Macros

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Hey ya'll! I am doing low carb diet. I did keto for almost 5 weeks and lost 10.5lbs. Then caved to sweets and cant really get back into and realized its not sustainable for me. I dont like to feel deprived. So im upping my carbs..and by making my Net Carbs around 50, (or atleast under 100), I dont feel so bad. ive been using Carb Manager to track,and right now it has my macros at 16%carbs, 42% Protein and 42% Fat. Does that sound right?? The scale hasnt been moving lately and im wondering if I should adjust my macros? ( as well as cut out all cheat snacks) For those of you doing a lower carb diet, what are your macros set at??

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    you dont mention whether you're currently eating in a calorie deficit?
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
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    Sorry, Yes I am. I honestly dont know what I was eating before for cals, but I know it was alot of junk food so obviously alot more carbs than I am eating now. When i was doing keto with trying to stay between 20&30 carbs I was eating to little, and usually around 800-1100 carbs for the day. Ive re adjusted my macros to above, and it has me at around 1,225.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
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    If you are in a deficit the slowdown in your weight loss could just be water weight. Eating more carbs can affect the amount of water your body is holding. I would give it a few weeks to see how things settle once your new program becomes your new normal.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Sorry, Yes I am. I honestly dont know what I was eating before for cals, but I know it was alot of junk food so obviously alot more carbs than I am eating now. When i was doing keto with trying to stay between 20&30 carbs I was eating to little, and usually around 800-1100 carbs for the day. Ive re adjusted my macros to above, and it has me at around 1,225.

    you dont give your stats but if you are weight your food and only eating 1225 cals then you should be in a calorie deficit and losing weight.

    give it 4-6 weeks as the additional carbs has likely led to a bit of water weight which is stopping the scale from moving, but it should be temporary.
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
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    Well im around 5"4 (maybe 3) and Starting weight was 196.6 and current weight is 185. MFP has me at around the same calories for a day. Its just not as easy to track net carbs on here which is why i use the other app.
  • CdnChick
    CdnChick Posts: 9 Member
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    @KristaMac88 I tried the Keto diet as well and we really successful the first time around. I lost almost 20 lbs and felt great. The only problem like you mentioned was that once you go back to carbs even if just for a day it's really hard to sustain which I struggled with as well. I actually ended up gaining the weight all back after I stopped. I have a friend that is a trainer and of course when I mention Keto he gets upset lol because like a lot of trainers will tell you, good carb provide you with energy. He suggested carb cycling instead as I'm in my 40's a struggle to lose weight as it is. I've been doing this for just over a week and down almost 4 lbs now. I feel way better because i'm not depriving myself of carbs anymore and the low carb days are easy because I know I get to have some carbs the following couple days. I go between 50 gram, 100 grams and 150 grams but there a lot's of different ways to do it. For me i need to do something I can stick with and this seems to be working out much better. Good luck with your journey!
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
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    Thank you! Your right, i lost alot of bloat and water weight (as well as 11lbs kept off) doing keto and thats why I liked it. And notice when i do eat alot of heavy carbs i feel disgusting afterwards now (even though they are super filling). But I dont like the bloated heavy sluggish feeling anymore from eating alot of junk or bread'y carbs. But maybe if i dont need to worry so much about "net" carbs, Ill start logging in here again and just counting regular ol carbs staying under/around 100grams.
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
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    CdnChick wrote: »
    @KristaMac88 I tried the Keto diet as well and we really successful the first time around. I lost almost 20 lbs and felt great. The only problem like you mentioned was that once you go back to carbs even if just for a day it's really hard to sustain which I struggled with as well. I actually ended up gaining the weight all back after I stopped. I have a friend that is a trainer and of course when I mention Keto he gets upset lol because like a lot of trainers will tell you, good carb provide you with energy. He suggested carb cycling instead as I'm in my 40's a struggle to lose weight as it is. I've been doing this for just over a week and down almost 4 lbs now. I feel way better because i'm not depriving myself of carbs anymore and the low carb days are easy because I know I get to have some carbs the following couple days. I go between 50 gram, 100 grams and 150 grams but there a lot's of different ways to do it. For me i need to do something I can stick with and this seems to be working out much better. Good luck with your journey!

    Thats good to know! Because on the higher carb days you can allow a treat if you want it. Do you rotate through the 3 dif amounts each day? or do a week of each? I havent gained any back (but only lost 11) but will drop a pound/gain a pound and have been like this for about a month now since I had my first cheat and fell completely off track. I find what im doing now (eating relatively healthy. cheat meal/snack on the weekends, no breads/pasta/potatoes - high carb foods or sauces) is just sustaining me as i am.
  • zeejane03
    zeejane03 Posts: 993 Member
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    CdnChick wrote: »
    @KristaMac88 I tried the Keto diet as well and we really successful the first time around. I lost almost 20 lbs and felt great. The only problem like you mentioned was that once you go back to carbs even if just for a day it's really hard to sustain which I struggled with as well. I actually ended up gaining the weight all back after I stopped. I have a friend that is a trainer and of course when I mention Keto he gets upset lol because like a lot of trainers will tell you, good carb provide you with energy. He suggested carb cycling instead as I'm in my 40's a struggle to lose weight as it is. I've been doing this for just over a week and down almost 4 lbs now. I feel way better because i'm not depriving myself of carbs anymore and the low carb days are easy because I know I get to have some carbs the following couple days. I go between 50 gram, 100 grams and 150 grams but there a lot's of different ways to do it. For me i need to do something I can stick with and this seems to be working out much better. Good luck with your journey!

