Low Carber Daily Forum

Join

Not enough calories? Does it matter?

Options
anna114400
anna114400 Posts: 15 Member
in Social Groups
Hi! I am on day 28 of lchf, I have been eating 25 or less carbs a day. I really love it, because in previous "diets" I have always been starving and obsessing on food an what I can and can't eat, always hungry. This is opposite for me, I eat when I'm hungry, and have no desire to eat other then that. Which leads me to my question... I eat generally 2 eggs with cheese and bacon, my coffee with heavy cream for breakfast, but then i don't get hungry again until late afternoon, so I'll have a little something before dinner. Then I eat dinner around 7-8pm and have been ending my day at 1100 or less calories often. I have 100+ lbs to lose, so I know I'm not "starving" myself but I lost 10lbs the 1st two weeks and have been losing and gaining the same 2lbs over the last two weeks. Should I be forcing more calories? Could this be reason for my stall? I'm eating 66-70% in healthy fats, just can't seem to get my calories up there. Thoughts or suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    edited October 2015
    Options
    Somewhat controversial, but I'd say trust your hunger. Some people use fat as a goal, but IMO you only need enough to reach satiety. Let your body provide the fat. :)

    And 2 weeks isn't a stall. Give it a couple more weeks before seeking stall guidance.
  • anna114400
    anna114400 Posts: 15 Member
    Options
    And 2 weeks isn't a stall. Give it a couple more weeks before seeking stall guidance.[/quote]

    My intention wasn't to seek stall guidance. Perhaps I should have left that part out of my question. My main concern was more about the amount of calories I was taking in being enough. That was kind of an after thought. But it does kind of feel like a stall to me, sorry to have bothered you with the question
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    Options
    I understand how not seeing the scale move for a couple weeks can be frustrating, but it's just not enough time to indicate there's a problem that needs fixing. Stalls are real. Probably hormonal. Typically after about 6 months of weight loss, the losses diminish significantly. There are strategies that people use to deal with them, and you may need them later.
  • KarlaYP
    KarlaYP Posts: 4,439 Member
    Options
    I think your calories are fine right now. As @wabmester alluded to, we really don't have enough data (time under your belt with this woe) to provide you with all of the answers. As he said, "go with your hunger signals." Then see how you are doing in a couple of more weeks. "Unhungry Land" (as I call it) is real, and not being hungry through to dinner isn't unusual (it's one of the blessings) with this woe.
  • ndvoice
    ndvoice Posts: 161 Member
    Options
    It's a process of trial and error. I'm one of the oddballs that has a hard time loosing if I don't eat enough calories. I've never understood it....
    But I agree with the others - give it some more time. Your body is in adjustment mode & it may just need a little more time. If the stall continues for a couple more weeks, maybe tweak the calories & see if it helps. Our bodies are so different, it often takes a little experimentation.

Categories