Do people on low carb diets count their calories?

rachypompa
rachypompa Posts: 653 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
If calories in vs calories out isn't everything, do people on low carb diets still consider how many calories they've eaten?

I've been eating relatively low carb (70-80g per day) and on a calorie deficit for a few weeks, and I'm losing nicely and feel good on the low carb diet, but my hubby tells me I'm too obsessed with the calories, and that the calories don't matter ... I should just count the carbs.

Any thoughts?
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Replies

  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    I count both. And protein too.

    Well, the calories is the most imprtant goal, but I also aim for 100g protein and under 100g carbs. Some diets (such as Atkins) dont bother with counting the calories, but they are VERY low carb approachs.
  • salxtai
    salxtai Posts: 341 Member
    Because if you want to lose weight, you have to ensure calories in < calories out, otherwise you will put on weight or at the very least stalemate on that weight.

    It depends what you're trying to acheive, body composition-wise.
  • jspeirs
    jspeirs Posts: 1
    I count both calories and carbs. As Melanie says I think it's diets such as Atkins that don't bother with calorie counting, but I see the low carb diet as a lifestyle change more than a quick fix as I am a total carb junkie so I feel it's quite important to count calories to ensure that a) I am actually eating enough and b) to get an idea of how I can maintain this style of eating.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    Yes, because you can still gain weight on a low-carb diet. It's just slightly harder to do because it is a lot easier to eat 500 calories of pasta than it is to eat 500 calories of grilled chicken breast orlettuce.
  • luzmidd
    luzmidd Posts: 154 Member
    Yes, on low carbs still log calories. I'm on Dukan, and was eating way below my 1200 per day without noticing it. Now started logging calories again to make sure I eat enough, because I plateau as soon as I go under 1200 a day.
  • chris1816
    chris1816 Posts: 715 Member
    If calories in vs calories out isn't everything, do people on low carb diets still consider how many calories they've eaten?

    I've been eating relatively low carb (70-80g per day) and on a calorie deficit for a few weeks, and I'm losing nicely and feel good on the low carb diet, but my hubby tells me I'm too obsessed with the calories, and that the calories don't matter ... I should just count the carbs.

    Any thoughts?

    Your body uses energy. It measures this energy in units called calories.

    Macronutrients provide these calories, and each have a specific grams/calories conversion.

    One gram carbohydrate - 4 calories
    One gram protein - 4 calories
    One gram fat - 9 calories

    It doesn't matter what you read, what you think, what your stupid hippy friend told you; your body obeys the laws of physics. It doesn't matter if you are eating low carb, high protein, high fat; or that weird fad diet said hippy friend told you about. Your body has energy demands, and it will go about meeting those demands one way or another.

    Yes, what you eat can affect your health and well being, but caloric demands are caloric demands. If you get nine calories of fat per gram from bacon, several times throughout the day, versus nine calories of fat per gram of salmon; will your cardiovascular health differ in the long run? Quite likely. If you get four calories per gram of protein from white rice versus four calories per gram of protein from quinoa is your lean body mass going to be affected in the long run? Probably.

    However, in either case if the caloric inputs are the same. The energy consumed versus expended is the same. Your metabolism remains fairly constant, the only factors that really affect it are age, sex, height, weight etc. Everything else, "thermogenic" foods, extreme calorie deficits etc don't really make it budge as much as people like to think. Why do extremely fat people lose weight very fast? Because it takes much more energy to sustain that giant frame, puts more stress on the system...and obese people have been storing a very rich source of fuel on their bodies in the form of fat.

    It's like if you tow a load with your car, or hell, drive the average vehicle faster than 70 mph; you start to consume more fuel.

    So to circle all the way back to your question; yes of course you. If you eat less carbs, yes you will retain less water, your "fat" loss will progress more smoothly in a visible sense on the scale and in general fluctuations in weight a person goes through just in a day, but it all breaks down to calories in versus calories out.

    original post edited by mod
  • lilmisfit
    lilmisfit Posts: 860 Member
    I do.
  • FlyEaglesGuy
    FlyEaglesGuy Posts: 436 Member
    I did Atkins before and I didn't. I lost some weight but after I stopped I ballooned right back up lol
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    Im medically required to follow a low carb intake, but also a food elimination list to avoid like the plague thanks to allergy testing.

