Calories???
triumpet
Posts: 29 Member
Hi, I joined MFP eons ago, but due to a health problem, I ate what I was given. Now I'm mended I want to get going with LCHF.
Everything I read says ignore the cals but surely that can't be right? so do I look at my TDEE less 20% or just trust that I will eat less cause I'm ditching the cr@p. What have you done, how has it worked?? Ta
Everything I read says ignore the cals but surely that can't be right? so do I look at my TDEE less 20% or just trust that I will eat less cause I'm ditching the cr@p. What have you done, how has it worked?? Ta
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Replies
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Some people count them and some don't. Low carb decreases the appetite which means that some people eat less naturally.
I personally count them because 1. I'm into bodybuilding and need to watch my macros and sodium and 2. It keeps my eating in check, because I have a tendency to binge, not because I'm hungry, but just for the heck of it.0 -
That is a great question, @triumpet. The primary reason you hear not to worry about calories is that if you eat LCHF, you won't be as hungry and won't have the desire to eat as many calories thereby eating less calories without the effort. There are multiple reasons for this.
First, nearly every enzyme responsible for breaking down carbs are in your saliva. This means those carbs are basically broken down completely before they even hit your stomach and therefore leave your stomach quickly giving you an empty stomach. In addition, your body tends to overproduce insulin to alleviate the influx of glucose that has entered your bloodstream as a result of these carbs being broken down into glucose. Insulin is a hormone which, when it gets too high in your bloodstream, tells your brain you need more glucose so you must be hungry regardless of whether or not you actually need any more calories.
These first two items explain why when you go eat a big Chinese meal (with lots of rice) you are hungry an hour later.
On the other side, fat and protein both spend significantly longer in your stomach before moving to your small intestine, and even when it does reach your small intestine, the fat causes your small intestine to release a hormone (can't think of the name of it off the top of my head) which tells your brain you are full.
Personally, when I went LCHF, I struggled to get enough calories to not lose weight faster than I wanted just because I was looking at how many I ate and seeing a huge deficit, but I was too stuffed to eat any more.
There are more reasons, but I think these are the ones which are the easiest to explain and understand as you first get started.3 -
I keep an eye on calories as a side result of logging and seem to average between 1500-1600 cals a day. I lose fairly consistently on that, while on low calorie (1200 calories a day) I lost incredibly slowly. I'm 5'2", female, BMI around 35 and all the calorie charts would say I should be on 1200 so I think I'm living proof that for some people at least the source of the calories matters more than the calories themselves. I can also have very high calorie days once a week or so (2000+ calories) without stalling weight loss.
I think it's trial and error to find a level that works for you, but I also think people can set their calories much too low and leave themselves a bit stuck if they ever need to cut back later. I feel good eating at a calorie level that keeps my metabolism ticking along happily.6 -
I MUST watch calories or I'll eat my weight in them. But it is because I tend to habit eat, not eat for fuel or fullness. I'll snack all day if I don't limit myself. Lately I've done terribly with that and am, quite honestly, afraid to get on the scale. I know I need to log to watch my calories but I'm in this rut and can't seem to find my way out of it right now.
If you are not a habit eater, like I, then you may be able to ignore calories as indicated by your research.
Welcome aboard!!3 -
RowdysLady wrote: »I MUST watch calories or I'll eat my weight in them. But it is because I tend to habit eat, not eat for fuel or fullness. I'll snack all day if I don't limit myself. Lately I've done terribly with that and am, quite honestly, afraid to get on the scale. I know I need to log to watch my calories but I'm in this rut and can't seem to find my way out of it right now.
If you are not a habit eater, like I, then you may be able to ignore calories as indicated by your research.
Welcome aboard!!
I am the exact same way! I eat way past full because food tastes good and because certain events trigger cravings and eating. So if I didn't count my calories and log my food, I'd eat nonstop.0 -
I think most keep an eye on calories but many also seem to find it easier to not overeat.
I used to keep my calories at 1500. I generally stayed within a 1000kcals of that. If I was high too often, I cut back. If I was not eating much, I let myself eat more when I did get hungry. KWIM?
