So confused about carbs...

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So I am back to tracking after a few months away from it all...have still been trying to eat well in the meantime but have gained a few pounds so need to get back on it.

My macro goals at the minute are 50% carbs, 20% fat and 30% protein. My average for the last few days is 55/21/24.
My calorie goal is 1200 and I try not to eat back my exercise calories. The last few days have been fine - not hungry, fairly energetic, not really food obsessing. I'm less active than usual at the minute (yay for being a teacher and getting awesome holidays!) but I've been getting in some exercise every morning to boost my deficit and mitigate the lack of activity somewhat.

...but I worry a lot about carbs. I read a lot of posts on here that talk about 5/10/20% carb goals and I think...should I be doing that? I eat very little refined carbs - most of my carbs come from fruit and veg. Should I be worrying about boosting my protein more? I'm not a big meat-eater, and I don't eat eggs. I do eat quite a lot of beans and am trying to boost that. When people talk about 'not eating carbs' are they referring to pasta, bread, rice etc? Because I'm not eating any of those. I don't see how people's carb intake can be so low if they are eating fruit/veg of any kind.

Am I totally over-analysing? I'm under my calorie goal and eating a variety of foods and not particularly hungry- should I be happy with that? Feel free to look at my diary and offer advice and tips!

TLDR: How much do I need to care about eating less carbs if all my carbs come from fruit/veg?
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Replies

  • mangrothian
    mangrothian Posts: 1,351 Member
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    In the end, as long as your CI<CO, you'll lose weight. Some people find it much easier to keep within their goals if their carbs are kept lower, and some people find no difference. Some people also do it to help keep their blood sugars in check. If you find that you're not having any issues where you are, there's no need to change anything (if it ain't broke, don't fix it! ;) )

    I don't mean to go off topic here, but the program in MFP is designed so that you eat back your exercise calories, even more so if you've set yourself a limit of 1200, which is seen as a minimum calorie allotment for women of any size. MFP is known for overestimating exercise burns (if you're using a fibit or activity tracker, it's slightly more accurate), so a lot of members will recommend you eat back at least half of them, but maybe not all so you can account for over-estimation of Calories burned.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Yes, you are overthinking this! Lots of people get caught up by hypes, and low carb is one of them. If you are feeling fine, and hitting your goals, don't worry, and don't change anything. Protein is also hyped. IMO we don't need more than 1 gram per kilo of bodyweight at normal weight, unless we are bodybuilders. While the need for fat is often disregarded - I would recommend the same amount of fat and protein (which of course will be different percentages). "Cutting carbs" can mean a lot of things, and lots of people don't even know what they mean when they say it. Added and natural sugar is chemically the same and affects your body in the same way, but foods with added sugar are typically less nutrient dense and more calorie dense than fruit, vegetables and unflavored dairy, so eating more "natural" foods is recommended for good health. You can eat pasta, bread and rice if you want to, but you don't have to. Calories in < calories out is what counts for weight loss - choose whatever strategy makes adherence to calorie deficit easier for YOU.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    I don't worry about carbs. I know that most carbs won't fill me up as much for the calories, so I try to mostly stick to whole grains/veggies/beans etc, but I don't worry about it. I just care about meeting my protein goal.
  • loldiz
    loldiz Posts: 33 Member
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    In the end, as long as your CI<CO, you'll lose weight. Some people find it much easier to keep within their goals if their carbs are kept lower, and some people find no difference. Some people also do it to help keep their blood sugars in check. If you find that you're not having any issues where you are, there's no need to change anything (if it ain't broke, don't fix it! ;) )

    I don't mean to go off topic here, but the program in MFP is designed so that you eat back your exercise calories, even more so if you've set yourself a limit of 1200, which is seen as a minimum calorie allotment for women of any size. MFP is known for overestimating exercise burns (if you're using a fibit or activity tracker, it's slightly more accurate), so a lot of members will recommend you eat back at least half of them, but maybe not all so you can account for over-estimation of Calories burned.

    Thank you!

