Keto/low carb

superhockeymom
superhockeymom Posts: 2,000 Member
edited December 3 in Health and Weight Loss
Just wondering as I have heard conflicting opinions. If your doing low carb or keto how important is total calories consumed when you start? Should I be counting both?

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    If you want to lose weight, calories is what's important.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Calories are 99% of the battle in losing/gaining/maintaining weight. Macros (protein, carbs, fat) are second most important however it is more down to preference and goals.

    Why Keto?
  • superhockeymom
    superhockeymom Posts: 2,000 Member
    Keto? Because it works for me I find it much easier to do. I'm the type of person that 1 slice of bread leads to 12.


  • 6darlene
    6darlene Posts: 1 Member
    I count carbs and calories. It took me a minute to learn to balance my carbs and calories but once I got it its pretty easy now. Found lots of great recipes on pinterest. Definately need to keep those carbs down but it can be done. Ive been doing this for 1 month and have lost 12 pounds. Good luck.
  • Sloth2016
    Sloth2016 Posts: 838 Member
    Yes, the calories still matter. But the answer to your question depends on the person. Some Keto followers find the eating pattern so highly satiating that they don't need to count. Others still find counting helpful. Afraid there is no clear answer to this one.

    Best wishes with your health goals
    -s
  • PamWOhio
    PamWOhio Posts: 120 Member
    I just started watching my carbs. I am keeping them under 75 grams but I am only under 50 grams more than a day or two in a row so no keto. No way I could give up potatoes and I like the occasional sandwich. Keeping them on the low end I can still have a baked potato with dinner or some other rice or noodle side dish and with the light bread I use, I can have a sandwich for lunch if I want. What helped me stay lower was cutting my sugar way down and not having pasta as a main meal.
  • notmy600lblife
    notmy600lblife Posts: 6 Member
    I've been doing strict keto since January and am down 81 lbs. Counting everything is a must. It is really easy to let things "creep" up without realizing, then you're out of ketosis or hit a major plateau. Calories, carbs, fat, protein - count those and you're golden. :)
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Some find that their appetite is suppressed with keto so they naturally eat less. Others still count calories. It's up to you.

    I lost 40 lbs on keto. My calories were set at 1420 but I averaged out (over 3 months) to 1500kcal. Some days were 2000, others were 1000kcal. I varied it a lot but I still counted just to see how I was doing for the day. There were a few 2000+ kcal days where I stopped eating because I was counting and not because I was full. Other days I stopped below 1000kcal because I wasn't hungry.... Just do what works best for you. :)

    And consider joining the Low Carber MFP group. That's where most keto'ers hang out.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    I don't do keto, just standard LCHF (50-80 g of carbs). I never found calorie counting necessary, so long as I keep my carbs low, but that is highly individual. When I have bothered logging, my calories are all over the place, depending on how hungry I am that particular day. One of the benefits of low carb, for me, is being able to rely on my own hunger cues and not having to consciously restrict intake - if I eat more one day, I end up automatically eating less the next. Been doing this for over three years and have maintained a 50 lb loss for most of that time. Good luck!
  • itsthehumidity
    itsthehumidity Posts: 351 Member
    superhockeymom wrote: »
    Keto? Because it works for me I find it much easier to do. I'm the type of person that 1 slice of bread leads to 12.


    As long as you understand that this is simply your (indirect) method of reducing calories, and carbohydrates aren't solely to blame for weight gain, then do whatever you want.

    It's prudent to recognize, though, that carbohydrates aren't really optional for the body. We need them just like we need fat and protein for normal bodily function. By harshly restricting them you are doing yourself a disservice. I'd recommend a more well-rounded diet than a carbohydrate restricted one. If you have a hard time doing so while staying in a calorie deficit, then it's your discipline (rather than carbohydrates) that's the problem.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    Hmmm... Funny that eating low carb magically fixed my "discipline problem".... I wonder how that worked...
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    superhockeymom wrote: »
    Keto? Because it works for me I find it much easier to do. I'm the type of person that 1 slice of bread leads to 12.


