Macros and calories roast chicken


#1

Hi all,

This is my first post on the forum :slight_smile:

I have been on and off paleo low carb for a few years now, mostly without counting any macros, calories etc. I would like to take it a bit more serious now, and try to go stricter keto with IF.

I have a question about calories and macros of roast chicken. Should I take the weight of the chicken before roasting? Should I deduct fat and calories for tracking due to the drippings and bones left in the roasting tray? Would love to hear your approach.

Thanks a lot !


(Susan) #2

Welcome to the forum @MadameChat =).

If you are new to counting the macros, if you haven’t already downloaded something to do that with, I use cronometer.com and it is free and works well.

Then, stick to 20 grams or less of carbs a day, NO Sugar, eat enough proteins and healthy fats, make sure you are getting enough calories, drink a lot of water, and get in your Electrolytes and salt, and you will be doing great.

When I would roast a chicken, I weigh the amount of meat I will be eating, after I have cooked it. So if I am eating 4 ounces of the meat, I would put that in the tracker =).

This is a great and easy Ketoaide recipe for the electrolytes as well:

If you have any questions, just make a post and ask, we are a very friendly, helpful forum and want to encourage everyone in their Keto journey.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #3

Personally, I don’t calculate macros or count calories at all. I do keep my carb count low, but the rest is just eating to satiety. I get as much protein as feels right, and then fill in with fat till I’m no longer hungry. Chicken can be rather lean, so I make sure to cook it in tallow or bacon grease, buy pieces with the skin on and don’t trim any fat, and if necessary, put a little butter on it. Yum!

That said, some people find protein more satiating, others find fat more satiating. You may have to do a bit of experimenting to find what works for you.

Also, in case no one mentioned it, avoid vegetable oils, because they have too many inflammatory polyunsaturated fatty acids. Too much vegetable oil is likely to make you feel ill. Stick to tallow, lard, butter, and bacon grease for cooking, and use avocado, coconut, or olive oil for other uses.


#4

Thanks for all the good advise ! I eat the whole chicken inclusing skin, which is not lean in my book. I do eat to satiety, and weightloss since restricting carbs a bit more the past few months has been great (lost about 40 pounds in 3 months). I live on an island in the indian ocean and finding good meats is a struggle. For example, all the bacon I have found so far all has MSGs in it, ‘Grass fed’ is a word that does not exist here. Not ideal maybe, but I eat a lot of eggs, free range whole chicken (with the skin), avocado, coconut and olive oil.

After a few days of logging everything it already starts to bore me so maybe I will just focus on counting only the carbs :slight_smile:


(Susan) #5

It sounds like you are doing great, and yes, as long as you have 20 grams or less of carbs a day, that is what is important. You seem to be doing really well with what you are eating; though, and you are certainly losing at a good pace! Keep up the good work, and if you have any questions, just ask =).