Should you count calories on a low-carb or keto diet?

Name: Should you count calories on a low-carb or keto diet?
Creator: Franziska Spritzler, RD
Published: 2018-10-21T17:57:19+02:00

By , medical review by – Updated March 19, 2020

When it comes to weight, calories are often talked about but frequently misunderstood. Indeed, whether counting calories is actually useful for weight loss is debatable. Read on to learn about calories and their role in weight regulation on low-carb and keto diets.

What are calories?
How many calories do carbs, protein, and fat provide?
Calories count, but they are not the whole story
Counting calories: yes or no?

What are calories?

A calorie is a unit of energy your body uses to perform hundreds of tasks. These include voluntary movements like walking, running, and jumping, as well as involuntary ones like breathing, circulating blood throughout your system, and maintaining normal body temperature.

Your body needs a certain number of calories just to keep these involuntary processes going. This is referred to as your basal metabolic rate, or BMR. Your BMR is influenced by many factors, including your age, gender, body composition, and genetics.¹

You require additional calories for physical activity, including walking. Overall, the more active you are, the more calories you’ll need.

How many calories do carbs, protein, and fat provide?

Each macronutrient provides a specific amount of calories:²

Carbs: 4 calories per gram
Protein: 4 calories per gram
Fat: 9 calories per gram

Even though fat provides more than twice as many calories as carbs, you may have noticed that it’s much more filling.

Protein is generally considered the most satiating macronutrient, but it’s mostly used for cell repair and muscle maintenance.³It’s not very effective as an energy source because it must first be converted to glucose in the liver in order to be used as fuel. Eating extremely high amounts of protein isn’t necessarily a good thing and may reduce the effect of a strict low-carb diet. Learn more

Calories from pure fats such as butter, ghee, lard and most oils are 100% from fat. However, the calories in most foods are a combination of carbs, protein, and fat.

For instance, although eggs are considered a protein food, the majority of their calories actually come from fat. For example, two large eggs provide 146 calories:

4 calories from carbs (1 gram) (2%)
52 calories from protein (13 grams) (34%)
90 calories from fat (10 grams) (64%)

Calories count, but they are not the whole story

Generally speaking, if you take in more calories than your body needs over a longer time period, the extra calories will be stored as fat. Similarly, if you take in fewer calories than needed over a longer time period, your body will release its fat stores, and you will lose weight. Therefore, some contend that calories are all that matter. ⁴ All you have to do to lose weight is reduce calories.

It sounds simple, but it appears humans are more complicated than that.

There’s far more to weight regulation than just monitoring calories in vs. calories out. ⁵ Indeed, most members of the human race appear to have regulated their weight effectively for millennia, before anyone even knew what a calorie was.

The modern obesity epidemic seems to be an unprecedented phenomenon, and it coincides with an ever-increased focus on counting calories. ⁶ Correlation is not causation, so it would be wrong to say that counting calories causes obesity. However, at best, counting calories seems to be an imperfect aid to weight control. So what’s really going on? As it turns out, hormonal regulation may be the key.

Hormones play a large role in influencing appetite, fullness, and fat storage. Research suggests that low-carb and keto meals may trigger hormones that lead to a natural reduction in calorie intake, especially in those who are overweight or insulin resistant.⁷

In one study, overweight people consumed a breakfast of eggs or a bagel. Although each meal contained an identical amount of calories, the group that consumed the egg breakfast stayed full longer and ate fewer calories at lunch than the bagel group did.⁸

Additionally, your insulin levels – and how sensitive your body is to insulin – may influence whether you store or burn calories. In people who have lost weight, elevated post-meal insulin levels and a slower metabolism may drive weight regain. However, researchers have found that decreasing carb intake may help counteract these effects.⁹

What’s more, low-carb diets regularly outperform low-calorie diets for weight loss, even in studies where calories aren’t intentionally counted or restricted during low-carb eating.¹⁰

For example, in a 2004 study, overweight and obese adults consumed a low-fat diet and a low-carb diet for one week each. Both diets were designed to reduce each person’s calorie intake by 500 calories per day. Yet the participants lost more weight and body fat during the low-carb week than the low-fat week – even though men in the study averaged slightly higher calorie intake while following low carb.¹¹

While calories are clearly important in weight regulation, they are one factor that need to be considered within the context of hormones and human behavior.

Video: Doctors answer

Read transcript

Dr. Eenfeldt: Isn’t weight loss all about calories?

Dr. Naiman: Yes, weight loss is all about… No, weigh loss is definitely not about calories. And I have a zillion patients who’ve gone on low calorie diets. And you can lose weight that way and you will immediately regain it. And we have plenty of studies that document this. So weight loss is not all about calories.

Dr. Eenfeldt: Isn’t weight loss all about calories?

