Ok, I’ve been keto for 8 weeks. A trainer at my gym suggested Keto to me because of my hard time losing weight. He set my calories 1200, 102g fat, 70 max pro, and < 20 total carbs. I’m 50yr old woman, 5’4, 149#. I’ve been feeling pretty good the last couple weeks. I’ve lost a total of 6#'s, and for the past couple weeks been up and down 1- 1 1/2#'s. I also work out with weights and cardio 4 days, and 1+ mile walks 4 nights. No cheats, except today I am so hungry! I overate all keto foods! Mostly nuts! No sugars, or sweets, as I don’t have cravings! I know you all say to increase my calories, but I’ve been a restricted eater for a long time, and the 1200 calories IS an increase to what I used to eat (900-1000). I just dont know what to do now! I’d just like to get down to 140 - 145. I try so hard, and I’m so disciplined, I just need help!
Help with calories and macros, please?!
Tricia,
When you have a little free time read through this discussion as it might explain some.
This will explain the process-
https://blog.virtahealth.com/weight-loss-ketogenic-diet/
Were here to help so don’t be afraid to ask.
Have you tried a fast, maybe 3 days? I find this mixes things up and usually results in a permanent loss of about a pound. (Down 3, up 2). It also makes me a little less reluctant to up my calories. I know I shouldn’t be afraid of extra calories, but old habits die hard, this is a way of giving myself permission to fully embrace keto and eat fat to satiety on the days when I’m eating.
Too many? I had to stop snacking on almonds (and sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds) because the carbs (and calories) would add up quickly. The carbs would increase my hunger and the calories would hamper my chance of weight loss.
If your hungry, you’re not eating enough. You can’t do CICO with Keto. During the adaptation phase you need to up your calories.
Focus on getting lots of good fats in. Eggs, bacon, coconut oil, alvacado, HWC, butter, cheese if you don’t have issues with dairy…
There’s so many and they are so yummy.
If your trainer set a calorie goal? Then he doesn’t really understand keto.
Thankfully, you’ve landed here, and to borrow from @Rgbigun’s recent Matrix reference:
@kib, have not really tried fasts. I’ve been trying coffee with hwc in morning, (5:30) breakfast at 10, lunch 2-2:30, and decaf coffee with hwc around 5:30 PM when I get home from work. I find I’m too hungry at meal times to skip, unless I have a bigger lunch, then I can go til the next morning with my coffee. I have the same fear with upping my calories. Old habits do die hard!! I like keto, I’m happy and usually satisfied with my meals! I love fats, and have no trouble getting them in! Thank you for your reply!
@OgreZed, yes! Way to many nuts! I usually don’t eat them, but I was so hungry I couldn’t stop!
@Anniegirl9, I probably am not eating enough. I know I need to increase my calories. Especially because of my workouts. Was thinking about going to 1338 cal, 119 fat, 67 pro, and 12 or less carbs, for a 2-3 weeks, then up to 1735 cal, 147 fats, 90 pro, 12 carbs or less. How does that look?? I think I’d feel better doing this way instead of just jumping to the higher numbers. I know you’re newish to this WOE, but I see you’re very knowledgeable, and I always agree with your responses to others. It’s easier to help someone else than it is yourself. I know what I would tell me if I wasn’t me, LOL, but to do it…that’s the hard part!
@Baytowvin, yes, he set me up. I did lose some weight on it. Losing is soooooo hard for me! Thats why I afraid to increase, even though I know I should!
Lose that thought, don’t set any limits. Carbs below 20g, protein around 70g, then as much fat as needed to prevent hunger.
When you’re metabolically hungry (not mentally hungry, aka “bored”), it’s much better to eat a pure FAT, and not a high-fat+carb (nuts). Nuts tend to increase appetite, both physiologically as well as mentally: they are calorically dense, yes, but innificently so. They’re very slow to digest (that is: the body must exert a larger amount of calories to digest said food to get the promised calories out of it, and your gut knows this, so it sends signals to the brain to eat even more of them), so they take longer to break down in the gut, and thereby take longer to shut off hunger. They also come with carbs, and are very easy to over-do (as above). Eating a solid FAT (like a cream-cheese-based fat bomb, a pat of butter, or a straight shot of MCT oil) is easy to digest quickly and completely, and is much more nutritionally dense. It shuts off hunger nearly instantly, because the body doesn’t need to exert nearly as much metabolic energy to get the calorie reward. Simply trying this will illustrate the principle to you. If you’re like me, and you do want some crunch with the fat, make cream-cheese-based dips and eat them with pork rinds. I can have one or two of those when actually hungry, and I’m good for hours…
The only reason to track calories (other than the fact that all apps do it if you’re tracking macros anyway) is to make sure you aren’t under eating.
Just make sure you aren’t going hungry. That’s number one. If you are still very low on calories and don’t feel hungry, than you need to start subbing in higher fat foods for low or moderate fat foods, even if they may otherwise be Keto friendly. At least till you get through adaptation.
I know it’s a scary thought process. I went from 12 straight weeks on a strict low fat diet eating 1000-1200 calories a day to Keto. I now average 1600. Some days as high as 2000. And I’m still losing weight. I’ll be honest, it comes off faster for me on low fat. But ultimately it’s not sustainable. The metabolism slows down and it takes less and less calories to achieve weight loss. And even maintaining is a much lower calorie threshold than what the body needs and craves. So to keep the weight off you have to basically diet the rest of your life, which is not possible.
After so many years of yo-yo’ing, I knew I had to do something different this time around. Upping my calories was really terrifying. But I did and I started to lose more weight. It was mostly water weight at first. I hit the stall most newbies cry about. I even gained back about 5 pound I initially lost between weeks 4-5. But since then I’ve lost that and a little more. I’m okay with a slower weight loss because I really feel like this is a WOE I can sustain. I don’t feel deprived and I don’t crave carbs. I can actually eat till I’m full and I’m still losing little by little. Try that on a low fat diet.
If you don’t mind me jumping on this thread…but I’d be interested on what your daily food intake looks like. I’m 42F 142lb and I try to keep between 1,100 and 1,200 a day. I am trying OMAD for a while and think I’d struggle to eat more any at one sitting.
I know! That’s what I’m pondering at the moment. I lost weight steadily keeping at about 1,100 per day from Jul-Dec last year when I first started. Then a few months of eating “keto-friendly” food (but probably more like 50g+ of carbs…too many nuts!). Just getting back on the sub-20g carb bandwagon but feel like things are a bit slower at progressing this time.
Yes you do, you eat more. You’re working out, between cardio and weight training you’re eating more and your metabolism is responding, you can’t make it 100mi on 80mi worth of gas! 1200 calories isn’t enough to sustain an active person working out. Nut’s stall a lot of people, be careful. Stop associating upping your calories with not loosing weight. Couldn’t be further from the truth. You know what DOES stop weight loss? Calorie restriction when you need more fuel!
@weedrea, you lost weight because your calories were too low. Just like me! We need to eat more. Just HAVE to keep carbs at 20 or less. I dont have a problem with that. Stay away from the nuts…for a little while anyway. I feel the weight loss is slow…but progress is progress. I’m going to up my calories, fats, and protein and see if that helps me. You should try it with me! Sometimes it’s better if you have someone to help and support you! 