    To be honest, when I go back to work and am more active, I imagine I will eat back more of my exercise calories. The past few days have been mainly sat on my butt, aside from a run in the morning and a walk in the afternoon. I haven't been hungry, so thought it would be a good idea to maximise my deficit and give me a bit of a boost, weight-loss wise.
    Yes, you are overthinking this! Lots of people get caught up by hypes, and low carb is one of them. If you are feeling fine, and hitting your goals, don't worry, and don't change anything. Protein is also hyped. IMO we don't need more than 1 gram per kilo of bodyweight at normal weight, unless we are bodybuilders. While the need for fat is often disregarded - I would recommend the same amount of fat and protein (which of course will be different percentages). "Cutting carbs" can mean a lot of things, and lots of people don't even know what they mean when they say it. Added and natural sugar is chemically the same and affects your body in the same way, but foods with added sugar are typically less nutrient dense and more calorie dense than fruit, vegetables and unflavored dairy, so eating more "natural" foods is recommended for good health. You can eat pasta, bread and rice if you want to, but you don't have to. Calories in < calories out is what counts for weight loss - choose whatever strategy makes adherence to calorie deficit easier for YOU.

    And thank you too! I'll keep a close eye on my weight/body fat %age, and as long as I'm losing steadily, I'll keep doing what I'm doing!
  • loldiz
    loldiz Posts: 33 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    I don't worry about carbs. I know that most carbs won't fill me up as much for the calories, so I try to mostly stick to whole grains/veggies/beans etc, but I don't worry about it. I just care about meeting my protein goal.

    I find veg/beans pretty filling - I guess because you can eat so much for very few calories - but I agree that most carbs just aren't worth the calorie count.

    What is your protein goal, if you don't mind me asking?
  • Crisseyda
    Crisseyda Posts: 532 Member
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    If you haven't heard of the low carb / ketogenic diet before, it can be a very steep learning curve. People (like me) on the ketogenic diet will mostly be getting carbohydrate intake from vegetables and occasional low carb fruit like berries. I also use low carb grains, like almond flour for pizza crust, for example. Fat will make up the largest percentage of calories per day, and protein will be second--and in moderation.

    Being on the ketogenic diet means restricting carbohydrate intake to such an extent (usually less than 50 g per day depending on how active you are) that the body enters a state of nutritional ketosis. There is a lot of evidence behind this lifestyle, and, if you are interested, you should check it out! https://authoritynutrition.com/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets/

    Also, regarding the ratios you mentioned, eating a diet of 20% fat is very low, even by USDA guidelines. I wouldn't needlessly limit your fat intake. Fat is a weight loss friendly macro-nutrient because it is satisfying, tasty, and causes very little insulin response from the body. This is one reason why the ketogenic diet is often used to prevent or treat diabetes. It helps people keep their blood glucose and corresponding insulin levels low.
  • loldiz
    loldiz Posts: 33 Member
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    If you haven't heard of the low carb / ketogenic diet before, it can be a very steep learning curve. People (like me) on the ketogenic diet will mostly be getting carbohydrate intake from vegetables and occasional low carb fruit like berries. I also use low carb grains, like almond flour for pizza crust, for example. Fat will make up the largest percentage of calories per day, and protein will be second--and in moderation.

    Being on the ketogenic diet means restricting carbohydrate intake to such an extent (usually less than 50 g per day depending on how active you are) that the body enters a state of nutritional ketosis. There is a lot of evidence behind this lifestyle, and, if you are interested, you should check it out! https://authoritynutrition.com/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets/

    Also, regarding the ratios you mentioned, eating a diet of 20% fat is very low, even by USDA guidelines. I wouldn't needlessly limit your fat intake. Fat is a weight loss friendly macro-nutrient because it is satisfying, tasty, and causes very little insulin response from the body. This is one reason why the ketogenic diet is often used to prevent or treat diabetes. It helps people keep their blood glucose and corresponding insulin levels low.

    Eh, I know a little bit about keto diets...I don't think it's for me. If I was very overweight and had more calories to play with then I would probably give it a go but, I had a little peek at your diary, and trying to stick to 1200 calories eating essentially meat and dairy sounds like I would be hungry all the time. Like I said, I don't really eat refined carbs, and I like the way fruit/veg carbs fill me up. They also do wonders for my skin. ;)

