Fat Adaptation - Patience Is A Superpower

(Ron Lagerquist) #1

I am on week 5 and still not there. I think the most important information I have got from this form is that fat adaptation takes time. People say they continue to see improvements in mental clarity and energy even a year after starting. This is very encouraging because the transition can be very challenging. I have been eating sugar for 58 years. It will take time but it’s worth it. Already there has been small improvements in clarity and a lowering of anxiety. Very exciting. For those who have gone before us newbies, please post your improvements in time frames as best as you can remember, especially when it comes to mental clarity.

(Susan) #2

Welcome to the forum, Ron =).

Congratulations on week 5, and all the benefits that you have noticed so far. Keto is awesome; and over time, you will see more and more Non-Scale Victories (NSV’s) as well as weight loss, body fat melting away, inches disappearing from your body, and overall health!

I had very high blood pressure before I started Keto (which is why I started it, plus to lose weight). Within a couple of weeks of beginning Keto, my blood pressure kept lowering, within a month or so, it was at pretty normal levels. I have lost 49 pounds so far since February; and although I still have about 120 or more to go, I already feel so much better. I have always had really bad asthma, and I haven’t had to use my puffers very often at all since starting Keto. I am still taking my daily asthma pill, but perhaps in time I won’t need it either. My mobility has improved a lot as well; I am now doing daily walks, going up and down the stairs a lot here at home, and doing some low impact aerobic videos on Youtube most days. I find my anxiety and stress levels are a lot lower. I have never been medicated for either, but definitely know I get anxious, especially when family stress is high. I can relax and cope better with it now then I used to be able to. This is a very big thing for me; because we have so much going on here, and it is very difficult at times. I have more energy in general, and even though I still have a lot of weight to lose, I am proud of myself for my accomplishments so far, and I am feeling positive and I love Keto!

Best wishes with your Keto journey, and Fat adaptation does take a while, but slow and steady wins the race!

(Katie) #3

Congrats! You are on the road to a lifetime of good health!

I cannot remember all the sign posts along the way…but it was somewhere about 6-8 weeks that I started eating only one meal a day…I just was not hungry. But, when I would wake up in the morning (about 18 hours fasting) I was just bubbling over with energy! I’ve never been an early morning exercise…but I started lifting weights and doing long quick walks. Just so my energy I had to do something or I would be sitting and vibrating in place.

About 3 months into keto, one day I realized that I seemed to be able to see with a lot more clarity… had to describe, every thing was so much more in focus. (I was probably borderline T2B). I never knew my vision was getting bad till it suddenly came back to me.

About that same time I started doing longer fasts (36 hour, 72 hour). Not deliberately…just wasnt really hungry.

As your body changes, you will be seeing the benefits besides weight loss…post your own mile markers here for the next traveler.

(Mary) #4

I was wondering where to post my progress,
I’m in week four of good keto dieting and I’m just starting to see the scale really move.
In general, I feel so much better! I really thought the scale would be faster but I know it will take time to adapt.
First, I’m starting to appreciate keto breath. When I have that taste in my mouth I know to step on the scale.
Second, I like not being hungry, but that is starting to change a little. At least when I feel a touch hungry I grab a handful of nuts.
Lastly, I know that I’m going to write down non scale victories…

(Marianne) #5

Hello and welcome!

I’d say it took me almost five months to become fat adapted. Totally different energy level; there is no mistaking it

Before that, I was kind of discouraged that I didn’t get there sooner. Because of the amount of fat I was eating and no cheating/snacking, I just thought it would only take me about four/five weeks. Like you said, reading this forum takes a lot of mystery out of what is happening and answers many questions from people who have gone before.

(Marianne) #6

Glad you are feeling good and seeing progress!

My only caution is to try not to snack. If you are hungry in between meals, maybe you aren’t eating enough when you do eat. If you are, usually you can make it comfortably to the next meal or even skip meals with no problem.

Nuts for me are a binge food. Once I start eating them, I just keep having one or two more until I’ve eaten half or more a can. They are so delicious. For that reason, I don’t buy them or keep them in the house.

(Scott) #7

Ron, it took me about twelve weeks to reach the point that I knew I was fat adapted. The way I knew was that my energy & stamina during my morning runs had returned. And yes you keep getting little improvements over time so making this change is not like many quitters think. “I tried keto once for two weeks but it didn’t work”. In my opinion if you don’t do keto WOE fairly strict for about six months you didn’t get the full effect. After that I was like this is so good and easy why would anybody stop it?

(Susan) #8

That is awesome, Mary, congrats =).

You can make your own thread under the Accountability section if you like, and track your progress, and it will be all your accomplishments, and struggles, etc, Many of us have done that and it is really helpful =)).

(Ron Lagerquist) #9

Wow that is so incouraging . Thank you. I am on day 60, so 2 months in and I will not quit. I wish the experts in Keto would talk more about how long it can take to bacome fat adapted. I think less people would bail out if they knew that it really takes time

#10

It was 7 weeks for me (eating about 30-40g net carbs a day, after years at 80g). The only but huge change I noticed was the transformation of my hunger. I immensely enjoy the change (I so needed that), it’s nice to have a cute, soft hunger that isn’t even around much unless I eat little but I can’t eat little. And it’s not only softer, I get satiated for a bit longer so I need less food to avoid hunger (but I can eat a lot more without problem).