I wouldn't worry about calories for the first couple of weeks. Just get settled in with low carb eating. But in the long run, IMO, calories will count.

Low carb (like any other diet) is not a magic formula. If you eat 10,000 calories a day you will gain weight, no matter what those calories consist of. Low carb will help you feel fuller for longer because of the satiety and nutrient density of the foods you are eating, however, sometimes it takes a while for your brain to catch up with your stomach. I would suggest counting calories until you get used to what 2000 calories a day looks like and your body adjusts to your new WOE. It's also a way of tracking your intake to figure out what truly works for you. I find that MFP always puts my calories too low... it set mine at around 1200 calories a day to lose 2lbs a week, but I'm losing close to that at 1500. In the end, it's about trial and error and finding out what works for you.

I think calories in < calories out is an important aspect of any weightloss plan; low-carb is no different in my mind. To ensure weight loss its often necessary to weigh and log everything you eat/drink so that you know exactly what you're consuming and become educated regards portion sizes, food choices etc. Macros are also very important on low-carb diets, perhaps even more so. Logging is key for me to getting these right.

In the first few days of going low-carb i would eat up to maintenance calories only if necessary (hunger, lack of energy, feeling ill etc). I would be strict with my carbs though - choose a maximum amount of grams per day and dont go over that. If you need extra satiation whilst adjusting to low-carb choose high fat medium protein snacks. Alll the time, even if you go over your calories, log log log. I find its the best way to be in control of everything that goes in your mouth from the start.

I too recommend just focusing on carb counting for the first few weeks. And as long as you can sustain that until you stop losing. After that point, many people find it necessary to count calories. I've had to do that for 9 mo now. Also, visit the ankerl keto calculator and check your suggested macros. That's something to keep an eye on every once and awhile, even if you are just carb counting. IMO, finding out the appropriate protein range for you is important. And knowing your estimated BMR and maintenance-calorie level, is helpful info to have as well.

My plan is to only log calories occasionally. I have tracked calories and points for far too much of my life. I need to be free of it on a regular basis. I pay attention to carbs.

AngInCanada wrote: »

I wouldn't worry about calories for the first couple of weeks. Just get settled in with low carb eating. But in the long run, IMO, calories will count.

+1


ETA: The people that I try to watch are those similar to me who have had success. Those about my age (and therefore perimenopausal or of similar hormonal make-up) , female, with a similar amount of weight to lose who have been successful watch both carbs and calories (and eat a relatively boring diet). That's what I try to emulate.

While it will still come down to calories, whether or not you track them is really up to you. More specifically, I'd base it on how you feel about tracking calories and whether or not you succeed with/without tracking.

If low carb dieting gives you a substantial boost to satiety (which it does for many but not all people) then there's at least a good chance that you can have some success without tracking, and if it's easier/less stress to do it without tracking then that would be a big win.

Just understand that tracking is a behavior that allows you to attempt to monitor calorie intake and that calorie intake matters a great deal -- but tracking calories and eating a reasonable number of calories are not the same thing.

I am keeping up with my calories but not as much as I am the carbs. Carbs first than calories is what I am doing. I'm on 30 carbs 1200 calories. Trying to stay around 22 for carbs.

giftbouquets wrote: »

I am not counting calories because I find whenever I do I become obsessed with food and it is counterproductive. I am even reluctant to count carbs for same reason. I have stopped eating grains, potatoes, sugar and processed food and have been tracking for these initial weeks just to make sure I am below 100 gms. Plan to stop tracking now I have a good idea of what I can eat. Think this is the best approach for me as I need to see this as a long term WOE and not a 'diet'..

^^^^THIS^^^^^ I want to get to this point. For now I am tracking things since I am a relative newbie, but once I get the hang of things, this is what i want to do.

When I was heavier I didn't worry so much about calories, but the less weight I had to lose, I realized I had no idea how many calories I was actually eating. When I wasn't counting calories, I struggled to get below 172. If I did, it was for a day and I'd bounce back up again. I was 165.8 this morning. So I think when you get to a certain point in your journey tracking calories does matter.

SideSteel wrote: »

While it will still come down to calories, whether or not you track them is really up to you. More specifically, I'd base it on how you feel about tracking calories and whether or not you succeed with/without tracking.

If low carb dieting gives you a substantial boost to satiety (which it does for many but not all people) then there's at least a good chance that you can have some success without tracking, and if it's easier/less stress to do it without tracking then that would be a big win.

