Calorie Intake?


(Elizabeth) #1

Hi,

My name is Elizabeth and I’m fairly new to Keto. I started in October of 2017.
I’ve lost approximately 50 lb (I do not own a scale , I just check at Target when I run errands sometimes so this could be slightly off)

I’m on a very strict version of this diet where I am only eating salmon, beef, sometimes lamb, and will be adding eggs back in very soon.

I’ve cut all dairy due to the effect it had on my body. (the opiates in cheese being my main concern.)

My issue with this very restrictive diet is getting the amount of calories I need. I don’t want to over-do it on the protein. I am already eating around 80-85 g of protein a day. My fat intake is pretty good as well. But my calorie intake overall averages at about 800-1000. I am concerned that this will hold me back in my weight loss journey. I’m also losing my hair, and finding my allergies are resurfacing.

Any tips on how I can balance these things out while getting enough calories.

Any help / advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you


(Rob) #2

Congratulations. That is an excellent result.

I assume you mean metaphorical opiates? Even so, the whole ‘cheese is addictive’ thing from a couple of years ago is bunk except in as much as anything can be addictive psychologically.

Those 2 statements cannot both be true. If you were looking for keto macros, then 80g of protein would imply at least 110-120g of fat. That would get you to about 1500 cals which still doesn’t sound like too much unless you are very slight now. If you are in the 800-1000 cal range you are starving yourself and your macros are more like 50:40:10 - not very keto. You are most likely well fat adapted but the reduced appetite doesn’t last forever. As you lose weight you have to raise your dietary nutrition, especially if you need to let your body’s insulin resistance to catch up to your weight loss. Losing hair is a definite sign of starvation (slowing bodily processes as your BMR reduces), though that isn’t the only reason. Protein deficiency is another, though it doesn’t look like you eat too little protein.

There are various things in dairy that you may wish to avoid but it might be useful to find out which one(s) give you problem so you can add the others back in. Casein in cheese, lactose in milk/yoghurt, etc. Butter is low in all these, heavy cream is also lacking in either. Ghee is butter with no impurities - all would help you with fat and may well not trigger issues?

My advice is that you need to eat more fat - more than twice as much, it seems. All the usual suspects - eggs, cheese, nuts, fatty meat, avocados, more nuts (macadamias are fat bombs). Your meats sounds like they are on the leaner side unless you are eating ribeyes and fatty lamb chops, which I doubt given your fat macros.

For keto to work, you need to embrace the fat. I don’t know your 6 month history on this WoE but if it’s all been like this I would be a little concerned that some or even most of your weight loss might be from calorie restriction (which definitely works for about 6 months) rather than keto-fying your metabolism. Have you been fighting the hunger all the way or has it been easy until now? If so, it is even more important to not fear the fat and let your body heal and let the keto magic happen. Best of luck.


#3

if you have body fat to lose, and are fat adapted you technically are never in a caloric deficit. eating more calories is not going to help you lose bodyfat, unless the calories you are getting are almost completely devoid of nutrients.


(Rob) #4

I don’t understand this. How is it possible to have calories with no nutrients since protein, fat and carbs are all (macro)nutrients. Is there any other way to provide calories?


#5

there are macro and micronutrients. you are not going to feel well or have good results if all your calories consist of nutrient devoid foods liken mct oil, sugar alcohols etc. if these are the only sources of calories that may inhibit fat loss by not providing the nutrients needed for proper metabolic function, thus sabotaging fat adaptation and lipolysis. so even though you are eating very few calories you are not supporting fat burning and see limited results, and your body will drive you to eat and that may consist of further poor choices.


(Rob) #6

So you just meant micro-nutrients. OK. That makes sense.