I would say that the more you stick with meat, eggs and veggies, the harder it is to overeat. Adding in sweets, cheese and nuts triggers some of us to overeat our fill.
Carbs trigger hunger in some of us too. Play around with those things and perhaps you won't need to count calories.
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I think most keep an eye on calories but many also seem to find it easier to not overeat.
I used to keep my calories at 1500. I generally stayed within a 1000kcals of that. If I was high too often, I cut back. If I was not eating much, I let myself eat more when I did get hungry. KWIM?
I would say that the more you stick with meat, eggs and veggies, the harder it is to overeat. Adding in sweets, cheese and nuts triggers some of us to overeat our fill.
Carbs trigger hunger in some of us too. Play around with those things and perhaps you won't need to count calories.
These are some great points. You may also want to watch the "fake" sweets as many find these stimulate urges for the real thing.2 -
Thank you for your replys, looks like a good plan to set calories & use them as a guide only2
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moonlights wrote: »I keep an eye on calories as a side result of logging and seem to average between 1500-1600 cals a day. I lose fairly consistently on that, while on low calorie (1200 calories a day) I lost incredibly slowly. I'm 5'2", female, BMI around 35 and all the calorie charts would say I should be on 1200 so I think I'm living proof that for some people at least the source of the calories matters more than the calories themselves. I can also have very high calorie days once a week or so (2000+ calories) without stalling weight loss.
I think it's trial and error to find a level that works for you, but I also think people can set their calories much too low and leave themselves a bit stuck if they ever need to cut back later. I feel good eating at a calorie level that keeps my metabolism ticking along happily.
@moonlights I'm beginning to think that I need the higher cal too. I am on day 3 of increasing cal to 1452 from 1252 and carbs to 40 net from 30 net. After an 8 week stall (the scale did not budge at all), I finally drop a pound lol. I did start fitness around 8 weeks (strength training) so I don't know if that contributed to the stall but looks like the higher cal is working lol
*like to add that I'm fun sized too at 4'11 lol2 -
RowdysLady wrote: »I MUST watch calories or I'll eat my weight in them. But it is because I tend to habit eat, not eat for fuel or fullness. I'll snack all day if I don't limit myself. Lately I've done terribly with that and am, quite honestly, afraid to get on the scale. I know I need to log to watch my calories but I'm in this rut and can't seem to find my way out of it right now.
If you are not a habit eater, like I, then you may be able to ignore calories as indicated by your research.
Welcome aboard!!
Yeah, that!
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@genmon00 shorties unite!
It's definitely a wonder to me that I really can 'eat to satiety' on Keto and still lose faster than I ever did on strict calorie controlled low fat diets. I feel like Keto is healing the mess my metabolism was in after years of dieting - I've been Keto for a quite a while on and off (family deaths and depression threw me off the wagon more than once) and Keto is the only thing that always works for me. And faster than anything else. I love knowing that if I'm hungry I can eat something and going over my basic calorie guideline isn't a failure and won't throw me off course. I do keep my carbs very low though, always under 20g net often quite a bit less.
While I'm sure if I really pushed it and ate 2500 calories every day I could gain while eating Keto, that would be hard to do (not to mention expensive) but it's great to know that having a high cal (still low carb) day here and there doesn't hurt me.
But it's always a very personal business and I know there are people who still find they need to restrict heavily to lose.
To avoid the eating all day thing I set mealtimes, roughly plan my food and eat within a 12 hour window.
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Calorie counter here. All the way through weight loss and continue in maintenance. It's just a part of my day. It's as normal to me as brushing my teeth. Probably takes less time. I'm to the point now if it's not on my diary under my foods, my meals or my recipes I don't eat it. It's probably not keto. I'm not exact but I'm close. 1241 of counting helps with that.1
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I try to eat low carb up to a calorie limit.
I feel more full with the fibrous veggies in low carb.
Calories, as in units of fuel I consume, always matter. I can break any diet plan by eating too much.
Low carb makes it easier to feel full smdbinge less.
When I want to cut 10 pounds before a race or event, I watch calories1 -
I'm only 1 week in so take what I say with a grain of salt.
