I should be burning fat, right? Three questions

#1

I’m still new at this and trying to better understand carbs, glucose, insulin, starvation mode, fat-burning, etc.

Background:

  • I’m 5’2", 170 pounds, wanting to lose 30-40 pounds, female, 50 years old.
  • Desk job mostly, with brisk walking to/from meetings about 2 miles per day.
  • BMR ~ 1,475, RMR ~ 1,600.
  • Eating to satiety, approximately 1200 calories per day.
  • Two meals a day.
  • Not fat adapted.

Edited to add:

  • Started 6/12/19
  • Lost 17 pounds so far

If I eat less than 15g total carbs (usually net 7-8g) each day, and getting the majority of the rest from fat:

  1. I should be burning fat calories for the most part, correct?

  2. What would stop that from being the case if I am strict about carb intake? Am I missing an important factor in this equation maybe?

  3. And if I exercise, it’s best if I do so rIght before eating a meal (to keep the raised insulin “sessions” to a minimum), correct?

(Katie) #2

You could be insulin resistant. That would mean you have a higher than normal level of insulin. Remember, you cannot burn fat with an elevated insulin level.

You could have elevated levels of cortisol… means stress. How are you sleeping?

Finally, I would drop those carbs to below 10 net. Just to get started. Do not worry about calories…just eat enough.

See if you can move those two meals closer together in time. Remember, every time you eat your insulin level goes up. Try to keep the time of higher insulin each day down to a minimum.

As for exercise…if you would do it to lose weight…forget it. It doesn’t work. You would have to run 20 miles to burn of the calories from one small meal. Just doesn’t work. But, for better over all muscle tone and to help built bone density…yeah exercise. But it has nothing to do with weight loss in general (yeah, stressing the body will bring you into autophagy…but not really a consideration here)

#3

Thank you for responding. I’m not quite asking because I’m not losing but I anticipate I will be at that point soon since it’s slowed down a lot. I’m more so asking to understand how insulin, fat burning, glucose all work.

I sleep like a baby, fall asleep quickly, about 7 hours per night. (9:30pm-4:30am)

I’m regularly hitting a net of 7 or 8, sometimes less.

Ah, yes, okay. That is good. I remember seeing graphs somewhere with bell curves illustrating raised insulin and what happens when the two meals are further apart. Overall, there were fewer hours of low insulin. I forgot about that!

As far as exercise, I have no intention of running anywhere! :slight_smile:
But if I were to be taking a fast walk with a friend, it would be best to time it as I mentioned, correct?

Thanks again. I appreciate the help.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #4

What’s the problem? You started keto on June 6, you’ve lost 17 pounds. If you are really eating sub-15 grams of carbs per day then you are in ketosis. You are burning fat because if not, you’d be comatose. Such a small amount of carb intake is insufficient to sustain life. Full fat adaptation can takes weeks to months.

(Robert C) #5

I think (and this is what I do) that exercise should be removed from the idea of weight loss (so just done before your next shower). I slap on my headphones in the morning and try to move around. Full body twists, arm swings, push ups, leg swings, 2 minutes trying to toe touch etc. Just continual movement and stretching - if you burn out on something like jogging in place - skip it and keep something else moving or stretching.

I eat upon waking, this lowers anxiety (per Jordan Peterson), starts circadian rhythm, 30 minutes of movement, done - exercise and mobility are covered.

(Parker the crazy crone lady) #6

Don’t forget your protein. I didn’t see that you mentioned that.

#7

No problem. I am just trying to understand the relationships between insulin, glucose, carb intake, activity, weight loss, etc.

#8

I’m getting 20-25% from protein depending on the day. I’ve seen several people here mention adequate protein so I do keep an eye on it and it’s rarely difficult for me.

(Parker the crazy crone lady) #9

It’s good that you are trying to learn as much as you can. I’d also recommend starting to read through the forum, possibly starting with Show Me The Science.
Keep calm and keto on (KCKO). :blush:

#10

Is this for the same reason @Katiekate mentioned… it just isn’t what moves the weight loss needle? But, moving is valuable and worthwhile, just not for the end goal of losing pounds.