Dr. Brukner: Well, so they’ve tried to convince us for the last 30 years. But calories in, calories out has been the philosophy of the 30 years. But, you know, you’re going to tell me that 100 cal from a piece of salmon is exactly the same as 100 cal from candy, or chocolate, or ice cream…

I mean that doesn’t make any sense at all, does it? So I mean calories in, calories out has been disproved. I mean there are calories from differences that have markedly different effects. And until we get rid of this whole calories in…

It’s been a disaster this calories in, calories out. I mean look at the effect. Since we have adopted that philosophy we have worldwide epidemics of obesity, diabetes, faKy liver and so on… It’s been a disaster and the sooner we forget about it… It’s sort of an attractive concept, you know, what you bring in, what you take out… But unfortunately it doesn’t work.

Dr. Eenfeldt: Isn’t weight loss all about calories?

Dr. Westman: Well, I think calories matter. The energy balance equation where we talk about energy in… calories in, calories out isn’t a good construct to help guide people… It’s more complicated than counting the calories on a label, for example.

Because the calories are handled differently depending on what type of calorie it is, based on the metabolism for that individual calorie. But I think that it’s pretty clear that when people are losing weight, they are eating fewer calories than they were before.

And then of course if the weight loss program that they are doing changes the metabolic rate, that’s another factor you have to take into account. But I think it’s fair to say that a low-carbohydrate diet isn’t magical. It follows the rules of science that we understand, having to do with energy balance and the calories.

So when I teach the low-carb diet, I don’t talk about calories. We don’t have to teach calories, but people are still eating fewer calories in general. That’s, you know, not the case for everyone. That’s the role for the practitioner to help people troubleshoot those situations.

More Q&A videos with doctors

Counting calories: yes or no?

At Diet Doctor, we don’t recommend counting calories. First of all, it’s impossible to know exactly how many calories you’re getting from a specific food, let alone precisely what your body will do with those calories. We feel it’s far more important to choose foods that promote the release of hunger reducing hormones that help keep you satisfied and make it easier to achieve a healthy weight.

Focus on minimally processed foods that contain high-quality protein, healthy fat, and nutrient-dense fibrous carbs, especially vegetables.

And if you’re really struggling to lose weight, stay away from high-calorie, high-reward foods that are easy to overindulge in, even if they are low in carbohydrates. Classic examples of such foods are cheese and nuts.

Rather than counting calories, make all of your calories count by eating nourishing, well-balanced low-carb meals.

—
Franziska Spritzler, RD

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Comments

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82 comments

51
Robin
March 7 2019
Doing KETO for a year.
The KETO calculators show my macros etc. but then it says it is to lose .7 LBS/MONTH . . . so 7 pounds in 10 months?? What??? I was hoping for 5-8 pounds/month.
****Anyone else have this issue?
I am a female, 60 y. o., 5'4" tall and weigh 161 LBS.
Treadmill 5-7x/wk at 3-3.5 mph with an incline of 9% - 12%.
Hand weights, a barbell and a stability ball 4-5x/wk.
Small core workout 2-3x/wk.
I wake at 5:00-5:30am and retire by 9:00-10:00pm daily.
I drink 56 - 80 oz of water daily.
Eat organic when ever possible.
Rarely dine out.
I would like to drop about 23 LBS.
Next option is to . . .
forget calories
reduce protein a bit from current macro count
drink still more water - 80 oz EVERY day
there is not enough time in my day to increase exercise much more.
I really want this to work. Any suggestions?
Are there local KETO pros (Rochester NY) who can look at my meals and see going on?

Reply: #52
52
Reply to comment #51 by Robin
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
March 8 2019

Doing KETO for a year.
The KETO calculators show my macros etc. but then it says it is to lose .7 LBS/MONTH . . . so 7 pounds in 10 months?? What??? I was hoping for 5-8 pounds/month.
****Anyone else have this issue?
I am a female, 60 y. o., 5'4" tall and weigh 161 LBS.
Treadmill 5-7x/wk at 3-3.5 mph with an incline of 9% - 12%.
Hand weights, a barbell and a stability ball 4-5x/wk.
Small core workout 2-3x/wk.
I wake at 5:00-5:30am and retire by 9:00-10:00pm daily.
I drink 56 - 80 oz of water daily.
Eat organic when ever possible.
Rarely dine out.
I would like to drop about 23 LBS.
Next option is to . . .
forget calories
reduce protein a bit from current macro count
drink still more water - 80 oz EVERY day
there is not enough time in my day to increase exercise much more.
I really want this to work. Any suggestions?
Are there local KETO pros (Rochester NY) who can look at my meals and see going on?

