Starting Monday!

Why did you choose keto? A sensible calorie deficit is much more sustainable.

Do you think that would be a sustainable way of eating for you? Will you be cutting out a lot of foods that you love?

Not trying to discourage you, but I think it's important to think of these things. Keto is not required for weight loss - only a calorie deficit is. If you think that you can sustain LCHF long enough to lose weight and learn the habits needed to maintain that weight loss, that's great. But if you're cutting out a bunch of foods that you like just because you read that it was a good diet to follow, the chances of you being able to sustain that way of eating are much slimmer.

I would suggest reading up on some of the stickied posts at the top of the forums, starting with this one, and making your decision based off of your reading: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

amcgilbert2016 wrote: »

I've been counting calories with no results. Before I had my son I did paleo and I felt and looked amazing. So I thought that trying this would be a good restart for my body.

Then you weren't really cutting calories. It is impossible to not lose weight if you eat at a deficit. Try it again and be honest with yourself. Track everything and weigh it if you must (to be completely accurate).

amcgilbert2016 wrote: »

I eat under 1300 calories a day so I should be losing weight. I track everything that I eat but I have not been weighing my food. That would probably do the trick instead of eyeballing it.

I agree with @AngInCanada - you are probably eating more than you think.

I would start with the food scale and go from there. If you enjoy eating LCHF, there's no reason why you couldn't still eat that way. But you can still eat at a calorie surplus eating that way, so tracking calories accurately is important.

AngInCanada wrote: »

amcgilbert2016 wrote: »

I eat under 1300 calories a day so I should be losing weight. I track everything that I eat but I have not been weighing my food. That would probably do the trick instead of eyeballing it.

If you're eyeballing I bet you're not eating 1300 calories. Once I started to weigh my food I was shocked. That banana that looked medium size is actually xl and double the calories. *sigh*. Weigh everything.

Yep. I was feeling very smug about the fact I was only eating half a medium baked potato. Right up until I weighed it. That 'medium' spud was actually an extremely large one.

amcgilbert2016 wrote: »

I guess my biggest issue is that with just calorie counting I feel like I can eat anything as long as I stay under my calories. I should probably look at it in a different way. I weigh the same I weighed before I had my son but I obviously look different. My main goal is to tone and lose the extra skin. Cutting carbs helped me do that before so it's really the only way I know how to get results in all honesty.

The best way to preserve muscle (and therefore aesthetics) during weight loss is to:
1. Eat a moderate calorie deficit, aiming for .5 to 1 lb per week loss (so 250-500 calories below maintenance)
2. Make sure you're getting adequate protein (~.6 - .8 g of protein per pound of body weight)
3. Start a resistance training program.

Low carb/keto by itself will not preserve muscle mass during weight loss.

And you can eat anything within your calorie goal and still lose weight; you still need to pay attention to your macro/micronutrient goals, though, and make sure you're eating foods that keep you full. You can do all of that and still have treats that you enjoy.

amcgilbert2016 wrote: »

I guess my biggest issue is that with just calorie counting I feel like I can eat anything as long as I stay under my calories. I should probably look at it in a different way. I weigh the same I weighed before I had my son but I obviously look different. My main goal is to tone and lose the extra skin. Cutting carbs helped me do that before so it's really the only way I know how to get results in all honesty.

You can. However, you'll find that some foods have higher satiety levels for you (this will vary between people). And then having a varied diet with all sorts of foods will help you hit your macro/micro goals.

I've lost around 50lbs, have improved all my health markers (including stabilizing a high glucose number), and have been successfully maintaining the loss with a bmi of around 21 for several years now. I eat veggies and whole grains every single day-these are the base which I build most of my meals around. But, I also eat fast food, chips and sweet treats-they're just not daily staples and are more of a 3-4 times a week thing. The most important thing is that you find a way of eating that's going to be doable for you, for the long term

Many here log before hand. Not sure what my dinner will be tonight, but my lunch is in already. Makes it a bit easier to keep on top of it.

amcgilbert2016 wrote: »

Looks like you guys were right. I thought I was logging everything and I wasn't. I guess I tend to forget things when I wait until the end of the day or next morning to log. Haven't even gotten a food scale yet and realize that I have probably been WAY over eating. Today I will log everything as I consume/make it. Thanks for making me have a reality check. Very much appreciated.

At such a low amount of calories I can see no way you'd ever be successful without weighing your food. It would be too easy to go over just by estimating by volume. Do get a food scale, it makes a huge difference. They are cheap on Amazon.com, likely delivered for under $25. Keto is fine if that's what you like, but it won't help you lose weight any faster than CICO in my opinion. Most of the people I know who went paleo, eat a ton of protein and swear it works to lose weight, but if you counted their calories they are in fact at a calorie deficit because they are cutting fat and carbs which cut calories. I say eat what you want within your calorie goals. But that's just me, everyone is different. I just don't buy into the fad diets.

amcgilbert2016 wrote: »

I eat under 1300 calories a day so I should be losing weight. I track everything that I eat but I have not been weighing my food. That would probably do the trick instead of eyeballing it.

Yup. Get a scale and start weighing. This turned out to be why I was diligently counting calories and not dropping a pound. The scale is a little weird at first, but once you get used to it it takes no time at all.

And also, personally I think if you got lazy doing paleo then you may poop out on keto too. It just looks like a lot of cooking (more work) to me....