Frustrated: counting cals vs low carb?
kimber0607
Posts: 994 Member
Hi all
Could use some advice.
I initially came her a few years ago, and shed some weight counting cals
Im 5'8 and started with 1600 cal goal.... (got to goal of 129) and increased my cals to 1800 to maintain.
I didnt feel hungry making the right choices etc but got sick of counting cals so decided to try low carb and no cal counting. It worked for a while.
I eat clean....pretty much white meats, nuts, lots of veggies, eggs, fish...dont count any cals (but of course moderation)
Well i dont know the exact time frame but im now at 138
Not going to jump off the nearest bridge over it..but afraid the eight will continue to creep up
Its a little disheartening to have my clothes get tighter or not fit
I decided to try my 1600 cal again and counting cals and i am having a ridiculous time.
I feel i am picking good options but just feel so strapped...I dont know how those eating less than 1600 do it
any advice?
Thanks much, Kim
Could use some advice.
I initially came her a few years ago, and shed some weight counting cals
Im 5'8 and started with 1600 cal goal.... (got to goal of 129) and increased my cals to 1800 to maintain.
I didnt feel hungry making the right choices etc but got sick of counting cals so decided to try low carb and no cal counting. It worked for a while.
I eat clean....pretty much white meats, nuts, lots of veggies, eggs, fish...dont count any cals (but of course moderation)
Well i dont know the exact time frame but im now at 138
Not going to jump off the nearest bridge over it..but afraid the eight will continue to creep up
Its a little disheartening to have my clothes get tighter or not fit
I decided to try my 1600 cal again and counting cals and i am having a ridiculous time.
I feel i am picking good options but just feel so strapped...I dont know how those eating less than 1600 do it
any advice?
Thanks much, Kim
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Replies
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You should probably count calories again, while still doing low carb if that's how you want to eat. I can't not count calories while eating low carb. It's so easy to overeat on veggies. I also measure everything with a food scale because meats can add up if you don't know visually what a serving size is.0
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Thanks for the response..I know that makes a lot of sense.
I guess i just wanted to be free from the counting and measuring..but it is what it is
Taking a lot of summer trips with the kids..so it gets tough but not impossible..
(Im also from the NE!!!)
Kim0 -
Are you weighing your foods or just eyeballing them for calorie count? If not weighing, you could be taking in more calories everyday than you realize. This would put you in a calorie surplus instead of a deficit needed to lose weight.0
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Just because someone eats low carb doesn't always mean they are eating low calories.
If you like low carb , go for it. Its not necessary but its your personal choice .
Its going to come down to calories. If you eat above maintenance, then you will be at a surplus and gain. If you eat at Maintenance, you'll maintain and if you eat at a deficit ,you lose weight. So it comes down to overall calories.
If you want to do low carb, then I'd still count calories. If you don't like low carb, then just count calories.0 -
all diets work on the same premises...you have to have an energy deficiency to lose weight...low carb is one of many ways people achieve this...beyond that, there's no magic. carbs don't make you fat...most of the world has lived off of a high carbohydrate diet for the vast majority of human existence.0
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I stopped snacking and eating between meals. I can't eat all day long or whenever the urge to eat occurs and still maintain my weight even with low carb. The good thing is I don't need or want to snack anymore but with so much food always available it's pretty easy to fall back into the habit so I'm mindful of how many times a day I eat -- I can't just focus on what I'm eating and maintain (unless I want to count calories).0
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kimber0607 wrote: »Hi all
Could use some advice.
I initially came her a few years ago, and shed some weight counting cals
Im 5'8 and started with 1600 cal goal.... (got to goal of 129) and increased my cals to 1800 to maintain.
I didnt feel hungry making the right choices etc but got sick of counting cals so decided to try low carb and no cal counting. It worked for a while.
