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Counting Calories Too Loose Weight?

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erinlane93
erinlane93 Posts: 170 Member
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Hi,

I have been on keto for the past week and have lost 10 pounds. I know a lot of this will be water weight but I wanna ask, doing keto do all of you count calories? Can you continue to loose weight without counting calories?

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  • qweck3
    qweck3 Posts: 346 Member
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    You might get various answers to this one but I personally believe in the Calories IN/Calories OUT (CICO) method regardless of the way of eating. I have never lost weight long term without being in a deficit. Deficit can come from eating less or working out more.

    I will say that with strict keto for the purpose of getting fat adapted (6-8 week process) you likely want to monitor everything by meal and day. Once fat adapted adjust to what will let you stay on it for life.

    Once I was fat adapted I started counting calories by week and not by day. My logic is there are days my body only request 1500 calories out of the 2500 I should be eating. A few days later when I'm at the bar and hungry and put down 3500 in bar food its a wash.

    I target 2 things daily. By meal: Keep my carbs at a diabetes friendly level. By day: Hit or exceed my protein target especially on workout days.
  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
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    I am well known for my anti-calorie counting/restriction opinions. I don't count. I encourage others to not count.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
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    I eat at a calorie deficit for weight loss. The best way for me to ensure I am in a calorie deficit is to count/track calories. I've been in maintenance for years and still track off and on. I sometimes use a food scale also. "Servings" of some foods are just sad they're so small compared to what I'd like to eat.
  • shelbydodgeguy
    shelbydodgeguy Posts: 194 Member
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    I count calories but I have health issues and a slow metabolism.
  • zanyterp
    zanyterp Posts: 291 Member
    edited January 2019
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    For me, I recently determined, the following: CICO for weight loss; keto for fat loss
    By doing keto, though, the calories tend to be fine because I’m full.....at least when I can mentally accept it. There are times I am physically full but not emotionally/psychologically. Keto helps with this too (at least when I have not given into the constant sugar craving)

    As with all things, YMMV & do what fits _your_ life
  • gwendyprism
    gwendyprism Posts: 222 Member
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    I don't specifically try to hit a certain calorie limit. Yet I find when I eat keto when hungry and stop before I get too full, I usually end up about the same calories as when I used to do only CICO.
  • IronGiant0
    IronGiant0 Posts: 48 Member
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    If I don't track I always overeat.
    Often even when tracking I'm surprised at going over by the end of the day.
    Target at 1500 cal.
    Average probably 1700 - 2200 if I don't track.
    Actually will gain weight. On Keto.
    Sorry to all those who don't track, but it don't work for me. I have to track and ensure a good deficit if I want to lose.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    I track...and usually I have calorie goals for maintenance or weight loss depending on what my workout plan is, more intense workouts are closer to maintenance calorie goals, for vacations and more sedentary times I will try to have a steeper deficit...right now I'm doing some intense weightlifting and just eating to appetite and working to hit my protein numbers, I am not fretting about going over the protein or calories as long as I keep carbs in line and don't get crazy on fat...so far I lost a pound in the first week and I can definitely feel that my rib cage area is getting smaller, so I'm confident that the loss was fat which is always a bonus.

    If I eat without tracking I will generally not get enough protein, I love me some veggies, but they don't keep my belly satisfied and then I end up eating non-stop. So for me tracking is kind of a must...I am hopeful that I will eventually get to a place where I can just eat more intuitively and eat a balanced nutritionally complete diet.

    Many people are able to lose weight either without tracking at all, or by just tracking carbs. Some people are better at intuitive eating than others. Sustainability is really the key to success. If you know you are less likely to stick with it if you have to track, then it's a good idea to try some non-tracking methods and develop those skills.

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