    Thats good to know! Because on the higher carb days you can allow a treat if you want it. Do you rotate through the 3 dif amounts each day? or do a week of each? I havent gained any back (but only lost 11) but will drop a pound/gain a pound and have been like this for about a month now since I had my first cheat and fell completely off track. I find what im doing now (eating relatively healthy. cheat meal/snack on the weekends, no breads/pasta/potatoes - high carb foods or sauces) is just sustaining me as i am.

    Weight loss comes down to being at the correct calorie deficit for your weight loss goals. What kinds of foods you eat or what macros ratios you follow are irrelevant-calories are what matters.

    Some people find a low carb/keto macro ratio to be helpful for them because the fat macro has a higher satiety level for them, (others find higher protein or higher carb macro ratios to be more filling, it's highly individual). But, if you're eating too many calories you won't lose weight. Also, remember that each gram of fat has 9 calories, vs carbs and protein, which only have 4 calories per gram.

    If your weight loss has stalled then you're not at your needed calorie deficit. Are you measuring out portion sizes on a food scale? Are you recording all your foods (including things like coffee add-ins etc).
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
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    Probably not to the best of my ability no. I track everything and use packaged sweeteners in my coffee so i go by what the box says per package instead of eye balling what i think a tsp of sugar is. I weigh for the most part all my meats/seafood on a digital scale. Vegetables or cauliflower rice by leveled off measuring cups..but i know other stuff if im out or whatever i just guesstimate. I dont care for fats..i find to much butter or heavy cream makes me feel sick. Id rather get my feel full foods from protein. Normally it would be carbs. But i always go for the bad carbs and over eat junk food. I need to concentrate on getting my good carbs from good food.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Probably not to the best of my ability no. I track everything and use packaged sweeteners in my coffee so i go by what the box says per package instead of eye balling what i think a tsp of sugar is. I weigh for the most part all my meats/seafood on a digital scale. Vegetables or cauliflower rice by leveled off measuring cups..but i know other stuff if im out or whatever i just guesstimate. I dont care for fats..i find to much butter or heavy cream makes me feel sick. Id rather get my feel full foods from protein. Normally it would be carbs. But i always go for the bad carbs and over eat junk food. I need to concentrate on getting my good carbs from good food.

    Instead of switching up your plan, you may want to start weighing all your solid food. Some people have found that it makes a huge difference.
  • zeejane03
    zeejane03 Posts: 993 Member
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    Probably not to the best of my ability no. I track everything and use packaged sweeteners in my coffee so i go by what the box says per package instead of eye balling what i think a tsp of sugar is. I weigh for the most part all my meats/seafood on a digital scale. Vegetables or cauliflower rice by leveled off measuring cups..but i know other stuff if im out or whatever i just guesstimate. I dont care for fats..i find to much butter or heavy cream makes me feel sick. Id rather get my feel full foods from protein. Normally it would be carbs. But i always go for the bad carbs and over eat junk food. I need to concentrate on getting my good carbs from good food.

    Instead of switching up your plan, you may want to start weighing all your solid food. Some people have found that it makes a huge difference.

    This.

    OP, you may find that by just tightening up your logging a bit you'll start to see forward movement again.
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
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    Okay! Thank you! I will give that a try! does it make any dif, now that im not so strict keto, if i continue to use cream or sweeteners in my coffee as appose to milk? Im use to eating certain higher fat foods because of doing keto, and not sure now that my carbs are up, but still relatively low, if i should be keeping that up or not or if the higher carbs and higher fat will just make me...fat.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Okay! Thank you! I will give that a try! does it make any dif, now that im not so strict keto, if i continue to use cream or sweeteners in my coffee as appose to milk? Im use to eating certain higher fat foods because of doing keto, and not sure now that my carbs are up, but still relatively low, if i should be keeping that up or not or if the higher carbs and higher fat will just make me...fat.

    Higher carbohydrates or fat will only make you fat if you consume more calories than your body is using.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Okay! Thank you! I will give that a try! does it make any dif, now that im not so strict keto, if i continue to use cream or sweeteners in my coffee as appose to milk? Im use to eating certain higher fat foods because of doing keto, and not sure now that my carbs are up, but still relatively low, if i should be keeping that up or not or if the higher carbs and higher fat will just make me...fat.

    Too many calories makes you fat, not whether they are carbs or fat.
  • zeejane03
    zeejane03 Posts: 993 Member
    edited March 2019
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    Okay! Thank you! I will give that a try! does it make any dif, now that im not so strict keto, if i continue to use cream or sweeteners in my coffee as appose to milk? Im use to eating certain higher fat foods because of doing keto, and not sure now that my carbs are up, but still relatively low, if i should be keeping that up or not or if the higher carbs and higher fat will just make me...fat.

    As long as you're within your calorie targets it doesn't matter what you're using. Weight loss/weight gain/weight maintenance literally comes down to calories, calories and yes-calories :)
  • KristaMac88
    KristaMac88 Posts: 163 Member
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    Thank you!