Over eating calories

(Jake Gutierrez) #1

Can I still lose weight if I shoot a little over what my Macros are, besides not going over my 20 net Carbs?

(Rob) #2

It’s a very contentious issue with lots of reading but the short answer is somewhere between maybe and probably. Don’t worry about it and KCKO! :grin:

The consensus is that calories don’t really matter on keto but they can to some people at some stages of their keto journey. The metabolically healthy don’t seem to care how many calories they take in as long as they are keto (low carb) and the excess is in fat.
Metabolically deranged people may get benefits from flexing their calories - up to begin with to improve BMR and get fat adapted and then they reduce significantly as the appetite falls away and your body starts to use lots of body fat for energy. The key point is that your calorie intake changes driven by appetite, not by a conscious calorie restriction.

(Karen) #3

Thank you for the link. I go 'round and 'round on this one.

K

#4

Why? There is a definitive answer, but no can tell you what it is. It’s an n=1 question, which requires personal testing. And re-testing from time to time, because our body can change over time.

(Karen) #5

Thanks, yes n=1, but can’t quite figure out what’s working. I up the calories (keto and more fat) and sometimes I lose. But… Sometimes I gain. Then I cut back, and I lose, or what, what??? Gain. Really frustrating.

K

#6

From my own tracking, I’ve noticed a strong correlation between BG and weight. Specifically, on days when my morning BG is under 70, my morning weight will be less than the previous day. On days when it is over 90, my weight will be unchanged or have increased. This is probably caused by insulin levels, but I have no way of directly measuring that.

(Karen) #7

Not diabetic so I just can tell and can’t settle into something, a WOE, that consistently works or maybe there just isn’t anything.

K

#8

Hang in there, be patient with yourself.

My tendency is to approach things methodically, and improving my health was no exception. Even though I’m not diabetic, I prick my finger everyday because measuring BG and ketone levels is quantitative data that gives me feedback on how my metabolism is responding to what I eat.

Dr Fong says BMR increases during fasting (because of changes in hormones). Fasting applied over the long term lowers basal insulin levels, reduces bodyweight set point, decreases insulin resistance, and increases metabolic sensitivity.

I’m not a scientist, but I have a theory about fasting based on my own experiences. I’m specifically referring to block fasts, Dr Pompa’s term for fasts > 4 days. My theory is block fasts drop weight faster than it drops set point. I think that’s why much of the weight lost on shorter block fasts is regained.

The solution is simple: fast more and eat less. There are a myriad of ways to do that. Fast for long blocks (ie. until 20 lbs is lost). Reduce the number of eating days (ie. fast 4 days eat 3 days). Fast and gradually reintroduce feeding over several weeks (ie. Thomas DeLauer suggest a step down method of decreasing fasting by 1 day every 2 weeks).

Most times, if I resume eating for several consecutive days, I will regain the last 2-9 lbs I lost during a fast. But I can eat 1-2 meals over a day or two without regaining weight. So my goal is to stop eating before I start to gain weight.

My ideal eating pattern while trying to lose weight looks like this (f=fast e=eat):
f f f f f f e f f f f f f e
I can eat anything I want without gaining (or losing) weight on an eating pattern that looks like this:
f f e f f e

I believe anyone who fasts long enough will lose weight and can keep it off with the right regime. It’s not one size fits all. Through trial and tracking I’ve determined what works for me.

(Karen) #9

Thank you I found this very helpful!! Getting back into a fast today.

(Arlene) #10

How do you deal with the mental aspect of feeling deprived? My mind says “I’ve given up all my old favorite foods, but I still get to eat. Now you say I can’t even do that?”.

#11

Welcome to keto, now get that calorie counting crap out of your head. Where are you getting those numbers your following? A “calculator” have you had metabolic testing? It’s all a guess. What NOT a guess is your body telling you that your hungry, or telling you that you need more fuel! Hard thing to do but your best results will be from listening to your body. There IS an exception to that, and that’s the first couple weeks of eating this was as your brain is still hijacked by sugar, but after that give your body the benefit of doubt that it knows more than a online calculator.

To directly answer your question, YES you can still loose weight going over in most cases as long as your foods are correct because counting calories doesn’t work in most cases. If it were as easy as that most of the western world wouldn’t be obese.

Now go to Costco and buy a suitcase of bacon!

#12

No, I’m saying just the opposite. There’s no deprivation when eating, it’s balanced by periods of not eating. We tend to focus on macros and sometimes forget that the greatest degree of ketosis occurs while fasting.

I can eat WHATever I want. I just can’t eat it WHENever I want. My eating days are usually tied to events/occasions and I don’t dictate the menu. It’s often not particularly low carb. And it doesn’t take me out of ketosis if I’ve been fasting.

#13

"I can eat WHATever I want. I just can’t eat it WHENever I want. "

Thanks - food for thought! AR

(Consensus is Politics) #14

Mine is two fold. First, I have a mantra of sorts. Remember how Caesar had a servant that followed him everywhere he went whispering in his ear, “Remember, thou art mortal… Remember, thou art mortal “… mine is, “remember that is poison” whenever I see carby foods. Whether it was on a menu, in the fridge, or just on TV. I made it a point to think that as often as possible. It worked. After a couple of weeks of that, I no longer miss any of it. Pizza, pasta, lasagna, French fries, fast food, Taco Bell, etc. I haven’t missed any of it in nearly 5 months.

Second… I look forward to the foods I can eat, as often as I like, or actually as much as I want. I keep my eating window small, about three hours in the afternoon, to keep my insulin spikes as few as possible.