I have gone periods with small amounts of dairy, but have never completely eliminated it. I hadn't thought of dairy as a problem for me, but it's a good suggestion and I'll keep it in mind as an option.

I am following those who advise higher protein amounts especially for "older" people. I tried the lower Rosedale type recommendations and I just didn't ever feel satisfied. I have been eating a ketogenic diet for many years from before ketogenic was even a thing yet I have never experienced that suppression in appetite that almost everyone talks about. Sure I never experience the intense craving of my high carb days but I have to watch portion size because I can easily eat more than is probably good for me.

I am trying to stop worrying about things. My waist is a little thick relative to other parts of my body but what height do I use for my weight height ration, the 63" I was almost my entire adult life or the 61.5" I am now at almost 70 years old and after two major back surgeries and what about the extra skin in the belly area from my weight loss that probably effects my waist measurement? The waist height ratio may be a better metric than bmi for predicting health status but it's still only a correlation and probably has some significant variability in it. Whatever, what's the point of me worrying about it? I am eating well and getting some exercise most days.

I'm just tired of obsessing about weight and whether I have perfected everything I could perfect.

At 63, I probably fit that category, even if I don't call myself "older". I have tried setting fat and carb goals, but never protein. I generally just get whatever protein that come along with the meat in my food. There is so much disagreement on protein, and it seems to be mostly speculation, it is hard know what is the ideal amount, but I would tend to agree with advising more vs limiting.



If I have learned anything it's that the oft quoted rules for LC/KETO don't apply to everyone. They are good starting points, but we are all individuals. [/QUOTE]



I would not say I ever worried or obsessed over any of this, but I did spend the last year measuring and tracking everything, and while I did learn some things, I don't think it was really that helpful or that I want to do that going forward. I am hoping to develop a more casual of eating low carb, without undoing the last 2 years.

Thanks for the feedback

There might be a value in tracking or measuring even when you don't see it there. Also weighing regularly. I know there are people who wind up stressing too much on these things, but people are different. Some people it just helps keep on track. I might be biased towards this because I'm one of these people, if I'm not paying careful attention, I slip and gain a little weight.

My own plan is a bit more uptight than I'd like it to be, more uptight than I'd make it if it was just about weight. Eating more ketogenically seems to make me a little less crazy in a number of ways, and also addresses some chronic shoulder issues (can't even tell which is supposed to be the bum shoulder when I work out any more, no pain, ever). Fortunately on top of everything else I'm a bit rainman-esque and if I eat the same thing five days in a row, I'll then want to eat that for the rest of my life.

I am so used to tracking what I eat that it doesn't feel like an obsession, just something I do to keep me eating the way I want to eat. If I see my carb count rising higher than I want it to be I make a change. On the other hand I only weigh myself every now and again just to make sure my weight isn't rising above a certain level I have set as the highest I want it to go. For the most part if I track my food everything else falls into place.

When I was starting strict low carb (keto) about 5 years ago, it was useful for me to track my food and understand the ratios that helped me progress towards better health. I weighed myself and started measuring BG and ketones. It helped a lot because I was able to understand better the types of foods I could eat, the quantities, and ratios. I was also able to identify certain foods that had a negative reaction or were trigger foods where I would want to over consume.

Today, because I have a vast reservoir of whole foods, preparations and simple recipes, and combinations, I'm much more laid back in that I no longer measure, I don't weigh myself, and I infrequently measure BG and blood ketones. Following a WOE over a period of time and being very consistent enables me to be much more casual by just following the process and eating the types of foods that keep me healthy. I suppose that's the benefit of initial rigorous tracking in that you learn what works and don't have to be as precise when you're experienced.

http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot....-fast-lane.html



Immediately follows a link to a story about some poor fellow who ate bitter courgette (zucchini?) soup and died.

The post mostly looks at a study showing gout and thus probably metabolic syndrome, was not that rare in traditional Pacific Islanders. Talk of tubers, but I wonder about tropical fruit...

I am in my mid 60's and after trial and error have found I do better with what I call more moderate protein and higher fat. at 60% fat to protein I gained weight at lower calories. At 70 to 75% fat I can get away with eating a lot more calories and not worry about eating. Still trying to raise my metabolism from excessive dieting and cardio to get that weight loss.

It is a rare day I have less than 80 grams of protein, mostly in the 90 to 110 range. and I am zero carb. I am 5'6" 127 pounds on average and still healing from food sensitivities and histamine intolerance.

So tracking and testing different macro's can help get you to your goal. once you know what works it really is up to you to decide if you need to continue tracking.

It is hard to judge my ribeyes for protein and fat but I do get untrimmed ribeyes and they definitely in the 30% range of fat. I don't eat any veggies and getting so much better since starting this new lifestyle.

Many advise higher protein levels for senior citizens. It is also thought the numbers are still on the conservative side in the new advise. So I agree, more is better if you feel good eating it. just make sure you have enough fats to go along with the increased protein. only you can determine what works for you.

This is my experience, too. Protein as high as 30 percent might be more satiating for some people, give better energy and increase muscle mass. Doesn't seem to do that for me, I maintain a leaner weight much easier (as in I actually maintain it, instead of bouncing around and being prone to binges when I hit the lower weights) at somewhere around 80 percent fat.

