Will reduced calories lose weight regardless of where they come from?

[jmson23]

I am trying to start a keto diet today and will continue to see how it goes. I am really having a hard time keeping the carbs low enough though. My question is if I fail to put my body into ketosis but keep the total calorie intake low enough where have a deficit of 500 calories a day or so, will I lose weight? To put the same question at an extreme - I am 250 pounds, if I ate 2200 calories a day from pure fat would this theoretically make me lose weight still? Is a calorie a calorie?

[wlknier]

in theory yes, in practice, not always, it is going to vary from person to person obviously, one would expect faster results eating clean and healthier at the same deficit than one eating pure fat

in the long run, a calorie is a calorie, in the short run, no

I'm on a keto plan as well and have no problem keeping the carbs <30g net per day, remember, net carbs = total carbs - fiber - sugar alcohols(splenda, sucralose, xyorbitol etc)

you certainly don't need to be ketotic and at a 500 cal deficit to lose weight, i actually cycle back and forth to overcome plateaus, from a CKD plan to a more traditional plan, and I never even did Keto until I had lost 90+lbs. It's quite a difficult plan to stick with and master imo, or at least the way I treat it, it's not the easiest thing in the world.

My CKD plan: 5-6 meals/day, 600g carb refeed every 10 days
1.5 servings healthy fat source: 200-300 cals(~30g fat)
1 serving lean protein: 100-120 cals(~25g protein)
1 serving dark green veggie: 20-30 cal(<=2g net carbs/serving)

healthy fat sources include: most nuts, natural/SF peanut butter, most oils, eggs(include in protein intake), cold water fish(include in protein intake)
lean protein sources: 4-6oz non dark meat poultry, lean pork cuts, non marbled beef(not ground beef), 1 scoop whey, 1 cup of some cottage cheeses(aka whey), warm/cold fish(cold fish often has healthy fats)
dark green veggies: spinach, broccoli, turnips, cauliflower, peppers, summer squash, celery, cucumbers, leafy lettuces(don't give me that iceberg crap)

[PGW]

A couple years ago I lost about 40lbs just by cutting my calories. I still drank sodas and ate junk food, I just stayed around 1800 cals. While it took the weight off, I did lose some lean mass and worst of all, after a few months the weight came screaming back and now I am having to do it the right way so it goes off and stays off.

[lee__d]

if u have trouble keeping carbs low, however, mayeb u should stay in deficit on a more traditional diet.

[Tiffany_P]

Of course. Your body has to follow the laws of thermodynamics, just like everything else. Ketosis doesn't make any difference.

[nukelovesyou]

Originally Posted by jmson23

I am trying to start a keto diet today and will continue to see how it goes. I am really having a hard time keeping the carbs low enough though. My question is if I fail to put my body into ketosis but keep the total calorie intake low enough where have a deficit of 500 calories a day or so, will I lose weight? To put the same question at an extreme - I am 250 pounds, if I ate 2200 calories a day from pure fat would this theoretically make me lose weight still? Is a calorie a calorie?

You got it right, calories=energy. thats all it sums up to. Burn more then you consume, and your body has to pull energy from somewhere.

You should consider the other nutritional benfits of food however when planning out your diet for overall health.