I am clueless about low cal

ChantillyLace88

ChantillyLace88

New member
So I've lost 30 pounds since December and look so forward to losing even more but the problem is, I lost it through Atkins and I can't imagine going another month, year, or lifetime worrying about eating a potato! haha
It worked so well for my mom and she stuck to it (for a while) but I can't sit pretty knowing I'm eliminating an entire food group. I love how quick everything happens but I'm going to gain it all back. I just KNOW it.
And I'm def. not discouraging anyone following the low carb lifestyle. It works amazingly and I felt a lot better on it. It's just not for me.
So I want to just watch my calories and still exercise like I was. I know I'm not going to lose 10 pounds in 1 week like I did with Atkins but jesus I want to eat corn on the cob this summer!!
I have no clue how much I should be eating. I asked my boyfriend if 1200 was too little and he said yes. Is it really?? He said not to go below 1500 but I have no clue. Like I said, I've always gone low carb to lose a quick pound, or 10..
I love fruit and veggies so they won't be a problem, but as far as breads and meat go, I have no clue what is the healthiest. I'm assuming whole wheat and chicken. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
 
Caloric requirements are dependent on your stats and activity. So, what's your weight, age and height? Also how active are you?

Low carb works b/c it, in a roundabout way, limits calories. Calories are always the determining factor in fat loss. There's no metabolic advantage to low carb dieting. It's simple: cut out an entire food group and calories are going to be reduced automatically. Especially when you factor in the fact that on Atkins, people generally bump up protein which is the most satiating nutrient.

Also, this is about fat loss. Not weight loss. Big difference.

I just posted this in another thread, but it applies here as well:

The way I look at nutrition is quite simple.

Set calories.
Set protein.
Set fat.
Insert fruits and veggies.
Fill rest of calorie allotment with carbs and more fats (this will vary from person to person).

While many folks seem to get extremely hung up on step one, I spend next to zero time on it. I don't see much a point unless you're very lean looking to get crazy lean (physique competitors and such).

For us normal folks, I simply use 14-16 cals per pound as maintenance. If someone is carrying a lot of fat or is extremely sedentary, I'll drop this down a bit to maybe something like 13-15 cals per pound.

The reason I don't spend much time pinpointing an exact number is simple: 1) It's impossible and 2) If what I estimate isn't working, the solution is simple - reduce carories slowly until it starts working.

Once cals are set, again I set protein. I typically shoot for 1-1.5 grams per pound of either lean body mass or goal body weight. Both will get you in the right ballpark. When dieting, protein intake should be closer to the upper range of this and when bulking, shooting towards the lower range is fine. But that's really splitting hairs. Shoot for this general range and things will be fine.

With fat, I'll generally set it at 25-30% of total calories for starters.

Then I'll throw a fruit and/or a veggie in every one of my meals per day.

So we're left with:

Calorie goal - (4 * grams of protien) - (9 * grams of fat) - (cals from fruits and veggies) = Leftover Calories.

With the leftovers, I'll typically fill it with carbs. If the leftovers are large, it might be a combo of carbs and fats. Proteins generally stay set in stone. Or if someone doesn't handle carbs well, I'll fill the leftover cals with more fats.

Nothing is set in stone... it's all about finding what works for you. But this is how I normally view nutrition.
 
Heh. I seem to be following Steve around today. :)

I'm pretty much in agreement with him. As I mentioned in my other post where I followed up his, I use a very similar method. I base my daily calories on my goal weight and 15 cals per pound of bodyweight.

At my current weight (174), my maintenance calories would be 2610.
At my goal weight (135), my maintenance calories would be 2025.

Already if I just eat my maintenance calories for my goal, I'll be putting myself at a nearly 600 calorie deficit. That's not counting any exercise I do, or if I don't eat to my whole 2025.

That's pretty much it as far as counting calories for me. I try not to obsess about it or compulsively count what I eat or burn. So far it's worked. :)
 
I want to second Steve's suggestion - I did Atkins for years, and while it worked, it was a pain. I've basically switched over to what Steve suggested (although I'm a little lax on actual planning) and I track what I eat on Fitday - if I'm overeating I know about it! And honestly, I don't feel deprived or like I'm really "dieting". It's more like a puzzle, trying to figure out which foods I can throw in to meet my goals for the day ;)
 
J brings up a good point. Often times when I get someone in this frame of mind, it evolves to a point where going crazy with calculating macros and such isn't necessary.

The fact is, for most, once you assure you're eating adequate protein, essential fats, veggies and fruits... you're going to be pretty satiated. Cravings should be drastically reduced for most so overeating isn't as much a concern.

It's when you ditch that foundation of protein that most tend to lose control.

In my experience, even though I'm not a huge advocate of saying, "You have to eat 6 meals per day," I've found that getting a healthy dose of protein every few hours goes a long way with satiety.

Just some random thoughts.
 
Oooo...a food puzzle! That sounds interesting and fun, I like it...totally stealing it! :D Oh and fitday.com is awesome...they're pie charts and everything! :D
 
ifsogirl83 said:
Oooo...a food puzzle! That sounds interesting and fun, I like it...totally stealing it! :D Oh and fitday.com is awesome...they're pie charts and everything! :D
Click to expand...

LOL - it sounds funny, but it's true! If I'm getting ready for dinner and I'm at 45/110 goal protein, but at 1200 calories I know I need lean meat to get my protein up without going crazy on calories! If I'm short on fiber and calories, then maybe it's time for a bunch of fruit & veggies! If I'm short on fiber and high on calories... well, how much celery can I eat ;)

Keeps things interesting as I try to find foods with the right 'shape'! Almonds, for example, are kind of like an isosceles triangle - a nice balance of protein, unsaturated fat and fiber :D

(I have cholesterol issues, so I pay attention to my saturated fats and fiber in addition to the points Steve mentioned.)
 
I love the puzzle analogy. It's so true and that's very much how I track my food as well. I use the Daily Plate website and I watch the pie chart in the upper right to make sure I'm getting the percentages I want. It's not unusual for me to add something, see how the chart responds, and then take it off and add something else until I get the right balance. It's kinda fun. :)
 
Thanks for all of the replies. I've kept a food diary since December 2008 when I initially started Atkins so it's become natural to write down everything I eat. I have no problem with eating any fruit, most veggies and lean meat. I am a creature of habit so I never get bored eating chicken breast and veggies. As far as stats..
I'm 21 years old
5'5"
I started at 265 pounds :ack2:
I'm currently at 234

I was never ever naturally thin but there was a time when I wore a size 9 jeans...although it was due to depression which brought on lack of appetite and not eating for quite some time. So once the depression was taken care of, I started eating (and drinking) like a maniac. I guess now I have nothing to be ashamed of because I'm willing to get healthy the right way.

I checked out what eating 10 calories per pound would bring me to and 2400 calories a day seems like quite a bit. Maybe I did something wrong?
 
Start with the 2400 and if that doesn't seem to be working after a couple of weeks, knock off 200 or so calories. It's a little different for everyone, so sometimes it's just a bit of trial and error before you find what works for you.
 
The other thing to remember is that as your weight changes, your calories will change too.

2400 may seem high, but you can lose at that - but when you get down to 150 lbs, you're looking at 1500 calories. You don't have to adjust on a daily basis, but you may want to adjust either when you hit a plateau or every 10 to 20 lbs you drop.

And as Kara said, if you're not seeing results at 2400 calories, just start shaving and go from there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top