Quote:
Originally Posted by hhm6
Hey there,
I wasn't sure if this was a diet or not, but I thought I would ask on here to see if anyone else has attempted/had luck with this method.
Lately, I've been out and about a lot so I haven't been stringent with my calorie counting. I have been trying to eat when I'm hungry, and eat what I want so I'm not having crazy cravings, but the thing is it's too much freedom for me, so I'm constantly eating whatever is around. I am always bloated, uncomfortable, and just not feeling great so I'm going back to calorie counting! I also hate having to restart after every. single. weekend.
I know weight loss is calories in and calories out, but when I was reading about ketosis and it seems like macro-nutrients are also pretty important with this particular diet. So keeping carbs low and protein and fat pretty high from my understanding?
I tried doing this today (weighed everything on a scale, down to the tsp for sauces I added and what not)
These were my percentages today
Fat-59%
Protein-37%
carb-12% (this was around 43g today)
I ate pretty well, lots of veggies, tuna/meat/eggs, I felt fine, not deprived (granted it's day 1 so I guess I'll see how sustainable it is).
For those of you who have had success with this, have you continued with it after reaching goal? Also, if I'm supposed to keep carbs low, does it matter if these are from fiber vs sugar?? and how low do you go with carbs, anything 50g or lower?
It sounds silly to say this but i am saddened to read that you consider this the only option to what you've been doing. So ketosis is a physical condition that takes place in the body when your body starts burning proteins for energy instead of carbohydrates. The function of carbohydrates is energy supply. the function of fats is energy storage. The function of protein is muscle building, tissue building and repair. These are the basic functions of the macro nutrients. People on a low carb diet change the function of the foods they eat. They force their body to behave differently to its natural orientation. If you are going to follow such a diet, you should do a fair bit of research into it and not be at all casual about it. You should understand the potential risks and dangers and should understand how your body is doing all of that change. So that a) you don't accidentally bugger up your system b) so that you make the program the way you intend it to work, c) so that you can avoid potential long term damage.
However, i think you do not need to go this route really. You just need to learn more about nutrition and more healthy ways of eating. Clearly the IE way isn't working for you as a weight loss tool. In fact i don't think IE is a weightloss tool per se. I think its a way of eating when you are at the right weight to begin with but i know some around here would argue with that. Like everything, IE requires discipline too.
So what i suggest is
a) don't restrict your calories so much. Many people do that and that's why they end up hungry and breaking their diet. Instead find your daily calorie intake from a loss of half a pound a week. That way you shouldn't have too much hunger to deal with but you will still lose weight at a steady pace.
b) Be aware of your macronutrients when you do plug in your calories into a counter. Keep your protein up. Just eat some at every meal. You want to aim for a ratio of approximately 25 - 35P to 40-65 C to 15-30 Fats . I prefer 30 55 25 but it doesn't matter to much if you are calories are correct.
the main reason for balancing this as far as i can tell for the sake of weightless is to maximise satiety. These proportions are normal in ordinary times too but when taking in fewer calories, we want to minimise hunger. Bearing in mind that a little bit of hunger means you are now burning fat.
So don't snack randomly. Try to eat three meals full of low calorie high nutrition foods. Always choose nutrition over ease of access. Thinking about vitamins and minerals as well. Just something to be aware of.
There are different ways to go about that. Some people would go for low fat dairy. I don't because i prefer foods that taste good. Some people go for skinless chicken breast and steamed broccoli day after day. I don't because i prefer foods that are interesting and taste good and also because i try to be vegetarian.
I eat lots of fruit and vegies, legumes, occasional seafood, whole milk, yoghurt and a small portions of cheese, nuts and seeds. I eat bread and pasta and rice to vary my meals but i've found that keeping my protein up means i have to eat less pasta and rice. Again thats my vegetarian limitation.
I use quality ingredients but i don't have a lot of money to spend on gourmet products so i go for what i can afford and keep it basic.
When i am out i will go to a japanese or korean eatery or other restaurant rather than cheap takeaways or i will have salad sandwich most of the time.
Sugar is a problem food for me so i have quit sweets totally. That helps a lot.
timing and being prepared with your meals is vital i find.
I drink a glass of wine usually, near the end of the day before dinner but wheni'm starting to get a bit hungry.
I don't exercise much but if i was running around a lot i would have to eat a bit more than i do. Currently my calories are 1400 but i started at 1650 per day.