Should you restrict calories and fat when fat adapted to lose weight?


(Jennibc) #8

Thanks for this! Well, according to this I haven’t really hit plateaus because my loss will stop for a week or two but never much longer than that. I am already doing the intermittent fasting. I don’t do the MTC oil or anything like that so that’s not an issue. I guess I should start tracking how many calories I am consuming. that might be helpful. I suppose I could do the eliptical at the gym for high intensity - but I so prefer to exercise outside. But maybe if I do that a couple times a week that will help. Thanks again.


(Carl Keller) #9

@Shortstuff pretty much nailed it. Just to be certain, you can try it and see what happens. If you start showing signs of slower metabolism you can always raise your fat/calories. Good luck.


(Running from stupidity) #10

Eat when you’re hungry.

Feast and fast.


(Robert C) #11

“Should you restrict calories and fat when fat adapted to loose weight”

I think yes - but on a weekly basis.

Stick with 4 or 5 days of maintenance level food and add 3 or 2 days of significantly below maintenance level food (or even total fasting days) to avoid metabolic slowdown.

I think everyone is different, some people, once fat adapted, can probably just lower daily calories on keto and continue to lower weight - but maybe not all (so a few lower days interspersed among regular days may be safer - avoiding metabolic slowdown).


(Magnus Jensen) #12

I did fast for 48 hours straight and just broke the fast now, with 1600 kcal (my maintenance is 2600). I worked out 2 times during the fast and I have never had so much energy before during work outs (as opposed to eating carbs and not being fat adapted). Great advice, thanks @RobC


(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #13

Yes, you should reduce dietary fat, but only a certain amount.

When I became adapted, I reduced my fat intake drastically, and increased my protein, I’m 63kg but still aim to eat roughly 60-100 grams of protein a day. Fat is roughly 30-100, as some days I just want to eat!

Though eventually you won’t have enough body fat to continue fasting without supplementing otherwise that’s when your metabolism slows down, try this calculator;

In my case, I need to eat an additional 75g of fat a day to not enter starvation.

See my old thread with a link to Richards’ calculator ;


(Magnus Jensen) #14

Where is the calculator? Link?


(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #15

(Magnus Jensen) #16

I knew I red what you are saying and it was probably you that wrote this. Thanks for clearing up this. I will increase protein and reduce fat to see if I can recompose my body composition even further (I have 10% ish body fat procentage now) and suspect my body to trying to hold on to the last body fat.


(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #17

Our bodies have a weight set point; you can read more about it here -


(Magnus Jensen) #18

I got this using the calculator.
From before I have the following macros figured out using different keto macro nutrient calculators:

Fat: 190 gr (77%)
Carbs: 25 (5%)
Protein: 100 gr (18 %)

Total Kcal per day: 2210

So assume reducing fat to 170 ish per day? This way (if I hold protein constant, I will get an automatic calorie reduction, thus promoting weight loss).

Agree?


(Running from stupidity) #19

Maths is great, but these calculators assume a closed system, which the body is definitely not. They also assume that calories are easily and accurately counted - in and out - which again, they are not.


(Alex ) #20

exactly, pretty much what I was just responding with…


(Running from stupidity) #21

Yeah. It’s a nice IDEA to be able to calculate it out like that, but in the real world, it’s a non-starter. Otherwise just dropping your calories (irrespective of what they are) and upping your workrate would solve the obesity epidemic, wouldn’t it?


#22

Hi Magnus,

As many have said here, you can lose weight by reducing calories. Though, it’s easier for some than others.
If you are looking for where to cut the calories from (fat, protein or carbs), that’s a question for your personal preference. Fat is the most obvious answer but, it’s probably the one you will notice the most. As fat might directly affect your hunger levels.

The reality is, It’s a balancing act. You will probably not have many carbs available to reduce, so any reduction will naturally come from fat and protein. Reducing fat should be the first port of call for you, especially as you want to build body mass. See how much you can reduce by, without going too hungry…WARNING if you reduce fat by too much, you will significantly increase your risk of ‘falling off’ the diet due to hunger, and losing the psychological fight. I would balance the protein intake, with the amount of training you’re doing. I don’t know how best to do this but, I’ll bet some guys at your gym will be able to guide you (if not, try a body building forum).

Overall, you should count/track what you’re doing and changing, so you can make informed decisions about what is working for you, or what doesn’t. Take as much of the guess work out as you can. There is some good advice here about how to go about reducing your calories eg fasting, IF etc. Try them out and see what works for you.


(Ken) #23

That’s a surprisingly reasonable article. It pretty much covers all the bases and presents some reasonable options. Many such articles tend to push only a limited approach.

The real point is that nutritional biochemistry is very adaptive, and your body will always adapt to chronic patterns. That’s why shaking things up often yields results. Becoming mired in Dogma is a sure way to hinder reaching your goals.

Of what it’s worth, I consider the idea of a “Set Point” to be fairly absurd. It flys in the face of objective reality, as when people are faced with Starvation, when the body will use all available tissues for energy production. I think the concept was pushed because of people’s tendency to regain fat when following carb based diets. It provides an unscientific rationalization. You just have to understand how to overcome Lipostasis, which the article I referred to does a pretty good job of.


(Jennibc) #24

Well that article just lost credibility with me when it brought up the tired and false notion that saturated fat is bad for us.


(Vladaar Malane) #25

No, but you should experiment with what works for your body, sometimes you have to do this or that when you reach a plateau.


(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #26

I’m sorry? What article?


(Robert C) #27

AND - they also assume that daily calorie restriction is the way to lose weight.
It is not because it eventually causes adaptation to the lower intake - regardless of macro breakdown.