Please ignore what the macro app calculators tell you. Our general recommendations are to focus on keeping carbs low and fats high. Those calculators of how much you may lose are usually based on the outmoded calories in, calories out calculations rather than keto.
53
amanda
March 15 2019
I have gone from Paleo, which worked a little but then stopped. to Keto for the last 3 months. I was 136 pounds I am now 133, which I have been for a month. I use my fitness pal, 6 days a week I average 1800 super healthy keto calories and do at least one spin class and walk 5km. It's slow and its frustrating. I also have a stressful job. its driving me nuts. I am petrified to increase the calorie intake in case I gain even more weight. I am 5'4". I just want to lose 7 pounds.... but weight loss seems to have stopped.....

Replies: #80, #83
54
Jinxy
March 18 2019
So, I've done MANY diets before: military, tomato (cabbage) soup, Bernstein (just quit eating, basically), weight watchers (quite a bit better), and Atkins. Keto is not the same as any of these because of the high fat intake you're required to have. On Atkins, within a week I thought I was going to die, whearas I've been trying this keto thing for 5 days, and feel almost completely normal (maybe I'm flu-less?). I'm trying it after gaining roughly 100 lbs over five years - thing after thing has been going wrong and I turned to food for comfort. When I got down to my thinnest adult weight, I was going to the gym for 2-3 hours a day, and unknowingly adopted intermittent fasting (protein shake or can of tuna at lunch, and overall low carb dinners with occasional cheats at dinner - roughly 800 calories a day, which I theoretically should have burned twofold at the gym). I lost a lot of weight, and felt great then, but quite honestly had very little time to do anything other than go through my work and eating routine. I could have never done it if I was raising kids, or doing volunteer and other activities like I do now. Every diet has ups and downs, pros and cons. Military is extremely regimented (and appropriately titled), that soup thing left me a bloated gas cloud (Linus, but instead of dirt, it was noxious smell), Bernstein was ridiculous - I kept plateauing because I never cheated, and basically went into starvation mode. They asked me to cut my already limited fruit and bread out leaving me with a 400-500 calorie a day diet, and lightheadedness that made me near-faint almost chronically. Turns out I actually NEEDED more fat in my diet but the "nurses" or whatever they were that were supposedly monitoring me had no clue what they were doing. Atkins simply didn't work for me. I probably had too much protein in my system. The miracle of lost water weight has been (initially) a blast. Though I've felt a little off, I'm more or less ok. I did a fair bit of reading, and although I'm not closely monitoring my macros yet, I am net carb counting and have been able to keep them below 25 (I may be going over 20 with things like dried parsley, or my accidental spices that are one carb instead of zero, but I'm not beating myself up just yet). I'm not hungry, but finding myself slightly food obsessed as I learn what I can and cannot have. Lots of reading labels and deciding if foods are "too expensive" or not. I'm shocked that I am totally satiated though, which I would have never guessed possible. I'll probably post here, as almost every time I search Keto I end up finding something on this site. I'm so thankful for the help and support I've found from people online... Anyone have a link about how calorie burning works differently? I would like to be able to provide it to my family doc, who didn't seem to quite "get" keto...

Reply: #68
55
Reply to comment #2 by Missy
Lourdes E Taboada
March 21 2019
Good for you!
I’ve started only 2 weeks ago.

Did you count calories?
Thanks.
Lourdes
56
Terry
March 27 2019
I saw the documentarie on nexfix. I started checking info seriously because of the benefits it says it has. I’ve tried vegan, didn’t work. Low fat —low carbs- high protein and I got way fat. Both diets made me starve. I started keto 4 days ago and If I’m honest I only have dinner because I have to consume the fat. Following the recipes they have here since I don’t cook has been awesome and I can say I checked my weight this morning and already lost 1 KG. I’m sleeping better and I’m feeling good and energetic all day even when I wake up very early. What can I say? I told some friends about this and they criticized me but as I said, the other diets didn’t work at all and I was hungry all day! So don’t judge if you don’t like this or you think it’s not good because of the fats. Search info first, most of all if you don’t try you can’t say whether is good or not. That’s why I’m doing it because at first I also thought “WTF” but now I’m very happy. I do miss eating cakes and cookies but this comes since I’m an emotional eater. With keto I can control it. Also about counting calories I feel with keto isn’t necessary ... and I believe we all are smart enough to know that eating 9 KG of bacon for lunch isn’t good. Right? So just use common sense when you cook and eat. That’s it. Keto is a different way of experience life. Seriously.
57
Adrian
May 3 2019
First, a few comments on some things I don’t see were addressed:
All carbs are not equal- the majority of carbs should be coming from green vegetables.
FIBER- lots of it! (this also helps with feeling full longer, preventing constipation, etc)
Net carbs is what matters: total carbs-fiber= net carbs
Too much protein is a bad thing- excessive protein is converted to glucose by the body.

