Advice from low carb people *ONLY LOW CARB PEOPLE*

katie32308

Hi. I’m doing a low carb diet. I’m trying to stay in the 20-25 net carbs a day. I notice I usually don’t hit the 1200 calorie mark. Is that normal. I don’t feel I’m starving myself.

Phoebe5164

What are your other macros at?
Fat & protein,
A high fat diet is very satisfying and filling ,
There is no correct number of calories you should consume . If you have energy and feel good and are also losing the weight to want to ?? Good job 🌸

I stay under 75 carbs and eat 1450 calories, I’m active all day .

katie32308

Example Yesterday I was 6% carbs ....71% fat... 23% protein I’m new to looking at macros. Just been watching carbs. I have lost 28 pounds since Labor Day. (Did have a 2-3 week slip in there i have problem with motivation to stay strong)

rheddmobile

It doesn't happen to everyone, but it's pretty common for appetite to go down when you start eating low carb. Do try to eat at least 1200 calories, by the time you notice you should be eating more, it will be too late to prevent hair loss, muscle loss, etc. If you're finding it difficult to hit your calories add some healthy fats such as nuts or avocado. A handful of nuts is a couple of hundred calories. Also be sure your logging is accurate and that you are weighing your foods at first, until you learn what a portion looks like. Most people who think they are having trouble hitting 1200 are mistakenly eating far more than they realize.

kimny72

Sorry, I don't do low carb, but I wanted to get you started. Are you relatively new to low carb? It can take a week or so for your body and appetite to get used to a new way of eating.

It's no big deal if you eat a bit too little for a few days, but regardless of diet your body needs fuel, and fuel is calories. So don't undereat for too long. If your not using a food scale, you may very well be eating more than you think, so keep that in mind too. I'm sure some LCers will drop by soon. Good luck!

katie32308

For record I have a food scale, measuring cups and measuring spoon. I appreciate the advice.

rheddmobile

Good job on the 28 lbs! As I said, do be careful because hair loss doesn't show up until about six months after the event that caused it. I lost weight rapidly at the beginning of my journey and my hair is still recovering more than a year later.

GottaBurnEmAll

Not a low carber but I do have a suggestion...

Have you joined the low carb group here? They can be helpful with more macro advice and with suggestions for helping you get enough calories to avoid the problems rheddmobile is mentioning.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum

FlyingMolly

Flip your perspective. Instead of focusing on getting your carbs as low as possible, make a game of seeing how many calories you can enjoy eating per gram of net carbs.

Start with a cup of broccoli, for example: 30 calories and about 3.5 net carbs? All numbers are approximate here, but anyway: sauté it in a tablespoon of butter and even if half of it drips back into the pan you’re at 80 calories. Add a couple tablespoons of grated Parmesan and you’ve added 40 more calories and less than half a carb; now you’re at 120 and 4, which is way better, proportionally, than the 30 and 3.5 you started with. What if you toast some almond slivers in the butter and toss them with the broccoli? Two tablespoons add 65 calories and only one more net carb, or you could do a quarter-cup for 130 and 2. Plus they add delightful crunch and soak up more of the butter, putting you at 275 calories; 6 net carbs.

That’s a ketogenic broccoli dish right there, and if you eat it alongside a piece of meat you’ll shoot your calories up even further in the same meal.

Start with the carbs. Make the calories keep up with them.

snickerscharlie

Phoebe5164 wrote: »

What are your other macros at?
Fat & protein,
A high fat diet is very satisfying and filling ,
There is no correct number of calories you should consume . If you have energy and feel good and are also losing the weight to want to ?? Good job 🌸

I stay under 75 carbs and eat 1450 calories, I’m active all day .

For you, perhaps, but as a blanket statement, this is far from accurate. Satiety is a very individual thing and what achieves it varies widely from person to person.

katie32308

Ty everyone

lynn_glenmont

Phoebe5164 wrote: »

What are your other macros at?
Fat & protein,
A high fat diet is very satisfying and filling ,
There is no correct number of calories you should consume . If you have energy and feel good and are also losing the weight to want to ?? Good job 🌸

I stay under 75 carbs and eat 1450 calories, I’m active all day .

There may be no single "correct number of calories [the OP] should consume," but there are a lot of wrong numbers, and unless OP is very short and sedentary, a lot of those wrong numbers are the numbers below the 1200 mark that she isn't hitting.

VictoryGarden

Hi, new low-carber here. My diary is public if you want to see. I try to keep my net carbs around 10-20/day. Not unusual to run in the 1200-1400kcals and BE FULL. Oh man do I love this WOE. I second joining the previously mentioned low carb group. Lots of good info there.

psuLemon

One thing i would add is drop fat a bit and increase protein. Most women should be around 90-130g per day. Along with resistance training, it can help preserve muscle and your metabolism.

nvmomketo

psuLemon wrote: »

One thing i would add is drop fat a bit and increase protein. Most women should be around 90-130g per day. Along with resistance training, it can help preserve muscle and your metabolism.

This is good advice if you find your calories are coming in lower than expected. If you continue to eat protein as just a macro percentage, then protein in grams could end up a bit low.

For example, if you have protein at 20-25% but eat only 1200 kcal, then your protein intake is only 240 to 300 kcal, or about 60- 75g.

I would continue to pay attention to hunger signals. If most days are about 1200, that isn't bad, but if you get hungrier days, then eat. As you approach your goal, chances are your appetite will increase somewhat.

Congrats on your success so far.