Most accurate Keto calculator

(Tricia) #1

Just curious what keto calculator everyone is using, and having good results.

(Tricia) #2

Also, when to recalculate your macros??

(charlie3) #3

I’m tracking with a general prpose nutrician app called Cronometer. It has a keto mode setting and will report what’s happeniing with macros along with everything else, including micro nutrients. It’s free unless you want it to save your recipes. I paid the $35 annual subscription. Money well spent. It’s cloud based so your data is accessible from any device.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #4

I find MyFitnessPal works fine for me. It’s free, and you just have to reset your macro goals as it defaults to a low fat SAD. Every once in a while it will give me warnings that I’m going over my suggested limit of sodium, but oh well. I just ignore it.
You can create and save your recipies in the free version too. And it has a restaurant feature that allows you to see the macros of menu items at chain restaurants.

The only drawback is that people can input their own entries and it becomes part of the complete database of foods, so you have to be careful what you select from the options that come up as some people aren’t very accurate.

(Rob) #5

If you mean keto macro calculator rather than logging app (I like and prefer LoseIt to the others), then most calculators seem very similar in results. A lot of people like ruled.me

The KEY thing is to make sure you select “maintain” NOT “weight loss” setting or you will get starvation rations. I find it staggering that you have a keto calculator that fundamentally misunderstands how keto works and applies stupid CICO logic to it. Most people who start with “weight loss” macros stall out after some CICO losses and do better when advised (as most people here will do) to eat more… FAT! Don’t get in to that trouble and start with adequate calories in keto ratios. Don’t worry about overeating or missing those ratios (to begin with) as long as you keep carbs keto low (~20g net carbs). Protein is an n=1 issue and can be safely flexible from low to high, depending on how your body reacts, while fat fills you up to adequate calories. I would consider starting low protein and flex it up higher if low isn’t working (or you are active/lifting/muscle building). Lots of discussions about protein levels for you to research in these forums.

#6

Sorry, but I had to chuckle at the phrase “most accurate” as the thread title. It’s all going to be guessing no matter which calculator you use. For me, the concept of Keto is a simple one – “minimal carbs, adequate protein, fats (as needed for energy and satiety)”.

Carbs are usually set at 20 grams net carbs, simply because that should cause Ketosis is almost everyone. In essences, a lowest common denominator. But many will be able to go higher.

But protein and fat will be more variable, not only varying by easily measurable age, gender, height, and weight, but also by vaguely inaccurate self-estimates of activity levels and observed body composition.

I saw a recent video on the diabetes epidemic in India. It varies quite a bit from that in America. One example they had was two of the researchers that are a little different in height, but look about the same otherwise, and have the same BMI. However, one carried 9% body fat and the other 22%.

If I had a scale that measured my weight out to five decimal places, it doesn’t mean it’s more accurate. :slight_smile:

(Tricia) #7

I’ve been doing keto for 6 weeks. 1100-1200 calories, 100g fat, 58g protein, 12 total carbs. I’m 50 woman 150. I’ve lost 6 lbs, ( 1/2 - 1 pound weekly), which is good for me. I work out with weights and cardio 4 -5 days. I’m wondering if I should recalculate my macros. Maybe I’m not eating enough or to much?

(Tricia) #8

Ruledme says maintenance 1735 cal, 148 fat, 90 protein, 10 net carbs. Seems like a lot to me!

(LeeAnn Brooks) #9

You didn’t give your height. That’s needed in calculating. But I’m guessing the 1700 range isn’t far off. I’m 5’2” 135 pounds and mine is between 1450-1600 depending which calculator I use.

(Rob) #10

Thanks… it wasn’t working for me so I was about to try another one…

It always seems a lot to anyone brought up on CICO… read every other post where we discuss this and this is the almost universal response. That said, just check the people who have upped their calories (via fat) to this kind of level and it has worked in the vast majority of cases. 1200 kcal is officially starvation rations for nutritional experiments. Your body will just be adjusting its processes to meet what you give it and it will block the adaptation processes that create stress and take energy that you are not giving it.

Trust the keto logic and process and I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

KCKOWMF (with more Fat) :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

(Tricia) #11

Oops! Sorry! I’m 5’4".

(LeeAnn Brooks) #12

So based on that, I would say the 1700 is a minimum of what you would need.

(Tricia) #13

I won’t gain weight eating all that???

