Calories intake

Somewhere around 2500, but much depends on your own energy needs.

Depends on weight. I'm 5'8" weigh 14 stone and walk 5 miles a day. On average I burn 2800 per day. When I literally do nothing it can be as low as 1900. As you get lighter you burn less. I reckon if I was 12 stone and sat still all day I would only burn 1600 (purely a guess that bit though).

Hi. Why worry about calorie intake at all - I don't? We need to worry more about carb intake and then just add proteins and fats to feel full and to have a balanced diet. The calories will look after themselves and aren't a very useful measure as carb calories are very different from fat calories? Also in my view the published 'recommended' calorie values you can find on the web are far too high unless you are very active.

Daibell said:

Hi. Why worry about calorie intake at all - I don't? We need to worry more about carb intake and then just add proteins and fats to feel full and to have a balanced diet. The calories will look after themselves and aren't a very useful measure as carb calories are very different from fat calories? Also in my view the published 'recommended' calorie values you can find on the web are far too high unless you are very active.

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Perhaps it's because his goals are different from yours?

"We" don't need to worry about anything, and what's important to you isn't necessarily important to him or me. Furthermore, there's nothing that says someone with type 1 (or any diabetic for that matter) needs to follow a low-carb diet. That is a lifestyle choice not a requirement.

Calories aren't as important when you're 40+ pounds overweight or have 20%+ body fat (I'm not suggesting you're either of those), but they become EXTREMELY important when you have a lot less to lose.

Furthermore, while carbs and fat may be metabolized differently by our bodies, it is fat IN THE ABSENCE of carbohydrates that is the important variable. A high fat diet combined with even a moderate carb intake can lead to significant weight gain.

TorqPenderloin said:

Perhaps it's because his goals are different from yours?

"We" don't need to worry about anything, and what's important to you isn't necessarily important to him or me. Furthermore, there's nothing that says someone with type 1 (or any diabetic for that matter) needs to follow a low-carb diet. That is a lifestyle choice not a requirement.

Calories aren't as important when you're 40+ pounds overweight or have 20%+ body fat (I'm not suggesting you're either of those), but they become EXTREMELY important when you have a lot less to lose.

Furthermore, while carbs and fat may be metabolized differently by our bodies, it is fat IN THE ABSENCE of carbohydrates that is the important variable. A high fat diet combined with even a moderate carb intake can lead to significant weight gain.

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Hi. As usual you make some good points, but everywhere in the media we see calories used as the measure when diets are discussed and rarely carbs. As fats have around twice the calorie value weight for weight than carbs (if I'm right?) it can be 'easy' so to reduce fats and hence reduce calorie intake but still have fattening carbs left. I agree the poster didn't define his objectives so my points are general and not relevant to those who are strongly into exercise.

Daibell said:

but everywhere in the media we see calories used as the measure when diets are discussed and rarely carbs.

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Then perhaps it makes sense to have a discussion about the various options and let others decide what is best? If we only discuss carbohydrates then how are we any better than the media?

Daibell said:

As fats have around twice the calorie value weight for weight than carbs (if I'm right?) it can be 'easy' so to reduce fats and hence reduce calorie intake but still have fattening carbs left. I agree the poster didn't define his objectives so my points are general and not relevant to those who are strongly into exercise.

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Again, it is the COMBINATION of consuming high levels of dietary fat and carbohydrates that is fattening. However, you are absolutely correct that 1g of fat has ~9kcals while 1g of carbohydrates has ~4kcals. That is why a high carb/low fat diet can sometimes be just as effective. If nothing else, the reduction in fat intake yields a more significant reduction in calories. However, there are studies that suggest our bodies process carbohydrates differently in the absence of dietary fat. Obviously, the diet doesn't get much traction on this forum for a number of reasons, but there are plenty of people who have had success with it.

My intent is not to suggest you're wrong, but rather to encourage a discussion about ALL options so our friend @Gazzy71 can decide for himself what makes the most sense. Unfortunately, we still don't know what his goals are, and it's impossible to answer his original question without knowing more about the situation. Age, weight, body fat, lifestyle, activity, and a number of other variables can make the answer less than 1500 or higher than 3000 in some cases.