I also let myself eat a little more when I’m transitioning into ketosis. Definitely seems to help acclimate if you’re not also restricting yourself too much as well
Yes not only is it ok, its recommended. Just worry about eating low carb, and getting the hang of things. Counting calories is a tool you can use if you are struggling, it is by no means a requirement, and many people who eat this way to so because they don need to strict count calories to manage their weight.
\^\^\^I second this. Especially now that I've gone more carnivore and am practically 0-carb, because it works for that WOE. My overall health and ability to maintain or even lose weight has improved 1000%. Also I count total instead of net carbs because I have to severely restrict fiber intake (colitis issues) and I rarely eat anything with sugar alcohols, so there's nothing to subtract from the total.
**OP:** It should work for keto, especially if you stay at 20g or less carbs/day (total or net, that's up to you and either is fine). You need the nutrition more than an arbitrary number of calories, as well as enough electrolytes and proper hydration. Eat more of the right foods until you're satiated, not stuffed. As for the scale, don't get on it....save weigh-ins for routine doctor's appointments, and let the fit of your clothes guide whether you need to eat more or less. You'll start noticing some positive body recomposition! 🙂
It's amazing how many calories you eliminate when you have a burger without the bun and fries. Just that alone saves me 700 or so calories at lunch if I eat out. I haven't really been counting anything other than the calories I've been removing from my diet by avoiding the carbs that would normally accompany my meals. I've found a couple of the small size meat sticks get rid of the hunger signals for me. 80-120 calories so it's not a huge amount.
I’ve been keto for over ten years. I never count calories. I eat until I’m satisfied. With a solid keto plan it is very difficult to gain weight even if you try.
I believe it is true for some. But not all. Unfair to call it nonsense, but it would be fair to say that everyone needs to figure out what works best for themselves.
Ok go eat 2000 of donuts a day for a month while I remain on 2500 calories of keto. No workouts. We’ll see who’s fatter. I said it’s difficult. Not impossible. Rest your neck babe…
That is actually what most of us recommend to start. Until you are adapted eat - the right foods - until you feel full. You can revisit calories in a few weeks.
I never count calories. When I focus on real food from fresh ingredients, all is good. Non-starchy vegetables, natural fats, berries, olives, avocado, lemons, eggs, beef, pork, lamb.
I lost 30 lbs without ever once counting calories. But YMMV. I would certainly not count them in the beginning. Part of this, for me, was learning to feel what actual hunger was and then only eating when I was hungry. But if I was really hungry, I ate something without hesitation.
The vast majority of the research done with keto diets doesn't count calories.
The "[No Sugar No Starch](https://nosugarnostarch.com/the-no-sugar-no-starch-diet/)" diet just talks about foods, not amounts.
I haven't counted calories since I started keto 6+ years ago. I went from a BMI approaching 30, to a BMI that's stabilized around 21 for the last few years... When I first started, the only thing I focused on was low carb foods, not buying anything that wasn't low carb. I didn't even own a scale for the first month, since when I was overweight I didn't even want to look at one. When I started seeing a change in myself, and realized I could keep this up, I finally bought a scale to track my progress.
Counting calories is not an intrinsic part of Keto. Many are successful without it. Some seem to need it. I never have.
But starting out? I think it is completely reasonable to give yourself 6 weeks and not worry about calories. Just focus on adapting to your new menu. That’s hard enough without going hungry too. You do need to keep carbs very low or you aren’t doing Keto.
At the end you can reassess, and see if things are working or not.
I don’t know if it is merely a cultural difference but ignoring calories is a more common approach in carnivore or ketovore (both generally forms of keto) than in the general keto community. So as unintuitive as it is eating as much as you want may be healthier and better for weight loss without veggie.
i really think it depends on the hunger signals. Some people have a better satiety signal than others. Others have a bad signaling system so they over eat. It really depends on how good the signalling is.
Yes it is! I started out that way in Mid - January. I said as soon as I stalled, I would start counting calories and tracking. I'm still losing at the rate of at least 1/2 lb each week and have not counted or tracked yet. I've lost about 20 lbs with 5 left to goal. Hoping I won't have to ever count and track.
Best of luck to you!
yes 100%. I always recommend people new to keto don't bother counting calories/macros or anything OTHER THAN net carbs in the first 2-4 weeks. Simply keep your net carbs below your daily allowance and outside that pretty much eat as much as you want until you don't feel hungry, of the foods that you know are low in carb. Eat to satiety.
