When you are doing all this low carb stuff... the focus is on low carbs.. but do you also watch your total calories? I mean, they REALLY start to add up when you are eating more fat. Do you still strive for 1200 or whatever yours is minus the 500 for weight loss?

no is the simple answer, for me 1200 calories would be hell on earth

My thoughts exactally! I made up a food chart / diary thingy today to count all my carbs and fat and total calories..

I don't feel like I have eaten much AT ALL today and I am already up to almost 900 calories. and its only 220pm!

I use fitday and I keep a general eye on my calories to make sure I am not really going overboard, but no - I don't have an arbitrary limit that I force myself to stay under. I practice portion control more by eating only until I am satisfied and not going back for more unless I really am still hungry. I have also pretty much eliminated snacking...although that happened more by accident than design - as time went on I didn't need the snacks anymore. I could never stick with the kind of diet where you assign yourself a calorie limit and then stop eating when you hit that number - whether you are still really hungry or not. I don't have that kind of willpower (and don't want to, more's the pity ) But eating low-carb has reduced my apetite, so eating only when hungry, my calories have come down to about 1600/day.

Well actually, yes, I do. I was eating 1600+ and stalled. Finally after enough months I figured out... duh... count calories! So I lowered by 100's until I'm finally now getting about 1200-1300 most days. But I did it gradually and I don't get hungry. Its amazing how my appetite has shrunk.

With regard to counting calories, my vote would have to be "yes."

Sadly, I got complacent at my weight. I'd gone down to 255 from 294 and I no longer felt like quite the blimp. I remained LC and hoped that I was just in a stall. But like I said, I got complacent!! That was over a year ago!!! Over the past year I've kept my carb count below 50 and remained between 256 and 263, but paid no attention to the calories. I even tried breaking through the stall by going back on induction, but w/ no luck.

Last week I went to my doctor -- she suggested breaking through my stall with restricted caloric intake. AND, she decided to help me out with appetite control by prescribing a month's worth of Phentermine.

Well, that was five days ago and I've already lost six pounds--finally breaking past that 255 barrier.

YEAH!!!

For someone at my age/height/weight, I should be taking in 2900 to 3600 calories per day just to maintain my weight (depending on my activity level). (NOTE: For help figuring this out, I went to http://www.annecollins.com/calories...e-needs-men.htm. Women can go to http://www.annecollins.com/calories...needs-women.htm)

Doc and I agreed that I should eat less than 1500 calories a day for the first week and increase my exercise. I've done both and boy, the pants and shirts feel looser already!

On Tuesday this week I'll kick up to 2000 cals/day, and maintain that until I reach goal. I'll probably keep my carbs down below 25 until goal, too.

After a year of being complacent in my stall, I'm THRILLED to be losing again.

(Although my wife's and my trip to Hawai'i in October is "somewhat" of a motivation!!!)

On a positive note, staying so close to one weight for a year is the first time I've done that in my 43 years ... so I will affirm that the LC WOE is the only way for me from now on. Once I reach goal, I believe I can stay at goal if I remain LC -- and that's hope that I now have that I did not have a year ago.

Hey, good link! This one pegged me at 1816 calories per day. Which explains why I need to go down to 1200 to lose about a pound a week. I'm sure fit day and some others were WAY overestimating my metabolism.

Me too! I'll have to check out your links.

In my case, I did a study of my eating and found that I was consuming 2500 to 3000 calories a day. I decided to drop to between 1600 and 1800 with a cap of 2000 and in just over a week I've dropped 6.7 pounds. I'd been stalled for close to two years although I had continued to be a really good low-carber all the time and continued to feel great. Now I'm still low-carbing, I'm just also watching my calories. When I get where I need to go, I'll go back to simply low-carbing for the rest of my life. And if my weight creeps, I'll cut the calories for a while to get back on track. It's surely a lot more doable than low-fat/low-cal ever was.

Addendum: I just went to the site and did the calculation. It's interesting. At my current weight with light activity I should be consuming 2296 calories. At my recorded goal weight (not necessarily where I'll wind up), I should be consuming 1896. So, apparently, my current calorie goals should get me where I want to be. It will be interesting to see how it goes.

Amen to that. Like I said, I was thrilled to maintain 259 +/- 4 pounds for a year: That has NEVER happened in my life... I've always yo-yo'd. Tells me it's possible for me to be stable on an LC lifestyle.

RE: your quote, yes -- being able to eat a few fats when cutting calories helps me (and I'm sure a lot of other people) feel fuller when cutting back for a while.

By the way, I've set up several spreadsheets for doing all this counting (carbs, hidden carbs, calories, etc). I just punch in how much of what that I ate and it does all the computing for me. If anyone cares to have a copy, let me know, I can email it. (Dunno if that's kosher to do on this site, but I'm sure someone will tell me if it's not).

personally i find that the if i take care of the carbs the calories take care of themselves

You're lucky, Shipto.

What I found was that the few carbs I was eating were also a source of a lot of added fat, like artichokes, which I love to eat with lots of mayonnaise. I also make a killer tartar sauce that I loved to eat on all meats, not just fish. That and half n half in my lattes. And due to years of overeating in general, my sense of portion sizes is not good.

However, because I was able to identify the trouble spots, I've been able to cut calories pretty easily and effectively. And I know that this low-calorie training I'm putting myself through now will make it easier for me to maintain when I get where I want to be.

One thing I noticed about counting calories is that my at my one weekly ritual where I can pig-out, my breakfast with my parents at Denny's, I don't pig-out. I used to eat my entire, carb-free breakfast there. Now I eat half, take the other half home. And I feel so much better for not overeating!

I have found that I do not overeat, compulsively eat or otherwise make my life about food when I check my calorie consumption as well as carbs/protein/fat. I try to stay within 1300-1500 calories per day with no more than 50 g carb and at least 25 g fibre. That all being said, I do eat out at least once a week, and while I order low-carb and keep my portions moderate, I do exceed my Kcal limit. I don't let it bother me though, this is a way of eating for life, not a diet.

Agreed, Paris. During the past year, I rarely kept an "accurate" count of my carb intake ... I ate when I was hungry, and just made sure to chose low-carb foods - ate til I was full, and sometimes even 'overate' til I was really full. :-) And all the while maintaining a steady weight. For someone like me who's yo-yo'd my whole life, this a PHENOMENAL way of eating.

I have to scoff a handful of nuts to make up a few more calories on occasions sometime I have been below the 1200 that was mentioned origionally but usually i average 1800+ calories.