I eat clean....pretty much white meats, nuts, lots of veggies, eggs, fish...dont count any cals (but of course moderation)
Well i dont know the exact time frame but im now at 138
Not going to jump off the nearest bridge over it..but afraid the eight will continue to creep up
Its a little disheartening to have my clothes get tighter or not fit
I decided to try my 1600 cal again and counting cals and i am having a ridiculous time.
I feel i am picking good options but just feel so strapped...I dont know how those eating less than 1600 do it
any advice?
Thanks much, Kim
You can't compare counting cals to low carb. It's like comparing apples and oranges. One is a weight loss method and the other is a dietary lifestyle choice that deals with general nutrition and health, but not with weight loss.
If you want to lose you have to eat at some deficit and knowing how much to eat means counting calories, which may include eating low carb.
I eat 1200 calories a day ( age and height are determining factors) and eat a lot at meal time, because I don't snack and eat lots of natural foods. I can't even imagine anymore what 1600 calories look like. Of course if you are young, tall and active it is difficult with 1600 calories.
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Thanks so much for all the great advice
OMG 1200 cals..I would faint! LOL
Im curious what your 3 meals look like?
I know for me (5'8, 42 mother of two kids) I can shed the weight on 1600 cals if i just start making a good plan and counting cals again
I actually lost the weight a few years ago though, so I wonder how my advanced age now play into that..great!
kim
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The only thing that matters is to eat less calories than you burn. That's it. Low carb is a way to get there. I personally find it unnecessary.
I've never eaten under 1650 personally. Just can't do it. I honestly assume that people who eat 1200 are either eating back exercise calories, or underestimating their food and really eating 1600. Just can't imagine eating 1200 (obviously I'm 5'5" and 37, maybe if I was 60 yo or something it wouldn't sound crazy).
Anyway, 1600 should be perfectly fine. You don't have to change your diet if you're fine with it, but log everything you eat to get your portions under control (you probably have to eat less nuts).0 -
Advanced age - Hahaha! My experience is that the weight came off in proportion equal to effort until I turned 50. Now I have to work for every pound.0
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YES I know thought nuts are healthy and a great source of protein they are HIGH in cals...I love my nuts!
BUT plan to cut back
Its also easy to eat alot!
Thanks again all!
Wish me luck..would like to shed these 10 by Xmas...think reasonable.
Kim
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keelybird57 wrote: »Advanced age - Hahaha! My experience is that the weight came off in proportion equal to effort until I turned 50. Now I have to work for every pound.
GOOD
LOL
hope i have more time to eat!0 -
What does your diary tell you? Nuts, oils, mayo & dressings and beverages may be places you have some extra calories you could cut without feeling the loss of food volume?0
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Part of my maintenance plan is logging my food. I know that if I want the best chance to not be losing this weight again....I need to count and log. I can see it as a burden, but instead I see it as knowledge and a blessing. I think knowing what I am eating is only going to do and bring good things for me. I also realize that while I can get in a funk every once in a while and say logging is so time consuming, but it isn't. It takes me about 2 minutes to log my food each day.
U are right!
Its not a big deal and the rewards def out weigh any risks/inconveniences
If i did that since maintenance I wouldnt be back here trying to shed these damn 10 pounds!!
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I don't know if this helps or not, but I just read an interesting article that hopefully was UNbiased about the whole low carb vs. low fat diets Here's the link
There's A LOT of nutritional information out there and it depends on who is pushing it, but the overall ideas is that it has to work for you (personally) and ultimately the true key to weight loss is a caloric deficit in your diet (and you can get that either by counting calories/low fat diet or low carb diets. It just needs to be what works best for you! Good luck - 10 pounds seems like such a small amount, but really it's the hardest of all. Just be patient and take care!0 -
yardprincess wrote: »I don't know if this helps or not, but I just read an interesting article that hopefully was UNbiased about the whole low carb vs. low fat diets Here's the link
There's A LOT of nutritional information out there and it depends on who is pushing it, but the overall ideas is that it has to work for you (personally) and ultimately the true key to weight loss is a caloric deficit in your diet (and you can get that either by counting calories/low fat diet or low carb diets. It just needs to be what works best for you! Good luck - 10 pounds seems like such a small amount, but really it's the hardest of all. Just be patient and take care!
amen!
thank you!
good luck to you as well!
kim
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kimber0607 wrote: »Thanks for the response..I know that makes a lot of sense.