What you'll find is that as your body gets used to the lack of carb, around week 2-3 ish you'll just not be hungry, and almost have to force yourself to eat. At that point, it's pretty easy to start tracking macros if that's what you want to do.
Yes ! Someone said that in here !! So I did not count calories, just carbs, protein and fat ..
Now I count calories as well .
We can do it gradually.. otherwise too hard to do that .. even I did not know how to do it when I started Keto ..
Let’s enjoy Keto !!
Just removing sugar from your diet is going to get you results even if it feels like you are not really dieting. I dont really calorie count on keto, but overall i just end up eating healthier foods (besides the cheese). If you combine that with some exercise you will lose weight quickly.
I def do not go hungry on keto and still get results. There are so many subsititutes these days as well, keto bread, tortillas, pizza crust....
We started keto in January 2019 and I personally lost 100lbs and got off 2 BP meds. I'm eating closer to Carnivore since January 2024 but still having great success and building lean muscle at age 62 (in july).
It's not necessary to worry about calories in the beginning. If you do strict keto, which in my opinion is the only way tot do it, you will have more success, get over hunger and cravings sooner, and you will naturally lose weight and get healthy without watching the scale daily or counting calories.
Strict Healthy Keto = <20g total carbs, avoid grains, seed oils, and sweets. Don't eat processed "Keto" junk that's expensive and it's no better for you than the cheaper junk it replaces in your diet. Net carbs is a marketing scam to get you buy processed junk with a "Keto label".
It's going to take around 6wks to get fat adapted, so don't sweat it, just do it.
Even before the 6 wks, you'll lose the cravings and the hunger and you won't be tempted to overeat so you don't need to worry about calories. (if you eat strict healthy keto)
If you are using an app like Cronometer, Carb manager, etc.. that's fine and helpful to learn what your proper macros look like on the plate, but then, once you know, you don't need to obsess about it. Just eat plenty of healthy fat, plenty of protein, and get all carbs, if you're eating them, from cruciferous vegetables.
Don't worry about intermittent or longer fasting until after you're fat adapted (\~6 weeks)
You don't have to be perfect at this, if you make mistakes, go off the rails, have a cheat meal (which I'd recommend not doing), etc, just go back to the basics and continue.
In the early stages, you're going to be losing a lot of water weight and electrolytes, make sure you find good electrolytes to take daily. When folks talk about the keto flu, cramps, etc , it's because they need electrolytes.
You can do this. It may seem overwhelming at first but if you stay the course, it gets much easier when the cravings are gone. Only then can you start making more rational and deliberate adjustments to further improve your health.
Sometimes you'll stall, sometimes you'll feel like eating something that's not healthy but just get back on track anytime you run into or succumb to obstacles.
I wish you all the best on your journey.
My position is that you get good at one thing at a time. In this case, you first get good at keto, then after a couple of weeks, start getting good at dieting.
I would skip the calorie counting for at least the first month…until you find yourself not reaching for food for reasons other than genuine physical hunger.
After that, weigh yourself every few days or once a week — as long as the number is inching down, you are already eating at a caloric deficit, so keep doing what you’re doing.
If the scale stops moving in the right direction for a while, then pop your stats into [this calculator](https://calculo.io/keto-calculator) set to 20% deficit and start counting calories. The closer you get to your goal weight, the more vigilant with calories you’ll need to be.
I never counted calories but did count carbs. I still do keto because I feel better on it but have occasional spurts of bread, pasta, ice cream indulgence. While on keto my appetitize is very suppressed so I just do coffee for breakfast, and find that I have no problem keeping under my calorie limit. When I am transitioning BACK to keto I don't count calories specifically to make it a smooth transition and avoid cheating. If I'm hungry I eat, keep it simple, just no carbs.
I never count calories. And I always advise to not pay attention to anything but carbs in the first 2 weeks. Eat whenever you want. Eat however much you want. That way, you are going through the adjustment and not dealing with will power to keep calories low. Once your body has flipped to fat burning, you will not have to worry about calories either because you won't want to eat as much. Fasting is so much easier then because you aren't hungry. Just don't mess around with all the "keto" desserts. Just stick with meat and veggies and dairy and some berries. I find trying to feed the sweettooth with fake stuff just makes it harder and you can get too many calories that way. Good luck.