I think the question of counting calories becomes more difficult if you’re intermittent fasting plus eating Keto because you’re compressing all your food intake of the day in a 6-8 hour window, so in order to make that work you’re naturally going to be eating extremely calorie (and nutrient) dense foods (mostly fats of course). Otherwise, it would be extremely difficult to fit in everything you’re going to eat within the window, and then fast 16-18 hours.
(I’m using this combined approach because although I do need to lose about 50 lbs, I have high insulin, especially in response to glucose. It’s what leads to insulin resistance and eventually diabetes. I have been getting “diabetes screenings” for years with checking fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c, but those were always normal. Insulin resistance is the root cause, which both Keto and intermittent fasting reverse. The lab test I got was a fasting, 1 hour, and 2 hour glucose tolerance test with insulin response to glucose. Again, glucose was normal at every measurement, but all insulin was high)

Reply: #87
58
Matt
May 19 2019
I'm 5'9" and weighed 192 lbs before embarking on a fairly strict keto diet without any concerns regarding calorie intake. I lost 18 pounds in just under 35 days eating eggs and bacon for breakfast followed by microwaved items grilled the night before for lunch and rotisserie chicken or grilled items each evening. Not gonna lie, this diet sucks if you enjoy carbs, but it is very effective as I lost over 4 inches around my belly. Sometimes I will eat 3-5 steaks for dinner and 1/2 lb of bacon with 3-5 eggs for breakfast. I also drink 3-5 diet sodas a day and Powerade Zero Fruit Punch as I need something sweet, plus I snack on dry roasted peanuts and/or popcorn daily. My exercise level remained constant, I noticed that cycling improved while on this diet, but hiking in the mountains definitely suffered (low energy) despite the reduced weight. I now eat a carb heavy breakfast prior to hiking and bring along fruit (and other carbs) and have no energy issues. I've been on this diet for about 2 months now and have lost a total of 22 lbs. I have incorporated limited carbs (like small portions of rice every other day) back into my diet recently to maintain my weight and to break the monotony of eating the same food over and over. I'm 52 and haven't been this thin since my early 20's - had to go buy new clothes, but I'm not complaining. This is a very difficult diet to follow, especially traveling, birthdays, etc., but despite naysayers' opinions it is effective if you persevere .

Replies: #75, #76
59
Reply to comment #15 by Cindy
Lisa
June 30 2019
Hi Cindy,
Thank you for this comment. I've been doing keto for about four months now. I exercise several times a week (walk 3 miles). I have only lost 10 pounds. I weight 173 now. I've been trying to figure out why my weight loss is so slow. I track my macros and test for ketosis; both are good. I have been suspecting a thyroid problem, but everytime I go to the doctor the test comes back negative. I have been wondering if I am consuming too many or not enough calories (average about 1400 a day). I'm going to try increasing my water intake and see if it helps. Thanks!
60
Reply to comment #49 by Shirley
Deb
September 27 2019
Shirley - I have done low carb (many years) and now Weight Watchers for almost two years. I lost weight on both programs - and I actually found WW to be pretty easy. However, I found out last Dec. that I'm probably gluten intolerant - my go to for snacks instead of something healthy was low fat goldfish etc. I ate soup (canned) every day for lunch. I lost over 40 lbs. within 6 months and I'm also 63 years old - so past menopause as well. The issue for me is I hate to cook with a passion and that made WW easy for me because I could do processed crap (I could also have cooked healthier options but alas I hate to cook). I am working my way back to low carb/keto because I find it to be a healthy way of living. As for the calorie count controversy, I do find no matter which program I use that if I keep my cals below 1300 I lose, if I go over I maintain or gain. You can try tracking your carbs/cals and see if either one make a difference - looks like over 30 carbs causes you to gain - but check your calories against that too to see where you fall. I started double-tracking carbs and cals because I wasn't eating enough cals at one point and I didn't lose (hard to believe because I LOVE to eat) I'd also do a check online to see if other folks have had issues with this insomnia drug and how long it took to recover from taking it.

I had success on low carb for years, when I followed it, then I was started on mirtazapine (Remeron) for insomnia and put on 20 pounds in 3 weeks. The medication stopped working after five months, so I stopped it six months ago. The weight won't budge. I'm now carrying 140 pounds on a 5 foot frame. I no longer look or feel like myself. I saw a dietician at the VA this week who said low carb is non-sustainable. She said I need to follow a low-fat, high-carb, 1200-calorie a day diet plus write down everything I eat. This seems highly restrictive and even less sustainable. She seemed to really be focused on milk intake. I said I haven't been drinking much and instead eat yogurt that I make myself. "You're using skim milk, l assume?” "No. Whole milk.” My god, you'd think I'd told her l eat live kittens! She was appalled. Same when I mentioned I use heavy cream in my coffee. She made a claim that l totally didn't understand. She said it takes 9 hours to burn off 1 fat gram, so if I'm eating so much fat my body will never be able to burn it off. I know a fat gram has 9 calories; I've never heard of the 9 hour thing. I'm at a bit of a loss for what to do; the absolute most carbs l can eat in a day without seeing an immediate overnight 5-pound water weight gain is 30 grams. Carbs are my comfort foods. The weight gain has made me stressed, and the usual LCHF is no longer working, so I reach for the comfort foods. It's a vicious circle.
1 comment removed
62
Sara
October 2 2019
Hey im a mother of a 4 months old baby girl I al breastfeeding so its very limited what i can do when it comes to diet besides im still craving stuff because of the breastfeeding hormones but i did some research about keto and I watched so many videos on youtube of breastfeeding mamas that have actually list weight thanks to the keto diet!! So i thought ill give it a go. Would you recommend this diet to a breastfeeding woman?

