Question re calories and LCHF diet

[rosyG]

Could someone advise whether one has to count calories on a LCHF diet. Ive lost 4lb since starting this week and don't want to stop the process- have not been counting carbs at all. Have eaten a lot but within an eight hour window. Thanks for advice!

[BadHare]

I find counting nutrients more useful.

[rosyG in reply to BadHare]

can you explain please

[BadHare in reply to rosyG]

Ensure you're getting enough macronutrients, ie, protein & fat from healthy sources, plus ensuring you have an optimal amount if micronutrients, ie, vitamins & minerals. Macronurients are easy to tick off, but think about what you're eating & whether you're getting sufficent micronutrients to make sure your body is healthy, then supplement if there's anything lacking from your diet.

[Jints1]

Hi rosyG. If doing keto/lchf its macros you count instead of calories. Macros are broken down into carbs fats and proteins. Check out the diet dr website which will explain it all. Go for it, It works xx

[rosyG in reply to Jints1]

thank you !

[TheAwfulToad Ambassador]

You don't need to count calories at all. In fact counting (ie., restricting) calories can be counterproductive. Your body is somewhat less likely to go into "starvation mode" with a low-carb pattern, but it can still happen if you try to artificially limit your food intake. More importantly, you'll feel hungry, which is a common reason for "falling off the wagon".

Most people find they don't need to count carbs or fat either. If you ain't got time for all that, just stick to food items that you know are low in carbs, include some foods with adequate fat, and you'll probably get it just right.

Some people find macronutrient-counting helpful to begin with (the "keto" or induction phase) but again, it's not a hard requirement.

Incidentally, if you're trying to do intermittent fasting, this is a bit of an advanced move that works best when you're already fat-adapted. For now I suggest you just eat when you're hungry and stop when you're not. Don't pay too much attention to when you're eating. If you don't want breakfast at 7am but you feel hungry at 11am, then skip breakfast and eat at 11am. Your body knows what it's doing. Eventually you'll settle into a regular routine.

[rosyG in reply to TheAwfulToad]

thank you- that's very helpful!

[Ladylin151]

It depends on a great deal of things. If you are quite over weight anything that reduces your intake is going to help you lose weight, to a point. So the changes of LCHF can be pretty spectacular. The appetite suppression after becoming adapted is often a strong effect and provides further help as well as becoming comfortable with the diet and settling into a pattern. But most people close to a normal BMI will have to adjust things like portion sizes and snacking, Meal timing is another tool to reduce your over all intake, Counting macros includes counting calories; overeating, even LCHF foods, will halt your progress or cause weight gain. In the end, the amount of food you eat must match your goals.

[Huawei1 in reply to Ladylin151]

Hi there, I'm doing lchf, and I don't count carbs or cals or anything. I just eat moderate amounts of protein, lots of green veg and salads, some berries, nuts, avocado, use butter, coconut oil, and cream, and cheese.

I just eat when I'm hungry, and eat till I'm full, don't feel the need to snack.

Your body will adjust as well as your appetite, according to its needs. It's nigh on impossible 'to over eat' on lchf as all the veg and fats fill you up!

It works like magic when we eat as we were meant to! No processed foods!!

😊

[rosyG in reply to Huawei1]

Thank you- that will suit me I think!!

[Newbeginnings20 in reply to Huawei1]

Hey all 😁

Yes that’s where I’m getting a bit anxious in that micros and macros are to be looked at. As I think I would find that too hard to follow -

[Huawei1 in reply to Newbeginnings20]

Hi there, new beginnings 20, yes I know, but you can make it as easy or complicated as you want really?

The reason I chose to follow lchf was that I was fed up with counting cals, syns, points!! And that never ever worked!!

So what i do now is just eat what I want and enjoy it. As a general rule, I don't eat any bread, potatoes, pasta, noodles, pulses, no ready meals.

Just eat a variety of protein of normal sized portions. Lots of green veg, salad, berries, cream, cheese, butter, coconut oil. I'm learning some tasty new recipes.