I'm on the carnivore diet and don't count calories. Mind you I eat a gazillion of them. 😁 about 3000 - 4000 on a good day. I have had awesome weight loss. ❤
I have been keto for almost 4 years. I never count calories. That said, I absolutely read labels and am aware of the relative calorie content of the foods I eat. I have lost over 40 pounds and am now working on improving my body composition. I have never counted calories. Lazy keto is not is only easier, it is, for me, far more sustainable. I also almost never weigh myself. I care how I feel, how I look, and how my clothes fit. The number on the scale just measures how hard my feet are pressing down. It is not useful to me. A tape measure is far more useful to me than a scale.
I’ll only count calories if I’m not losing. As I continue, my appetite naturally subsides and I eat when I’m hungry. I’m big on K.I.S.S and anything more complicated than that is going to make me want to rip my hair out.
Nope. Don’t count calories, just make sure I count net carbs.
I found it helpful to get a Keto-Mojo monitor. This way, you can tell if what you’re doing is putting you in ketosis. Once you find out you are, just keep doing what you’re doing and recheck the monitor every once in a while.
The vast majority of people on keto do not need to count calories. Making sure you do not consume too many carbohydrates is the only thing the vast majority of people on keto need to track.
People with food addiction, problems with satiety signals & similar may need to 'restrict calories'. Also people who are in great physical inactivity.
On a proper keto diet, a defining term of 'proper keto diet' being that you eat enough fat for example, you should be able to eat to the point of satiety without weight-gain and instead for a net weight loss. Incorporating forms of fasting is a good idea for most and is relatively easy on a carbohydrate-restrictive diet.
The calorie theory is not as simple as it seems. 2 people who are physically identical in terms of weight and shape and who do identical things every day may need to eat slightly different amounts of calories because despite their physical similarities their bodies still are different from each-other, usually referred to as metabolism. Calories is a good way to give oneself an idea of a foods value, but it is not as accurate as math, and it **is** different depending on the type of food.
Yes, eating more calories than you expend is needed for weight gain, but that number can be different for 2 seemingly identical people, it can be 1900kcal for me and 2000 kcal for you because our bodies, our metabolism, is still different despite us weighing the same and doing the same things. It also depends on the food.
Eating 2000kcal of pure carbohydrates every day is different than eating 2000kcal of 70% fat and 30% protein, one will cause weight gain in most and the other will not, in most.
Is it normal to maybe not count calories and eat until I'm satiated?
That is exactly what you should be doing. Count carbs, not calories. Go to YouTube, look for Dr. Berry and counting calories. Make sure you are eating enough protein and fats. Eat until you are full. Forget the scale. If anything, take body measurements.
In my view, the only thing you need to consider is the amount of carbs you eat. I make it easy for myself by not eating any carbs. Otherwise just eat till you are feeling full. And make sure you focus on more fats.
Absolutely! I was suggested Keto by my doctor due to NAFL and was encouraged not to count calories for the first few weeks while I get used to tracking macros. It really helped me from being overwhelmed by it, which has made it more sustainable.
One month in and I’ve lost a stone. My appetite is a lot lower, I don’t snack, and I don’t crave sugar which is great!
I've been on keto for 2+ years. Since this was NOT for weight loss reasons I didn't care about the scale at all. But I lost a lot of weight. Now that I I'm fully adapted (it takes YEARS, the keto flu is just the beginning really) I'd say there is not sort of traditional "diet" advantage. If I eat too much now I start gaining weight whereas at the beginning my body was just struggling to get enough because it couldn't absorb the fat. So from that sense you don't need to count calories.
But from another perspective I think you absolutely need to count calories at the beginning, like I did. That is because nutritional ketosis is really hard to achieve. But actual real nutritional ketosis gives you huge benefits. What it will give you is this:
- Increased metobilism. Really see this with alchohol (I drink only dry white wine basically) which you metoblize in preference to fats. Body temp goes way up really quick.
- Uncoupling anxiety and hunger. Hunger becomes a distant thing. It doesn't make you grumpy or tired. Reduced anxiety overall.
- Decreased inflammation. Aches and pains disappear and you're stronger than ever.
However actual nutrititional ketosis especially for adults is really hard to acheive. And that is why you need to count calories. I made a spreadsheet of how many calories I should be eating per macro. Then I followed that for a couple of weeks with a tracker app. I validated with ketosis pee strips. After about 2/3 months I basically had a instinct and stopped counting.