Reply: #63
63
Reply to comment #62 by Sara
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
October 2 2019

Hey im a mother of a 4 months old baby girl I al breastfeeding so its very limited what i can do when it comes to diet besides im still craving stuff because of the breastfeeding hormones but i did some research about keto and I watched so many videos on youtube of breastfeeding mamas that have actually list weight thanks to the keto diet!! So i thought ill give it a go. Would you recommend this diet to a breastfeeding woman?

We have a great guide for that! The important thing is to not restrict calories or intake and to stay well hydrated. You may feel better around 50g carbs a day instead of 20.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/when-breastfeeding
64
Laura
October 4 2019
I’ve been doing Keto for 1 week still suffering Keto flu but I’m worried I’m not getting that many calories I’m eating 3 small meals a day no snacks and my hunger has just disappeared since dropping carbs which is fab as I was a serial snacker and always over did portions so the massive appetite reduction has amazed me, but I fear I’m only getting around 500-900 cals p day! Maybe it’s just the Keto flu and soon I will be able to get more from my breakfast lunch and dinners, but I’m worried the cal intake is what making me ill and I won’t be able to fit more in can I survive of the small amounts I’m getting or will I remain I’ll (ketoflu)
65
Kelly
October 5 2019
I don't know if this helps or is even healthy but I did my own Lacto-Ovo-Veggie-Keto thing.

For breakfast and lunch I ate the same thing every single day for eight months. (Well, two years now) But for this thing it was 8 months.
For breakfast, I had two eggs, onion, bell pepper, mushroom, feta cheese scramble. with a homade tzatziki sauce and some avacado.
For lunch, I had celery, cucumber, cauliflower, hummus, string cheese, and almonds.
For dinner it varied, I would have portabello mushroom pizza, veggie chowder, roasted cauliflower, baked-broccoli-beans-brussels sprouts, tofu of varies styles, and breakfast again. Basically, anything that kept my total daily carb intake under 25 grams.

I ate breakfast about 8am, lunch around, 1pm, and dinner around 6pm.
I tried to walk at least 10,000 steps a day but I'm pretty lazy.
And I weighed myself every single day.

Once a month I would go out and splurge.

For breakfast I'd get two orders of hashbrowns, at lunch I got the large sandwhich of some kind with chips, for dinner I felt like I was going to puke at the end. And whatever dessert it was would almost put me into a sugar coma, but it was deliciously glorious.

And, I would gain about 3 pounds over the course of the following week before it started dropping off again.

There is always three or four days after a bunch of carbs before the weight starts dropping again, that's why splurging once a week didn't work. It had to be once a month.
Truthfully, after eating all that delicious garbage for an entire day, I was in no hurry to do it again.

I lost 80 pounds in 8 months

I stopped treating food as a reward. Its just fuel now.

Nowadays, I can go out and eat whatever I like and if I need to drop a few pounds afterwards, I just stick the above for a few weeks.

Over the year and a half since I lost 80 pounds I have flucuated up and down 10 pounds either way but I always know exactly why and how to correct it.

Anyways, this worked for me. If it works for anyone else, great. Now I just gotta figure out what to do with all this extra skin.

Cheers
66
Kathy
October 26 2019
People on many keto groups seem obsessed with macros and calories. I don't know how that is sustainable for a way of eating for life. Some of that is trying to justify a reliance on packaged foods and lots of keto treats. And maybe its OK when you are first starting out in order to learn what different foods are composed of, but I think people might get burned out on all the tracking. I like to keep it simple: meats, fish, eggs, green veggies and cauliflower, avocado, olives, pickles. And fats are ghee, butter, olive oil and avocado oil. Occasional nuts, cheese, and other low-carb foods. That is sustainable for life as there is nothing better than a dinner of a ribeye steak, a nice salad and a great veggie with butter. I have been very successful keeping it simple with no tracking of calories or macros.