  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
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    Eat as many carbs as you like. I always do over 60% and it's not slowing down my weight loss. The only thing that affects weight loss/gain is calories.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    Listen op- carbs don't cause people not to lose or gain weight so dont go believing these old myths . there's people here who love the low carb diet but its not necessary unless one has a medical condition that warrants restricting carbs. There's no weight loss advantage to eating low carb at all ( they do lose a bit more of water weight in the beginning ) low carb wasn't for me. I could not imagine eating like that forever. So instead I looked for a sustainable long term solution for weight management. I learned portion control and moderation. I ate a well balanced varied diet and included the things that I loved like ice cream but in the correct portions. I used a food scale and learned all about weighing and logging accurately.
    Now 2+ yrs later , I don't use my scale much anymore and have successfully maintained my weight loss without going to extremes. I ate about 190g of carbs per day and lost all my weight and kept it off. A low carb lifestyle wouldn't be a long term sustainable option for me. I built a foundation for long term success rather then to try different diets and ways of eating that probably wouldn't work out for me for the long run.
    My point is - don't over think this. Carbs aren't your enemy ( unless your doctor told you to restrict carbs ) do your best to eat a well balanced diet and remember that there's no reason to think carbs are bad. I went from obese to 6pack abs all while enjoying the foods I loved but in the correct portions. Don't let this evangelists get into your head about how carbs are the devil :smile:

    .
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    Eat as many carbs as you like. I always do over 60% and it's not slowing down my weight loss. The only thing that affects weight loss/gain is calories.

    This 100%

    Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit. Calories in - calories out.

    Carbs don't cause people to gain. A calorie surplus would.

    Calorie deficit- weight loss
  • loldiz
    loldiz Posts: 33 Member
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    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    Eat as many carbs as you like. I always do over 60% and it's not slowing down my weight loss. The only thing that affects weight loss/gain is calories.

    This 100%

    Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit. Calories in - calories out.

    Carbs don't cause people to gain. A calorie surplus would.

    Calorie deficit- weight loss

    Thank you both!

    I understand that weight loss is CICO - I guess I'm more concerned about making sure I'm also nutritionally balanced. As well as weight loss, I'm thinking about the long-term - I guess it less about 'do I eat too many carbs?' than 'do i eat enough protein/fat?'. Does that make sense?
    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    low carb wasn't for me. I could not imagine eating like that forever. So instead I looked for a sustainable long term solution for weight management. I learned portion control and moderation. I ate a well balanced varied diet and included the things that I loved like ice cream but in the correct portions. I used a food scale and learned all about weighing and logging accurately.

    This sounds like me. This is what I have been doing and what I did to lose weight about 6 months ago. This is reassuring.
    queenliz99 wrote: »

    Going to read now...


    I appreciate everyone's responses!

  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    OP I'm not a strict IIFYM follower, and I'm definitely not low carb. But what I did find when I got more familiar with MFP and started reading up on the boards is that protein is important, for body composition and satiety, and so I did change my macro split to 40/30/30 and started trying to get at least 80-100 g of protein each day. Once I did that, the carbs and fats sort of settled into place. I've lost 30 lbs and have been maintaining for over a year now.

    As others have said, if you don't have a medical reason to restrict, then there is nothing inherently bad about carbs and they won't hinder your weight loss as long as you're in a calorie deficit.

    Read that link provided above as well as some of the other most helpful forum posts in each section and good luck!
  • Crisseyda
    Crisseyda Posts: 532 Member
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    loldiz wrote: »
    If you haven't heard of the low carb / ketogenic diet before, it can be a very steep learning curve. People (like me) on the ketogenic diet will mostly be getting carbohydrate intake from vegetables and occasional low carb fruit like berries. I also use low carb grains, like almond flour for pizza crust, for example. Fat will make up the largest percentage of calories per day, and protein will be second--and in moderation.

    Being on the ketogenic diet means restricting carbohydrate intake to such an extent (usually less than 50 g per day depending on how active you are) that the body enters a state of nutritional ketosis. There is a lot of evidence behind this lifestyle, and, if you are interested, you should check it out! https://authoritynutrition.com/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets/

    Also, regarding the ratios you mentioned, eating a diet of 20% fat is very low, even by USDA guidelines. I wouldn't needlessly limit your fat intake. Fat is a weight loss friendly macro-nutrient because it is satisfying, tasty, and causes very little insulin response from the body. This is one reason why the ketogenic diet is often used to prevent or treat diabetes. It helps people keep their blood glucose and corresponding insulin levels low.