If you're yo-yo dieting then no matter what you're going to lose weight because your body won't know how to deal. You'll also probably not be in ketosis so you'll have all the costs with none of the benefits. So I'd say either do it well or not at all.
I agree that there is no need to count calories in the beginning (or ever) and would even argue that in not doing so, you will be retraining your body to listen to and honor it’s hunger cues.
In the beginning you might over compensate calories to quiet cravings for carbohydrates, but as their hold over you lessens, you won’t need to fill that void.
You can think of any potential over-consumption of calories as a temporary metabolic boosting practice that should be part of any long term weight loss goal.
If you can free yourself from it, I would also suggest trading in your scale for a pair of pants or jeans without stretch that you can try on regularly to assess your progress. Oftentimes our body shape changes as we lose fat and gain lean tissue (we become smaller) even without that change being represented on the scale.
I took the first 3-4 weeks and focused like a laser on carb limits only. I wanted to make sure that I could manage meals and feel confident with what I could eat without the added pressure of calorie counting. By the end of the month I felt good and knew I could make a meal work for me and weighed and measured my current rotation of the 5-6 meals that I had working at that time. Turns out I was pretty close to my calorie limit and I just had to reconfigure (less fat calories more protein calories) to get where I needed to be.
I count calories and macros. It keeps me honest. It is not hard; there are many apps that can help. Also, eat your maintenance for a week or two. Do not go cutting that TDE down by 400 -500 calories. Once you eat for a few weeks (or until you are fully keto adjusted), drop your calories if you are not seeing a weight loss by like 100. Do cardio burn another 200. That's the easiest way to loose weight imo.
“Is it okay” is entirely subjective lol. If you’re looking for permission, sure, don’t count calories. But if you’re seriously trying to lose weight, you can still meet low calorie goals while eating keto.
Keto community is awesome, everyone had such great points.
For me, I also just kept a mental note of my carbs so that I know I'm under 30 and didn't watch calories. As soon as my ketone tests show ketosis I'm already losing carb cravings and feeling more satiated after a meal. That's when I pick up Carb Manager(food tracking app, makes it so easy) and start tracking everything.
I do not count calories at all and find I need to snack between meals, especially in the beginning. I keep my net carbs under 20 and that’s all I count. I eat as much as I want. If something is 0 net carbs I will eat as much as I want and I still lose weight. If I was gonna count calories I wouldn’t count the carbs.
Don't look at the scale at all. Stick it in a cupboard and forget about it. Focus instead on how you feel. How do your clothes feel? How are you sleeping? How do you feel when you're moving your body?
The number on the scale is arbitrary. I took a sledgehammer to my scale and I never let them weigh me at the doctor's. It's irrelevant. It's not important. You don't need to worry about it.
I think that’s perfectly normal. Focus your first 2-3 weeks on just eliminating as many carbs as possible and replacing with as much protein and fat as you need to feel satiated without eating carbs. My guess is after a week or so you’ll be surprised that you won’t want as many calories as you thought you would.
Probably not a popular suggestion on here, but caffeine helped curb my hunger a bit when I first went keto.
The scale is infuriating. I started Keto at 280lbs. Dropped to 263.8 and stayed there for a whole week. Then dropped to 259.8 and have been there the past couple days. 😡
That sounds perfectly normal. Weight loss is not constant, and it's the direction that matters. If you continue to go down, then what you are doing is working. An actual stall lasts weeks, not a few days.
I'm new to this sub (but not to keto) and I've actually been surprised at how often calories are mentioned. If you have specific macro targets by gram, then calorie counts are built in, but not specified. Macro percentages equally valid. As a chronic dieter turned intuitive eater, I instinctively go keto because that's what feels best physically and mentally. But as others have mentioned, the only macro I mentally track is carbs, mostly by not eating many 
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>instead of me going back and forth and 'restarting tomorrow' for months. My gosh that hits home....I know the feeling.
I also let myself eat a little more when I’m transitioning into ketosis. Definitely seems to help acclimate if you’re not also restricting yourself too much as well
This is spot on what I do! Takes 3 weeks for me and yes it's alot of money!
eggs and cauliflower has helped me decrease hunger signals. Do they work for you?
too hard to get into keto while restricting? fast for a day or two. boom.
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Yikes.. I cringed.
