Why so few calories for people reporting their calorie intake?

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #21

From what I understand, eating to satiety, even when it results in a caloric deficit, is fine, because the body is calling the shots, but eating to a predetermined caloric intake runs the risk of putting the body in famine mode. As we lose excess body fat, of course, our appetite increases, until our daily energy expenditure is met completely from food intake, because there is no more excess fat to burn off.

There is a point in the starvation process where the body will start cannibalizing lean tissue in order to hold on to its fat store as long as possible. Of course, eventually the fat does go, but when that happens, death is not far off.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #22

Part of the reason is that people often encounter the weight- and food-tracking sites before coming here, and those sites are all dominated by the CICO hypothesis. If they don’t know to specify “maintenance” instead of “weight loss” before running the numbers, their caloric target will be especially low. Also, I suspect that a lot of people come into a ketogenic way of eating expecting it to be more or less like every other weight-loss diet they’ve tried, except with more bacon.

The debate between the energy-balance-hypothesis people and the hormonal-control-hypothesis people extends even to these forums, where you would expect everyone to be thoroughly in the hormonal-control camp, but there we are. For me, the logic that in a low-carb environment I can trust my satiety signaling is compelling, and my experience so far supports it.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #23

I have never counted calories. I just set up Chronometer with my BMI and whatever and it gave me a really low calorie count. But all my life I have eaten very little, Pre-keto, just the wrong things. Currently, at around 900 calories a day.

(Carl Keller) #24

This.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #25

Thanks, bacon, lamb, hamburger, veggies are very satisfying. They just happen to be low cal.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #26

Thanks to keto, I don’t snack anymore, I am eating nutritious foods and because of the fat, my hunger is reduced,. Add all that in with my small-boned body, and you get reduced calories.

(Running from stupidity) #27

Does this still work if eating in a reduced window?

There is a point in the starvation process where the body will start cannibalizing lean tissue in order to hold on to its fat store as long as possible.

Doesn’t it use the fat first then move on to lean mass?

#questionman

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #28

I believe it does, yes.

Excess fat goes first, then the body tries to hang on to a minimum percentage of body fat for as long as possible before surrendering it. My impression is that the evolutionary logic is that this fat reserve is a source of energy for rebuilding as food intake returns to normal—always assuming, of course that the famine doesn’t outlast the fat reserve.

Many of the survivors of the concentration camps had used up their body fat before being rescued, but if the Allies hadn’t arrived when they did . . . (and many of their fellow inmates didn’t live to be liberated).

#29

I don’t count calories. I count carbs, and try to stay under 10 each day

(Mark) #30

I know - 1500 calorie starvation diet…too funny!!! I would gain weight like crazy with
that many calories!! :slight_smile:

#31

Can’t say really. But for me, I report what I eat, and I eat what works for me.
I can understand some being scared off by such low calorie figures. Just education I guess.

(mole person) #32

I’m in the same boat as @Regina. I don’t worry about calories however eating to satiety and mostly eating OMAD is still having me come in at less than 1000 calories most days. I’m getting my protein macro and eating to satiety. I still get solid gains in the gym so I’m not too concerned. I expect that when my body needs more it will tell me.

The thing is, I am at my goal weight right now of 110 lbs and am happy with my form. I still have a good amount of womanly fat on me, the scale says about 18%, but I don’t want to be a stick. I’m torn about whether to let my body make it’s own decision about when a new set point is achieved or just start having a second meal regularly. What I can’t do is eat more at one meal a day. I’ve got a very firm satiety signal and when I eat past it I feel horrible. I increased markedly the amount I could eat in one meal in the first half year of keto, but that’s stopped getting bigger long ago.

I’d always assumed that my hunger would just ramp way up when I approached goal and I’d have to eat more, but that’s just not happened yet. So what do I do? Keep eating this way, that I like but realize cannot be a maintenance level of calories and see if greater hunger sets in as I drop a bit more fat %'s and let my body decide, or force the end by adding more meals that I don’t actually feel any real desire for yet?

#33

FWIW I made an effort to up my calories in order to gain muscle & I’m now comfortable at a higher level. It was an effort at first even though I’m generally a good eater but it’s been worth it - I’ve increased my weight set point by about 1.5kg but still dropped my bodyfat %.

(mole person) #34

I lift heavy weights and so far at least my gains keep coming. But, this is a good thought. Maybe as I continue to gain so will my appetite and I’ll hit a natural plateau that I can stay on comfortably.

#35

I was coming off a long neck rehab situation which left my upper body quite scrawny & as I’m in my mid-40s already I really wanted to maximise my gains in any way I could. FWIW I’m 5’4, just under 120lb, 20% bodyfat & have worked my way up to about 1800 or 1900 calories per day (on average). My new set point weight hasn’t changed in the last 2 years but my body really has :slightly_smiling_face: I’m pretty happy where I’m at now.

#36

My macros are the same and I have never been happier. Losing weight, never hungry.
I had the same calorie goal a few years ago before finding Keto and I was ALWAYS hungry, 1300 calories was never enough when I was eating carbs.
Now I get to eat all of the food I love and lose weight. It’s amazing.

(Brian) #37

I guess I’m just lazy. I have no idea how many calories I eat in a day’s time. I suspect it varies a bit.

I normally eat two meals a day, breakfast, and supper, no snacks. That’s just normal.

Thing is, I don’t stop eating before I feel like I want to stop eating. I don’t leave the table hungry. I really do eat a lot less food than I used to but I’m full and satisfied with what I eat. I’m not knowingly restricting quantity at all. I still limit the carbs, though.

My weight has kinda leveled off where it is for now, still a few pounds over where I’d like to be, but I’m figuring that will come in time. I’m not quite as active in the winter time so seeing the weight remain level is really not something that worries me at all. I know that in a couple of months, the gardening and lawn seasons will be happening an I’ll be getting quite a lot of exercise doing outside stuff, and those kinds of activities tend to see my weight dropping. (Been there, done that.) About the only thing I’d like to add is some kind of regular resistance training. Still trying to figure out what would work best for me there. Lots of traveling coming up over the next few months so we’ll have to see how that works out.

(Clara Teixeira) #38

This is one thing that amazes me as well. I work 10-12 hrs a day on my feet lifting up to 75-100lbs regularly and often consume 2000 or more calories a day. Hungry days I easily eat 3,000. I’m a 5’5" 130lbs female. When I see other busy women trying desperately to lose weight on keto but restricting to under 1500 calories, all I see is future damage being done to adrenals and metabolism. My opinion on the matter is not overly popular among other women so I’ve given up trying to convince anyone they should be eating adequate amounts of food to THRIVE and live with abundant energy! :joy:

What are your meat money-saving tips?
(Doug) #39

Dang… :+1: :sunglasses: :heart:

(Clara Teixeira) #40

Would not have been possible before keto. I used to have chronic pain and migraines. I was like an old woman in my 20’s. lol.