Keto diet to lose fat not muscle / weight?

(Alex R) #47

How do you mean long slog to fat adaptation, how long?

(Karim Wassef) #48

It can take from three weeks to three months (sometimes longer). It’s a gradual process so each day is a step in the right direction.

Looking at it from this perspective (a couple of years out), I miss those days. You will never lose fat quite as fast again because this is where your liver is going to go into overdrive and waste substantial fat into ketones. You will be breathing, sweating and peeing more ketones than you will probably ever again.

So enjoy this window of inefficiency. Once you’re fat adapted, your body and liver will prefer ketones and it will only make enough to balance your needs. Efficiency is great for survival but if you’re wanting to lose fat, you’re looking for inefficiency and that time is right now.

(Marianne) #49

Aren’t chicken legs so much better than protein powder! (you can also dip them in some blue cheese dressing for added taste and fat). I read a post on here from someone, just before I started, that implored newbies to take their measurements before starting. (For me, the only measurement I really cared about was my belly - but I still didn’t take their advice.) Dumb!!! I wish so bad I had a do-over. I regret it so much now, because I have lost my belly almost completely. I feel like a normal person now, even though I still have a ways to go. I am not ashamed of my appearance anymore, I have a “figure” again, and my clothes hang nicely.

So, I would encourage you to take your waste measurement - don’t wait. If you don’t have a cloth tape measure, you can use a string and measure how long it is. I think in no time, you will be amazed at how much your stomach goes down.

Good luck!

(Wendy) #50

And the more I learn about seed oils the less often I want to eat out. You know that’s what they fry everything in. Sad but true.

(Alex R) #51

Thanks for the advice, I wil count the notches on my belt.

(Scott) #52

If I lose anymore notches I will need to fire up the drill and make some.

(Marianne) #53

A happy predicament, for sure.

(Shane) #54

I got the drill out a couple of months ago and added 3 more holes to a belt that didn’t even fit 6 months ago :slight_smile:

(Alex R) #55

wow !

(Scott) #56

Nice!

(Alex R) #57

I know this has been talked to death, but is it worth me getting a breath tester, or are they a complete waste of time.!

(Karim Wassef) #58

I personally measure blood glucose and ketones, but breath ketones may be a good additional data point.

It depends on what you’re trying to measure

(George) #59

If you’re hellbent on monitoring ketones then breath testers are fine, but trust me, as long as you stick with it, you will be in ketosis. Timeframes don’t matter because, if you happen to not be in ketosis when you check your levels, you’re still going have to follow the ketogenic way of eating to get into ketosis

(George) #60

From reading prior posts I think it’s just to make sure he’s in ketosis

(Karim Wassef) #61

Urine tells you how many ketones you’re wasting
Breath tells you how many ketones you’re using
Blood tells you how many ketones your body is creating in excess of use but keeping for future use.

All are byproducts of fat oxidation. I prefer blood because it shows where enough fat oxidationis taking place to create a surplus - along with glucose, they indirectly indicate the hormonal state of glucagon to insulin.

(BuckRimfire) #62

Don’t. I got a cheap one, which sometimes gave me a modest reading, but other times a zero when I couldn’t understand why that would be. I didn’t really trust it.

Then I asked for a Ketonix for Xmas since at least it would head off my wife from getting me a present I wanted even less. I get REALLY high readings most of the time. Either I’m a keto champ or I’m eating too many carbs. “Wait, what?” you say? How can a high reading mean both of those things? Well, my daughter, who lives only on carbs, blows high numbers. They even have a FAQ answer to the question “Why is my daughter/husband/neighbor blowing red?”

And it says:

"They eat pizza, fries and drink beer, is the simple answer!! When you received your KETONIX, you are likely to test it all the time. When doing so, a normal reaction from others is to see if they are are burning a lot of fat (even if they don’t follow a low carbohydrate, high fat diet).

Eating carbohydrate rich food and looking for ketones does not make sense. The body does not produce that much ketones while there is available circulation carbohydrates, unless you have diabetes type 1 and have very high blood sugar values.

However, the KETONIX reading may be high on high carbohydrate diets, but that is not from ketones metabolism. It will be from the process of breaking down those carbohydrates. This process is done via bacteria, called probiotics in your gut. If too much of this bacteria could cause a slowdown of your metabolism. There are studies that connects the probiotics to obesity and other metabolic issues relating to brain chemistry.

So, use our KETONIX for the intended use. For example: If you eat pizza and drink a beer then look for ketones … you are not using it as intended."

So, the Ketonix is a terrible false-positive generator! If you get a high reading, EITHER you are in heavy ketosis, OR you are eating too many carbs. So, if it shows a zero reading, you have zero ketones (and you can trust that interpretation), but if you have a high reading, either you have high ketones OR zero ketones. You don’t know which. Real helpful, right?

The cheap ones at least have the virtue of being cheap.

Extremely high results using Ketonix
(Empress of the Unexpected) #63

That’s hilarious! That is the one keto gadget I have always shied away from. Just didn’t trust them based on some posters’ reviews.

(Alex R) #64

I have been eating the Keto way now for 2 weeks and I feel great, my stomach is less bloated and slimmer ! I know this from my belt and not having to hold my belly in all the time (Well as much !)

I weighed 84Kg at the start and now I way 80Kg. because I lift weights I am heavier than normal. As my initial post read I do not want to lose weight, just improve my shape i.e lose the belly ! So far it is going very well 4lbs lost ! thanks for the tips

(Alex R) #65

Update

8 weeks now from starting Keto and very positive news!

Without trying, I have lost weight, although it was not my goal to lose ‘mass’ I wanted to lose the belly fat and from my original weight of 83kg I now weigh 77.5kg, thats 11lbs which equates to 1.3lbs a week!!!
I have gone down a notch on my belt which tells me thats where I have lost the fat, I find I dont have to hold my belly in (as much!)/

Keto is not a diet, its a lifestyle change, understanding that for years we have been eating incorrectly. All I have done is cut out carbs as much as possible, e.g. bread, sandwiches, reducing pasta and adding more meat and veg instead. I’ve never felt hungry and would say the hardest part is finding ‘clean’ good portions of protein meat that has not got sulphates, nitrates and additives etc.

I work away from home all week and if I can manage on a small electric grill then living at home with a fridge full of good clean food is easy !

I try to eat as much protein and vegetables as I can as I got to the gym 3 times a week, aiming for 150grams a day of protein which is hard to keep up ! I eat about 4 chicken thighs a day without skin.

As for alcohol, yes I do not really cut back either, I tend to find spirits or red wine is better than beer for keeping carbs low !

(Susan) #66

Congrats, Alex, excellent progress, keep up the good work =)).