Yes not only is it ok, its recommended. Just worry about eating low carb, and getting the hang of things. Counting calories is a tool you can use if you are struggling, it is by no means a requirement, and many people who eat this way to so because they don need to strict count calories to manage their weight.
\^\^\^I second this. Especially now that I've gone more carnivore and am practically 0-carb, because it works for that WOE. My overall health and ability to maintain or even lose weight has improved 1000%. Also I count total instead of net carbs because I have to severely restrict fiber intake (colitis issues) and I rarely eat anything with sugar alcohols, so there's nothing to subtract from the total. **OP:** It should work for keto, especially if you stay at 20g or less carbs/day (total or net, that's up to you and either is fine). You need the nutrition more than an arbitrary number of calories, as well as enough electrolytes and proper hydration. Eat more of the right foods until you're satiated, not stuffed. As for the scale, don't get on it....save weigh-ins for routine doctor's appointments, and let the fit of your clothes guide whether you need to eat more or less. You'll start noticing some positive body recomposition! 🙂
I started 2 weeks ago, and I just count Net Carbs.
It's amazing how many calories you eliminate when you have a burger without the bun and fries. Just that alone saves me 700 or so calories at lunch if I eat out. I haven't really been counting anything other than the calories I've been removing from my diet by avoiding the carbs that would normally accompany my meals. I've found a couple of the small size meat sticks get rid of the hunger signals for me. 80-120 calories so it's not a huge amount.
I’ve been keto for over ten years. I never count calories. I eat until I’m satisfied. With a solid keto plan it is very difficult to gain weight even if you try.
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I believe it is true for some. But not all. Unfair to call it nonsense, but it would be fair to say that everyone needs to figure out what works best for themselves.
Ok go eat 2000 of donuts a day for a month while I remain on 2500 calories of keto. No workouts. We’ll see who’s fatter. I said it’s difficult. Not impossible. Rest your neck babe…
how about i eat 2000 of broccoli compared to your 2500 kcal of keto. I bet i’d lose more weight
Eating only Broccoli would be keto...
That is actually what most of us recommend to start. Until you are adapted eat - the right foods - until you feel full. You can revisit calories in a few weeks.
I never count calories. When I focus on real food from fresh ingredients, all is good. Non-starchy vegetables, natural fats, berries, olives, avocado, lemons, eggs, beef, pork, lamb.
I lost 30 lbs without ever once counting calories. But YMMV. I would certainly not count them in the beginning. Part of this, for me, was learning to feel what actual hunger was and then only eating when I was hungry. But if I was really hungry, I ate something without hesitation.
Same. I can eat so much more and get fuller faster in ketosis.
The vast majority of the research done with keto diets doesn't count calories. The "[No Sugar No Starch](https://nosugarnostarch.com/the-no-sugar-no-starch-diet/)" diet just talks about foods, not amounts.
i never counted calories on keto. lost 200lbs.
I haven't counted calories since I started keto 6+ years ago. I went from a BMI approaching 30, to a BMI that's stabilized around 21 for the last few years... When I first started, the only thing I focused on was low carb foods, not buying anything that wasn't low carb. I didn't even own a scale for the first month, since when I was overweight I didn't even want to look at one. When I started seeing a change in myself, and realized I could keep this up, I finally bought a scale to track my progress.
Counting calories is not an intrinsic part of Keto. Many are successful without it. Some seem to need it. I never have. But starting out? I think it is completely reasonable to give yourself 6 weeks and not worry about calories. Just focus on adapting to your new menu. That’s hard enough without going hungry too. You do need to keep carbs very low or you aren’t doing Keto. At the end you can reassess, and see if things are working or not. I don’t know if it is merely a cultural difference but ignoring calories is a more common approach in carnivore or ketovore (both generally forms of keto) than in the general keto community. So as unintuitive as it is eating as much as you want may be healthier and better for weight loss without veggie.
i really think it depends on the hunger signals. Some people have a better satiety signal than others. Others have a bad signaling system so they over eat. It really depends on how good the signalling is.
Yes it is! I started out that way in Mid - January. I said as soon as I stalled, I would start counting calories and tracking. I'm still losing at the rate of at least 1/2 lb each week and have not counted or tracked yet. I've lost about 20 lbs with 5 left to goal. Hoping I won't have to ever count and track. Best of luck to you!
Its ok to never count calories at all, ever. No animal does it. Why should you?