I guess i just wanted to be free from the counting and measuring..but it is what it is
Taking a lot of summer trips with the kids..so it gets tough but not impossible..
(Im also from the NE!!!)
Kim
you can eyeball and count quiet a bit if you've been doing it for a while.
I track- but I don't use my scale for every piece of food that crosses my lips.
The more interested I am in hitting a goal- the more aggressive I get with using my food scale and tightening up the calorie counting.
it doesn't have to be a big burden- hell doing my time sheet at work every week or every other week is significantly MORE of a burden.0 -
Do something different this time so that whatever happened last time doesn't happen again.0
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Logging makes you more mindful. I think you could maintain without calorie counting (and it is a pain when you're eating lots of homemade meals because you can't exactly scan the bar code on your kale) BUT the big problem is that when you aren't logging, it's easy to slip into bad habits, especially with portion control. I wish there were an easier solution too...
You've done it once though, so you know you can. Use that as motivation, not "omg, not again, ugggh"0 -
Are you eating a lot of cheese? I have 2 friends, one who was trying low carb and one who decided to be vegetarian out of the blue. But for some reason they both felt like cheese was an unlimited food. Depending on serving size, cheese can have a lot of calories you don't think about.0
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If you're having trouble eating 1,600 because it's so low, you could try a more mild deficit like 1700 calories. Or you could try eating maintenance and adding more exercise.0
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Thanks again all for the support and suggestion
and im not a big cheese fan..maybe one string cheese per day
thanks0 -
The only thing that matters is to eat less calories than you burn. That's it. Low carb is a way to get there. I personally find it unnecessary.
I've never eaten under 1650 personally. Just can't do it. I honestly assume that people who eat 1200 are either eating back exercise calories, or underestimating their food and really eating 1600. Just can't imagine eating 1200 (obviously I'm 5'5" and 37, maybe if I was 60 yo or something it wouldn't sound crazy).
Anyway, 1600 should be perfectly fine. You don't have to change your diet if you're fine with it, but log everything you eat to get your portions under control (you probably have to eat less nuts).
Right. I'm 60 years old, 5'1", and 105 pounds. 1200 calories is perfectly manageable. I'm not eating back calories unless I have a big burn, or underestimating.0 -
1609 sounds fine, u may be getting to much fat. Also there is no point in restricting carbs.0
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sunkissmarie wrote: »1609 sounds fine, u may be getting to much fat. Also there is no point in restricting carbs.
Where did you come up with too much fat? I don't see where the OP listed her macro percentages. OP, hit your protein and fat minimums, and fill in the rest with carbs, such that you remain in a manageable caloric deficit (10-20% below TDEE), and you will happily lose weight.0 -
sunkissmarie wrote: »1609 sounds fine, u may be getting to much fat. Also there is no point in restricting carbs.
You have an interesting habit of coming on low carb topics and trying to dissuade others from doing it. What's your issue?
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If you're struggling to eat 1600 because it's not filling enough, try cutting back on nuts or added oils, and replacing those calories with brown rice, potatoes, beans, lentils etc which are more filling. Or simply eat the 1800 you were comfortable with but increase your exercise volume or intensity in order to create the calorie deficit you need for weight loss.kimber0607 wrote: »I decided to try my 1600 cal again and counting cals and i am having a ridiculous time.
I feel i am picking good options but just feel so strapped...I dont know how those eating less than 1600 do it
any advice?
That's my personal preference. I eat 1700 and keep fats very low, then get my deficit from exercise.
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