Low Carb Calorie Counting?

I'm less strict. Diary is public if you want to take a gander

i don't think you should me eating under 1200, with exercise

Are you eating your exersise calories?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit

Go to the tools section and figure out your BMI:

Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

This is just a part of it! please read the link above

**just wanted to ask/mention that the famine response (starvation mode) does not exist. I tried to look it up, let me know your sources..I would love to read on the famine response as I tend to eat 1200-1400 cal/day and worry I'm putting myself in this response..

thank you!

My understanding- and I ain't an expert- is that starvation mode does exist, but perhaps not as popularly imagined. In essence, if you starve the body, ie you reduce calorie intake to below what the body needs to run itself without using its own fuel sources, your body will compensate by slowing down your metabolism. You will feel more lethargic and/or be hungrier, because your body wants to preserve the status quo, ie to keep the fat stores you have rather than burn them.

As far as I know there is no "magic number" of calories where this slowdown kicks in. Even if there were a "moment", rather than a gradual increase/decrease in slowdown depending on calories in, the metabolic differences between individuals would, I imagine, make such a number impossible to calculate. I believe (I may be wrong) that "starvation mode" was observed in the Minnesota starvation study, during which male participants were eating 1500kcal a day. All ended up painfully skinny.

Basically it's about your body's unwavering battle to maintain homeostasis. It's also all linked in with hormones and other things I'm not educated enough to follow. Is it something for the dieter to worry about? In my complete layman's opinion, probably not. As unhealthy as they are, crash low-calorie diets do make people lose weight. That they gain it back afterwards is irrelevant- the point is you can lose weight by starving yourself (sounds obvious, right?). If you're eating too few calories a day I would imagine the effects of malnutrition (as opposed to subnutrition) would be a greater cause for concern.

As a carboholic, my meal plan is low carb. Definitely do the calories to boot...I can very easily boost those calories off the chart....I personally have to do both. Keeping in mind to eat only healthy carbs.

I don't see how a shade under 1200 calories net is starvation, if the OP is a lightly built petite woman. This is where rules of thumb show how rough and ready they are.

When I was in my weight loss phase, I was eating 1500 cal a day and I was often under 1200 on my net calories. HOWEVER, MY MAINTENANCE CALORIES ARE 1570, so for someone of my height and weight to lose weight I have to shoot for 1200 net calories a day. For a large man even 1500+ cals/day net would be starvation, but for smaller women 1200 cals/day may be the only way the weight comes off.

I do not track my calories. I am usually within my limits. If I'm hungry I eat. If I'm not I don't. Although, I make a very conscious effort not to skip meals. Weekends are harder for me because I'm constantly on the go and believe it or not sometimes forget to eat. As far as starvation mode goes I haven't ever really had that issue low-carbing. I have had plateaus before but that is not very often. I think that everyone's body reacts different and what may be considered to few calories for one person may not be the same for the other. I rarely eat back my calories unless I'm just starving. I think its one of those things you have to play around with and see what works best of you.

Have a gret day!