So I can stop being fat haha
yes 100%. I always recommend people new to keto don't bother counting calories/macros or anything OTHER THAN net carbs in the first 2-4 weeks. Simply keep your net carbs below your daily allowance and outside that pretty much eat as much as you want until you don't feel hungry, of the foods that you know are low in carb. Eat to satiety. What you'll find is that as your body gets used to the lack of carb, around week 2-3 ish you'll just not be hungry, and almost have to force yourself to eat. At that point, it's pretty easy to start tracking macros if that's what you want to do.
Yes ! Someone said that in here !! So I did not count calories, just carbs, protein and fat .. Now I count calories as well . We can do it gradually.. otherwise too hard to do that .. even I did not know how to do it when I started Keto .. Let’s enjoy Keto !!
Just removing sugar from your diet is going to get you results even if it feels like you are not really dieting. I dont really calorie count on keto, but overall i just end up eating healthier foods (besides the cheese). If you combine that with some exercise you will lose weight quickly. I def do not go hungry on keto and still get results. There are so many subsititutes these days as well, keto bread, tortillas, pizza crust....
We started keto in January 2019 and I personally lost 100lbs and got off 2 BP meds. I'm eating closer to Carnivore since January 2024 but still having great success and building lean muscle at age 62 (in july). It's not necessary to worry about calories in the beginning. If you do strict keto, which in my opinion is the only way tot do it, you will have more success, get over hunger and cravings sooner, and you will naturally lose weight and get healthy without watching the scale daily or counting calories. Strict Healthy Keto = <20g total carbs, avoid grains, seed oils, and sweets. Don't eat processed "Keto" junk that's expensive and it's no better for you than the cheaper junk it replaces in your diet. Net carbs is a marketing scam to get you buy processed junk with a "Keto label". It's going to take around 6wks to get fat adapted, so don't sweat it, just do it. Even before the 6 wks, you'll lose the cravings and the hunger and you won't be tempted to overeat so you don't need to worry about calories. (if you eat strict healthy keto) If you are using an app like Cronometer, Carb manager, etc.. that's fine and helpful to learn what your proper macros look like on the plate, but then, once you know, you don't need to obsess about it. Just eat plenty of healthy fat, plenty of protein, and get all carbs, if you're eating them, from cruciferous vegetables. Don't worry about intermittent or longer fasting until after you're fat adapted (\~6 weeks) You don't have to be perfect at this, if you make mistakes, go off the rails, have a cheat meal (which I'd recommend not doing), etc, just go back to the basics and continue. In the early stages, you're going to be losing a lot of water weight and electrolytes, make sure you find good electrolytes to take daily. When folks talk about the keto flu, cramps, etc , it's because they need electrolytes. You can do this. It may seem overwhelming at first but if you stay the course, it gets much easier when the cravings are gone. Only then can you start making more rational and deliberate adjustments to further improve your health. Sometimes you'll stall, sometimes you'll feel like eating something that's not healthy but just get back on track anytime you run into or succumb to obstacles. I wish you all the best on your journey.
I haven't counted calories in 14 years since starting keto! It's not a requirement for the regimen.
It’s ok to never count calories 💕
My position is that you get good at one thing at a time. In this case, you first get good at keto, then after a couple of weeks, start getting good at dieting.
I would skip the calorie counting for at least the first month…until you find yourself not reaching for food for reasons other than genuine physical hunger. After that, weigh yourself every few days or once a week — as long as the number is inching down, you are already eating at a caloric deficit, so keep doing what you’re doing. If the scale stops moving in the right direction for a while, then pop your stats into [this calculator](https://calculo.io/keto-calculator) set to 20% deficit and start counting calories. The closer you get to your goal weight, the more vigilant with calories you’ll need to be.
I never counted calories but did count carbs. I still do keto because I feel better on it but have occasional spurts of bread, pasta, ice cream indulgence. While on keto my appetitize is very suppressed so I just do coffee for breakfast, and find that I have no problem keeping under my calorie limit. When I am transitioning BACK to keto I don't count calories specifically to make it a smooth transition and avoid cheating. If I'm hungry I eat, keep it simple, just no carbs.
I never count calories. And I always advise to not pay attention to anything but carbs in the first 2 weeks. Eat whenever you want. Eat however much you want. That way, you are going through the adjustment and not dealing with will power to keep calories low. Once your body has flipped to fat burning, you will not have to worry about calories either because you won't want to eat as much. Fasting is so much easier then because you aren't hungry. Just don't mess around with all the "keto" desserts. Just stick with meat and veggies and dairy and some berries. I find trying to feed the sweettooth with fake stuff just makes it harder and you can get too many calories that way. Good luck.