    Eh, I know a little bit about keto diets...I don't think it's for me. If I was very overweight and had more calories to play with then I would probably give it a go but, I had a little peek at your diary, and trying to stick to 1200 calories eating essentially meat and dairy sounds like I would be hungry all the time. Like I said, I don't really eat refined carbs, and I like the way fruit/veg carbs fill me up. They also do wonders for my skin. ;)

    Eh, sorry about my diary. It isn't accurate right now. I stopped logging over a year ago because I learned what foods had what carbs and could easily pick my foods without it. I realized I've lost an additional 6 lbs since I stopped. I've been feeling super skinny lately, so I thought I'd start logging and make sure I was eating enough. Some of that is because I've started intermittent fasting too.

    I've been doing it 3 yrs, and it is a life changer for me. Sure it takes planning, research, and care in selecting foods, but the benefits are easy weight loss, appetite suppression, and disease prevention. Anyone who hasn't done it correctly and on a consistent basis for at least a few months can't speak to the benefits. It's probably not for you if you don't like a restrictive diet that severely limits processed foods.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    loldiz wrote: »
    If you haven't heard of the low carb / ketogenic diet before, it can be a very steep learning curve. People (like me) on the ketogenic diet will mostly be getting carbohydrate intake from vegetables and occasional low carb fruit like berries. I also use low carb grains, like almond flour for pizza crust, for example. Fat will make up the largest percentage of calories per day, and protein will be second--and in moderation.

    Being on the ketogenic diet means restricting carbohydrate intake to such an extent (usually less than 50 g per day depending on how active you are) that the body enters a state of nutritional ketosis. There is a lot of evidence behind this lifestyle, and, if you are interested, you should check it out! https://authoritynutrition.com/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets/

    Also, regarding the ratios you mentioned, eating a diet of 20% fat is very low, even by USDA guidelines. I wouldn't needlessly limit your fat intake. Fat is a weight loss friendly macro-nutrient because it is satisfying, tasty, and causes very little insulin response from the body. This is one reason why the ketogenic diet is often used to prevent or treat diabetes. It helps people keep their blood glucose and corresponding insulin levels low.

    Eh, I know a little bit about keto diets...I don't think it's for me. If I was very overweight and had more calories to play with then I would probably give it a go but, I had a little peek at your diary, and trying to stick to 1200 calories eating essentially meat and dairy sounds like I would be hungry all the time. Like I said, I don't really eat refined carbs, and I like the way fruit/veg carbs fill me up. They also do wonders for my skin. ;)

    Eh, sorry about my diary. It isn't accurate right now. I stopped logging over a year ago because I learned what foods had what carbs and could easily pick my foods without it. I realized I've lost an additional 6 lbs since I stopped. I've been feeling super skinny lately, so I thought I'd start logging and make sure I was eating enough. Some of that is because I've started intermittent fasting too.

    I've been doing it 3 yrs, and it is a life changer for me. Sure it takes planning, research, and care in selecting foods, but the benefits are easy weight loss, appetite suppression, and disease prevention. Anyone who hasn't done it correctly and on a consistent basis for at least a few months can't speak to the benefits. It's probably not for you if you don't like a restrictive diet that severely limits processed foods.

    While this might be true for you, it certain is not true for everyone. For me, carbs suppress my appetite more than anything. Counting calories for me is "easy weight loss". I already have severe food allergies to a lot of things, so restricting it more would "just be dumb" (according to my doctor when I asked about limiting certain food for weightloss).

    Ketosis may be beneficial to those with certain medical conditions, but for the general population it does not prevent disease anymore than other forms of eating.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    loldiz wrote: »
    If you haven't heard of the low carb / ketogenic diet before, it can be a very steep learning curve. People (like me) on the ketogenic diet will mostly be getting carbohydrate intake from vegetables and occasional low carb fruit like berries. I also use low carb grains, like almond flour for pizza crust, for example. Fat will make up the largest percentage of calories per day, and protein will be second--and in moderation.

    Being on the ketogenic diet means restricting carbohydrate intake to such an extent (usually less than 50 g per day depending on how active you are) that the body enters a state of nutritional ketosis. There is a lot of evidence behind this lifestyle, and, if you are interested, you should check it out! https://authoritynutrition.com/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets/

    Also, regarding the ratios you mentioned, eating a diet of 20% fat is very low, even by USDA guidelines. I wouldn't needlessly limit your fat intake. Fat is a weight loss friendly macro-nutrient because it is satisfying, tasty, and causes very little insulin response from the body. This is one reason why the ketogenic diet is often used to prevent or treat diabetes. It helps people keep their blood glucose and corresponding insulin levels low.