I am logging my calories and seem to be averaging about 1450 a day - though with exercise I could technically eat more. I don't trust how Strava logs my walks - it's very generous. I think I need an activity tracker - suggestions anyone?
I have a food scale that i've been using to weigh out stuff rather than guesstimate. It's been helpful because I have found out that I way under estimated my portion sizes in the past. I hope that after a month, I'll have a good idea what a cup of something looks like, or 6 oz. etc. so I can ditch the scale.
I'm only drinking coffee in the morning with cream and I seem to be able to make it to lunch most days. Last week, I had bullet proof coffee a few times - it doesn't seem to hold me any better than coffee and cream, so I prefer saving my calories for later in the day.
I have been having a huge salad of either fresh spinach or romaine everyday along with a protein and fat (avocado, cheese, dressing). Dinner is kind of new and exciting for me because I'm exploring all these new high fat recipes that I used to shun - like ribs, chicken with the skin on, bacon, cream, cheese and more. Whoa - hello taste!
If I exercise, I need a snack in the late afternoon - usually an iced coffee and a individual pack size of almonds. (I can't be trusted with a whole container.)
I don't go to bed hungry, but today, I found myself browsing the fridge mid morning out of habit. I quickly closed it and decided to plan out the food for the day and to pre-log it. Pre-logging seems to help me be more mindful.8 -
moonlights wrote: »I keep an eye on calories as a side result of logging and seem to average between 1500-1600 cals a day. I lose fairly consistently on that, while on low calorie (1200 calories a day) I lost incredibly slowly. I'm 5'2", female, BMI around 35 and all the calorie charts would say I should be on 1200 so I think I'm living proof that for some people at least the source of the calories matters more than the calories themselves. I can also have very high calorie days once a week or so (2000+ calories) without stalling weight loss.
I think it's trial and error to find a level that works for you, but I also think people can set their calories much too low and leave themselves a bit stuck if they ever need to cut back later. I feel good eating at a calorie level that keeps my metabolism ticking along happily.
Yes, same here. CICO doesn't work for me... I lose incredibly slowly with just eating low calorie. Eating low carb has finally allowed CICO to work as it is supposed to.1 -
I do both calories/macro breakdowns because I have the tendency to not eat enough fat, which helps you feel full. It is easy to eat a lot of protein but it is really hard to sit down and eat a lot of fat.
Plus, historically, I enjoyed binge eating. Not healthy.0 -
I do both calories/macros...I tend to not eat enough fat, which is what makes one feel full. I find it easy to eat too much protein (and fall out of ketosis).
Plus, I historically enjoyed binge eating. Not healthy at all.0 -
do both calories/macros...I tend to not eat enough fat, which is what makes one feel full. I find it easy to eat too much protein (and fall out of ketosis).
I
Plus, I historically enjoyed binge eating. Not healthy at all.0 -
Yup - I count them! But I'm only in my second week and still learning. I think I count because I'm so use to "non fat" that my brain tells me HEY ... count that because it's way more than you realize. And it usually is. But the cool part of that is it tastes GREAT and I don't eat near as much. I have found I am pushing food away and eating on smaller plates because I get that full feeling so much faster. I love it!0
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I need the structure of defined calories and macros to lose weight consistently. There's no on/off switch for my desire to eat, so these numerical goals serve as effective limitations for my eating habits. However, if I'm genuinely hungry, I will eat more sometimes and I don't fall into despair if I go slightly over. The numbers don't rule my life, they're like bumper rails lol.11
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PaleoInScotland wrote: »IThe numbers don't rule my life, they're like bumper rails lol.
HAHA! I love that!
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moonlights wrote: »I keep an eye on calories as a side result of logging and seem to average between 1500-1600 cals a day. I lose fairly consistently on that, while on low calorie (1200 calories a day) I lost incredibly slowly. I'm 5'2", female, BMI around 35 and all the calorie charts would say I should be on 1200 so I think I'm living proof that for some people at least the source of the calories matters more than the calories themselves. I can also have very high calorie days once a week or so (2000+ calories) without stalling weight loss.