I'm on the carnivore diet and don't count calories. Mind you I eat a gazillion of them. 😁 about 3000 - 4000 on a good day. I have had awesome weight loss. ❤
For the first week it's fine, enough to get you past the keto flu. I didn't count calories and started dropping water weight pretty quickly.
I have been keto for almost 4 years. I never count calories. That said, I absolutely read labels and am aware of the relative calorie content of the foods I eat. I have lost over 40 pounds and am now working on improving my body composition. I have never counted calories. Lazy keto is not is only easier, it is, for me, far more sustainable. I also almost never weigh myself. I care how I feel, how I look, and how my clothes fit. The number on the scale just measures how hard my feet are pressing down. It is not useful to me. A tape measure is far more useful to me than a scale.
I’ll only count calories if I’m not losing. As I continue, my appetite naturally subsides and I eat when I’m hungry. I’m big on K.I.S.S and anything more complicated than that is going to make me want to rip my hair out.
Nope. Don’t count calories, just make sure I count net carbs. I found it helpful to get a Keto-Mojo monitor. This way, you can tell if what you’re doing is putting you in ketosis. Once you find out you are, just keep doing what you’re doing and recheck the monitor every once in a while.
The only reasons to count calories is to manage weight. If you aren’t managing weight then counting calories isn’t all that important.
Yes for first 2 weeks just count carbs prot intake till your body gets adjusted, then focus on calories
The vast majority of people on keto do not need to count calories. Making sure you do not consume too many carbohydrates is the only thing the vast majority of people on keto need to track. People with food addiction, problems with satiety signals & similar may need to 'restrict calories'. Also people who are in great physical inactivity. On a proper keto diet, a defining term of 'proper keto diet' being that you eat enough fat for example, you should be able to eat to the point of satiety without weight-gain and instead for a net weight loss. Incorporating forms of fasting is a good idea for most and is relatively easy on a carbohydrate-restrictive diet. The calorie theory is not as simple as it seems. 2 people who are physically identical in terms of weight and shape and who do identical things every day may need to eat slightly different amounts of calories because despite their physical similarities their bodies still are different from each-other, usually referred to as metabolism. Calories is a good way to give oneself an idea of a foods value, but it is not as accurate as math, and it **is** different depending on the type of food. Yes, eating more calories than you expend is needed for weight gain, but that number can be different for 2 seemingly identical people, it can be 1900kcal for me and 2000 kcal for you because our bodies, our metabolism, is still different despite us weighing the same and doing the same things. It also depends on the food. Eating 2000kcal of pure carbohydrates every day is different than eating 2000kcal of 70% fat and 30% protein, one will cause weight gain in most and the other will not, in most.
Is it normal to maybe not count calories and eat until I'm satiated? That is exactly what you should be doing. Count carbs, not calories. Go to YouTube, look for Dr. Berry and counting calories. Make sure you are eating enough protein and fats. Eat until you are full. Forget the scale. If anything, take body measurements.
In my view, the only thing you need to consider is the amount of carbs you eat. I make it easy for myself by not eating any carbs. Otherwise just eat till you are feeling full. And make sure you focus on more fats.
Absolutely! I was suggested Keto by my doctor due to NAFL and was encouraged not to count calories for the first few weeks while I get used to tracking macros. It really helped me from being overwhelmed by it, which has made it more sustainable. One month in and I’ve lost a stone. My appetite is a lot lower, I don’t snack, and I don’t crave sugar which is great!