(LeeAnn Brooks) #14

You shouldn’t, but if you do, it’s only a blip in your weight loss timeline.

I started off Keto by following a 4 week meal plan. The daily calorie counts varied anywhere from 1200-2000, but most days averaged 1600-1800. (It’s not a bad idea to stagger your days like this so your body doesn’t get used to it and learns to adapt). Anyway, I lost 8.4 pounds during the 4 weeks. I didn’t track my macros because it was all worked out for me.

Then I sort of went off on my own. The only problem was, after so many years of yo-yo diets and binging, my satiety signals are all messed up. I started to gain weight back. Not just in the scale weight, but clothes I had finally got to fit back into again were staring to be snug again.
So I started tracking everything, and I discovered I was continuously over 2000. Typically around 2200. Now some people will say you can do that on Keto, but I maintain that’s still overeating for someone my size.

So I did the calculations and saw that I should be at 1600 max for maintenance. And since then I’ve made sure to stay around that range. Some days I go over. Some days I’m under. But it all averages out. And I started to lose weight again.

Oh, and I’m seldom hungry, so that tells me I’m in the right range, even though I still feel like I’d keep eating if I allowed myself. I think given time my satiety signals will begin working and then I can go by that, but until then, contrary to what most people will say on Keto, I am watching my calories.

(Rob) #15

I mean this entirely respectfully and constructively… but if you think that, you haven’t yet done enough research into how and why keto works. Not that research should get in the way of doing keto but you shouldn’t apply CICO logic to this WoE. It’s like bringing a twig to a gunfight. :grinning:

There are many threads on here which discuss this at length - not only people who eat more AND lose more, but how when you add fat to a keto diet, you don’t put on weight because that’s not how a hormonal model of metabolism works. One member here who is not slim or metabolically healthy @KetoInThe.UK did a great experiment eating 3000kcal a day for 5 days of almost pure fat (heavy cream) and while not advisable, lost 5+ lbs! The body is not a simple in/out engine, nor is it a fire you just throw logs on. What you eat, when you eat, other things you do to mess with hormones all matter way more than just calories. Please dig around in this area to get yourself comfortable with this logic or you will probably just stress out, raise cortisol and reduce or negate the benefits of keto.

Here’s a start…

The video link describing/explaining the second example is at about post 28

(Tricia) #16

Anniegirl9, I understand you. I too have been yo-yo dieting for years. Starvation diets, low calorie diets, etc. I gain very easily, and lose hard! I do better on the very low carb keto! Do you think I should gradually increase my calories and macros?

(Tricia) #17

Capnbob, thank you for those articles! Maybe it will make more sense to me after reading. I appreciate your time and help!

(LeeAnn Brooks) #18

No, I would increase immediately. You will be amazed how your body bounces back.

(Chris) #19

The calories ruled.me suggests to me in maintain vs lose weight are only a 300 cal difference. I just recalculated using maintain because I haven’t heard that before. I’m eatting 2 meals a day and IF. My cal usually end up being 1900 roughly and that feels like enough. Do you think it would benefit me to up it to the maintain ration? (just more fat). As my macros sit im usually around 66-68% fat and 22-24% protein so upping fat would only serve to even out ratios, not help with hunger or anything.thanks!!

(Rob) #20

It’s all educated guess work from the calculator, to your logging/food data, to your actual (rather than an average) metabolism etc. but I believe in the logic that it isn’t about CICO and deficits but healing the metabolism to do what it does properly (in the absence of significant carbs). The exception is if you have wrecked your BMR or hormonal responses to inputs then all bets are off.

So, I focus on eating to maintain kcal levels and let the body decide. If it refuses to lose weight at that level and 75% fat, then I might play with things like lower cals or even more fat (try to raise BMR) or just give it time. The problem with CR is that you will lose weight but you won’t know if it is keto metabolic healing or CR making it work (which isn’t really sustainable). Remember, a lot of stalls etc. are the body continuing to heal/evolve and no diet changes will do much until the body is ready to lose again. Some stories of doing things to magically break through multi-month stalls may well be happy coincidence that the body was ready to lose again (by lowering IR, etc.) rather than due to the actions taken.

If mild CR is working for you then crack on and then work on raising fat content and cals when you get closer to maintain and hope you haven’t trimmed your BMR which will be a bummer when you want to enjoy your goal weight, not struggle with a lower limit.