Low carb logging

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Hi. When your doing low carb on MFP and entering all your foods..... at the end when you finish your day and how it says “in 5 weeks you will weigh something “ Is that weight calculated based on doing low carb ??? Or just calories in/calories out ?????
Thank you

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    It's best to ignore the extra initial water weight loss when you start eating low carb. It evens out way before the five weeks mark.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    It's based on calories in/calories out. It may not be accurate anyway, as it's based just on the calories you ate that day.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    It's based on calories, because it's calories that determine whether you lose weight or not. Having said that, it's just a gimmick and not something you should put much stock in.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    mmishell wrote: »
    Hi. When your doing low carb on MFP and entering all your foods..... at the end when you finish your day and how it says “in 5 weeks you will weigh something “ Is that weight calculated based on doing low carb ??? Or just calories in/calories out ?????
    Thank you

    Given the same amount of calories, you'll lose weight equally whether you're low carb, low fat, vegan, vegetarian, paleo or eating straight junk food. The only increase in weight loss from keto is the initial water weight as you deprive your body of carbs/glycogen. A ketogenic diet has no metabolic advantage over any other diet.

    And the "in 5 weeks" prediction is about as accurate as throwing a dart at a dartboard. It's using a simple algorithm taking that day into account and assuming that you'd eat the exact same amount and move the exact same amount every single day for the next 5 weeks.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    I respectfully disagree that a low carb diet and low calorie diet are essentially the same. I have lost nearly 150 lbs doing low carb. Often I have days that consist very large steaks, sour cream (I use as a steak sauce, i know it is weird but hey)
    My calorie count would be way up around 3500 for the day... day after day. I kept my carbs low enough to stay in ketosis thus making my body burn fat for fuel. Fat is a very inefficient fuel, requiring 9 fat calories to produce the same energy or fuel as 4 carb callories. Also, strangely fat does not convert to fat in the body as easily as glucose. Our bodies were designed to convert glucose to body fat, not store fat that we eat. So... while completely ignoring my calorie count for over two years and only watching carbs. I lost the majority of my weight and 'reset' my metabolism to 'believe' that a weight in mid 100's was normal for me instead of always striving to maintain my old normal of over 300.
    But you must pick one. A low carb diet usually will put you above your calories so ignore the calories.

    If you want to count calories... follow the MFP guidelines. I guess... as it never worked for me and I can't testify as to how well it will work for you.

    Nobody said low carb and low calorie were the same. All we said is that you lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn. If you ate 3500 calories and lost, then you were burning more than that amount.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    I respectfully disagree that a low carb diet and low calorie diet are essentially the same. I have lost nearly 150 lbs doing low carb. Often I have days that consist very large steaks, sour cream (I use as a steak sauce, i know it is weird but hey)
    My calorie count would be way up around 3500 for the day... day after day. I kept my carbs low enough to stay in ketosis thus making my body burn fat for fuel. Fat is a very inefficient fuel, requiring 9 fat calories to produce the same energy or fuel as 4 carb callories. Also, strangely fat does not convert to fat in the body as easily as glucose. Our bodies were designed to convert glucose to body fat, not store fat that we eat. So... while completely ignoring my calorie count for over two years and only watching carbs. I lost the majority of my weight and 'reset' my metabolism to 'believe' that a weight in mid 100's was normal for me instead of always striving to maintain my old normal of over 300.
    But you must pick one. A low carb diet usually will put you above your calories so ignore the calories.

    If you want to count calories... follow the MFP guidelines. I guess... as it never worked for me and I can't testify as to how well it will work for you.

    You lost weight because you were in a calorie deficit.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    I respectfully disagree that a low carb diet and low calorie diet are essentially the same. I have lost nearly 150 lbs doing low carb. Often I have days that consist very large steaks, sour cream (I use as a steak sauce, i know it is weird but hey)
    My calorie count would be way up around 3500 for the day... day after day. I kept my carbs low enough to stay in ketosis thus making my body burn fat for fuel. Fat is a very inefficient fuel, requiring 9 fat calories to produce the same energy or fuel as 4 carb callories. Also, strangely fat does not convert to fat in the body as easily as glucose. Our bodies were designed to convert glucose to body fat, not store fat that we eat. So... while completely ignoring my calorie count for over two years and only watching carbs. I lost the majority of my weight and 'reset' my metabolism to 'believe' that a weight in mid 100's was normal for me instead of always striving to maintain my old normal of over 300.
    But you must pick one. A low carb diet usually will put you above your calories so ignore the calories.

    If you want to count calories... follow the MFP guidelines. I guess... as it never worked for me and I can't testify as to how well it will work for you.

    Just because you weren't counting calories doesn't mean calories don't matter. It just means you were in a deficit without trying. If you weren't counting calories, you don't know how many cals you were eating or burning.

    And there are literally thousands of people here eating low carb and staying in a calorie deficit, so your last sentence really doesn't make any sense at all. Lowering carbs is a really common way for people to get into a deficit, as many people overeat high carb foods.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    I respectfully disagree that a low carb diet and low calorie diet are essentially the same. I have lost nearly 150 lbs doing low carb. Often I have days that consist very large steaks, sour cream (I use as a steak sauce, i know it is weird but hey)
    My calorie count would be way up around 3500 for the day... day after day. I kept my carbs low enough to stay in ketosis thus making my body burn fat for fuel. Fat is a very inefficient fuel, requiring 9 fat calories to produce the same energy or fuel as 4 carb callories. Also, strangely fat does not convert to fat in the body as easily as glucose. Our bodies were designed to convert glucose to body fat, not store fat that we eat. So... while completely ignoring my calorie count for over two years and only watching carbs. I lost the majority of my weight and 'reset' my metabolism to 'believe' that a weight in mid 100's was normal for me instead of always striving to maintain my old normal of over 300.
    But you must pick one. A low carb diet usually will put you above your calories so ignore the calories.

    If you want to count calories... follow the MFP guidelines. I guess... as it never worked for me and I can't testify as to how well it will work for you.

    I'm definitely interested in this.

    Could you please explain how glucose gets converted to body fat and how fat becomes inefficient as a fuel source on a low carb diet? I hear so many theories. I'd like to know how I can ignore calories.