Getting enough calories

[AlexMagd]

Hi all,

I've been a bit worried recently that I'm not getting enough calories. Carbs are so calorie dense that without them, I'm often not topping 1000 a day. I don't feel hungry at all though, and eating when I'm not hungry seems counter intuitive. However as a 17st tall guy my calorie targets are like 2500 - I just don't get how I would get anywhere close to a reasonable deficit based on such a high starting value!

I guess two things I'd like to know:

1) it's not healthy to be this low calorie, right? What are my risks here? I eat a fair amount of protein but probably not as much as you'd see on a keto/LCHF diet. Maybe 100g a day. Should I be eating even if I'm not hungry?

2) how do people on LCHF usually top up their calories?

Edit: I should also add that I am registering some v high ketone levels (+++ to ++++ with ketostix) - which I'm guessing is connected to the low calories, as it's way more than most places suggest I should be registering. Any way I can bring those down without eating carbs that'll spike me?

 

[Robbity]

I don't see it as necessary to eat for the sake of it if you're not hungry, so why do you think you should?

Keto and LCHF are not high protein diets, they are both high(er) fat and moderate (e.g. normal for your size and activity levels) protein diets. They are not the same as low calorie diets either. The idea is that we replace carbs with full fat foods as our energy sources, and it's not at all necessary or actually required with either to eat if you're not hungry, just eat until you are satisfied, and no more.

Robbity

 

[Kristin251]

I believe if you're not hungry and feel good you're fueling your body the way it wants to be fueled. Carbs make lots of us hungry so we eat more.

Fats are twice the calories as carbs or proteins so no need to gob them

Find your carb limit/ allowance. Find your protein recommendation. .8-1 kg per lean body mass. Then eat healthy fats until satisfied. Avocado, olives, olive oil, mayo, cheese and dairy if you tolerate it.

Quality over quantity. I've never needed near the calories recommended and if I do that many ( which I absolutely can't) I get sick and fat.

Listen to your body. If you loose too much weight add some fat. Dairy, nuts and fatty animal fats seem to work for lots to stop weight loss.

 

[AM1874]

Hi @AlexMagd ..
For me, LCHF is about low carb (usually less than 20g with max of 30g per day), 1g of protein per Kg of body weight and sufficient fat to stop me feeling hungry .. I never think about calories.
The core concepts of LCHF are ..
# only eat real food
# only eat when you're hungry
# only eat until you're full

Hope this helps

 

[AlexMagd]

Thanks all. I just can't see that 900-1000 calories a day can be healthy, no matter how ok and not hungry I feel. I'm definitely not hitting the protein target that my lean body mass would indicate, and kind of worried that my ketones are so high because I'm not eating enough (++++ on ketostix is a bit scary to be honest)

 

[bulkbiker]

Fat has far more calories than carbs (more than twice as many) so maybe up your fat?
Give us some examples of what you are eating.
Do you feel hungry is the main question. I'm guessing you want to loose a few pounds so it could well be that you are in ketosis and your body is using body fat for fuel. Are you loosing weight?
Ketostix are not a great way to measure ketones you'd be better off getting a meter like the Caresens Dual and a few strips to test your blood ketones.
It costs a pound per test but I would suggest once a day to start with.
You can get it here.
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/caresens-dual-blood-glucose-and-ketone-meter/

 

[AlexMagd]

I probably do need to up the fats. I have a lot of weight to lose (5 stone) and have been losing regularly since I started low carb in August. I'm not hungry, but tbh after years of high carb unhealthy eating and binging I'm not convinced that my hunger response is actually doing what it's meant to!

Usually don't have breakfast (never have really), then for lunch I'll have a low carb wrap or sandwich thin with chicken or ham and a variety of veggies. Dinner is where I get most calories - usually around 200g meat (chicken, beef etc) cooked in oil with veggies on the side. Sometimes I'll make a cauli pizza or something a bit more complex but generally I'm in late from work and eating stir fries or stuff baked in the oven. I eat a lot of cheese too. Probably about 50g carbs a day - otherwise I find I spike

I am absolutely in ketosis, but perhaps overdoing it to be 10mmol+ ! Wasn't aware there was more accurate testing for ketones, could be useful thanks

 

[Dark Horse]