Hi, all! I haven't posted for a while, but am a long-time LCer (since the late 1990s) and have been on this forum for what seems like forever.

Although I'm not zero carb, I'm close to it. Currently finishing Week 7 of a keto plan recommended by a doctor. I'm averaging 1352 calories per day, with percentages averaging 67% fat, 8% carbs, 23% protein.

Several people told me my calories should be up in the 1800 range (along with the book "The Blood Code" by Dr. Richard Maurer ... this is NOT the old "Eat Right for Your Type" book that was totally debunked). Trouble is, I find I can't eat that much, but I did increase the average in the past two weeks to 1452 calories (in the first 5 weeks I had many days of around 1000 calories).

I'm very close to zero carb and could do that easily (most of my carbs are coming from whole-milk unsweetened Greek yogurt). I don't do well with veggies, especially raw veggies.

I've lost a total of 10.2 pounds in seven weeks, 7 of which came off in the first two weeks (due to virtually not eating the second week at all due to a flare-up of diverticulitis caused by listening to my vegan doc who wanted me to do keto, but a more plant-based version of it).

The last 3.2 pounds took 5 weeks to come off, which doesn't seem right based on my calories and macros.

So here's my question. I know this is very individual, but any recommendations on calorie level or macro percentages?

Thanks!

Welcome back, BawdyWench
Did you post here because you want to try a Carnivore diet? it can’t get any simplier, they don’t count calories or macros. Nor do I, so no idea.

Amber's Page is a good place to start Zero Carb and JustMeat adds the science and background.
https://forum.lowcarber.org/showpos...1&postcount=174

Thanks, Janet! I know all about zero carb and carnivore, and I've read this whole thread. That's what I was doing for the almost 5 weeks that I lost only 3 pounds. Just in the past couple days I've added a few veggies to see if that would help. It didn't. So, back to virtually zero carb.

I know a lot of people don't count calories, but if I don't, I end up eating less than 1000 calories per day, which is why I have to track for a while using FitDay ... to try to eat enough.

Just curious if others think I'm eating too much or too little, or maybe the consensus is that my fat percentage isn't high enough? There's a school of thought that says 80% fat is great if you're already lean, but if you're overweight and you eat 80% fat, your body will use that fat instead of your stored body fat and you won't lose weight. By the way, my measurements haven't changed much at all, an inch down here or there.

I do really like the carnivore zero carb way, just looking for ideas for how I might tweak things.

Or should I be happy with 10 pounds in almost 9 weeks (Tuesday will be 9 weeks ... I miscounted when I said 7 weeks in my original post).

Calories probably is a factor in how much protein to eat. 15 percent protein at 2000 calories a day--that's 75 grams of protein. Might be good at that level. Same person at 1500 calories--56 grams of protein, maybe not enough. Add in that there seems to be a protein-sparing effect of just eating enough calories--increase calories and protein requirement goes down a little bit--and the probability that the person eating 15 percent protein at the lower intake will be deficient goes up a little bit more.

My typical eating day comes in around 85 percent fat. Made the mistake of saying that recently on a facebook keto group and was congratulated on my loss of muscle mass. I told them that wasn't true, and they said, "Science, bro."

But my typical day is also 2500 calories, at 13 percent protein that leaves room for 80 grams of protein, which really is a reasonable intake--and there is no science that shows that an individual can't maintain lean mass at that level or lower. And whether a person works out or not. Working out can increase or decrease protein requirements. Maybe in the same person, and at the same time. Work out at say 80 grams of protein, and you're more likely to be in nitrogen balance than if you didn't work out. Increase protein from there--and especially if you're on steroids, or new to working out and a teenager, or a bit depleted from a period of laying off working out--and the rate of increase in lean mass might be faster.

I'm averaging around 71 grams of protein overall for the past 8 (almost 9) weeks.

I guess I'll just keep on, trying to keep the calories and fat up, nixing the veggies, and getting enough protein. Dr. Eades always said as women get older, they need more protein than men of the same age (he recommended over 100 g per day).

"Science, bro." Love that!!! Over the course of one summer years ago I ended up gaining almost 15 pounds working out step aerobics 5 times a week for an hour each time. What I got was "That's just not possible, Sweetie."

Gotta love that condescending tone!

Teaser, what do you eat to reach 85% fat? That's 236 grams of fat! Yowzers!

Pretty typical day;

7 ounces (raw weight) of fatty pork chop

1.6 ounces of avocado oil with one egg yolk mayo

2.3 ounces of butter (the .3 is a guess at how much butter my Dad leaves in the pan when he makes his eggs in the morning, I end up eating that).

4 large eggs

10 ounces heavy cream

That came in at 245 grams of fat on cronometer, only 14 grams from the pork chops, so fat is probably if anything a little higher, my pork chop wasn't all that lean yesterday.

I usually melt the butter and whip in the eggs and fry it as a "pancake," I'll sprinkle some erithrytol/stevia mixed with cinnamon over it.

The actual meat varies, and some days I'll add in some very high fat nuts, like brazil nuts or pecans, high enough in fat that they won't reduce the ketogenic ratio of my diet. I do take a multivitamin and other supplements, because whether or not eating meat to satiety would supply all my micronutrient needs, that's not quite what I'm doing, and kids on a much stricter higher fat ratio ketogenic diet sometimes do end up with various deficiencies, so why risk it?