Reply: #86
67
Daniel
October 30 2019
Help me understand this article, which I think is trying to say "calories don't matter"?
If you eat foods high in fat you'll feel full and eat less (thus Less Calories??) which sounds like calories DO matter?
I'm just trying to sift through what is the truth of this post.
I've enjoyed reading both the Diabetes Code and the IF book by Dr. Fung. Lots of good stuff there!
Thanks!
68
Reply to comment #54 by Jinxy
Erin
November 20 2019
I have have been studying foods I also decided about 20 to 25 carbs per day would be good . I try to eat about 1000 calories per day. I learned on the days I included spinach and or other leafy veggies like colors greens I lost almost one pound. Those are good for helping your liver help your body burn fat.
69
Erin
November 20 2019
I wrote one pound before I meant one pound per day.
1 comment removed
71
Frank
December 13 2019
I have been on a Keto diet since last may and have lost 50 lbs., but I also practice intermittent fasting every day. My eating window is between 1pm and 6pm, rest of the time I am fasting. If I feel a little hungry before 2pm, sometimes I will make myself a cup of coffee with a tablespoon of MCT oil. The fat will get rid of my hunger and I have no problem waiting for 2pm to roll around. If I seem to have stop losing weight, I now do a 40 hr fast on Sunday night starting at 6pm and ending on Tuesday afternoon. It works. I suggest that you should do some research into combining Keto and fasting. It has worked for me and I feel the best I ever have.
72
celeste
January 12
ma quante proteine al giorno si possono mangiare?
73
Melissa
January 17
Me and my husband switched from a low-fat diet to the low-carb diet on December 24th. We had been on that diet for 5 months and lost quite a bit of weight but we were both stuck at an the scale wasn't moving so we thought doing a diffrent diet would shock our bodies. I have a Keto recipie book and I feel like we are following the guidelines very closely but we are not losing anymore but gaining. We also workout 5X a week. Treadmill 1 mile, elliptical 1mile and bicycle 1mile, also lifting to tone my arms. I've read it could be muscle gain an water retention. I learned about the "fat whoosh" so I'm hoping to stray seeing results soon. I think maybe we have been over snacking even tho it's low-carb snacks. Any tips would be appreciated. Does portion size matter and if I use artificial sweeteners like Stevia or splenda is that affecting my diet as well, should i not be taking in any sweeteners at all.

Reply: #74
74
Reply to comment #73 by Melissa
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
January 17

Me and my husband switched from a low-fat diet to the low-carb diet on December 24th. We had been on that diet for 5 months and lost quite a bit of weight but we were both stuck at an the scale wasn't moving so we thought doing a diffrent diet would shock our bodies. I have a Keto recipie book and I feel like we are following the guidelines very closely but we are not losing anymore but gaining. We also workout 5X a week. Treadmill 1 mile, elliptical 1mile and bicycle 1mile, also lifting to tone my arms. I've read it could be muscle gain an water retention. I learned about the "fat whoosh" so I'm hoping to stray seeing results soon. I think maybe we have been over snacking even tho it's low-carb snacks. Any tips would be appreciated. Does portion size matter and if I use artificial sweeteners like Stevia or splenda is that affecting my diet as well, should i not be taking in any sweeteners at all.

We do recommend avoiding artificial sweeteners. You can read about that and our top weight loss tips in this article.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/how-to-lose-weight
75
Reply to comment #58 by Matt
Jim
January 23
Thank you Matt for your comments. My goal is to loose 25# of fat and gain 10# of muscle in the next 6-9 months. I find it hard to keep my carbs below 20g if total carbs unless I really detail everything super carefully. I started intermittent fasting before Christmas and then keto 8 days ago. I think the intermittent fasting helped me easily fall into ketosis after just 1 day and generally run between 1.5 and 2.5 (Keto strips). I'm trying to not get caught up in net carbs vs total carbs until my body does more adjusting to fat burning. As soon as I starting my workout program I got the Christmas cold mixed in with the Keto Flu so things haven't move forward fully yet.

I'm hoping to increase my carb intake as some point. It just feels too low to me (Heard to get used to the idea of staying at 20g). Especially when my workouts reach three solid kettlebell workouts a week and 4-1 hour movement (classes, gentle rowing, or walking/hiking). I will be curious to hear how mixing the grains and higher carbs effect your ketones (if you are testing). If you are testing, please post or let me know how the testing goes.

Thanks,
Jim

I'm 5'9" and weighed 192 lbs before embarking on a fairly strict keto diet without any concerns regarding calorie intake. I lost 18 pounds in just under 35 days eating eggs and bacon for breakfast followed by microwaved items grilled the night before for lunch and rotisserie chicken or grilled items each evening. Not gonna lie, this diet sucks if you enjoy carbs, but it is very effective as I lost over 4 inches around my belly. Sometimes I will eat 3-5 steaks for dinner and 1/2 lb of bacon with 3-5 eggs for breakfast. I also drink 3-5 diet sodas a day and Powerade Zero Fruit Punch as I need something sweet, plus I snack on dry roasted peanuts and/or popcorn daily. My exercise level remained constant, I noticed that cycling improved while on this diet, but hiking in the mountains definitely suffered (low energy) despite the reduced weight. I now eat a carb heavy breakfast prior to hiking and bring along fruit (and other carbs) and have no energy issues. I've been on this diet for about 2 months now and have lost a total of 22 lbs. I have incorporated limited carbs (like small portions of rice every other day) back into my diet recently to maintain my weight and to break the monotony of eating the same food over and over. I'm 52 and haven't been this thin since my early 20's - had to go buy new clothes, but I'm not complaining. This is a very difficult diet to follow, especially traveling, birthdays, etc., but despite naysayers' opinions it is effective if you persevere .
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Reply to comment #58 by Matt
Chandler
January 25
Hi, Matt!