And love it at work when others are having a replacement 'meal' shake, and I'm tucking into bacon, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes And losing weight!

🥓🥚😂😂

My tip would be don't count anything, just eat keto, and notice the difference it makes! Then as you get more Into it, you can 'count' things if you want, but there really is no need, your body does it for you when you eat the right things, the things we were designed to eat,

Good luck, stick with it!

😊

[Newbeginnings20 in reply to Huawei1]

Thank you Huawei1

I’ve aside from stopping since late November been fasting and doing well however due to other stuff i stopped.

So I was never counting calories etc like you. So can I ask where are your carbs coming from then?

So lentils are not good then?

Yes normal sized portions- we have all become a nation of filling our large plates to the edge so portion control is out of the window!!

Thanks for the advice and well done on your loss x

[Huawei1 in reply to Newbeginnings20]

You don't Need carbs in vast amounts, it's carbs that cause all our obesity problems.

There are small amounts of carbs in vegetables and fruit which is why I don't eat bananas, very high in carbs.

Yes I was the same as you last year, and I gave up due to different things going on in my life. But soon noticed that when I eat carbs, I feel like c4ap.

Something of a breakthrough happened to me in December, and some thing just 'clicked' and I finally understood. If, I add my carbs up for the day, out of curiosity, they normally are falling between 20 and 40 net carbs for the day, and I feel much healthier, so that's good enough for me 😁

Yes a normal 'portion of protein such as' a chicken breast' or 'a pork chop' and yes, fill the rest of your plate with veg and salad. The point being you don't have to have huge portions of protein that sometimes people think.

However everyone is different , you have to find your own way

[Newbeginnings20 in reply to Huawei1]

Thanks for the reply 😊

Was it this December or last? Do you drop about a pound a week or does it tend to be more? Although I appreciate we are all different x

[Huawei1 in reply to Newbeginnings20]

Lol oh this December, I lost 10lbs before rejoining the forum, and went in to lose another 6 lbs over the 2 weeks after rejoining

Unfortunately I did become tempted over Xmas, and had few naughty things, which as I said, made me feel ill, I put on 1lb over the Xmas period

But back in it now! 😁😁😁

[Newbeginnings20 in reply to Huawei1]

We are all human and you did good 1pound!! Whoop 🙌

[rosyG in reply to Ladylin151]

thank you- very sensible!

[Newbeginnings20]

See this is where I find it all so difficult to get my head around as I had my cholesterol checked and it was quite high although no further action was required. But I was told that the coconut oil and butter I was using with the Body Coach (Joe wicks) diet wasn’t maybe good for me?

[Huawei1]

Hi there, yes my cholesterol was raised, and I'm newly diagnosed diabetic t2,

Read all the articles on diet doctor, and ask The Awful Toad on here for advice.

The myths around fat are not true!! Low fat diets just do not work,

Check it out, and don't be afraid to stand up to your doctor, I have refused to take statins due to the horrendous side effects, and I also have not started meds for diabetes, I have told gp that if I do keto for 6 months and my blood results don't improve then I will start meds for diabetes, but I will NEVER take statins.

[Newbeginnings20 in reply to Huawei1]

Hi Huawei1

Thanks for that reply - interesting 🤔

I have to say I agree with you 100%

One of the pharmacists I work with (NHS) for an experiment for diabetes followed the 5-2 diet to see if it works and religiously stuck to it and wow he lost 2 stone!!! I

So I believe you will do amazing and wish you all the best 😁

[Huawei1 in reply to Newbeginnings20]

Yes I too work for the NHS, and cringe every time I read or hear the current NHS healthy weight loss guidelines! They really are due a vast revamp!!!

[Gizmocat in reply to Newbeginnings20]

Yes. It really does work. Your blood results will show a difference in 6 months. I was prediabetic and high BP in summer 2018. I have lost nearly 3 stone and blood sugars are normal and no longer need BP meds.

