Eating what you want within calories vs Keto within calories

k_e_l
k_e_l Posts: 44 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi guys!

Just wondering how many of you have tried both keto (within your calorie limit) & eating whatever you want (within your calorie limit)? What did you find was easier to do?

I'm asking because I have tried both myself & when I wasn't doing keto, I always felt hungry & cranky. So, I started keto last week & I do feel fuller eating at the same deficit, but I'm also fighting cravings to eat carbs & feel like giving up. Lol, I don't know what I want to do!

Share your experience with me!
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Replies

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    For me, keto was easier due to the decrease in appetite and cravings.
  • thisbravelion
    thisbravelion Posts: 2 Member
    I've been doing keto for 7 months and have lost 30kgs with it (plus exercise).

    I have found keto fairly easy - I don't have any problems sticking to keto-friendly foods (as I like them a lot) but I do still sometimes struggle with eating over my calorie goals.

    I used the keto calculator to set my macros - I didn't pick a huge deficit to begin with so I lost weight more slowly that some other people I've seen. But then I ramped up the running and the gym and the weight really did fall off me (at least the first 20kgs - the last 5kgs are harder!)

    I really recommend sticking with keto if you can. Make sure you're getting in your electrolytes (I drank a pint of stock/broth every day to begin with as you need extra salt).

    Keep on ketoing on :smiley:
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Good point @RedSquadronLeader I had the same benefits keeping my carbs to a max of 100g as i did keeping them down at keto levels.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    for me its just a deficit. I cant do keto due to health issues. I eat a lot of carbs too.
  • k_e_l
    k_e_l Posts: 44 Member
    Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply! Some pretty good suggestions here! :-)

    I will continue to keto for a bit (thanks for encouraging me to not give up just yet fellow ketoers). I think some of my problem is I automatically set myself up to fail (in my mind) cause I'm so used to giving up after 2 wks on any diet I try.

    Thanks for the electrolyte tip too! I haven't been drinking any broth just because I think I have always used a ton of salt on my food, but I'll start doing that...today in fact! I felt really nauseous yesterday & today & its most likely due to electrolytes & not enough water!

    Oh yeah...also its really good to know I don't have to lower my carbs to extreme low levels all the time. I love apples with peanut butter, so maybe if I'm really craving something sweet, I can just eat that instead of blowing my whole plan! Of course I'll look for natural peanut butter..or even almond butter. :-)

    Thanks again everyone!! Congrats on your success!!!!! :-)

  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
    edited April 2017
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    For me, keto was easier due to the decrease in appetite and cravings.

    Same here. When I switched to keto, I just shifted macros, not calories, and found it so much easier to stick to and the weight started coming off (and kept coming off, so it wasn't just water weight). Before that I felt hungry all the time at the same calorie level. There is a little bit of an adjustment phase but after a week or two, I found my groove and figured out my favorite keto-friendly foods and was good. It's not for everyone but I'd say give it another 2 weeks or so if you want to see if it works for you, just to see if you adjust and start enjoying it more.
  • k_e_l
    k_e_l Posts: 44 Member
    edited April 2017
    @EbonyDahlia man do you sound JUST like me! i've started over Monday many times too. i have so far to go its easy to throw my hands up & say "oh this one meal won't hurt, I have so much to lose, I'll just pig out today, tomorrow, & start over Monday"....which is how i got to where i am today. & actually today I was fighting the urge to give up & get McDonalds drive thru. but this "urge" wasn't the same as feeling hungry kind of urge. It was a craving kind of urge & not enough willpower. But, I stuck to it & ate my omelette dinner & feel a lot better now. proud of myself for not giving in! :-)

