Low carb AND low calorie?
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LauraCoth
Posts: 303 Member
I'm starting to think I need to pay way more attention to calories.
I'd hoped that going low carb would be enough so I didn't have to starve but although I see a tiny reduction in my waist size after a few weeks, there's not a whole lot going on.
I've been keeping my calories at around 1400 and I've gradually lowered my carbs from about 60 to about 40 per day (and that is with being careful -- if I eat something, I note it). I've eaten no grains at all for 6 weeks, and I've cut all fruit except for some berries twice weekly or so. If I eat nuts (pecans, these days), I measure them and have no illusions that the high calories don't count. They do, in spades. Nuts are a meal for me, or a large part of a meal, not a snack, and I treat them as such.
I'm starting to think I need to keep the calories lower.
I keep wondering if my carbs are too high, but I'm fairly certain that I AM low carb, because I've got the foot cramps at night to prove it (
). (Yes, even with a vastly increased salt intake I still have the cramps).
Thoughts? Do many of you also restrict calories to a low level?
I'd hoped that going low carb would be enough so I didn't have to starve but although I see a tiny reduction in my waist size after a few weeks, there's not a whole lot going on.
I've been keeping my calories at around 1400 and I've gradually lowered my carbs from about 60 to about 40 per day (and that is with being careful -- if I eat something, I note it). I've eaten no grains at all for 6 weeks, and I've cut all fruit except for some berries twice weekly or so. If I eat nuts (pecans, these days), I measure them and have no illusions that the high calories don't count. They do, in spades. Nuts are a meal for me, or a large part of a meal, not a snack, and I treat them as such.
I'm starting to think I need to keep the calories lower.
I keep wondering if my carbs are too high, but I'm fairly certain that I AM low carb, because I've got the foot cramps at night to prove it (
). (Yes, even with a vastly increased salt intake I still have the cramps).Thoughts? Do many of you also restrict calories to a low level?
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Replies
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Hard to tell without more details.
Using myself as an example: as a 5'10" male at 151.2 lbs., I have to keep my kcals around 1450-1500 to lose consistently while sedentary. 1700 is my maintenance mark. This is all considering that my macro ratio is 5/65/30, and I count total carbs these days, not net.3 -
If I want to steadily lose weight, I have to restrict my calories. I find it very easy still to overeat, even when I eat very low carb. I just opted out of logging for the last two months and didn't lose a pound, even though I kept my carbs stable. I realised very quickly when I started logging again, that it was my excess calories that were definitely the kicker for me, and it doesn't take very many calories to stall my weight, even though I have a lot to lose. Some people around here are different though, so clearly we all have our different metabolic challenges.
PS, lots of folks have recommended magnesium for the leg cramps.4 -
Losing noticable inches in the waist in just a few weeks is fantastic progress! Give yourself some credit.
You're gonna want some magnesium for those cramps.
Sodium still may not be enough either since your magnesium has apparently become low.
Look for magnesium glycinate or carbonate or chloride. Citrate would be ok, but others are better. Avoid oxide unless you enjoy racing to the toilet.2 -
You do qualify as low carb. A few questions to start the troubleshooting:
At 1400 calories and 40 grams of carbs you're at about 11% of your calories from carbs. What are your other macros? Are you active? Sedentary? Recomping (losing inches but not pounds, this is very important)? Do you know your lean body mass (we can use that to determine what your protein macro should be)?
For reference I'm 5'11", 214.2 pounds (152 pounds of lean), 10 hours per week of heavy lifting, hiking and cycling, and my RMR is about 2600 calories before exercise. I am recomping (and frequently hungry these days) at 2100 plus exercise. My macros are 15/60/25. I also rarely hit my carb macro.1 -
I am sedentary and eat around 1200-1400 and am losing . Im 5'7'' female currently at 204 lbs. Started at 220. My macros are 5/70/25. I find I have very low appetite with these macros so I am able to eat only 2 meals a day (lunch and dinner). In this way I take advantage of intermittent fasting.
I can eat 1600-1700 and still lose (albeit a lot more slowly) so Im guessing my resting metabolic rate is around 1800-2000 calories.
Calories DO matter.1 -
I need to count calories, although lately I have struggled to eat even 1000 a day! Between keto, IF with BPC and the crazy heat index we have... no appetite.
I usually zig zag my calories- 1000 2 days then 1500 2 days. I an on keto with macros at 5/30/65 C/P/F My calories are set at 1300 so I get the same amount of calories per week, but daily amounts vary. This has helped me2 -
I have to keep calories down and lay off cheese to lose. Too much cheese kills my progress. But I feel full most of the time and rarely hit my calories. Sometimes MFP yells at me for not eating enough3
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I'm a calorie counter even though I'm eating 5c/20p/75f in maintenance. In my losing phase (63 pounds, female, and 59-60 years old when losing) I had no problem losing @ 40% carb/30/30 so I'm not so sure reducing carbs would be the answer. YMMV.0
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Thank you all for the responses. There's a lot to think about here. I am truly reluctant to cut calories to 1200 daily or less because that's how I end up eating something I shouldn't, just from sheer hunger.