Just understand that tracking is a behavior that allows you to attempt to monitor calorie intake and that calorie intake matters a great deal -- but tracking calories and eating a reasonable number of calories are not the same thing.

This.

Also, it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing thing, necessarily. You can, in general, not track, but then track for a week or two to ensure you're still on base, or track when you have a new food or something to see where it sits in relation to your diet.

Dragonwolf wrote: »

SideSteel wrote: »

While it will still come down to calories, whether or not you track them is really up to you. More specifically, I'd base it on how you feel about tracking calories and whether or not you succeed with/without tracking.

If low carb dieting gives you a substantial boost to satiety (which it does for many but not all people) then there's at least a good chance that you can have some success without tracking, and if it's easier/less stress to do it without tracking then that would be a big win.

Just understand that tracking is a behavior that allows you to attempt to monitor calorie intake and that calorie intake matters a great deal -- but tracking calories and eating a reasonable number of calories are not the same thing.

This.

Also, it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing thing, necessarily. You can, in general, not track, but then track for a week or two to ensure you're still on base, or track when you have a new food or something to see where it sits in relation to your diet.

Exactly. I've experimented and found that by counting carbs and eating till full, I can maintain easily. So I plan to track carbs most of the time. Then weigh once a month. If I'm good, then I will keep on. If I've creeped up, I'll track everything for a week or 2 to recalibrate, and then go back. When I get there that is.

Until then, I personally have to watch the calories really close. 10lb to goal is nice, but being so close is maddening and loss slows down quite a bit. If I pre-track everything, like @slimzandra said, then it's pretty darn easy to stay under cal goal. After breakfast, I quickly enter what I think is going to go on food-wise for the day. That way there are no unhappy-surprises. And it helps to have a plan to stick to if you get the mad-hungries and are tempted to go nuts.

But other people find this level of obsession stressful, so they don't track as much. I'd love to be able to do that. I've found that that doesn't work for me. My appetite tells me it wants my body to maintain. I'm not ready for that yet. And that's all ok. No shame. Finding what works for you is key, period.

FIT_Goat wrote: »

There are many threads on this here. I wish there was a good search function. But, the general consensus is that there is no consensus. Some of us don't count at all, and have success. Others need to count to have success. For April, we had a no counting challenge run for the month. I forget if there were any definitive results aside from find what works for you.

My advice? Don't be afraid to try it without counting for a while. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Its very easy to make links to previous discussions. I keep the below in a text file and copy & paste.

I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
It's Ketogenic or Bariatric! How I Found the Ketogenic Diet
Blog #10 Keto: Abbreviations, Acronyms & Terminology Used on the LCD & Keto Discussion Groups
Blog #13 DittoDan's Milestone's, First's And Good Changes Since Starting the Ketogenic Diet
DittoDan's Keto Blogs
How I got Off of Diabetic Prescriptions Drugs Since I Started Keto
Blog #11 Really Good Keto Websites
Low Carb Discussion Group on MFP (LCD)
Ketogenic Diet Discussion Group on MFP

If you got lots to lose, many people can do lazy keto and still shed scale weight. But as you get leaner, the margins of your deficit get smaller...making it easy to obliterate the deficit. At some point in time, most people need to start weighing (grams) to get a better estimate of caloric intake.

For example: Some people can load their BPC with tablespoons of stuff and still lose scale weight. I can't have BPC at all, because I'm down to the very last ca 3-4 lbs.

The subject of «more accurate» tracking is constantly an issue both here on MFP and on /r/keto. IMO, when you start stalling, it's time to recalculate TDEE, scrutinize your routines and troubleshoot what might cause stalling. The most glaring error people in general do (yup, me too ) is to underestimate kcal intake and overestimate activity level. Find a system that works for YOU.

I don't know about this CICO thing... I mean true you eat a boatload of calories, weight gain is inevitable... But if you "listen" to your body, I don't think you need to count as strictly... If you eat, just to eat, opposed to eat when your hungry and only eat as much where you start to feel satisfied, then count calories, otherwise it's not that important.

I have read over and over is that sugar makes you fat faster than other things... I didn't say foods, because I don't think sugar should be considered a food, but a poison... Look it up on the internet, sugar is not good in any quantity. But since we're talking low carb, sugar usually doesn't play a big role in your diet, or it shouldn't.

So I'm up in the air with counting calories... eating natural, unprocessed foods is more important, and knowing when to stop... Even if there's food still on the plate.

My $0.00002 worth.

Michael.