Calorie Counting On Keto: Is It Necessary?

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has been growing in popularity. While it is often associated with weight loss, there is some debate about whether calories need to be counted on this diet to achieve that goal. On the one hand, some people argue that calories are not the only factor in weight loss and that hormonal regulation, particularly insulin sensitivity, plays a key role. On the other hand, others assert that calories are essential to weight loss and that a calorie deficit is necessary for losing weight on keto or any other diet. So, do you need to track calories on keto? The answer may depend on individual factors such as your starting weight, activity level, and history of disordered eating. While some people may find success with keto without counting calories, others may need to track their calorie intake to ensure they are in a calorie deficit and thus, losing weight.

Calorie counting is unnecessary for keto dieters

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has been shown to aid in weight loss, suppress appetite, and lower cholesterol. While it may seem that calorie counting is necessary to ensure a calorie deficit for weight loss, this is not the case for the keto diet. Here's why:

Ketosis and Satiety

The keto diet causes the body to enter a state of ketosis, where it burns fat at a greater rate as its primary fuel source. Additionally, the keto diet has a satiating effect, reducing hunger and leading to a natural reduction in calorie intake. This is especially true for those who are overweight or have insulin resistance. As a result, strict calorie counting is often unnecessary on the keto diet.

Calorie Counting Drawbacks

Calorie counting can be time-consuming and inaccurate, requiring a lot of cognitive effort. It can also be stressful and trigger unhealthy behaviours, especially for individuals with a history of disordered eating. Instead of focusing on calorie counting, keto dieters should prioritise whole, minimally-processed foods that provide quality fats, protein, and fibre to keep them satisfied.

Alternative Strategies

Rather than counting calories, keto dieters can focus on alternative strategies to manage their weight. This includes increasing their consumption of home-cooked meals, non-starchy fruits and vegetables, and protein. Additionally, they can focus on reducing mindless snacking and improving their sleep quality, stress levels, and alcohol intake, all of which can impact weight loss.

Calorie Awareness

While calorie counting may not be necessary for the keto diet, it is important to be aware of your calorie intake, especially if you are not seeing the desired weight loss results. In such cases, counting calories for a short period can help identify areas where you may be consuming more calories than expected and make necessary adjustments.

In conclusion, while calorie counting can be a useful tool, it is not necessary for keto dieters. By following the keto diet principles, prioritising whole foods, and being mindful of overall calorie intake, individuals can effectively manage their weight without the need for strict calorie counting.

Calories are a measure of energy

Foods vary in their number of calories depending on the macronutrients present. Dietary fat has the highest calorie density, providing 9 calories per gram. Protein has 4 calories per gram, while carbohydrates also contain 4 calories per gram. For example, a piece of chicken wing (about 21 grams) has 43 calories, mostly coming from protein and a small amount of fat. Meanwhile, butter (also weighing 21 grams) has 151 calories, which is pure fat.

In this regard, one can quickly assume that because butter has more calories, it causes weight gain compared to a chicken wing, which has fewer calories. However, bear in mind that calorie intake is more than just quantity — food quality and your overall diet also matter.

Your body needs to burn a certain number of calories just to keep those involuntary processes going. This is referred to as your basal metabolic rate, or BMR. Your BMR is influenced by many factors, including age, gender, body composition, and genetics. You require additional calories for physical activity, including walking. Overall, the more active you are, the more calories you need.

Each macronutrient provides a specific number of calories: carbs provide 4 calories per gram, protein provides 4 calories per gram, and fat provides 9 calories per gram. Carbs and fats are our dietary sources of energy, while protein is mostly used for cell repair and muscle maintenance. Protein simply isn’t an efficient energy source because it must first be converted to glucose in the liver before it can be used as fuel.

Although there are foods that contain only a single macronutrient, the calories in most foods come from a combination of carbs, protein, and fat. Generally speaking, if you take in more calories than your body needs, the extra calories will be stored as fat. Similarly, if you take in fewer calories than needed, your body will release its fat stores, and you will lose weight.

Because of this, some contend that calories are all that matter when it comes to weight loss. However, humans are more complicated than that. There’s far more to weight regulation than just monitoring calories in vs. calories out. Indeed, most members of the human race appear to have regulated their weight effectively for millennia, before anyone even knew what a calorie was.

The modern obesity epidemic seems to be an unprecedented phenomenon, and it coincides with an ever-increasing focus on counting calories. At best, counting calories seems to be an imperfect strategy for weight control. So what’s really going on? As it turns out, hormonal regulation is a key factor and can affect our hunger and cravings.