    My husband has a similar experience with rye bread. If he has a slice, then he will eat 1/2 loaf with butter. He also loves pasta and will go overboard. So the low carb keeps his trigger foods away, and he loses weight! I'm really proud of him because he has kept it off this time!
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
    It's all calories to be honest.. if Keto/low carb helps you do that so be it.
  • kdz0444
    kdz0444 Posts: 143 Member
    I am doing low carb and I'm about 11 days in and have dropped 11 lbs in that time although some is water weight. I have also lost a couple inches all over so it's definitely working. A lot of days I eat under 30g of carbs but some days I eat up to 75. It's the first thing that has ever worked for me for more than a week and where I have lost more than a pound or two. I feel so much better. I even threw out the rest of our pasta and rice this morning. I no longer eat from boredom or feelings. And I have a hard time reaching a 1200 calorie goal each day because the real food keeps me so full. Even once I lose the fat I don't think I will ever go back to eating carbs the way I did before.
  • alienws1998
    alienws1998 Posts: 88 Member
    I count carbs (under 30g) and calories 1200-1500 and so far I've lost 21lbs in 65 days
  • Bonny132
    Bonny132 Posts: 3,617 Member
    LCHF is working for me and my SO. Finally found a way to eat with no hunger where I look forward to my meals. If you are interested I recommend searching out the LCD forum where a lot of the low carbers hang out.

    Carbs is what I aim to stay under, protein my goal and fat to satiety. This works for my macro's.
  • barni71
    barni71 Posts: 30 Member
    I just counted carbs, 30-40g per day and lost 23lbs in 7 weeks. No idea how many calories I ate but I did eat a lot of cheese.
  • ogmomma2012
    ogmomma2012 Posts: 1,520 Member
    Calories do matter. Considering your history I would only measure things with cups so you don't get obsessed with weighing everything.
  • anchantaee
    anchantaee Posts: 1 Member
    Can you give me info on this Keto diet please because I have been hearing about it. How do i get started?
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    anchantaee wrote: »
    Can you give me info on this Keto diet please because I have been hearing about it. How do i get started?

    Check out the Low Carb Group. Lots of info and resources there.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    itsthehumidity wrote: »
    superhockeymom wrote: »
    Keto? Because it works for me I find it much easier to do. I'm the type of person that 1 slice of bread leads to 12.


    As long as you understand that this is simply your (indirect) method of reducing calories, and carbohydrates aren't solely to blame for weight gain, then do whatever you want.

    It's prudent to recognize, though, that carbohydrates aren't really optional for the body. We need them just like we need fat and protein for normal bodily function. By harshly restricting them you are doing yourself a disservice. I'd recommend a more well-rounded diet than a carbohydrate restricted one. If you have a hard time doing so while staying in a calorie deficit, then it's your discipline (rather than carbohydrates) that's the problem.

    The bolded is not actually true. There is no minimum carbohydrate level. We don't eed the like protein and fat at all. And many people find that their health improves when eating fewer carbs, or even as few as possible.
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    edited September 2016
    I think it's a good idea to not stress over calories for the first 2 weeks because you may not get the reduced hunger right away and you may find sticking to a deficit those first days more difficult. Don't make the switch more difficult than it needs to be.
    Wait to start counting calories after the first week or so. Most find they don't need to count calories, NOT because you can eat more than anyone else but because you naturally just eat less without hunger.
    Everyone always thinks people mean calories don't matter when this comes up. That's just not the case. It's just that many people don't have to make any effort to eat at a deficit. So, in that way, counting is null...
    Eat when hungry, until satisfied and then stop and don't eat again until you're hungry. It's pretty simple.
  • TheBuffster40
    TheBuffster40 Posts: 23 Member
    I find my appetite hugely reduced on a low carb diet. 20-30g carbs. After some weeks I can eat this way without needing to log as I know how to stay under cal and carbs just by sticking to my meals. I find that takes much of the effort out of losing weight. I have to plan meals but that's really all I have to do for steady if not dramatic weightloss. No measuring no logging. Love it.

    I am concerned about how sustainable it will be for maintaining but I took a break in August and re-introduced some carbs. I got 2 pounds back of water as I left ketosis and thrn held steady for a month. I hope that's an indication that I will eventually be able to eventually stabilise at of near my goal weight.
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    You do have to count calories but it can be easier with low carb IMO
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    superhockeymom wrote: »
    Just wondering as I have heard conflicting opinions. If your doing low carb or keto how important is total calories consumed when you start? Should I be counting both?

    low carb and keto are just methods used to get you into a calorie deficit...weight loss/management comes down to calories period. That doesn't mean you have to count them...but calories are what ultimately matter.
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