I’ve not had problems breaking away from “fat is bad”, CICO, low-cal/low-fat. As I’m thinking about what you all have said, I now think I am struggling with that … detaching from the traditional thinking that exercising is what burns calories and fat and therefore weight.

#11

I’ve been spending quite a bit of time reading the boards. Sometimes I read something though that just doesn’t click for me so I bit the bullet and finally asked what I’d been thinking. Thank you!!!

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #12

Here’s an excellent source:

#13

Also for improving your insulin sensitivity! Ted Naiman calls exercise “negative carbs.” Waking before meals is great, after is great also…

(Parker the crazy crone lady) #14

As you should. :blush:

(Katie) #15

Not true! Your body requires you to eat NO CARBs. Your body is fully capable of creating what little glucose it needs from proteins.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #16

Maybe you meant to reply to someone else? I did not say one must eat carbs. By the way gluconeogenesis can get raw materials from either protein or fat. It’s not restricted to protein.

#17

Thank you! Already found a lot of helpful information on there.

#18

Your movements sound great, but I wish this were more recognized on here: appropriate exercise is a big component of fat loss. Phinney and Volek did a study on Keto folks and the ones who did resistance work lost substantially more fat.
I know that there are studies about how folks tend to eat more when they exercise, but those studies are done on sugar-burners and it’s really different when you’re fat-adapted!

I love this:

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Good luck, @TimeForMe! and definitely incorporate movement as you can for better results.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #19

You know, I have seen this more than once, I don’t test ketones at home but get fasting blood work often as well as HbA1c testing every three months. I have been eating this way for a year. I know I am insulin resistant by how slow my fasting blood sugar levels drop from one lab to the next and the A1c drops. I have never tested below 112 for fasting glucose. So if my blood sugar is chronically high after a year of keto and my insulin response is still out of whack why am I fat adapted, producing measurable ketones and have lost 50 lbs anyway? It confuses me but without testing I just trust the process.

@TimeForMe The forum is great but you also get lots of half truths and things explained to varying levels of articulation. Not everyone is great at explaining things. I do find the discussions interesting though, mostly as stimulus to check out claims for myself. Some amazing information and some…not so much.

I really enjoy exploring the really knowledgeable YouTube experts that a lot of people share on this site. Ken Berry MD (down to earth and basically easy to understand) Dr. Jason Fung (Fasting expert) and so many others, recently diving into Robert Lustig MD, Ivor Cummings, Lots of the Carnivory Con videos, Benjamin Bikman, and others. Mike Mutzel interviews some brilliant people and I have been exposed to stuff through that. I have a lot of people to check out and learn from on various keto related subjects still. Studying and learning about this stuff is awesome. :cowboy_hat_face:

(Robert C) #20

Yes - for the same reasons @Katiekate mentioned but also, what I was trying to emphasize was keeping the ideas behind the intent truly apart (i.e. exercise for desired functionality vs. exercise for weight loss).

  1. If you are trying to do exercise just so you can run up stairs, pick up grandchildren, carry lots of (hopefully Keto!) groceries from car to kitchen, do a day hike without pain etc. then any daily routine at any time (regardless of stomach contents and meal timing) is fine. Better if the routine varies to focus on what you want to do but have some trouble with.
  2. If you are trying to do exercise for weight loss - you might truly mess up your day. You’ll read lots of studies and watch YouTube videos on how to maximize fat burn. You might skip coffee with friends or move the family dinner earlier or later to accommodate the “secrets of fat burning” you found all over the internet. As well, you might start doing it excessively - which can end up making you hungry and keeping cortisol high for a long time.

The fact that you can choose the timing and let what you want to do functionally guide you makes (to me) number one a much better lifestyle than number two.

As well - the tiny difference you’ll get from all of the optimizing and using the “secrets” might not even amount to skipping one meal a month (easily done once fat adapted).