    Eh, I know a little bit about keto diets...I don't think it's for me. If I was very overweight and had more calories to play with then I would probably give it a go but, I had a little peek at your diary, and trying to stick to 1200 calories eating essentially meat and dairy sounds like I would be hungry all the time. Like I said, I don't really eat refined carbs, and I like the way fruit/veg carbs fill me up. They also do wonders for my skin. ;)

    Eh, sorry about my diary. It isn't accurate right now. I stopped logging over a year ago because I learned what foods had what carbs and could easily pick my foods without it. I realized I've lost an additional 6 lbs since I stopped. I've been feeling super skinny lately, so I thought I'd start logging and make sure I was eating enough. Some of that is because I've started intermittent fasting too.

    I've been doing it 3 yrs, and it is a life changer for me. Sure it takes planning, research, and care in selecting foods, but the benefits are easy weight loss, appetite suppression, and disease prevention. Anyone who hasn't done it correctly and on a consistent basis for at least a few months can't speak to the benefits. It's probably not for you if you don't like a restrictive diet that severely limits processed foods.

    It kind of sounds like you're saying that anyone who thinks keto isn't for them is lazy, complacent, careless with regards to food choices, and doesn't want to give up processed foods.

    Any approach where a person chooses to eat a balance of foods that meet their needs in a calorie deficit can result in weight loss, feeling satiated, and improved health.
  • seekingdaintiness
    seekingdaintiness Posts: 137 Member
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    Yes, you're overanalysing.
    Your body doesn't actually look at food you eat and decide if a food is defined by human beings as "refined carbs" or "fruits and veggies". It just digests food and deals with carbohydrates in one way, proteins in another way, and fats in a third. Everyone needs carbohydrates to live. Many of us now get too many, usually from added sugars. Added sugars tend to add too many calories to food. If you get too many calories, you don't lose weight. Also, for some people (not all) it can upset your insulin response. If you aren't one of those people that issue is irrelevant.
  • loldiz
    loldiz Posts: 33 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    loldiz wrote: »
    If you haven't heard of the low carb / ketogenic diet before, it can be a very steep learning curve. People (like me) on the ketogenic diet will mostly be getting carbohydrate intake from vegetables and occasional low carb fruit like berries. I also use low carb grains, like almond flour for pizza crust, for example. Fat will make up the largest percentage of calories per day, and protein will be second--and in moderation.

    Being on the ketogenic diet means restricting carbohydrate intake to such an extent (usually less than 50 g per day depending on how active you are) that the body enters a state of nutritional ketosis. There is a lot of evidence behind this lifestyle, and, if you are interested, you should check it out! https://authoritynutrition.com/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets/

    Also, regarding the ratios you mentioned, eating a diet of 20% fat is very low, even by USDA guidelines. I wouldn't needlessly limit your fat intake. Fat is a weight loss friendly macro-nutrient because it is satisfying, tasty, and causes very little insulin response from the body. This is one reason why the ketogenic diet is often used to prevent or treat diabetes. It helps people keep their blood glucose and corresponding insulin levels low.

    Eh, I know a little bit about keto diets...I don't think it's for me. If I was very overweight and had more calories to play with then I would probably give it a go but, I had a little peek at your diary, and trying to stick to 1200 calories eating essentially meat and dairy sounds like I would be hungry all the time. Like I said, I don't really eat refined carbs, and I like the way fruit/veg carbs fill me up. They also do wonders for my skin. ;)

    Eh, sorry about my diary. It isn't accurate right now. I stopped logging over a year ago because I learned what foods had what carbs and could easily pick my foods without it. I realized I've lost an additional 6 lbs since I stopped. I've been feeling super skinny lately, so I thought I'd start logging and make sure I was eating enough. Some of that is because I've started intermittent fasting too.

    I've been doing it 3 yrs, and it is a life changer for me. Sure it takes planning, research, and care in selecting foods, but the benefits are easy weight loss, appetite suppression, and disease prevention. Anyone who hasn't done it correctly and on a consistent basis for at least a few months can't speak to the benefits. It's probably not for you if you don't like a restrictive diet that severely limits processed foods.

