Counting calories on low-carb diet

Jenny_Ren1

I've read a lot of forums and done plenty of outside reading on low-carb, low-cal, low-fat diets. And yet, I'm still asking for advice here.... :laugh:

It seems to be the consensus that a lower carb/higher fat diet will help when obese and looking to lose fat and bf %. However, I also see a lot of "weight loss is calories in < calories out". Not considering exercise at all (I do cardio and lift 3x/wk, but that's not my question), shouldn't people eating low carb still count calories? When I see people recommending low carb/high fat I am always confused. High fat = high calories, right? Sorry if I sound stupid, but I need to lose 70 lbs and I really want to do it the most effectively way possible. I am looking to do this right and for life, so not asking for easy fixes, just all of your thoughts! Thanks

shaleyn

You need to do what is sustainable for you. I don't have a problem losing weight eating higher carb, as long as I'm under my calorie goal.

Machafin

Calories in vs out is what works. As far as low carbs, I would not recommend too low. This can lead to bad effects on your health plus you will never feel as if you have any energy.

pluckabee

I do low carb (under 100g a day) and count calories. So far, I'm losing more than the CICO formula suggests according to my current tracking info.


However, I have found a lot of energy and my fidgeting has really increased, which obviously doesn't get accounted for on my fitbit or on mfp (how does one track fidgeting?)

So what I guess this shows is the if you are doing low carb, you find you are burning more than usual (and in essence means you could eat more) so lose more weight. It is still calories in < Calories out but your calories out has increased without you even trying.

cwolfman13

I've read a lot of forums and done plenty of outside reading on low-carb, low-cal, low-fat diets. And yet, I'm still asking for advice here.... :laugh:

It seems to be the consensus that a lower carb/higher fat diet will help when obese and looking to lose fat and bf %. However, I also see a lot of "weight loss is calories in < calories out". Not considering exercise at all (I do cardio and lift 3x/wk, but that's not my question), shouldn't people eating low carb still count calories? When I see people recommending low carb/high fat I am always confused. High fat = high calories, right? Sorry if I sound stupid, but I need to lose 70 lbs and I really want to do it the most effectively way possible. I am looking to do this right and for life, so not asking for easy fixes, just all of your thoughts! Thanks

Whether you're doing low carb, low fat, or calorie counting...or any other diet plan, the same principle apply. You lose weight in a calorie deficit...it's science...laws of thermodynamics. When you low carb; 1.) you lose a lot of water weight off the top because you deplete glycogen stores, and 2) you are usually at a calorie deficit because you're almost eliminating and entire macro.

Like I said, same principle apply...it's just that when you're on a low carb plan like South Beach or whatever, you're not actively counting those calories...but you're still at a deficit if you're losing weight. Once again, science.

vicky_b329

I totally agree with what Wolfman said. I've very recently begun to eat low-carb, and I'm still logging religiously on mfp to monitor my macro counts. I'm finding that I actually have trouble eating enough calories on my 60/30/10 fat/protein/carb ratio. I'm averaging around 1300-1400 calories a day. If you're worried that high fat = high calorie... you're right. But if you're maintaining a recommended ketogenic macro ratio, you'll still be at a deficit pretty easily.

mwooderson

I began lowering my carbs in May and continued logging every day. I too have found that I am very satisfied from an energy and hunger perspective with my calories never being a concern. I eat fruit, veggies and loads of lean protein.

Jenny_Ren1

Thanks everyone. I've been able to keep my calories low enough, but I'm not necessarily eating high fat. Most of my fat comes from the meat I eat, but that's usually chicken or pork chops. I want to make sure I'm not sabotaging myself by counting calories and still eating low carb. I guess I will continue to log everything and count my calories, while relying on lower carb foods.... Now just waiting to see the scale move some more!

llkilgore

I kick started my diet with a couple of weeks of a somewhat relaxed South Beach phase I, without counting calories, before finding MFP. For two weeks I ate as much meat and full fat cheese as I wanted and practically shoveled down non-starchy vegetables. I thought I'd been eating a lot, but when I began logging, I discovered that I'd been averaging well under 1000 calories a day. For me, at least, very low carb = a suppressed appetite.

I was afraid to stay on such a low calorie diet because of the fear of muscle loss (a major concern for post menopausal women), so I immediately added back enough carbs to bring my deficit down to a more moderate level. The rest of my diet didn't change much. I continued to shovel down vegetables and eat plenty of protein and healthy fat, and just used the carbs to fill out my calorie budget. That worked well for me so long as I avoided known binge triggers like sweet baked goods and potatoes.

In retrospect I think the biggest benefit I got from South Beach was that it gave me the opportunity to assess how my body reacts to individual high carb foods as I added them back to my diet, one by one. These days I eat both pasta and ice cream 2 or 3 times a week and don't worry about it, because I know I can eat a standard serving of either and be satisfied. They aren't binge triggers for me. Pound cake, on the other hand... And fig newtons... A standard serving of fig newtons might as well be the entire package, because that's what I'll eat.

Potatoes (other than sweet potatoes) are a special case: not only do they cause an uncomfortable churning in my stomach that makes me want to put something else in it, they cause heartburn. Every time. And nothing else I eat does - ever. I'd suffered from chronic heartburn for decades and never made the connection to potatoes before the diet. Now that I have, I'm completely cured.