You might be interested in reading Michael Mosely books, the 8 week blood sugars diet, 5:2, and fast 800. They are all variations of the low carb theme. He reversed his T2 diabetes on it. There are some nice recipe books that go with them to give you meal ideas.

Well done on standing up to the GP.! And good luck.

[Lytham]

Well done, great start ! I don't count carbs or calories either, keep up the great work ! x

[Newbeginnings20 in reply to Lytham]

So how do you know that you are not having more than say 40g of carbs - see this is where it gets me - so I can see for example on a scotch egg it has 16 grams of carbs but how do I know in the veg and salad?

[Lytham in reply to Newbeginnings20]

I used to guesstimate it in the early days to see if I was there or there abouts but now I dont bother, if I stopped losing weight I would cut back on the higher carb things x

[Newbeginnings20 in reply to Lytham]

Ok thank you - I think I will just for the main part cut out on crisps & rice and vodka then 😁

To be honest I don’t eat a lot of potato 🥔 or pasta - but for the days I do I can enjoy if that’s the only carb all day?

[Lytham in reply to Newbeginnings20]

Tbh I would avoid potato at all costs, did you know a jacket potato equates to 17 teaspoons of sugar in your blood glucose? x

[Newbeginnings20 in reply to Lytham]

Wow seriously oh gosh 😬

So if you wanted a carb - i mean a proper naughty carb what would you have then? But surely whether you are getting your carbs from a potato or vegetables what’s the difference pls 😁

[Lytham in reply to Newbeginnings20]

Vegetables have less carbs so don't spike your insulin as much putting your body in fat storing mode . Oh leafy greens have less than root veg too !

The only time I really pack in the carbs is when I drink my wine on my hols, still havent managed to kick that yet! Lol x

[Newbeginnings20 in reply to Lytham]

Ha ha yes the dreaded drink 🍷🥃

I love veg so all good but I know I’m gonna want a bag of crisps - if I find it too hard I will just fast as I was 16-8 then I don’t need to cut out carbs so much.

[Lytham in reply to Newbeginnings20]

Honest to goodness, crisps were so much my downfall but this afternoon my OH has been sat on the sofa eating pringles and it didn't bother me one bit ! You could have pork scratchings or nuts ? x

[BridgeGirl in reply to Newbeginnings20]

If you scroll down this page, you'll see visual low carb guides. You'll find guides for each of the food groups dietdoctor.com/low-carb Once you get used to which the higher and lower carb foods are, you don't need to count. In the early days, just check back on that page

[Newbeginnings20 in reply to BridgeGirl]

Thanks so much BridgeGirl x

[BridgeGirl in reply to Newbeginnings20]

Your welcome Take your time browsing that site: you'll get so much from it

[Lytham in reply to BridgeGirl]

Great idea ! Where would we be without you! Lol x

[Newbeginnings20]

Looking at the site I have just seen a hot dog 🌭 recipe yum

It says to use uncured hot dogs ? Then shows normal ones - do you know how I would know if they are cured or uncured?

[Lytham in reply to Newbeginnings20]

Ooh now you've got me! Lol would it say on the jar? BridgeGirl ? x

[Newbeginnings20 in reply to Lytham]

I’ve zoomed in and I can’t see it ?

[Lytham in reply to Newbeginnings20]

I eat hot dogs regularly, never considered there was a difference between cured and uncured? X

[Newbeginnings20 in reply to Lytham]

Apparently it’s do do with No nitrates or nitrites ??

I am about to cook a Heart foundation recipe and it using a tin of green lentils but the carbs are 10g per 100 and I will be using about 200grams. The protein is 5.7 grams per 100 - so I will continue to cook lol

[Lytham in reply to Newbeginnings20]

Nitrates?? Oh !

I think lentils, beans (not green beans) and peas are quite high so I tend to avoid them for the most part but I did have mushy peas last weekend x

[Lytham]

Thanks for clarifying that x

[Newbeginnings20]

Thanks and my bad - I digressed sorry 😐😊