    It kind of sounds like you're saying that anyone who thinks keto isn't for them is lazy, complacent, careless with regards to food choices, and doesn't want to give up processed foods.

    Any approach where a person chooses to eat a balance of foods that meet their needs in a calorie deficit can result in weight loss, feeling satiated, and improved health.

    I've got to say, I kind of agree. I don't really eat much in the way of processed foods even when I'm not cutting (the odd cereal bar here and there, maybe some cooked sandwich meat every now and again). I research my food choices a lot (one of the reasons I'm here asking questions) and certainly plan my meals. I'm definitely not lazy (although admittedly I'm having a lazy-ish week this week - hey, I'm on holiday!). For me, a keto diet doesn't appear to have as much veggies and fruit as I would like (or at least not a particularly wide choice) and I don't think I would keep it up. If I started eating cheese, meat and cream all the time, I would gorge on it.

    Of course, everyone's preferences are different. I just want to make sure I'm not neglecting/damaging my body by eating less fat/protein.
  • Crisseyda
    Crisseyda Posts: 532 Member
    edited April 2016
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    loldiz wrote: »
    If you haven't heard of the low carb / ketogenic diet before, it can be a very steep learning curve. People (like me) on the ketogenic diet will mostly be getting carbohydrate intake from vegetables and occasional low carb fruit like berries. I also use low carb grains, like almond flour for pizza crust, for example. Fat will make up the largest percentage of calories per day, and protein will be second--and in moderation.

    Being on the ketogenic diet means restricting carbohydrate intake to such an extent (usually less than 50 g per day depending on how active you are) that the body enters a state of nutritional ketosis. There is a lot of evidence behind this lifestyle, and, if you are interested, you should check it out! https://authoritynutrition.com/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets/

    Also, regarding the ratios you mentioned, eating a diet of 20% fat is very low, even by USDA guidelines. I wouldn't needlessly limit your fat intake. Fat is a weight loss friendly macro-nutrient because it is satisfying, tasty, and causes very little insulin response from the body. This is one reason why the ketogenic diet is often used to prevent or treat diabetes. It helps people keep their blood glucose and corresponding insulin levels low.

    Eh, I know a little bit about keto diets...I don't think it's for me. If I was very overweight and had more calories to play with then I would probably give it a go but, I had a little peek at your diary, and trying to stick to 1200 calories eating essentially meat and dairy sounds like I would be hungry all the time. Like I said, I don't really eat refined carbs, and I like the way fruit/veg carbs fill me up. They also do wonders for my skin. ;)

    Eh, sorry about my diary. It isn't accurate right now. I stopped logging over a year ago because I learned what foods had what carbs and could easily pick my foods without it. I realized I've lost an additional 6 lbs since I stopped. I've been feeling super skinny lately, so I thought I'd start logging and make sure I was eating enough. Some of that is because I've started intermittent fasting too.

    I've been doing it 3 yrs, and it is a life changer for me. Sure it takes planning, research, and care in selecting foods, but the benefits are easy weight loss, appetite suppression, and disease prevention. Anyone who hasn't done it correctly and on a consistent basis for at least a few months can't speak to the benefits. It's probably not for you if you don't like a restrictive diet that severely limits processed foods.

    It kind of sounds like you're saying that anyone who thinks keto isn't for them is lazy, complacent, careless with regards to food choices, and doesn't want to give up processed foods.

    Any approach where a person chooses to eat a balance of foods that meet their needs in a calorie deficit can result in weight loss, feeling satiated, and improved health.

    Um.... ok, I'm not sure where you're getting that. I didn't say that. I meant what I said. It's probably not for you if you can't severely limit processed foods. My husband and kids can't do it, and I don't expect them to. I try to make them healthy meals with consideration for what they like. They like bread, sweets, etc. I still make them these things in healthier ways. I've realized over the years that it takes commitment and planning to stay in ketosis. You have to believe in what you're doing and live counter culture because every social event, kids event, party, meal at work, restaurant, snacks available when out, etc. is going to be somewhat of a challenge. It's definitely not for everyone.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
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    @elphie754
    Well, fiber is a carb that suppresses appetite, imo. I don't agree that sugar or refined carbs would do that!

    Try eating a bunch of bananas in one sitting and your appetite will be suppressed... ;)