I think it's trial and error to find a level that works for you, but I also think people can set their calories much too low and leave themselves a bit stuck if they ever need to cut back later. I feel good eating at a calorie level that keeps my metabolism ticking along happily.
Yes, same here. CICO doesn't work for me... I lose incredibly slowly with just eating low calorie. Eating low carb has finally allowed CICO to work as it is supposed to.1 -
At this point, while I know that the cellular energy input does matter, and tremendously for anyone like me with insulin resistance, the quality of the foods I am eating, particularly nutrient density, seem to make all the difference. Still saying lowER carb, but for the time being, not restricting too much as I'm eating more variety of foods, etc., to make sure I get the variety of nutrients I need.2
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I try to reach my BMR at least and I also try to not go over my TDEE for the day, so most days I end up anywhere between 1240 and no more than 1900. I am currently more worried about the macro balance than the calories, they just sort of take care of themselves. Some days I have to force feed myself now to reach BMR cals. I am just not hungry as much as in the past.
I need to lose 16 lbs. to be at my goal. I am set on MFP to lose .5 lbs a week. My trend weight currently is at 1lb. a week. I had been eating lots of carbs before starting LCHF. LC is sooooooo much easier.1 -
Eating Keto for nearly 4 years ... calories DO matter. Whether you put your targets into your diary as grams of fat/protein/carbs or as calories you are still limiting your intake. You have to. Yes there is a tendency to eat less when you are not starving all the time (from eating carbs) but there is also a very real possibility of overeating your calories due to the high energy content of fat and protein. Not tracking accurately is the number one reason for not succeeding.
As a bit of an experiment, I stopped tracking in May this year when I had surgery. I felt I just needed a break from weighing and tracking my food. I have only eaten keto foods in this time, no carb creep, and not eating if I wasn't hungry. The end result was a 7kg gain, in 5 months. You often see "I'm eating keto, keeping my carbs under X grams and I'm not losing weight" ... this is why. Quite simply eating too much.
So, I'm back to tracking. I have to accept that sometimes I'll be hungry. And I can never relax and eat intuitively like some people can.9 -
I would love to stop counting one day. But I find that if I don't log my food, I end up mindlessly eating. I'm such an absent-minded person, and generally don't pay much attention to anything. Logging my food seems to help that.4
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I stalled from too many calories. I lowered goal and started losing, esp when I ate only when I was hungry. I agree that high fat leaves us satiated and we won't feel the need to overeat.0
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Low carb (and the normal appetite as a result of eating low carb) is a crucial component for managing my weight but it's not enough by itself. I also rely on good habits and eating patterns to keep my intake in check - things like no snacking or eating after dinner. I don't mind counting calories and do it for long stretches at a time (currently I've been logging my food since Meticulous May) but I don't necessarily need to count I think it just helps keep me mindful.
Bottom line, whatever it takes to keep me on track is the right way and I use it all. Good food habits, eating nutritious food, occasional fasts, regular exercise, counting calories, weighing myself, keeping any off plan eating strictly in check... I do all the things.5 -
I think most keep an eye on calories but many also seem to find it easier to not overeat.
I used to keep my calories at 1500. I generally stayed within a 1000kcals of that. If I was high too often, I cut back. If I was not eating much, I let myself eat more when I did get hungry. KWIM?
I would say that the more you stick with meat, eggs and veggies, the harder it is to overeat. Adding in sweets, cheese and nuts triggers some of us to overeat our fill.
Carbs trigger hunger in some of us too. Play around with those things and perhaps you won't need to count calories.
I agree with everything you just said. I like to focus on my Macros and as long as I'm WNL for my goals there, I'm happy. I really don't pay too much to the daily calories because it all averages out at the end of the week or month. Sometimes I'm too low and can't complete my Diary for the day. The busier I stay, the less I think of food. I'm a heavy meat, fish, bacon and eggs eater and love my avocados...occasionally a tomato. I don't care for any other fruit/veggie. I made a mistake in mentioning this in another Group in the main Forums, got lectured and made a hasty retreat!! Lol! Very happy in the LCD groups.0 -
As Confucius put it, "deliberately avoiding relevant information ain't no path to virtue."1
