Up calories or am I a crazy person?

danidanibobani

So, I've been eating at about 20 net carbs for almost the last three months. I lost about seven pounds initially and then stopped losing, which I was fine with. I should also mention that during this time I did not restrict or even count calories, just focused on the carbs. The family and I went on vacation, which included camping and staying with family (so I wasn't always in charge of the menu). I did my very best to stay as low carb as possible without refusing things like ribs covered in sugar. I did not drink much, maybe three drinks while I was there, yay me! When we got home, I had stayed the same weight. Great! But I decided to start tracking calories and keeping to a deficit. For the last week I've been eating just under 1500 calories. I'm a 37 female, 5'6, 161.8, as of today. I keep the carbs at 20 net. Any how, in the last week, actually a day short of a week, I've lost four pounds. I've also been hungry-ish. Not full blown carb hungry, but hungrier than I've been for the last three months.

Question is, should I up my calories? Give it a week or two more? If my metabolism has repaired itself in the last three months because I haven't been obsessing about calories, I certainly don't want to screw it up now.

deksgrl

What is your activity level? 1500 seems reasonable for your size, but not if you are extremely active.

danidanibobani

I'm not very active. I haven't even been exercising for the last month.

sweetteadrinker2

1500 seems quite reasonable. If you're just mildly hungry for the first couple weeks it could very well be your body adjusting. If you start getting weak, or full blown carb hungry, add electrolytes and fats, respectively.

deksgrl

I would stick with that level and see. My stats are similar to yours. I usually go awhile with losing no weight and then all of a sudden several pounds are gone, rather than seeing consistent weekly losses. As for the hunger, are you getting enough fat in, and could you tweak meal timing?

danidanibobani

The hunger part is really mild. Yesterday, I was hungry around three, but we didn't end up eating dinner until 630, and I was fine. Before I cut out the carbs I would panic and have to eat something or a lot of somethings. So that part is really manageable. It's just weird to lose so much in a week, because I thought that I had lost all the water when I first started doing this. And I want to be kind to my body after treating it so bad for so long.

JessicaLCHF

danidanibobani wrote: »

So, I've been eating at about 20 net carbs for almost the last three months. I lost about seven pounds initially and then stopped losing, which I was fine with. I should also mention that during this time I did not restrict or even count calories, just focused on the carbs. The family and I went on vacation, which included camping and staying with family (so I wasn't always in charge of the menu). I did my very best to stay as low carb as possible without refusing things like ribs covered in sugar. I did not drink much, maybe three drinks while I was there, yay me! When we got home, I had stayed the same weight. Great! But I decided to start tracking calories and keeping to a deficit. For the last week I've been eating just under 1500 calories. I'm a 37 female, 5'6, 161.8, as of today. I keep the carbs at 20 net. Any how, in the last week, actually a day short of a week, I've lost four pounds. I've also been hungry-ish. Not full blown carb hungry, but hungrier than I've been for the last three months.

Question is, should I up my calories? Give it a week or two more? If my metabolism has repaired itself in the last three months because I haven't been obsessing about calories, I certainly don't want to screw it up now.

You're not crazy. Eat to satisfaction not stuffing, but ignore the cals. That's what I do. Sometimes it's a struggle to ignore them and that's usually when I stop loosing! Listen to your body not a calorie counter, that's my advice.

randiewilliams72

I am 5'3 and mostly sedentary I try to stay around 1500 also. I know for me I just recently, after 2 months, started to feel not really hungry often. I also think I realize that being a little hungry isn't so bad. I'm not getting the shakes because I need my next carb fix. It's a different kind of hungry than before. It really doesn't bother me much anymore.

danidanibobani

I wish I could ignore calories. It was really my goal when I started with LCHF to not have to track anything. But after three months of not losing, except the initial weight loss, I realize to do need to pay attention. The good news is, when I get to my goal weight, whatever that is, I will be able to maintain without having to track. I proved that with nearly three months of maintaining my weight, even on vacation.

Sunny_Bunny_

We gain and lose water weight all the time. Along with other gains that aren't due to actual fat gain. Sometimes you'll drop a lot, sometimes a little and other times still there will be gains or stalls.

danidanibobani

I will forge ahead, then, with calories as is. I'm not going to complain! And I had ups and downs when I wasn't counting, I just settled at a weight for nearly three months and such a big drop is a little startling. Thanks for the replies!