Started Keto a month ago and I'm finding out quickly that it doesn't suck if you work on alternatives for the carby things you enjoyed off of keto, and of course, this is if you have the time and energy, because as a full-time student and worker I also commonly resort to microwaved stuff too!

For example, this week I tried my hand at making almond flour dark chocolate brownies, which ranked at 2g net carbs per brownie and they were small but thick and very fudgy and delicious. Yesterday, I quickly made low-carb cheddar biscuits coming up to 5g net carbs per biscuit and they definitely do not feel keto! My fiance ended up using one as a bun for his burger. (That's what I am trying next- Psyllium Husk burger buns) Discovering that putting in the effort to make these keto-friendly alternatives to bread things we really like, helps me not feel so restricted, and in fact, feels like I'm not dieting at all sometimes.
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s.ehrensperger
January 26
Could undereating on keto become a problem? I'm often full with 1200 to 1400 kcal a day. But I don't want to slow my metabolism.

Reply: #78
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Reply to comment #77 by s.ehrensperger
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
January 28

Could undereating on keto become a problem? I'm often full with 1200 to 1400 kcal a day. But I don't want to slow my metabolism.

When you are fat adapted, a lower hunger level is normal. We recommend eating to hunger; if you're following hunger cues it sounds like you're on the right track.
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JC Hamilton
January 30
I’ve been on Keto for 7 months and within 4 month had lost the 43 pounds that was my goal. I’ve not watched calories and only eat whole low carb vegetables, healthy fats (olive oil, avocado oil and coconut oil) and moderate high quality protein. I eat NO processed foods. No keto bars, etc. if it’s not fresh or frozen without preservatives I do not eat or buy it. If you keep your carbs healthy and low then watching calories isn’t required. It takes care of itself. I no longer take blood pressure or cholesterol meds and that’s a huge plus for me. There are so many keto sites to help with your journey. Good luck to all and happy healthy eating!
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Reply to comment #53 by amanda
Mike
February 7
1800 calories is not weight loss calories. That's closer to maintenance calories for a man. Keto or no keto, you still need to burn what you eat.

As a 36 year old, 6'1" 177lb (down from 207lb) male, I eat 1000 calories or less to lose 0.3-1.2lb/day.

My best losing days are usually following a super low calorie (300-500) or complete fasting day. My wife loses a little slower than I do with 600-800 calories and a lifelong difficulty in losing weight at any rapid speed, and even her 3lbs would be about a week of effort.

One meal a day. Intermittent fasting. Keto of 70 or 80% fat.

Any time I deviated from that, I either stall or lose painfully slowly.

I'm hoping you lost those 7lbs in this past year, but in case you're struggling: stop eating so much :-)

Reply: #84
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tejador
February 11
I'm really confused when it comes to calories. I get why you should not count calories but everybody has a differnt BMR (based on age...)
You should never eat under your BMR, mine is about 1900 cal and a variatey of Keto calculators told me that I should eat about 2200 cal to lose weight and I really strugle with that. I monitored what I had and I was about 700cal under my BMR every day.
So what should I do? Now I count what I eat (it's hard to get that amount of food in), I feel better but still don't lose weight and eat even if I'm not hungry.
I have no idea what to do, is it ok for someone like me to controll the food or not ?

Reply: #82
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Reply to comment #81 by tejador
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
February 11

I'm really confused when it comes to calories. I get why you should not count calories but everybody has a differnt BMR (based on age...)
You should never eat under your BMR, mine is about 1900 cal and a variatey of Keto calculators told me that I should eat about 2200 cal to lose weight and I really strugle with that. I monitored what I had and I was about 700cal under my BMR every day.
So what should I do? Now I count what I eat (it's hard to get that amount of food in), I feel better but still don't lose weight and eat even if I'm not hungry.
I have no idea what to do, is it ok for someone like me to controll the food or not ?