    I definitely track calories, but also carbohydrates (restricted to 120g/daily), but can do as much protein and fat necessary. Im a big fan of vegetables and only allowed one serving of fruit per day (again, medical reasons)...

    Now the only thing Im waiting for is clearance to go back to the gym to exercise thanks to some horrible damages to my heel bones (the images are NOT pretty and when you know how to read xray results, it means that much more to properly heal the heel!)
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    a calorie is a calorie whether its a carb calorie or a fat calorie or a protein calorie. to lose weight you need to limit the total calories so counting them is the only way to know if you are in a deficit
  • Emancipated_Tai
    Emancipated_Tai Posts: 751 Member
    I've been doing low carb since April. I still count caloires.
  • fuhrmeister
    fuhrmeister Posts: 1,796 Member
    when i am being good. I am under 100 carbs and over on my protein. I have found when I am good with my carbs it is naturally easy to stay under my cal goal as well b/c I am replacing starchy carbs mostly with veggies and no that much more meat. If what you are doing is workign keep it up.
  • lilmisfit
    lilmisfit Posts: 860 Member
    when i am being good I am under 100 carbs and over on my protein. I have found when I am good with my carbs it is naturally easy to stay under my cal goal as well b/c I am replacing starchy carbs mostly with veggies

    ^^^^ This!
  • mountainmare
    mountainmare Posts: 294 Member
    On Atkins (if you actually read the book) you are supposed to count calories AND pay attention to portion sizes AND eat six cups of veggies per day even on the lowest induction phase. That is if you have time to read the book or go to the Atkins website.
    So yes--calories do matter. Atkins even gives a range and warns against going too low in calories.
  • almostatgoalweight
    almostatgoalweight Posts: 234 Member
    My carbs are quite low (less than 30g a day) so I don't bother with counting calories as well. I generally aim for a certain level of hunger.
  • hothodgie
    hothodgie Posts: 258 Member
    I watch calories and do an average of 70 carbs a day. I keep my calories around 1590. Its working for me.
  • spammyanna
    spammyanna Posts: 871 Member
    My carbs are quite low (less than 30g a day) so I don't bother with counting calories as well. I generally aim for a certain level of hunger.

    So you are hoping to be hungry at the end of the day?

    If you are wanting to lose weight, you should count calories too. Just my two cents.
  • sarscott
    sarscott Posts: 189 Member
    I've recently started to work on being low-er carb ~50g per day. With this I haven't been getting even close to my calorie limit/goal for the day (1600). On an average day I'm eating about 1000 calories without including exercise calories. So while I pay attention to the calories I know I'm eating so low that I don't obsess about that, but instead carbs/fiber and adding more protein. But then again, maybe I'm not eating enough calories.

    Its interesting and I find that I have been feeling a lot better... And hoping to get in the groove for losing more weight. Its sooo hard!

    Good luck and have a great day guys!
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    My carbs are quite low (less than 30g a day) so I don't bother with counting calories as well. I generally aim for a certain level of hunger.

    just curious, since the primary function of this site is to count calories, why are you on this site? did you switch to not counting calories after you found this site?
  • MMBeling
    MMBeling Posts: 5
    It must be a guy thing. My husband doesn't count calories either, it drives me nuts. For him it is carbs and fiber. I am doing low carb and counting calories. That is what works best for me. If you are doing low carb then you can give yourself a little wiggle room on the calories!
  • almostatgoalweight
    almostatgoalweight Posts: 234 Member
    My carbs are quite low (less than 30g a day) so I don't bother with counting calories as well. I generally aim for a certain level of hunger.
    So you are hoping to be hungry at the end of the day?

    What I meant was I eat when I'm at a certain level of hunger, rather than at a certain time.
  • sun33082
    sun33082 Posts: 416 Member
    However, in either case if the caloric inputs are the same. The energy consumed versus expended is the same...but it all breaks down to calories in versus calories out.

