Calorie control

fat
calories
(Sandy) #1

Hi All, I started keto diet for around a month now.
My profile: female, 4 feet 11 and 101 lbs. as of 3/28 (started keto in early March, I was 106.5 lbs, my goal is to be 92 lbs. on or before mid-May)
I am unclear about calorie control.

As some people say, we don’t have to count calorie in keto and on the other hand many people point out the calorie still matter.
I am more towards the latter prospective, however, when I’m trying to eat that much fat and watch calorie is almost impossible.
Since I am a small girl, online calorie calculator tells me if I want to lose weight then I should eat less than 1,000 calories which is extremely hard to do if I eat 3 meals a day with all the fat.

How should I do this?

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

The most important part of a ketogenic diet is to eat as little carbohydrate as you can manage. This will keep your insulin low and, if you have fat to lose, will allow the fat out of your fat tissue to be metabolized. But you also want to be sure to give your body enough calories. If you give it too little, it responds by cutting back and hanging on to its reserves, in order to get you safely through the famine.

Give your body enough calories, or even a bit too many, and it responds in the other direction: metabolic rate goes up, it doesn’t mind using up some of that extra stored fat, it’ll even waste a bit of energy. The key to making sure your body gets enough is to eat to satiety. In other words, don’t eat until you are hungry, then stop eating when you stop being hungry, and don’t eat again until you are hungry again. This will let your body set your food intake at a level that will let it metabolize both the food you eat and some of that excess stored fat. Let your body do all the calorie-counting, so you don’t have to.

(Sandy) #4

This is extremely helpful! The calorie counting or not debate comes clear and makes sense now. Thank you Paul.

(Scott) #5

I ignore calories. If I am not losing weight and want to I may decrease fat consumption a bit but that is after weeks or months of no loss. I know it seems strange after caloric deficit and low fat has been beaten into our brains but keto is different. Limit carbs, eat when hungry but no snacking. Keto will take care of the rest. Also just because you are not counting calories does not mean to consume them with reckless abandon. Your are retraining your brain to realize you are full and don’t need more fuel.