• What are your blood glucose levels like? The big worry about high ketone levels in people with diabetes is that if blood glucose levels are high, it may indicate the person has DKA which can be life-threatening and would require a trip to A+E. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diabetic-ketoacidosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx
• If you are eating fewer calories than needed to maintain your current weight, you will be using fat to supply the energy your body needs. Ketones are a by-product of fat metabolism and the more fat being used up, the higher the ketone levels.
• If you are 5 stone overweight, eating 1000 kcal per day is not unreasonable while you are still overweight, particularly if you don't feel hungry - it's actually more than the 800 kcal/day allowance in the 8-week Newcastle diet. You may find that as you approach your target weight your appetite increases.
• The website, Patient, advises contacting your GP if your ketone levels are over ++ https://patient.info/in/doctor/urine-ketones-meanings-and-false-positives-pro

 

[AlexMagd]

Cheers. Blood sugar at non diabetic levels at the moment (4.4 fasting this am) so not particularly worried about DKA. I think more likely I've not been hydrating enough.

It's definitely not my goal to replicate the ND as long term thathat's can't be healthy. At the moment I'm hitting those levels without meaning to, and am concerned about the long term health effects of a VLCD like the one I seem to be on accidentally. Pre diagnosis that wasn't an issue because of aplace the rice, bread etc but now I'm not as sure what to fill up on.

 

[Kristin251]

Cheers. Blood sugar at non diabetic levels at the moment (4.4 fasting this am) so not particularly worried about DKA. I think more likely I've not been hydrating enough.

It's definitely not my goal to replicate the ND as long term thathat's can't be healthy. At the moment I'm hitting those levels without meaning to, and am concerned about the long term health effects of a VLCD like the one I seem to be on accidentally. Pre diagnosis that wasn't an issue because of aplace the rice, bread etc but now I'm not as sure what to fill up on.

The human body REQUIRES ZERO carbs for life. However we donrequire protein for muscles, maintanence and repair and also fat.

As long as you have ample fat on your body, it will use that for energy. Once you get to your goal weight you'll need to add ,ore fat into your diet

I have been vlc ( less than 20 g per day ) for 25+ years and thrive on it.

You're most likely showing high ketones as they're floating around as you're losing body fat. This is also why sometimes in the losing fat process some people have temporary high cholesterol.

I have never required a lot of calories. I would plug along as you are eating the healthies most nutritious food to satisfy your hunger ( or not) until you get close to your goal weight. You're not hungry because you're eating better and your body is happy. If you were hungry when eating rubbish and carbs that's not surprising. And you gained weight. .

 

[AlexMagd]

Well, one trip to the doctor's later - he said that the high ketones should be expected for someone cutting carbs and losing as much weight as I am, but that I'm probably not eating enough and am likely dehydrated. Sounds about right to be honest.

Sounds like I probably need to bump my protein up and ease up a little. Feels a bit like going back to square one after finding a routine that I thought was working for me. The other slight worry was that his meter gave me a BG reading of 6.8 whereas mine at the same time gave 5.4 ...

 

[RedDragon1960]

Hi
Did my first fast day yesterday and had ketone at 1.2 so i think just in ketosis. However this morning ketone level dropped to 0.4 ( using ketone test strips for blood meter ) anyone know why this could be ?. Have been following LCHF diet for 5 weeks now lost about an inch from my belly ! as my trousers now tend to fall LOL and BG reading are getting a lot tighter ( between 4 mmol and 7.6 usually ) but still have the occasional spike upto 9 2 hours after food .

 

[bulkbiker]

Hi
Did my first fast day yesterday and had ketone at 1.2 so i think just in ketosis. However this morning ketone level dropped to 0.4 ( using ketone test strips for blood meter ) anyone know why this could be ?. Have been following LCHF diet for 5 weeks now lost about an inch from my belly ! as my trousers now tend to fall LOL and BG reading are getting a lot tighter ( between 4 mmol and 7.6 usually ) but still have the occasional spike upto 9 2 hours after food .

Fasting always raises ketones so you will get better results when fasting as well as later in the day... what did you break the fast with? My morning ketone readings are always lower than the afternoon ones on the few days where I have tested twice. you will be in nutritional ketosis with anything over 0.5 so with meter fluctuations the 0.4 could have you there as well...

 

[RedDragon1960]

Breakfast this am was 3 eggs scrambled with double cream salt and lots of black pepper... forgot the bacon as shop was still closed ..1/2 L of coffee again with double cream

 

[ghost_whistler]

From what i have seen there isn't really any risk to eating more protein than the moderate amount people mention. There is also a large margin of error when it comes to what is considered 'moderate' anyway, besides it is very difficult to overeat protein. Gluconeogenesis is demand driven so it doesn't all turn to sugar either. AFAICT.