    Wrong. When you have insulin resistance like I, and many overweight people do, it's not just calories in, calories out. The body doesn't use carbs for energy like it's supposed to. Many of the carbs get stored because the body isn't responding to the insulin the body is producing.
  • LaJaunaF
    LaJaunaF Posts: 112 Member
    My carbs are quite low (less than 30g a day) so I don't bother with counting calories as well. I generally aim for a certain level of hunger.

    just curious, since the primary function of this site is to count calories, why are you on this site? did you switch to not counting calories after you found this site?
    I am a low carb lifestyler (making it back on track) who isn't interested in calories as a marker. I am on this site because I don't want to do it alone. I need encouragement and a "high five" every once in a while. We are all on different journeys and arrive here on MFP for a variety of reasons. Why be such a putz?
  • LaJaunaF
    LaJaunaF Posts: 112 Member
    However, in either case if the caloric inputs are the same. The energy consumed versus expended is the same...but it all breaks down to calories in versus calories out.

    Wrong. When you have insulin resistance like I, and many overweight people do, it's not just calories in, calories out. The body doesn't use carbs for energy like it's supposed to. Many of the carbs get stored because the body isn't responding to the insulin the body is producing.

    Well said.
  • almostatgoalweight
    almostatgoalweight Posts: 234 Member
    [ just curious, since the primary function of this site is to count calories, why are you on this site? did you switch to not counting calories after you found this site?

    I'm only here for the group challenges / messageboard, since it seems to be the largest there is online. Other websites seem to have a dearth of people actually losing weight (one website went months without anyone reaching goal weight, whereas here it happens every few days).
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    i look at my cals, but i don't count them (or obsess over them)

    ketosis > counting calories

    but. for some people, by default when you eat low carb items you naturally eat less calories.

    i usually don't have much of an appetite, so its easy to not eat more than 1200 cals.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    My carbs are quite low (less than 30g a day) so I don't bother with counting calories as well. I generally aim for a certain level of hunger.

    just curious, since the primary function of this site is to count calories, why are you on this site? did you switch to not counting calories after you found this site?
    I am a low carb lifestyler (making it back on track) who isn't interested in calories as a marker. I am on this site because I don't want to do it alone. I need encouragement and a "high five" every once in a while. We are all on different journeys and arrive here on MFP for a variety of reasons. Why be such a putz?

    was just curious...sorry for putzing on your parade
  • miracle4me
    miracle4me Posts: 522 Member
    My carbs are quite low (less than 30g a day) so I don't bother with counting calories as well. I generally aim for a certain level of hunger.

    just curious, since the primary function of this site is to count calories, why are you on this site? did you switch to not counting calories after you found this site?

    This ^^^^^^^^^^^^
    That is a rude and mean thing to say to her. :grumble:
    Wrong Mr. :noway: MFP is not just for tracking calories but tracking all nutritients in the form of Calories, Carbs,Protein,Fat, etc. plus keeping record of what we eat, and socializing encouraging each other. Were you just born mean? :devil: Or did it take practice? Never mind do not answer I really do not care. The point is you needlessly insulted the woman,now lets see if you man up and apologize.
  • miracle4me
    miracle4me Posts: 522 Member
    [ just curious, since the primary function of this site is to count calories, why are you on this site? did you switch to not counting calories after you found this site?

    I'm only here for the group challenges / messageboard, since it seems to be the largest there is online. Other websites seem to have a dearth of people actually losing weight (one website went months without anyone reaching goal weight, whereas here it happens every few days).

    This ^^^^^^^^
    I apologize when I defended you, I called you a "Her" I looked at your profile and whoops your a "He". Still sorry you were replied to rudely, your answer makes sense. As for me I still count calories plus carbs.:smile:
  • Moretakitty
    Moretakitty Posts: 168 Member
    I count both. And protein too.

    Well, the calories is the most imprtant goal, but I also aim for 100g protein and under 100g carbs. Some diets (such as Atkins) dont bother with counting the calories, but they are VERY low carb approachs.

    This^^
    Pretty much me as prescribed by the doctor. I maintain a 10 cal to 1g protein and I try to keep my carbs between 80-100.

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