Calories vs Carbs

emboss03

OK so I have a dumb question.... I've done low carb before and lost a TON of weight... now I'm doing low calorie and my blood sugars are all over the place and I haven't lost much. How do you count your calories on MFP if you do low carb? I'd like to go back to the low carb lifestyle, but I also like keeping track of calories somewhat. Any ideas/advice? Thanks!

TheVimFuego

I did very low carb for 6 months or so (<50g a day for the vast majority), I lost weight but also put some back on towards the end as I was taking liberties with the calories a bit. It turns out that your insulin level can be on the floor and body will still find a way to deposit that fat, who knew? (OK, most people ...)

For me being lower carb is great for controlling the cravings (blood sugar rollercoaster, etc) and ultimately being able to control intake. But, in the end, I have to maintain that energy gap to lose.

I don't track carbs any more but I am much more aware of whether what I am eating/drinking is more likely to keep me satisfied or will contribute to energy dips/cravings later. If in doubt I grab a decent source of protein rather than 'a sandwich' by default now.

Bevkus

Ive found that low carb, and by default, higher fat and higher protien has stabilized my blood sugar. I try to hit two goals each day...below 100g carbs per day and my MFP calorie mark. I find if I can whittle my carbs to less than 50g the weight flies off, but that level is hard for me to sustain for a number of reasons

SteAnnMui

I like low carb because it controls my appetite better and I enjoy the foods I get to have with it. I also tend to eat less calories naturally with low carb, but try to aim for at least 1500 a day. I like counting both and have done so for awhile now

Akimajuktuq

I eat a very low carb version of a paleo/primal type diet. So, with the reduction of carbs, I add more fat. Yummy. I also watch my calories, but the cool thing about eating low carb/high fat is that I don't overeat (unless I go on vacation and eat too many potatoes and fruits and too much ice cream).

Have you changed your macros to reflect what you want? I find it's much easier to set the calorie limit that I want, then the percentage of macros and then my food diary goals are exactly where I want them.

emboss03

Thanks! I think I will go back to the carb counting, but also try to stick under my calorie goals too. I might have to up my calories a bit to do that, but I think I just have to find that magic number that does the trick.