How do you know when you are fat adapted?

(Tim ) #1

How do you know when you are fat adapted and it is time to start cutting back on the fat? I feel that I am close I start my day feeling euforic, not sure if I spelled that correct lol. And my mood has never been better but when or how will I know when I am adapted? I am loosing weight I think I am getting close. .???

#2

Sorry, did I read that right. You will cut back on fat when you are fat adapted? Why would you do that?

(Sondra Rose) #3

I felt fat-adapted when I could go 6-7 hours between meals. Also, I no longer needed fat bombs or copious amount of butter to deal with carb cravings, which were gone!

#4

I’m fairly sure it’s to accelerate weight loss. Dr. Stephen Phinney and Dr. Jeff Volek talk about how after we’re fat-adapted and can easily access our bodyfat, we can eat less fat and still meet all our energy requirements because the deficit is coming from the bodyfat.

Having lost over 300 lbs on a yoyo from 320 lbs down to 160 lbs, I would strongly caution anyone losing weight to stick to about 2 lbs per week, so if weight-loss is in that range, I wouldn’t reduce fat just to make it go faster.

(Larry Lustig) #5

If you are substantially overweight a good sign of fat addition is not needing to eat when you take up. This is because your body has been “feeding” on body fat overnight.

Once you’re fat adapted the goal is not to “cut back on fat” but rather to eat to satiety. In practice that will probably mean eating less (depending on what you were eating during the adaption phase) but a focus on “now, at last, I can eat less fat” leads some people to eat too little, landing themselves in a nutritional zone in which the basal metabolism is lowered.

In short, you’re fat adapted when you feel like eating less.

(Tim ) #6

Well thank you all for your input. so I guess I am fat adapted. The last few days I have been having BPC in the morning and then not eating until dinner. I also notice when I do eat my meal I get somewhat tired after I eat is that normal? I do have to say that my mornings are awesome I get up and have my coffee and I am zipping around like I am 20 years younger.

#7

Congrats, it appears you are fat adapted - welcome to the club!

(Larry Lustig) #8

Happens to me as well, especially if the meal was late or proteinaceous. About an hour or two later. Not sure it’s a great sign, it feels a little like a carb coma.

(David) #9

I’ve never wanted to eat breakfast for an hour or so until after waking up. I have plenty of fat reserves. I started keto a week ago, and I find I can get to 10:30 or later before getting peckish. (I’m usually up about 6am on weekdays).

(Tim ) #10

Well I guess I am there. Went 24 hours before a meal and it wasn’t to hard. There is something about that 18th hour of a fast though I have been hearing people talk about it. Yesterday I started feeling a little sluggish and started count back to the last time I ate and sure enough it was 18 hours. Interesting. Then at about 20 hours my energy came back it was like I had a cup of coffee.

(Tim ) #11

Bonked! Cut calories to fast. Trying to dig myself out of the grave, no energy. Trying to get salt water and fat into me. Anything else?

(ryancrawcour) #12

i’ve never needed to eat when waking up (and i am substantially overweight), so i am not sure this is a great indicator as i have been this way since day 0.

(ryancrawcour) #13

just eat man! for goodness sakes. eat. go get yourself a double cheeseburger with added bacon (skip the bun!). just eat something.

(Larry Lustig) #14

Come to think of it, that’s a fair point. Even before keto, I didn’t eat breakfast.

#15

Exactly!

I’m usually hungry at breakfast, but usually have no need for lunch and often even less desire for dinner now that I’m keto.

In the broader sense, I’d say it’s about not feeling hungry for at least 6 hours, usually more, after eating depending on the size of the meal and your level of adaptation.

(ryancrawcour) #16

all i was saying is that i wouldn’t judge it based on your desire to eat. even before starting keto i could quite comfortably skip breakfast, and lunch and only eat at dinner. I was certainly not fat adapted then.

(Tim ) #17

Still trying to work my way out of this. Since my last post I re gained 10 of the 12 lbs and now have lost 4 lbs away from getting back to where I was. I am now having a issue with felling bloated like I am retaining a lot of water. I think I may have over salted myself to get back after loosing the 12 lbs. I think I lost the 12 lbs in a week and became depleted of salt and other minerals had a little tequila and it set me back. Is there anything that could be suggested that will help me drop the water. I feel like I am having a msg reaction which I am sensitive to. I am just slamming the water and backing off the salt a little for now. And the tequila!

(Alexandria) #18

Thank you for clarifying. I am a newbie and really appreciate it

#19

Sorry to revive this old thread, however, I was wondering about the hours between meals and potentially being fat adapted.

I do 16/8 fasting, and I don’t have an appetite during those 16 hours, i.e. I don’t fancy anything. However my stomach tends to rumble a lot between 7.30 - 10.00am when I start work. Would this mean I am not fat-adapted?

(ianrobo) #20

no it could be stress, boredom etc and other factors