For those who don't restrict calories & are maintaining/losing

[dae_tona]

what do you think your reason is for not having to restrict calories?

Does restricting carbs alone do it for you?

Do you think it's your exercise routine?

Do you think it's the fat you eat that keeps you satiated so you eat less overall?

Is there one secret above all else that keeps you from having to restrict calories?

Dyan

[melanie120808]

For me, I feel more satisfied following a LC diet so i eat less without even trying. I'm following induction by the book, and try to eat as many whole unprocessed foods as i can..

I workout but not everyday. I've found that when I'm stuck at a certain weight the short stall can usually be broken by getting some exercise rather than changing what i eat.

[healthymom74]

I've never counted calories... I am losing, and I've lost on low carb in the past. I eat/snack on high-fat foods all day long. I don't even have an idea of how many calories I consume.... I believe what Dr A. said in his original 1972 book- that counting calories is a last resort, and weight loss can be achieved by most people by counting carbs, not cals.

[suzanneyea]

I do not count calories and just eat when hungry. I also eat zc, but that is another topic. Learn to listen to your body, it is hard at first, but you will get it.

[KevetS]

My one secret - no white foods - no sugar, white flour, white rice.

[fawn]

I never eat processed foods, artificial sugars and watch my glycemic loads......I exericse in moderation and keep my low carb treats to a minimum.
I don't count calories or carbs but have an idea of my intake at about 1700-2000 calories and 100gr of carbs a day.

Rarely do I eat out but when I do, I know where my food sources come from. I don't care for the added vegetable oils, trans fats, sugars and chemical additives in restaurant food.

[eastbruce]

I don't count calories and don't even think about them. When my weight loss seems to slow down, I eat more fat and it picks up again.

We already know that Low Calorie diets do not work - the less you eat, the more your body holds on to its fat.

I'm sure I eat a LOT of calories some days - other days I'm just not hungry and must force myself to eat something.

And I don't exercise because I have a bad knee and can only walk with a cane. And then not very far.

[Heather150]

I pretty much eat the same things, knowing they are safe. I don't count anything anymore....I don't have the patience. I just watch if I see the scale creep. If it creeps, I just lay off the cheese or leave out a fruit for the day or something for a week. For me now, it's all about checks and balances. I only weigh myself once every two weeks. If I have something carb heavy, I will counter balance that with a few light days.

6 years strong here....and hopefully plenty more to go!

[VanjaJames]

The craving monster has been getting to me after long term low cal so I am supplementing with stuff like cod liver oil, l-glutamine, chromium, biotin, zinc, etc and it is helping my cravings to go away to get off the last few pounds. Avoiding artificial sweeteners and any starches really helps.

[oceandiva]

I feel liberated from counting calories! I eat low carb and stay away from fruit which triggers weight gain for me. When I stop losing I up my fat and wow, the scale goes down. No sugar, no flour, no fruit and vegetables in every meal works for me.

[JuliaL]

The common thread here is that people who don't count calories are naturally not over-eating. Low carb gives you the advantage of ketosis, but even if you're not in ketosis anymore, if you are eating whole foods, enough fat and fiber, and not triggering blood sugar spikes by eating processed carbs, you will naturally not over-eat.

I don't regularly count calories anymore, but I know that if I eat too much for too many days in a row I will gain. If I hadn't started counting calories early on when my weight loss stopped after losing about 30 lbs., I don't think I would have ever gotten to goal. But I was used to eating a LOT. Over-eating causes changes in your physiology that make it a vicious cycle of eating. Once you've conquered that (if it was a problem for you to begin with) then you will find it much easier not to over-eat without counting everything.

[gharkness]

I too lost patience with counting calories a long time ago. I DO [COLOR=red]notice[/COLOR] them, however. Anyone with a lifelong weight problem is well schooled in how many calories any food has, so I watch carefully what I am eating. If I eat something high calorie, I try to be more careful the rest of the day and the next day.

Also, I do not weigh. My next weight will be taken next month at my doctor's office. But I DO make sure that my snuggest clothing still fits. If I notice something starting to get tighter than it was two weeks ago, it's time to back off of something.....

[Briar]

I don't count calories or carbs anymore. I just sort of " know" what not to eat. I actually have to remember to include a few more carbs sometimes so that I don't continue to drop lbs. I stay away from "white" foods overall. Rarely rarely cheat. when I eat, I eat good things, meats,cheeses, fats things that satisfy me. I rarely even feel the need to snack as I just am not hungry.

