Oh NO - Calorie Talk Again?

(Dawn) #1

Hi Keto Fam

I am so sorry to bring up this topic again. But I have a question about calories. I know calorie questions are counter intuitive to keto, but please keep reading and you will see why I ask the question.

To prove to all of you that I am paying attention and doing my homework, here are the top facts that i have learned from the previous posts on this topic:

  1. A calorie is NOT a calorie and calorie types matter
  2. Keto is about hormones and insulin, not calories
  3. Stop counting calories and focus on macros
  4. Eat to satiety and calories will take care of themselves
  5. Either FEAST or FAST, don’t do a strange hybrid of the two. It is better to eat nothing than to eat too little

I am on day 44 of keto. I believe that I am fat adapted. I know I am not supposed to count calories, but I need some type of guide to make sure that I don’t UNDER EAT (or over eat but that is rare)

I don’t know how much to eat when feasting.
Between IF, Keto and occasional extended fasts (3 days or less), I’m just not too hungry these days. I am very worried that I am eating too little and destroying my metabolism. I am restricting calories without intending to because I am not that hungry. I fast quite a bit based on Dr. Fung’s schedule of two 24hour fasts per week, another five days of IF and two 3day extended fasts per month. My MAIN purpose for fasting is for insulin resistance, not just weight loss. I have lost about 25 pounds in 44 days. I have about 70 pounds still to lose.

Here are my questions:

  1. I set my calories and BMR based on my calculated GOAL weight. Is that correct? OR should I be eating based on a BMR calculation of my current weight?
  2. I am eating well below my BMR because I am not hungry. Is that destroying my metabolsm? Won’t the fat stored on my body make up the difference between my BMR and my actual caloric intake?
  3. When I do eat more calories, I gain weight and it doesn’t come back off. Why does that happen?
  4. I feel satisfied at about 1200 calories (1400 with exercise). That number works for me and keeps me losing at a good pace, but that is waaay below my BMR for both my current weight and goal weight. I average about 1300/day but my BMR is supposed to be around 1700
  5. Is it ok to go OVER my BMR caloric number? (rare but it has happened?)

Can someone please set me straight once and for all? I am starting to feel confused and overwhelmed.

(Anderson Herzogenrath Da Costa) #2

There is a formula to estimate BMR based on your current weight. You can use your goal weight to set a deficit and decide how much less than your BMR you want to eat.

It’s OK not to eat when you’re not hungry and it’s normal not to be hungry on the first months. Don’t stress over it, you’re not ruining your metabolism if you’re just listening to your body.

Are you eating past satiety just to reach your calories goal?
You’re eating more calories of what?

I don’t even calculate my BMR. I eat to satiety - some days it’s more and some days it’s less.
I didn’t eat much on my first months. Now I am over a year in keto and my apetite is more consistent.
It’s OK to eat when you are hungry and not eating when you’re not.
If you are stressing too much about it, try not counting calories for a couple weeks and see how it works for you.

(Ernest) #3

If you are stuffed , you are past satiety.
If I gave you a chicken breast when you claim to be hungry, would you eat it or no? If no, then you were not really hungry.

Moral of the story, eat when hungry, don’t stuff yourself. Some days you will eat more than others. Some days you won’t eat at all.

If the goal is to eat like our ancestors, these folks had no BMR calculators.

(Dawn) #4

Very good point!