I am pretty sedentary at the moment because my spouse is recovering from chemo and is still tired much of the time. I love to hike, but you don't hike alone here, unless you fancy being lunch for a cougar. I know I need to up the stakes on exercise, but that being said, I am truly no more sedentary than I was when I was a slender working person.
I think the first thing I will try is to lay off cheese. I do recall my ND telling me a couple of years ago that dairy can stall weight loss. If that doesn't work, then perhaps I'll drop more carbs.
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Laura, wise NOT to drop calories too far for your reason (hunger) and the research proving the Biggest Loser folks permanently altered their life, now must stay very low calories to even maintain weight, and exercise MORE, or they gain.. a double whammy.
1400 is good for most women, and over 1700 does seem to start vgain, or maintaining at best.
So calories count more for MANY, usually older females who dieted excessively before (low fat/low calorie) how many meds you take. I was reading WE don't decide how calories are used. our BODY does..so don't worry over exercise you KNOW the younger you did fine.
You also are wise on the nut restriction, dairy.
You are also under systemic stress as you worry for hubby and his treatments too..all this adds up..so stay the course, don't go to 1200..even if you stay maintaining that is success as tour body adjusts.0 -
If the hunger you are describing is actual hunger and not brain hunger or emotionally driven you're probably fine staying the course. That said, start exercising! Unless you have an issue that prevents all activity, exercise is third behind sleep and avoiding starchy carbs and sugar for optimal health and a high quality of life.1
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I have a very painful hip. After 6 months of physio I can now walk and sleep without agony, but I have to be careful not to jar it. Walking is it, for me. I can supplement with small hand weights, but anything else will put me right back where I was.
Eventually it will mean a hip replacement, but I'm putting that off.0 -
I have my calories set at 1500 and try to keep my carbs under 40 net. I am 5'4" and weigh 145 lbs. I am still losing, but slowly as I am almost at goal. I try not to eat back any exercise calories either. I think cutting back too far on calories is not a good thing, hunger issues and I think it can backfire too (always being in deprivation). I personally would rather feel satisfied yet still losing even if it's a smaller amount.
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Yes, the deprivation with very low calories makes dieting impossible. On a strictly low calorie diet without regard for carbs I always end up being able to justify eating something ridiculous like a Cliff bar, with its 39 carbs and almost zero nutrients. That's why I chose to restrict my carbs instead. And to be honest, I rarely get really hungry any more, except for first thing in the morning, and that's only sometimes. I don't seem to need the food volume I used to eat in vegetables and grains.
I think I have my eating at a great level in terms of the carbs/calories-- but I don't seem to be losing weight.
Also, my ND is running a 24-hour urine test on me to see if my hormones are affecting things, too. It could be. The weight came on around the time I started with the HRT.0 -
Also, @LauraCoth, something to note is that most folks have two calorie settings at which they lose weight - a lower one through restriction alone - and a higher one (usually 400+ calories higher) where they will lose in the healthiest way, but for folks who've always lowered cals to lose weight, raising them can scare the fire out of you... Particularly under the stresses you are under, I would focus on increasing Omega 3's - helps reduce inflammation and related "clutter" in the body, same with D3/K2 - and with that, magnesium (with the D, and with the A) and A's (12 hours apart from the D)... Focus on light training (brightest light possible upon waking/rising - brings up the cortisol, and at 2 pm or so, up to 30 minutes each, again, sets up the afternoon's cortisol, but spikes it in a way that allows natural tapering to reduce for good sleep and natural melatonin production in the evenings)...and going to bed as soon as you're tired - and not staying up and getting a "second" wind - one of the worst things for thyroid folks, etc.
My two numbers are below 1300 cals WITH exercise - or 1800-2200 cals, depending on my activities... Eating more I feel healthier. For anyone curious, I'm just under 5'4", 40 years old, and around 260...
Also, with all the thyroid stuff you've go going on, all the healing stuff, all the ongoing stress, you likely need the additional nutrients to HEAL before you can get back to steadily losing weight... Healing always comes first in systemic needs.
(HUGS)3 -
Fwiw I'm a 5'7" female and started keto at 150.6 lbs, age 39. I lost pretty well (goal was to lose 20 lbs) at 1350 calories with macros at 10/65/25. I would also eat back about half to 3/4 of my exercise calories. Once I got closer to goal the loss slowed waaay down and now I'm trying to figure out ideal maintenance calories and macros but that's pretty common.0
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »Also, @LauraCoth, something to note is that most folks have two calorie settings at which they lose weight - a lower one through restriction alone - and a higher one (usually 400+ calories higher) where they will lose in the healthiest way, but for folks who've always lowered cals to lose weight, raising them can scare the fire out of you... Particularly under the stresses you are under, I would focus on increasing Omega 3's - helps reduce inflammation and related "clutter" in the body, same with D3/K2 - and with that, magnesium (with the D, and with the A) and A's (12 hours apart from the D)... Focus on light training (brightest light possible upon waking/rising - brings up the cortisol, and at 2 pm or so, up to 30 minutes each, again, sets up the afternoon's cortisol, but spikes it in a way that allows natural tapering to reduce for good sleep and natural melatonin production in the evenings)...and going to bed as soon as you're tired - and not staying up and getting a "second" wind - one of the worst things for thyroid folks, etc.