[BellaHMB]

I count carbs but don't usually count calories. I notice so long as I keep my carbs low, my weight is stable. I was on a cruise this last Sept. and lost 3 lbs by eating low carb
but Im sure my calories were not! I also exercise 6 days a week which Im sure has alot to do with maintaining for me.

Bella

[jem51]

i don't count anything but i don't eat grain/starch/sugar, so no need. i eat 60-70% fat and rarely overeat protein (if i do, i feel miserable due to slow digeston). i have been at this weight for about 3 yrs. i do a few strengthening exercise and walk to run errands if possible. i have a total gym which i'll use if i'm not doing 'enough' to keep up my strength. no real routine and no 'working' out. my weight has very little fluctuation but it tends to go downward in summer.

[spaceace]

I don't count calories at all. I estimate that I would have 3000+ calories some days - and it doesn't stall me. There are others that would say they have to - and I sincerely believe them - and am glad that I do not. This has been true for me in times of vigorous exercise and extreme physical laziness.

I started a thread some time ago asking about calories - generally, we came to a "general consensus"...(this does not mean everyone agreed or will agree now!)

Calories matter, but the degree to which calories matters is proportional to the amount of carbohydrate in your diet.

In other words, more carbs means each calorie has more likelihood to stall or cause gain. Calories don't matter much on induction.

Since I'm still below 50 carbs a day, I eat so much high fat stuff with no problem, but wonder if I will have a problem as I climb the ladder. (But if I do I honestly think most days I would choose the fat over the carbs.)

[BrianSCohen]

I have found that if I keep my carb count low enough, I can eat grossly excessive amounts of calories and not gain. I am talking 5-7,000 calories a day for weeks. I do think that if you want to lose weight, you will need to have some part of the day in a caloric deficit, leading to fat mobilization, but not necessarily all day or all the time.

[jacksmixedtape]

I count calories because I tend to overeat fat (but only in NUTS, coconut oil... extras like that). If you have portion control with all LC foods, you don't have to worry about calories because you will spontaneously eat less of them. Low carb works because you're a) not releasing insulin, and b) restricting your calories automatically without feeling hungry. If you're not at goal, you might not have to think about calories at all.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by dae_tona

what do you think your reason is for not having to restrict calories?...

Hi Dyan...
For me, several things come to mind...

• I'm not on a diet, I'm just eating low carb
• I'm not in a race - there is no timeline tied to my weight loss
• I'm not cheating

My wife and I don't worry about calories, cook with all the oil/fat we choose to, and don't deprive ourselves, and both continue to lose. The rate at which we lose is not important to us, so we don't obsess over it.

In fact, I only weigh once a year a the doctor's office, and my clothes tell me if I'm still on track. They fit looser and some I wore years ago fit.

[wcrod]

I don't count calories (I wouldn't have the patience to anyway) and the secret for me has been:
* Avoiding simple carbs (sugars, starches, processed stuff)
* Avoiding artificial sweeteners
* Eating healthy, whole foods (including plenty of vegetables)
* Don't overeat, and don't eat from boredom
* Regular exercise

If look at this as a lifestyle change to be healthier and happier, you will do much better with it. IMHO counting calories only leads to a mentality of deprivation that can contribute to binging and other self-destructive behaviors.

[SugarFreeSheila]

My ticket is steering clear of the commercial low-carb fare in my daily menu while allocating homemade low-carb baked goods just for the weekends - allowing these keeps me on track like a bulldog during the week. No starches or anything with added sugars, everything is full-fat, & everything I eat is as low on the glycemic index as possible. The latter allows me to maximize my portions for my personal carbohydrate allotment of 90-110 grams per day.

[ladyathome]

I don't count calories at all, but I do keep a daily list of what I eat and the carb counts. This helps me to know where I am daily as well as keeps me at ot under my appropriate level.

Also I think since I keep track of carbs, I have a natural portion control. I know that if I want a snack of half an apple and two tablespoons peanut butter, it has a certain number of carbs and I write it on my list. It helps me from overdoing the more carby foods. I don't limit my non carby foods like eggs or meat. And I do measure stuff. If I want some cottage cheese , and the serving size is half a cup, I measure out half a cup.

HTH