Keto calorie help?!?

kma0002
kma0002 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi!! I’m wanting to try the Keto diet according to my needs at the start of the day it says I should take in 17g of Carbs. When I add in a workout it gives me those calories but then also ups my cabs to 22g. Is that right? I realize I’m probably over thinking this, just want to do it right.

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Yes, that is right, MFP just adds calories when you earn them from exercise, the macro distribution stays the same.
  • FlyingMolly
    FlyingMolly Posts: 490 Member
    edited January 2018
    I’ve read that for keto you want to keep your net carbs between 5-10% of your calories. Carbs have 4 kcal/g (except dietary fiber, which isn’t digestible). So you subtract your fiber from your total carbs, multiply the result by 4, and check to see that it’s under 10% of your total calories that day (and over 5%, but somehow that just never seems to come up as an issue for me!).

    If you eat more calories, you can also eat more carbs—it’s a ratio, not a set number. So 30 net carbs make up 10% of a 1200-calorie day, but if you need to eat 2000 calories you could go up to 50 net carbs.

    I’m sure there are people who know way more about this and maybe they’ll weigh in, but that’s been the simplest and most effective way for me to understand it (and I’m happily in ketosis right now, so something’s going right!).
  • kma0002
    kma0002 Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks!! Molly- how much. Weight have you lost? How long have you been doing it?
  • FlyingMolly
    FlyingMolly Posts: 490 Member
    No problem! I'm new--I started on the 1st and am down 7 pounds (water weight + I couldn't figure out what to eat in the first week, so I'm ready for that to slow down now!). I got into ketosis in a little over 48 hours after starting the diet, and I usually get between 6-8% of my calories from carbs.

    I kind of miss "enjoying" food like I usually do, but I also know that exact thing is what's been keeping me heavy--it feels good but it's not. And I don't have strong cravings or feel actual strain in sticking with it, so I'm going to try to bang out the last 15-20 pounds before I change anything up. :)
  • Poisonedpawn78
    Poisonedpawn78 Posts: 1,145 Member
    FlyingMolly wrote: »
    No problem! I'm new--I started on the 1st and am down 7 pounds (water weight + I couldn't figure out what to eat in the first week, so I'm ready for that to slow down now!). I got into ketosis in a little over 48 hours after starting the diet, and I usually get between 6-8% of my calories from carbs.

    I kind of miss "enjoying" food like I usually do, but I also know that exact thing is what's been keeping me heavy--it feels good but it's not. And I don't have strong cravings or feel actual strain in sticking with it, so I'm going to try to bang out the last 15-20 pounds before I change anything up. :)

    I am glad its working for you so far. But just remember you dont have to miss enjoying food. Just miss enjoying ALL the food ;). You can lose weight eating pizza and burgers and fries if you manage your calories correctly. You may need to get some vitamins doing it but its 100% possible.
  • FlyingMolly
    FlyingMolly Posts: 490 Member
    Poisonedpawn78 wrote: »
    I am glad its working for you so far. But just remember you dont have to miss enjoying food. Just miss enjoying ALL the food ;). You can lose weight eating pizza and burgers and fries if you manage your calories correctly. You may need to get some vitamins doing it but its 100% possible.

    You're definitely right! I was trying to think how to word that and don't think I quite got it. I just LOVE sugar, is my thing. If I can't have sugar, then starch brings me joy. Essentially cutting out both of those things makes it so that I don't really look forward to what I'm going to eat, exactly? Like, I want it because it'll taste good and I'm hungry, but it's much more of a "food-as-fuel" model than "food is so delightful."

    And I miss feeling delighted by food...but I know that people who consider it fuel don't tend to struggle with their weight the way I always have, so it's not a deal-breaker--just different. :)

  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    FlyingMolly wrote: »
    Poisonedpawn78 wrote: »
    I am glad its working for you so far. But just remember you dont have to miss enjoying food. Just miss enjoying ALL the food ;). You can lose weight eating pizza and burgers and fries if you manage your calories correctly. You may need to get some vitamins doing it but its 100% possible.

    You're definitely right! I was trying to think how to word that and don't think I quite got it. I just LOVE sugar, is my thing. If I can't have sugar, then starch brings me joy. Essentially cutting out both of those things makes it so that I don't really look forward to what I'm going to eat, exactly? Like, I want it because it'll taste good and I'm hungry, but it's much more of a "food-as-fuel" model than "food is so delightful."

    And I miss feeling delighted by food...but I know that people who consider it fuel don't tend to struggle with their weight the way I always have, so it's not a deal-breaker--just different. :)

    Why are you doing keto, if it requires you to give up the things you really enjoy? Do you think that will be sustainable for you, to never eat those foods again or to restrict them so heavily?

