chips without thinking, or a pint of ice cream. I can not eat a whole pkg of hotdogs or a giant plate of bacon. Your body does not want all that fat and protein like it craves carbs.
Part of this reason is the insulin release and the sugar rush your brain gets, like a drug. The body has to rid the blood of sugar so it uses it or stores it immediately as fat. Fat does not make you fat - carbs do! Fat and protien are both harder for the body to access, unlike carbs, which are usually an immediate hit (some carbs like beans are slow carbs). The body finds it easier to burn your already stored fat for energy than to effectively use the protien and fat you eat. That's why low carbers like me, eating 20-50 carbs a day (depends on re person and how KETO adapted you are) are in ketosis, which can signify starvation (but we're not starving, we are just 24 hour fat burning machines!)
So, it's your choice. Eat carbs and store fat, or limit carbs and burn stored fat. I highly recommend you watch the free youtube movie "Fathead". He explains it quite well as well as the saturated fat myth and cholesterol connection. It's long but it's made by a comedian and quite entertaining (and clean), while being full of the science of low carb. Good luck!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqn-Xe_2iCw 0 -
baconslave wrote: »
And new LCers often still have unresolved food issues or still haven't figured out hunger cues, both of which can cause unintentional overeating. And us older LCers (even me) sometimes struggle with remnants of those issues sometimes, too.
Newish to LC here, & I think you're onto something. I'm an over -eater in addition to sugar-addiction. I'm counting my calories but not going crazy over them. My initial first 1-2 weeks' loss is OK (3 lbs) but actually GREAT compared to how I do on low- cal. Yet I think I'm still over eating & will have to tune myself to my hunger cues, which already feels much easier to do based on greater satiety.
I think once my body adjusts & I feel a little better too (some headaches, constipation), & start working out more...I will be at both calorie ,& carb level to generate weight loss.
Great discussion!
0 -
I want to modify my response with Dr. Atkins warnings to not overeat. You do not need to stuff yourself! The key is to eat until satisfied but not stuffed. If you are not hungry, don't eat.
If you eat a bag of pork rind because you are bored (not hungry) then yes, you are going to gain. The key is no hunger. Not eat until you are uncomfortable. This was hard for my husband because he was so used to eating until he "felt stuffed" he overate all the time. Before this diet, he would often eat his dinner and half of mine just to finish it. I became more mindful of wrapping leftovers and it helped a lot.
But srsly, I never hungry on 1100 calories and rarely hit my goal of 1800, and it's not like I try not to.0 -
I have to be mindful that body comp is not a downward number on the scale alone
Health isn't a downward number always either.
It has been a strange two months for my scale. It went up nearly 6 pounds and lately has been dropping
Yesterday was a 7 pound woosh as we can have
I agree that if we need to eat extra to feel filled, eat it in protein
It seems to have less negative consequences
And if we are in strenuous exercise, it seems to help build muscle
I was skeptical at first but my own experience is proving me wrong
Same jeans from a month ago, looser in waist, tighter in thighs.
Excess carbs have never ever had a positive impact
So for me....
Anything extra it does seem to be protein is the way to go. Something on me is always sore anyway!!0 -
Quite a newbie here but from my experience of losing weight on a lower (not keto) diet is that I do much better when not counting calories. Counting calories just makes me obsess about food, feel deprived and ultimately overeat. I do best when I just know what not to eat (bead, rice, potatoes, processed food, sugar) and then just listen to my body. I tried my first BPC the other day, it was horrible. After drinking I asked myself why I had done it? I would have preferred my usual 3 egg salami omelette cooked in coconut oil for breakfast, so why make myself feel deprived by just drinking coffee? As I say, I am a newbie to MFP and don't want to disagree with what works for other people, but for me keeping what I eat as 'normal' as possible and not thinking of it as a 'diet' works.1
