Tweaking Macro?

(*Tame Those Ghrelin Gremlins) #1

Hello, I am new here. I started this lifestyle change into Keto 2 weeks ago. I use a Keto app to log and track my food and it automatically configured a macros for me based on my answers. I find that I never hit it perfectly, I am usually short on something. Protein or fats, it’s like a complicated math equation lol. I wanted to ask the veterans if they had this issue in the beginning, how did you fix it? I feel that my numbers being off my hinder my progress. Also for anyone who has been on Keto a long time, did you find tweeting your ratios helped? I know I’m in Keto I test and range from 1.5 to 3 and I always try to stay in my carb limit of 20. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you :blush:

(Carl Keller) #2

Hello and welcome Azure.

Macros are like stretch pants. One size does not fit all. The most important macro is carbs and as long as you keep those lower than 20 net and eat to satiety, then everything should take care of itself.

In all honesty, I do pay attention to my macros because I’m curious as to how my hunger levels and weight loss respond to them but for the most part, I eat when I am hungry and don’t when I am not and I’ve had good success.

So I don’t feel like you need to fix anything as long as you are losing a few pounds and hopefully you have better energy, reduced bodily inflammation less cravings and less hunger in general.

After you’ve been doing this for a month or two and are fully fat adapted, you can pay more attention to the fat macro and try to cut back some because then you should be able to burn body fat when there’s less dietary fat to use for fuel, without metabolic consequence. This doesn’t mean eat less, it just means to not try to make fat a part your every bite of food.

(*Tame Those Ghrelin Gremlins) #3

Well I still have days where I am hungry but I read that it takes awhile for the hunger part to regulate. I haven’t lost any pounds other then the water weight but I’ve lost inches on what I like to call my “back fat” hehe. I can fit into shirts I never could before so I know something is happening. How long did it take the hunger to go away for you? I would love to eat my ratio fill and be fine but I’m scared to go over my carbs. I have on occasion gone over it by a carb or two but luckily without being kicked out of Keto.

(Allie) #4

Just focus on the carbs staying below 20g and let everything else happen as it happens. Calculators are just guides and none of them can tell you what your body actually needs.

(Carl Keller) #5

Indeed it is. So you are on the right path. :slight_smile:

My hunger never truly went away but it did redefine itself. In my carb days it wasn’t more than 3-4 hours before hunger would start throwing a tantrum and demand that I feed it. Now it’s more like saying “Hey, some food would be nice if you could”. I would say it took 3-4 weeks before I noticed I could go 24 hours (or longer) without being very hungry. Even then it was not like my stomach was growling. It was more like my taste buds were getting a bit restless.

Then focus more on fat and protein. Those are the most satiating of the macros and that’s why I say don’t worry too much about those macros. Not being hungry is a very important part of the keto equation. A good steak and some eggs, a big omelette with bacon or some pork chops aren’t going to make you blow your carb budget.

Just try to realize that the first goal of keto should be to get your hormones behaving properly and eating keto will do that if you keep doing what you are doing. Then it’s possible to loss weight much easier. Most of us have eaten poorly for decades or even most of our lives and it takes a little time to sort out the damage before we start making progress. It sounds like your progress has just begun. :wink: