Low Carb Diet and Calories

[plantagenet]

Apologies if I am going over old ground, but I have a question over the relationship of Carbs to Calories.

In Sanguine's post of 2014 for Newbies, above, a suggested categorisation for Carbs is as follows:

Low carb (ketogenic) 0-50g carbohydrate per day
Typical low carb 50-90g
Liberal low carb 90-130g
Moderate carb 130-170g
High carb 170g and more

As far as I can see there is no mention of how these values relate to calories.

On the Diabetes UK website in reference to Low Carb diets there is the following information:

<<If carbohydrate intake is severely restricted and glucose stores are exhausted, the fat stores will be broken down and used as energy. During this process ketones are produced and excreted in the urine: this is known as ketosis. Approximately 50–70g per day of carbohydrate is required to prevent ketosis.

How much carbohydrate is in a low-carbohydrate diet?

For a 2000kcal diet, the recommendation for carbohydrate is 225–300g per day (45–60%).

There is no agreed or set definition amongst researchers regarding the amount of carbohydrate in low-carbohydrate diets, but a critical appraisal by Accurso et al (2008) suggested the following definitions:

• Moderate-carbohydrate diet: 130–225g per day (26–45%) of a 2000kcal diet
• Low-carbohydrate diet: less than 130g per day (26%) of a 2000kcal diet
• Very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet: less than 30g per day (6%) of a 2000kcal diet

For the purpose of this position statement, the term “low-carbohydrate” is used as a collective term to describe any amount of carbohydrate restriction which is less than the dietary reference value of 45% of total energy.>>

I realise this is far from an exact science, but as this suggests that the values are related to an intake of 2000Kcal, am I correct in assuming, therefore, that If I take on 1500 calories in a day, the amount of carbs should be reduced in proportion, ie, by 25% to stay within target? Or, should I just follow a low carb target I feel comfortable with?

 

[TorqPenderloin]

It would be "safe" to reduce your carbohydrate intake proportionally (reduce by 25%), but as you can probably tell from your research, there isn't a way to directly quantify the word "low" in a low-carb diet.

The difficulty lies in the fact that even the healthiest low-carb vegetables have some carbohydrates in them. There is a certain number (perhaps around 15-30g) of carbohydrates you will likely eat each day unless you resort to a strictly carnivorous (meat and some animal products) diet.

In my opinion, the best thing to do is start with a basic approach and make minor individual modifications based upon how your body responds to the diet. For example, some people find that they don't have to count calories in order to lose weight on a low-carb diet. Other people (like me) follow what is called a cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD) where we consume small levels of carbohydrates at specific times of the day (before weight lifting in my case).

Counting calories and following a low-carb diet is combining two fairly aggressive approaches together. While some people are able to do that, it's usually not the best approach for someone who is new to both concepts. To put it into perspective, the only time I do both is when I want to drop below 12% body fat. I also have 10 years of personal experience with both approaches as well.

 

[Brunneria]

Hi

You get to do whatever works for you.

Food is made up of 3 main building blocks; carbs @ 4 calories per gram, protein @ 4 calories per gram, and fat @ 9 calories per gram.

Personally, at the moment, i am eating 'normal' amounts of protein, and around 30-50g carbs (mainly as veg and 70% chocolate - for the antioxidants, you know ) and then enough fat to feel full.

Calorie counting has never worked for me. Does my head in! And since i went very low carb i have the delightful freedom of eating to my appetite.

I had a look at diabetes uk 's website and wasn't impressed. They seem to recommend more carbs than i have ever been able to eat, even before my diabetes diagnosis. But maybe it works for some people. Especially if they don't have blood glucose meters to see the damage it is doing.
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-t...I-have-Type-2-diabetes/What-can-I-eat-type-2/

 

[plantagenet]

Thanks both, I was mainly concerned that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and all the different information from various sources just adds to the confusion. I decided to stop ignoring my condition before Christmas, my review comes up at the end of this month so I have motivation to shed some weight and get the BG down to a reasonable level. I was pleased to get a reading of 4.7 this morning, the best yet.

Brunneria, I followed the link you posted - I see what you mean. It is worrying as they are supposed to be at the forefront of the war on diabetes.

 

[Debmcgee]

I don't count calories on low carbing. I just eat til I'm satisfied and am aware of portion control. I eat 20-30g of carbs a day from veg and strawberries.

I'd be delighted with an FBG of 4.7 - well done you!!

 

[Neohdiver]

Apologies if I am going over old ground, but I have a question over the relationship of Carbs to Calories.

In Sanguine's post of 2014 for Newbies, above, a suggested categorisation for Carbs is as follows:

Low carb (ketogenic) 0-50g carbohydrate per day
Typical low carb 50-90g
Liberal low carb 90-130g
Moderate carb 130-170g
High carb 170g and more

As far as I can see there is no mention of how these values relate to calories.
. . .

I realise this is far from an exact science, but as this suggests that the values are related to an intake of 2000Kcal, am I correct in assuming, therefore, that If I take on 1500 calories in a day, the amount of carbs should be reduced in proportion, ie, by 25% to stay within target? Or, should I just follow a low carb target I feel comfortable with?

I limit both carbs and calories. I was obese at diagnosis in October. My life is incredibly stressful (e.g. daughter with depression and a life-threatening disease, spouse in the early stage of dementia, I'm the sole breadwinner, and the only source of health insurance for all 3 of us). When the stress gets to a certain level, and i'm driving home between midnight and 3 am without having eaten for most of the day, it's all too easy for me to get in the habit of stopping and getting what is quick, easy, and tasty - which often means high sugar, carb, and fat.).

My prior experience with losing weight tells me that I am more successful at losing weight and maintaining the loss if I do it aggressively. If I reach my goal quickly I am typically able to stay within normal weight ranges for 3-5 years. If I move more slowly I lose my motivation, stop after losing a bit, and creep right back up. For me, on a low carb diet, that requires counting calories. Ironically (since low carb is advertised as not having any need to calories) I don't have to count calories, points, or anything else on the diet with which I've had most success in losing and maintaining the loss.

As to how many carbs? I use my meter as a guide. If my blood glucose goes out of the normal range following a meal, I had too many carbs. If it is something I really want to eat I give it a second chance - after that, I eliminate it or dramatically shrink the portion size. i seem to be able to tolerate about 20 (net) grams in a 3 hour period - about 50 (net) a day. Calories are pretty independent of carbs for me - I set those based on the pace at which I wanted to lose weight. (So not proportional to the calories I'm targeting.)