We generally recommend eating to hunger. When you eat to your hunger level on a given day, you are on the right track. That may be fewer calories on some days and more on others. You may find this really helpful.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/how-analyzing-hunger-helps-you-lose-weight
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Reply to comment #53 by amanda
Nichola
March 5
Are you in the UK or USA? I ask because if you're in the UK you do not take the fibre from the carbs as that is already calculated in the UK what is carbs is the net carbs so if you have been doing carbs-fibre you have been unknowingly consuming more carbs and going over your daily limit
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Reply to comment #80 by Mike
John
March 9
Hey Mike,
I really appreciate this comment. I will take it to heart.
I have kind of "stalled" (last couple of days) and I'm pretty convinced it's due to calories. I started with a "low carb" diet until my weight loss stalled. So, I tried IF (Intermittent Fasting) and it helped some, but I found I was consistently hungry on fasting days and more likely to eat more when not -- I felt like it was a bad strategy for me. Finally, I started Keto about 1.5 weeks ago and have lost ~8.5 pounds. I'm running around in ketosis averaging 2.5 mmol/L -- been at low as 1.2 and as high as 3.1 (all readings using a breath ketone meter). I determined that the urine test strips are pretty useless (I was always "trace or small" until I closely read the numbers Trace is 0.5 and small is 1.5). I guess they think the next step is "moderate" and it's 4.5. Really? Then how come I keep seeing between 1.0 and 3.0 as where you want to be? I'd already read that the urine strips are not helpful long term -- I guess the body starts using the ketones instead of getting rid of them, but I don't see any use for them now.
I still have a lot to go, but I will say this: no hunger on Keto, no carb highs or lows, and I might be able to swing between keto and "low fasting" days (~500 cals or so). I've come to appreciate Keto Coffee now, so that stays and maybe a snack of some sort...
1 comment removed
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Reply to comment #66 by Kathy
Brenda
May 15
Amen! Keep it simple. All that counting is too much!
Eat the right foods, stop when you’re full (not stuffed to the gills), don’t eat again until you’re truly hungry. Listen to your body.
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Reply to comment #57 by Adrian
sigmacats
May 21
I'm working on insulin resistance and leptin levels, too. I use a Keto-Mojo and test my glucose and ketones at the end of my 16-18 hour intermittent fast and it is usually in the range of 75-85 glucose/1.0-1.3 ketones. I feel great eating this way, no cravings, no hunger problems. I eat in that 6-8 hour window at the beginning and at the end of it. Low carb/high good fat.

Have lost 21 lbs in 3 months. Just had complete bloodwork done and am awaiting results. Crossing my fingers my insulin has gone down from 8.9 (was up to 16 at one point a couple of years ago) and my oxidized cholesterol is better, as well as my Lp(a)!

I find if you truly want to eat low carb/high good fat, you have to track your food to be sure you are getting the 70% fat, 20% protein and 10% carb suggested. I use cronometer.com as a guide.
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sigmacats
May 21
Oops, accidentally "reported" comment. Didn't know what that icon was for! I wanted to edit that I also have used the Keto-Mojo to see if any particular food spikes my insulin and have used it after meals to make sure my insulin levels returned to "normal" within 3 hours.
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H.S.
June 4
I must admit, flour made of almonds and psylliumhusk is very expensive compared to the wholegrain dinkel flour I often use. But this morning I had serious carbcravings and ate two slices of dinkelbread with butter, liverpate pickles cucumber, peppers, onion and two slices pineapple plus one big cup of ( keto ) hot chocolate. When I counted the calories of that breakfast it was up to 793 kcal. I have eaten eggs or omelettes or fat dairy with berries the entire week as breakfast. Lost 14 cm of my waistline but now this morning I was a glutton. I even went swimming in the sea with rather cold water for half an hour, The water was still rather cold so noone else went swimming, they enjoyed the weather 16 degrees celsius fully dressed on the beach but I thought I Will freeze off some bellyfat in the cool water. Later in the evening I had muscleache and felt irritated over just about everything. Could that yesterdays swimming set me into carbcravings? Is it common to have irritability the first week of trying to lower carbs?

Reply: #90
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Reply to comment #89 by H.S.
Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor
June 4

I must admit, flour made of almonds and psylliumhusk is very expensive compared to the wholegrain dinkel flour I often use. But this morning I had serious carbcravings and ate two slices of dinkelbread with butter, liverpate pickles cucumber, peppers, onion and two slices pineapple plus one big cup of ( keto ) hot chocolate. When I counted the calories of that breakfast it was up to 793 kcal. I have eaten eggs or omelettes or fat dairy with berries the entire week as breakfast. Lost 14 cm of my waistline but now this morning I was a glutton. I even went swimming in the sea with rather cold water for half an hour, The water was still rather cold so noone else went swimming, they enjoyed the weather 16 degrees celsius fully dressed on the beach but I thought I Will freeze off some bellyfat in the cool water. Later in the evening I had muscleache and felt irritated over just about everything. Could that yesterdays swimming set me into carbcravings? Is it common to have irritability the first week of trying to lower carbs?

It is not uncommon to experience cravings and irritability in the beginning. The best way to combat this is to have satisfying meals that are low in carb, contain adequate protein and fat for satiety. Here is an article on common side effects and how to combat them. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/side-effects

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