If you manage to stay below 20-30 grams of carbs and you overeat, will you add weight? I have to eat a lot of food to feel comfortably full. Last time on LC after 8 days I added 5 pounds. Looking back, it's possible I was eating too much LC food? The reason I think a lot of us take to LC is that you can eat lots of food and not count calories. But is a LC calorie the same as a Low Fat calorie? I know eventually you become less hungry on LC, which in effect is lower calorie. Thanks

If you overeat you won't lose weight. Research into intentional overeating suggests you won't gain much, either. You break even or gain only slightly.

If , however, what you overeat contains a lot of protein, you may gain some, because some protein gets turned into glucose in the liver. For that reason many low carbers attempt to keep their protein sort of moderate, carbs very low, and get most of their energy from fat. That means something like 70-90% of total calories coming from fat. Don't worry, it doesn't mean eating sticks of butter, actually. Just keep fat high.

When I was losing weight on low carb, my average calorie intake was around 4000 a day. Its not so much the amount of food, but what your body does with the excess and if you dont eat foods that encourage insulin ie low carb, then its not easy for your body to store any excess

Here's what Atkins has to say about it (courtesy of cnmLisa):


Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution
1992, 1999, 2002
p.143

“Although there is no need to count calories, they do matter. Gaining weight results from taking in more calories than you expend through exercise, thermogenesis, and other metabolic functions. Research has shown that on a controlled carbohydrate program, more calories are burned than in a low fat/high carb diet so that there is a certain metabolic advantage to the controlled carb approach. But understand that this does not give you a license to gorge.”



Dr. Atkins Super Energy Diet
1977
p.205

“If weight loss stops short of your ideal weight, even though you are producing ketones. You must conclude that the quantities within the diet are too great. The diet usually works best with just enough calories to stave off hunger. Too many people misinterpret the instructions regarding the diet as “Eat Unrestrictedly.” When they do this they will still lose weight in the beginning, which will reinforce their assurance that no heed whatever need be paid to quantities. In most cases, this practice will lead to a stalemate partway to the desired goal”.



p.205
“You may have to count calories in addition to carbohydrate. I have never said that calories don’t count, because I know of course that they do. I say that carbohydrate counts more. If your case is especially difficult, you may have to count both.

For most people, restricting carbohydrates is all that is necessary. However, there is no question that a 1500 calories 10 gram diet will take more weight off, and more quickly than a 2000 calorie-10 gram diet. So if you are having trouble losing you should cut down on your quantities, but not to the point where you where you have to put up with discomfort or hunger”



Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution
1972
p.275

“Q. Don’t calories play any role?

A. There’s no question—of course they do. A 1500-calorie, 10-gram diet will take more weight off—and more quickly—than a 2000-calorie, 10-gram diet. If the carbohydrate levels remain unchanged, then the extra caloric intake does make a difference. People who eat out of force of habit and don’t cut their quantities lose more slowly because of their high caloric intake.

If you can cut down on your quantities, you are better off to do so—but not when it gets to the point where you have to put up with discomfort or hunger.

I’m not saying that calories don’t count, I’m saying that a low calorie diet is a second best diet.”
__________________

When I started LCHF I kept reading that one could eat until full and never exercise. Not true for most people. For some (many?) LCHF lowers the appetite so less food is desired, but it doesn't work that way for some of us. And some exercise is needed.

However, LCHF still has advantages. Just don't believe all the hype from excited winners. I got very discouraged reading about diabetics who got off insulin in just a few weeks of LCHF and are now in perfect shape. Didn't work that way for me - wish it did.

Not eating foods that turn to sugar in your blood stream helps. Its the insulin that turns unused energy into body fat. So you can either eat less, so that its used up, or you can prevent the flood of insulin and then you dont store it - its also insulin that can make you crave food.

I'm afraid I'm one of those people who lost while eating plenty of low carb foods (staying under 20g a day) and didnt do any exercise at all

Jo xxx

Hi Pitfall. This is a loaded question. You have to ask yourself what you're defining as "low carb food."

Is it possible to overeat and gain on 20-30 g if you're including processed crapola? Absolutely. Processed cheese, "low carb" tortillas made with wheat.... that would be the end of me. I'd gain weight eating that way.

Is it possible to overeat and gain on 20-30 g of induction foods, ie mostly plain meats, fats, eggs, veggies? I suppose, but you'd have to try pretty hard. I know I couldn't. If you do, you probably have another issue going on.

Your stomach might be used to the larger volume of a low fat diet and so if you fill up with protein and fat you might get more food than you need for fat loss. Because it takes more protein and fat to fill up the volume that is normal for low fat.

Have you tried eating just a bit short of "comfortably full"? maybe that is the point that is too far, for you.

I definitely had that going on when I started. I needed a lot of food to "feel full" and it took a while to change. Now, "feeling full" is not so much the old way of feeling, but more that I'm no longer hungry. It's a subtle distinction.

Depends at what stage you're at ... a 200 lb man 35 lb overweight can eat a ton and still lose, but near goal (10 over) he will have to watch it. I know, watching carbs AND calories is a real pain. As you lose weight your body requires less energy or you can stall. Appetite may adjust somewhat. I get by on 2 meals a day now with no problem. Also age is a big factor in this equation.

In my experience a LC calorie is NOT the same as a Low Fat calorie.

Since we're in the newbie thread, I'm going to assume you are indeed a newbie. If you are just starting out, I'd say eat what you want for the first few days...stay on plan, eat til you're relatively full... Get over the induction flu, because if this is the first time you've been LC, it might hit you hard! ...then start worrying about calories and how much you're eating etc. after that.