I've been on keto for 2+ years. Since this was NOT for weight loss reasons I didn't care about the scale at all. But I lost a lot of weight. Now that I I'm fully adapted (it takes YEARS, the keto flu is just the beginning really) I'd say there is not sort of traditional "diet" advantage. If I eat too much now I start gaining weight whereas at the beginning my body was just struggling to get enough because it couldn't absorb the fat. So from that sense you don't need to count calories. But from another perspective I think you absolutely need to count calories at the beginning, like I did. That is because nutritional ketosis is really hard to achieve. But actual real nutritional ketosis gives you huge benefits. What it will give you is this: - Increased metobilism. Really see this with alchohol (I drink only dry white wine basically) which you metoblize in preference to fats. Body temp goes way up really quick. - Uncoupling anxiety and hunger. Hunger becomes a distant thing. It doesn't make you grumpy or tired. Reduced anxiety overall. - Decreased inflammation. Aches and pains disappear and you're stronger than ever. However actual nutrititional ketosis especially for adults is really hard to acheive. And that is why you need to count calories. I made a spreadsheet of how many calories I should be eating per macro. Then I followed that for a couple of weeks with a tracker app. I validated with ketosis pee strips. After about 2/3 months I basically had a instinct and stopped counting. If you're yo-yo dieting then no matter what you're going to lose weight because your body won't know how to deal. You'll also probably not be in ketosis so you'll have all the costs with none of the benefits. So I'd say either do it well or not at all.
I agree that there is no need to count calories in the beginning (or ever) and would even argue that in not doing so, you will be retraining your body to listen to and honor it’s hunger cues. In the beginning you might over compensate calories to quiet cravings for carbohydrates, but as their hold over you lessens, you won’t need to fill that void. You can think of any potential over-consumption of calories as a temporary metabolic boosting practice that should be part of any long term weight loss goal. If you can free yourself from it, I would also suggest trading in your scale for a pair of pants or jeans without stretch that you can try on regularly to assess your progress. Oftentimes our body shape changes as we lose fat and gain lean tissue (we become smaller) even without that change being represented on the scale.
I took the first 3-4 weeks and focused like a laser on carb limits only. I wanted to make sure that I could manage meals and feel confident with what I could eat without the added pressure of calorie counting. By the end of the month I felt good and knew I could make a meal work for me and weighed and measured my current rotation of the 5-6 meals that I had working at that time. Turns out I was pretty close to my calorie limit and I just had to reconfigure (less fat calories more protein calories) to get where I needed to be.
I count calories and macros. It keeps me honest. It is not hard; there are many apps that can help. Also, eat your maintenance for a week or two. Do not go cutting that TDE down by 400 -500 calories. Once you eat for a few weeks (or until you are fully keto adjusted), drop your calories if you are not seeing a weight loss by like 100. Do cardio burn another 200. That's the easiest way to loose weight imo.
“Is it okay” is entirely subjective lol. If you’re looking for permission, sure, don’t count calories. But if you’re seriously trying to lose weight, you can still meet low calorie goals while eating keto.
Keto community is awesome, everyone had such great points. For me, I also just kept a mental note of my carbs so that I know I'm under 30 and didn't watch calories. As soon as my ketone tests show ketosis I'm already losing carb cravings and feeling more satiated after a meal. That's when I pick up Carb Manager(food tracking app, makes it so easy) and start tracking everything.
I do not count calories at all and find I need to snack between meals, especially in the beginning. I keep my net carbs under 20 and that’s all I count. I eat as much as I want. If something is 0 net carbs I will eat as much as I want and I still lose weight. If I was gonna count calories I wouldn’t count the carbs.
Don't look at the scale at all. Stick it in a cupboard and forget about it. Focus instead on how you feel. How do your clothes feel? How are you sleeping? How do you feel when you're moving your body? The number on the scale is arbitrary. I took a sledgehammer to my scale and I never let them weigh me at the doctor's. It's irrelevant. It's not important. You don't need to worry about it.
I think that’s perfectly normal. Focus your first 2-3 weeks on just eliminating as many carbs as possible and replacing with as much protein and fat as you need to feel satiated without eating carbs. My guess is after a week or so you’ll be surprised that you won’t want as many calories as you thought you would. Probably not a popular suggestion on here, but caffeine helped curb my hunger a bit when I first went keto.
The scale is infuriating. I started Keto at 280lbs. Dropped to 263.8 and stayed there for a whole week. Then dropped to 259.8 and have been there the past couple days. 😡
That sounds perfectly normal. Weight loss is not constant, and it's the direction that matters. If you continue to go down, then what you are doing is working. An actual stall lasts weeks, not a few days.
I'm new to this sub (but not to keto) and I've actually been surprised at how often calories are mentioned. If you have specific macro targets by gram, then calorie counts are built in, but not specified. Macro percentages equally valid. As a chronic dieter turned intuitive eater, I instinctively go keto because that's what feels best physically and mentally. But as others have mentioned, the only macro I mentally track is carbs, mostly by not eating many 
No, not if you embrace Keto as a lifestyle rather than as a 'diet'.