Do keto pills or shakes actually help you lose weight?

(Libby Carlsonn) #1

I’ve been wondering about something.
I keep seeing keto shakes and pills marketed around ketosis and fat loss- but are those actually the same thing?
Then I came across exogenous ketones- basically, ketones you get from a supplement.
So I started wondering:
If a keto shake puts you into ketosis, does that automatically mean you’re losing body fat?
Apparently, not necessarily.
I found this video pretty interesting because it explains that difference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooewlnUheL8
It made me think the better question might be:
“Am I just getting into ketosis, or is this actually helping me lose weight in a way I can maintain?”

(Edith) #2

Being in ketosis really just means you have ketones. They can get there by taking exogenous ketones or creating them yourself through fat burning.

If you are taking exogenous ketones, you are not burning fat. You may get the benefits that ketones provide, as in more energy or more mental clarity, but I would think exogenous ketones are not going to help someone lose weight, especially if the exogenous ketones are added on top of what the person is already eating. They are still an energy source one has to use.

Even if you are making the ketones yourself, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to lose weight. You can make ketones from the fat you eat or from the fat on your body. If you are still overeating following a low carb diet, or maybe just taking in waaaayyyyy too much fat, you won’t really have a chance to use your bodyfat stores.

(Bob M) #3

Supposedly, some people have less hunger with higher ketones. If exogenous ketones help, then that could be good, if ketones have that effect on you.

I thought this was interesting. It has mental health in it, but they talk a lot about ketones, and I believe they both use exogenous ketones at times:

(Libby Carlsonn) #4

Sorry for the late reply! I think I’ve heard about this before, but I’m still struggling with one part of it.

So if I’m understanding you right, you can actually be in ketosis without necessarily burning your own body fat? :thinking:

That honestly clears up some of my confusion because I think I was assuming ketosis automatically meant fat loss. And what you said about eating too much fat while staying low carb is something I hadn’t really considered.

Now I’m wondering if those exogenous ketones are actually useful for anything beyond the energy/mental clarity part.

(Libby Carlsonn) #5

I think the hunger part is actually pretty interesting. If higher ketones make someone less hungry, I can see how that could help indirectly.

But honestly, I’m still not sure using exogenous ketones is necessarily a good strategy for losing body fat or for weight loss itself. I feel like there’s a big difference between something that might help control hunger and something that actually helps your body use its stored fat.

I haven’t listened to the podcast yet, but I’ll give it a listen when I get a chance.