    thanks for suggesting the SF jello & whipped cream. totally forgot i could do that! i like diet iced tea & diet coke...do you think those would make me crave sugar/carbs more? or are they ok to drink?
  • BobBruff
    BobBruff Posts: 2 Member
    @k_e_l, I've been having some similar struggles lately. I've recently been experimenting with keto and I've had good results both from losing a few pound and feeling a lot more satisfied. Before dabbling in keto I was eating (and drinking) a LOT of carbs. That was my go-to food, but of course I never felt full or satisfied and those darn sugar cravings/crashes were the pits. Especially that mid-afternoon snack craving. When I'm fully on keto the hunger is there, but it's not ravenous. :smiley: Anywho...I find that the times where it's been the hardest to stick to keto are the times when I fail to prepare. Carbs are such a quick, easy thing to find. But if I can get my keto shopping done and do my meal preps I'm able to stick to it much better. Thanks for posting your question! It helps to hear what other people struggle with.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    I have tried both. Keto was just miserable. I didn't feel as hungry but I felt deprived. Pick your poison I suppose because it's exactly the same in terms of a deficit. I prefer to have more of a balance
  • k_e_l
    k_e_l Posts: 44 Member
    @BobBruff yes!!!! exactly what you said!! i don't feel miserably ravenous on this woe! i can go a lot longer without eating & at the same calorie level. my skin is looking a lot better too. no bumps. you are exactly right about planning. when i feel the most tempted is when i need to do some grocery shopping & tempting carbs are in the cabinet calling my name haha. or when i'm out & about. but since i'm not ravenous between meals, if i am out & about & start to feel hungry, i just get a large diet coke & it holds me over til i get home.

    glad i could help others with the same struggle & happy to know i'm not alone! good luck on your keto journey! :-)
  • lundy2626
    lundy2626 Posts: 16 Member
    Our whole life we habe been fed the fat begets fat scenario but it's no longer the case with many recent studies as I'm sure you know. We also have been fed carbs and sugars our entire life, causing water retention, unnecessary inflammation and making us insulin sensitive. You will crave carbs for a couple more weeks because your body wants what it always had. If you feel as if you think quicker or this diet helps you physically then stick with it. YOU CAN DO IT!
  • Spiffy_Barbarella
    Spiffy_Barbarella Posts: 7 Member
    Keto works because it suppresses your appetite, so you eat less. Calories in, calories out.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    For me, I was too hungry on keto and the food choices were not inline with my preferences. I do better eating what I want within calories because I'm less hungry and happier with my food choices.
  • comeonnow142857
    comeonnow142857 Posts: 310 Member
    the difference? halitosis!
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I tend to lose just a bit easier on keto at the same calories. It is not a huge difference, perhaps a couple of hundred calories, but it is pretty consistant.

    I find keto easier to stick to than higher carb too. With just counting calories I can rarely last more than a couple of weeks before the hunger gets to me and I overeat. Then I found it hard to get back on track. I tended to slip into yoyo dieting. That doesn't happen to me with keto. If I have a hungry day I may eat more that day, but the next day I'm not hungry and I eat less. With a higher carb diet I just stay hungry.

    If my electrolytes get low, that is the only time I feel something like cravings. I don't feel well, and when I feel poorly and energy is low, I tend to eat in search of extra energy. While in ketosis we need 3000-5000mg of sodium per day; that's over 2 teaspoons of table salt per day. It sounds like you are low in electrolytes. Extra salt or broth may help. Don't add extra water as that will further dilute your electrolytes. KWIM?
    comeonnow142857 wrote: »
    the difference? halitosis!

    This only happens in the unlucky minority and is usually transient. My breath actually got a bit fruity.

    Now gas is often the reverse issue. Fewer sugars and fibre often means less fermentation and less gas. Nice side effect. ;)

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    SideSteel wrote: »
    Fortunately there's a gigantic continuum of food selections between "keto" and "eat whatever I want".

    In my opinion, there's a good probability that you just need to modify your food choices to improve satiety without necessarily going on a ketogenic diet.


    I feel like we are discussing the endpoints here and excluding the middle.

    Exactly...
  • menotyou56
    menotyou56 Posts: 178 Member
    k_e_l wrote: »
    Hi guys!

    Just wondering how many of you have tried both keto (within your calorie limit) & eating whatever you want (within your calorie limit)? What did you find was easier to do?