My two numbers are below 1300 cals WITH exercise - or 1800-2200 cals, depending on my activities... Eating more I feel healthier. For anyone curious, I'm just under 5'4", 40 years old, and around 260...
Also, with all the thyroid stuff you've go going on, all the healing stuff, all the ongoing stress, you likely need the additional nutrients to HEAL before you can get back to steadily losing weight... Healing always comes first in systemic needs.
(HUGS)
Thanks for the support. I do seem to have numerous issues right now. For a start, I think I'm going back into hyper territory at night with the thyroid meds. They just never seem to be right.
I had a very low carb day yesterday (probably around 20) and consequently the foot cramps came back with a vengeance last night. Every time I dropped off to sleep I was woken up with a twinge or twitch or a severe pain (why do the cramps ALWAYS come at night?) I'll have to get to the health food store and buy a better type of magnesium.
I see people talk about vitamin K but I have to say I haven't seen it in stores. Maybe I just wasn't looking.0 -
@LauraCoth - First of all, if your insulin levels are fluctuating, that means all your hormone levels are fluctuating, which means your thyroid hormones are fluctuating. To get your thyroid NEED under control, you truly need to get to a steady/level amount of carbs, regardless of high or low or whatever, but you need to get you total in a 10 gram range, your fiber in a 10 gram range, etc. You need to be as consistent as possible, because while your thyroid is in chaos - EVERYTHING IS IN CHAOS...
That being said...
While you're fluctuating, your magnesium, sodium, and potassium needs are also in chaos. I have both magnesium glycenate (doctor's best brand - I buy from amazon) and a magnesium carbonate that I struggle to find the correct amount I need (excessive gives diarrhea response). I don't supplement specifically with potassium, as I've never show a shortage, and it makes me dump magnesium to supplement it. If I am unable to get 1000 mg of sodium MINIMUM in each of my 3 meals daily, I add a sodium tablet to my supplements for that meal.
If you don't think you are absorbing your nutrients well, period, anywhere, anyhow, you need to increase your stomach acid AND digestive enzymes with each and every meal and supplement course. That being said, my biggest indicators of this were levels not improving despite supplementation. Frequent loose stool alternating with constipation. Indigestion. Heartburn. Acid Reflux. Burping or farting with or after meals. Solid waste floating in toilet (means fats aren't being absorbed properly), and many things like that. If you don't feel like you are absorbing your thyroid medications, that was a huge sign for me, too. Adding ACV with the mother (liquid at first, then pills for ease of use) with every meal...and then digestive enzymes too, have made me finally feel like I'm getting something out of my supplements.
There are so many nutrients needed to support proper thyroid health, and the majority of them require a higher level of stomach acid and digestive enzymes to properly absorb - and to convert the T4 to T3 and to be able to use the T3... I'm seriously beginning to question whether the root of most thyroid evil sincerely isn't low stomach acid!!! Iron in particular is one of the worst, but really, you can't use your T4 if you don't have enough stomach acid or impaired digestion...
The Vitamin K2 that I take with my D3 can be found at Walmart (so I've been told, I haven't personally looked). I get the LifeExtension brand, which I buy online, either from amazon or another vitamin site. It is called Super K Plus, and it is well worth the investment, in my opinion. Many aspects of low thyroid and thyroid dysfunction are also attributed to low D3, which won't absorb or be transported well without K2, magnesium 2x daily if possible, and vitamin A being taken 12 hours offset from the D3 and K2...
So many of these things play together.... I hope you can find something that helps soon... (HUGS)
http://forum.bulletproofexec.com/index.php?/topic/2078-bulletproof-magnesium-thread/
Magnesium discussion of types for your reference.0 -
How you doin' @LauraCoth ?
I like pickle juice for avoiding cramps.
Don't forget that if you feel like your weight is stalling, you may just be stressing out too much about this!
I see a LOT of folks just starting out getting impatient if they don't lose every week. Keep calm and keto on.
Relax, eat when you're hungry, don't when you aren't. You got this.0 -
I restrict my calories to a low level to accelerate weight loss. I went to a website and entered my info to get calorie amounts to do so. I think it was freedieting.com. It's a great website for all kinds of meal plans and options for weight loss. I look at low calorie as only temporarily and then maintenance calorie after that, which for me is around 1400. I am almost there but not quite. I know over time I adjusted my macros to even lower carbs than I had before because over time I have adjusted to a lower carb liftesyle. I used to be steady 45 grams and now I'm around 20-30. I think it just depends where you are at on your health journey and how you feel. Over time you can slowly taper down the carbs as your body adjusts to it. Hope that helps ❤0