Research suggests that low-carb and keto meals may trigger satiety hormones and suppress hunger hormones, leading to a natural reduction in calorie intake, especially in those who are overweight or have insulin resistance. For example, in one study, overweight people consumed a breakfast of eggs or a bagel. Although each meal contained an identical number of calories, the group that consumed the egg breakfast stayed full longer and ate fewer calories at lunch than the group that ate the bagel breakfast.

The two sources of calories — equal in number — consumed at breakfast had differential effects on the number of calories consumed at lunch. Gut and brain hormones that regulate appetite aren’t the only ones that affect how the body consumes and metabolises calories. Insulin – and how sensitive your body is to this pancreatic hormone – influences whether you store or burn calories.

Basic physiology dictates that higher levels of insulin will promote the storage of energy (calories) in the form of fat, while lower levels allow the body to mobilise fat stores and use them for energy. Clinical studies have yielded some helpful insights into how this simple physiologic concept operates in real life, which is decidedly more complex.

For example, one study looked at people who had lost weight and kept it off versus those who lost weight and regained it. It found that those who kept it off maintained better sensitivity to insulin (i.e. had lower levels), while people who regained weight had worse insulin sensitivity – not too surprising. But, subjects who lost weight and kept it off also had better insulin sensitivity than their BMI-matched controls with no weight loss history.

The good news here is that multiple intervention trials have shown that decreasing carbohydrate intake may help those at significant risk for weight regain to maintain the weight they have lost. Again, this would suggest that a calorie isn’t always just a calorie, as the low-carb diets performed better than other types of diets for the purpose of preventing weight regain after loss.

Calories count, but you don’t have to count them. Instead of counting calories, make all of your calories count by eating nourishing, well-balanced, low-carb meals. Focus on minimally-processed foods that contain high-quality protein, natural fats, and nutrient-dense fibrous carbs, especially above-ground vegetables.

Calories from different foods are processed differently by the body

The body uses calories to perform various functions, including voluntary movements like walking and involuntary processes like breathing. The number of calories required for these functions varies from person to person and depends on factors such as age, gender, body composition, and genetics. Additionally, the body needs more calories for physical activity, so a more active person will generally require more calories.

While calories are important, they are not the only factor in weight regulation. Hormones also play a significant role in influencing appetite, fullness, and fat storage. Research suggests that low-carb and keto diets may trigger satiety hormones and suppress hunger hormones, leading to a natural reduction in calorie intake, especially in overweight individuals or those with insulin resistance.

Furthermore, the type of calorie can also make a difference. For example, calories from protein have a higher thermic effect than those from carbohydrates or fat, meaning the body uses more energy to process and utilise them. Additionally, protein helps increase feelings of fullness.

In terms of weight loss, it is important to create a calorie deficit, which means consuming fewer calories than the body needs. This can be achieved through a keto diet, as it tends to reduce appetite and naturally lead to a reduction in calorie intake. However, this does not mean that calorie counting is unnecessary. For some individuals, particularly those with a history of disordered eating, calorie counting may contribute to increased stress levels and unhealthy behaviours. Instead, focusing on whole, minimally-processed foods and prioritising satiety can be a more effective strategy.

Calorie counting can be useful in certain situations

Calorie counting can be a useful tool to get a rough idea of caloric intake and pinpoint mistakes if you hit a plateau. It can be challenging to know exactly how many calories you're consuming when eating whole foods that don't come in labelled packaging. In such cases, using a food scale and a keto-friendly tracking app can be helpful. However, strict calorie counting on keto is generally unnecessary because ketosis, resulting from eating very few carbohydrates, teaches your body to burn fat at a greater rate and leads to decreased hunger.

While calorie counting may not be necessary for everyone on the keto diet, it can be a valuable tool in specific situations to ensure you're meeting your weight loss or weight gain goals. It's important to remember that the keto diet itself has a satiating effect, and focusing on eating whole, minimally-processed foods can often be enough to regulate your weight without the need for strict calorie counting.

Calorie intake depends on various factors

Additionally, age, gender, body composition, and genetics play a role in determining an individual's basal metabolic rate (BMR). The more active a person is, the more calories they need. Caloric intake also depends on the type of food being consumed, as different foods have varying calorie densities. For example, dietary fat has the highest calorie density at 9 calories per gram, while protein and carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram.

While calorie counting can be a useful tool for weight loss, it is not necessary on a ketogenic diet. This is because ketosis, achieved by eating very few carbohydrates, teaches the body to burn fat at a greater rate. The keto diet itself has a satiating effect, leading to decreased hunger and natural reduction in calorie intake. However, in some cases, such as a weight loss plateau, calorie counting on keto may be beneficial.

Frequently asked questions