    With a pattern of weight loss struggles as you indicate, I would think embarking on a very restrictive diet that cuts out things you enjoy would not be very sustainable. Many people who find success in losing weight and keeping it off say that they ate in a way during losing that they intended to stick with during maintenance.

    For me, that meant not cutting out any of the things I really enjoy, but rather focusing on what I wanted to add to my lifestyle. More protein, more vegetables, more whole grains, more exercise, more sleep. I found that by doing that, and maintaining a modest calorie deficit, it naturally prioritized the healthy choices but left just enough room for things like wine, pizza and ice cream in moderation.

    Keto has a lot of new followers in the new year and some will find great success and stick with it, many others will find it too restrictive and either give up altogether or try another approach. Weight loss comes down to calorie deficit, how you achieve that can be done in many ways.

    Good luck.
  • mom2wessarah
    mom2wessarah Posts: 72 Member
    Molly, good going! I too am trying keto, started Jan 1. I was visiting my brother over the holidays and when my SIL opened the door, she looked great. They have been following a keto lifestyle for a few years now and look and feel great. I decided to try. The sweet stuff never was my downfall. It was always just eating too much of, well, everything! I am also down about 7 lbs, I weigh on Mondays. I'm sure it's mostly water at this point, but I'll take it.

    My worry is that I'm not eating that many calories. Around 1000 each day or less. Not on purpose, it's just what I'm eating now if keeping me satisfied for most of the day. I've never actually had that before in my diet. I know with keto you're supposed to eat a lot of healthy fat, but boy, just seems like a lot to me. Oh, well. I'll keep going and maybe add more fats as I progress.

    Good luck to you!
  • FlyingMolly
    FlyingMolly Posts: 490 Member
    edited January 2018
    mom2wessarah wrote: »
    Molly, good going! I too am trying keto, started Jan 1. I was visiting my brother over the holidays and when my SIL opened the door, she looked great. They have been following a keto lifestyle for a few years now and look and feel great. I decided to try. The sweet stuff never was my downfall. It was always just eating too much of, well, everything! I am also down about 7 lbs, I weigh on Mondays. I'm sure it's mostly water at this point, but I'll take it.

    My worry is that I'm not eating that many calories. Around 1000 each day or less. Not on purpose, it's just what I'm eating now if keeping me satisfied for most of the day. I've never actually had that before in my diet. I know with keto you're supposed to eat a lot of healthy fat, but boy, just seems like a lot to me. Oh, well. I'll keep going and maybe add more fats as I progress.

    Good luck to you!

    100% relatable! In the first few days I tried to wing it, and my weight was plunging and I had no point of reference for how I was feeling, because keto is supposed to feel different, right? So I started tracking my food, and the first day I did I'd reached, like, 900 calories by the end of the day. I sat down with a leftover Camembert and maybe 8 pecans and announced I had to get halfway through the stupid cheese before running out of nuts (I didn't know yet that you get more carbs if you eat more calories!) and it was not exactly a high point for me. :smiley:

    Tracking food and getting to understand the math helped me get things under control, and my food diary's open if you're ever looking for ideas. Last night as part of dinner I steamed a head of cauliflower in a little chicken broth, mashed it, then added a can of unsweetened coconut milk, salt, and a ton of Berbere spice mix, which was amazing. :) I'm lucky in that my schedule allows me to eat most of my meals at home, but for when I can't I've been carrying salad-bar containers and whole avocados around in my purse.

    Congrats on your progress and good luck! :)
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    FlyingMolly wrote: »
    Poisonedpawn78 wrote: »
    I am glad its working for you so far. But just remember you dont have to miss enjoying food. Just miss enjoying ALL the food ;). You can lose weight eating pizza and burgers and fries if you manage your calories correctly. You may need to get some vitamins doing it but its 100% possible.

    You're definitely right! I was trying to think how to word that and don't think I quite got it. I just LOVE sugar, is my thing. If I can't have sugar, then starch brings me joy. Essentially cutting out both of those things makes it so that I don't really look forward to what I'm going to eat, exactly? Like, I want it because it'll taste good and I'm hungry, but it's much more of a "food-as-fuel" model than "food is so delightful."

    And I miss feeling delighted by food...but I know that people who consider it fuel don't tend to struggle with their weight the way I always have, so it's not a deal-breaker--just different. :)
    I used to think this, but now that I have been at a normal, healthy weight for three years (the longest period of stable weight in my life), I think it's the other way around. People who don't struggle with their weight eat for both fuel and pleasure. But they don't use food to avoid discomfort, like sadness, anxiety or boredom. People who struggle with weight, try to avoid pleasure from food, and instead they use food for comfort, while feeling ashamed.

    Waiting for a good meal is a delightful feeling. Eating food you really enjoy, and allowing yourself to enjoy it, makes it easier to not overeat.

    Sugar and starch... do you really love sugar and starch? Or do you love sweets, desserts, bread and other baked goods, like the rest of us?

Categories