    I've tried eating anything I want to a set calorie goal many times. Failed them all every time as well lol. If I say to myself, go ahead and have that reese's pbc just count the cals...by the end of the day the whole bag is gone and I'm back to square one.

    I would always feel intense hunger on a CICO only diet as well. 24/7. Going to bed, waking up and in the middle of the day, hunger.

    Now I'm counting cals with keto and for the first time ever I feel like I can actually get this done and get back to a normal BMI for the first time since being a teenager.

    Stick with keto. Really go for 20 carbs or less if possible. I believe even up to 50 carbs a day will still keep you in ketosis though so don't freak if its over 20 a bit. Your craving for carbs will die off soon. At least mine did and I'm a lifelong junk carb junkie, it's working for me.

    Once you are keto adapted, tracking and keeping to your cal limit set by MFP will be a breeze. That's been my experience anyway.

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Spiffy_Barbarella wrote: »
    Keto works because it suppresses your appetite, so you eat less. Calories in, calories out.

    It doesn't suppress everyone's appetite...I'm far more satiated eating a diet rich in legumes, lentils, oats, potatoes, etc, and plenty of lean protein with a moderate amount of fat (enough for proper nutrition and health). Left to my own devices, I can go through a block of cheese and a gallon of whole milk no problem...
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    menotyou56 wrote: »
    k_e_l wrote: »
    Hi guys!

    Just wondering how many of you have tried both keto (within your calorie limit) & eating whatever you want (within your calorie limit)? What did you find was easier to do?

    I've tried eating anything I want to a set calorie goal many times. Failed them all every time as well lol. If I say to myself, go ahead and have that reese's pbc just count the cals...by the end of the day the whole bag is gone and I'm back to square one.

    But then you AREN'T eating a balanced diet within your calorie limit, right?
    I would always feel intense hunger on a CICO only diet as well. 24/7. Going to bed, waking up and in the middle of the day, hunger.

    There are usually other ways of eating that control this besides keto.

    Not saying you shouldn't do keto if you like it -- I think keto can be a good choice for some. But so often people switch from a diet that wasn't particularly what is normally recommended for health or satiety (for example, includes a lot of candy or other junk foods, not a lot of veg or other sources of fiber, maybe lower on protein than what they later adopt) and then blame "carbs" or not doing keto for their hunger issues.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    menotyou56 wrote: »
    k_e_l wrote: »
    Hi guys!

    Just wondering how many of you have tried both keto (within your calorie limit) & eating whatever you want (within your calorie limit)? What did you find was easier to do?

    I've tried eating anything I want to a set calorie goal many times. Failed them all every time as well lol. If I say to myself, go ahead and have that reese's pbc just count the cals...by the end of the day the whole bag is gone and I'm back to square one.

    But then you AREN'T eating a balanced diet within your calorie limit, right?
    I would always feel intense hunger on a CICO only diet as well. 24/7. Going to bed, waking up and in the middle of the day, hunger.

    There are usually other ways of eating that control this besides keto.

    Not saying you shouldn't do keto if you like it -- I think keto can be a good choice for some. But so often people switch from a diet that wasn't particularly what is normally recommended for health or satiety (for example, includes a lot of candy or other junk foods, not a lot of veg or other sources of fiber, maybe lower on protein than what they later adopt) and then blame "carbs" or not doing keto for their hunger issues.

    I think for some of us, a LCHF, often keto, diet is what is left after you remove those trigger foods that prevent us from eating within our calories limit. (I wouldn't say "balanced" as that is a personal interpretation, IMO.)

    My trigger foods are sugars and starches. That leaves meats, seafood, eggs, dairy, veggies and some fruit. That tends towards low carb (under 100-150g of carbs per day) very naturally. Many people eat low carb because they have chosen those foods. Their macros naturally land there. I think you fall around that range (correct me if I am wrong).

    Others, like me, landed at that diet/food choices because of our chosen macros. For me, I knew I needed to eat fewer carbs due to IR. We ended up with similar food choices but approached it from different directions.

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