Keto just via exercise

(Deeksha Grover) #1

Hi!
I have been 20:4 intermittent fasting and having trouble seeing results. I have been tried ketogenic dieting but it is not suitable for a carb loving, busy, college student like me.
I read somewhere that post exercise ketosis can be upto 2 mmol/dl. I was wondering if I can stay in ketosis for most of my day if I exercise right after my eating window. I can engage in a combination of weight training and cardio to deplete both glycogen and blood glucose stores.
Will it be healthy and effective? This is assuming I keep my carb intake well under 150g during my eating window.
Thanks!

(Lesley) #2

Hi @Overthinking101, I don’t think you can be in ketosis and eat high carb at the same time. You don’t need to be in ketosis to burn fat though, if weight loss is your goal?

Lets hope a fasting expert replies. :thinking:

(Tim W) #3

I’m not a doctor and I’m not an expert.

I am someone who uses keto/fasting/exercise together.

Keto/fasting/exercise + carbs = does not work. You are trying to make two disparate things (keto and carbs) work together.

It IS possible to consume lots of carbs and then FORCE yourself into ketosis via very long bouts of exercise or HIIT. You might HAVE to be fat adapted for this to work, I find that for me, runs of over 2 hours or 5 mile jogs with a session of HIIT in the last mile will put me back into ketosis after a heavy carb meal/weekend (usually beer).

This is NOT sustainable though as it takes too much time/effort/energy and would probably contribute to adrenal fatigue. So, I don’t do this on a regular basis. Also, I’ve seen some glucose spikes post exercise, causing my ketones to drop, this is not unheard of, another reason why I don’t think your plan is doable long term.

If I have a high carb weekend (I am not obese although I am sensitive to carbs/sugar) I prefer to get back into ketosis by simply lowering the carbs to zero/incidental only. It takes 2-3 days this way but it’s much easier on the body, especially if I don’t already have a long run in the training plan.

The other method is to fast, fasting will get me into ketosis within 30 hours or so BUT fasting post carbs is BRUTAL! Fasting after days of eating keto, not nearly as tough.

Bottom line, you are a busy, carb loving college student, focus on that (got one kid through college, one more to go, I know the difficulties). 20:4 may be enough to lose weight (if that’s your focus) but the lower you keep the carbs during the feeding window, the better your results. By consuming large amounts of carbs during the feeding window, you cause larger insulin swings, you have large spikes followed by large dips, the hyper to hypo response is a pain in the ass.

Maybe keep up with the 20:4 but keep sugars as low as possible and reduce carbs when you can?

Maybe a full on keto diet needs to wait until after school? If you don’t have time to “eat keto” then you most likely don’t have time to work out for the couple of hours a day I think you’d need to burn off that much carb intake (150g or so). Also, if you are already overweight/trending towards type 2 diabetes, then you are likely carb sensitive and may never see good results until you lower the carbs to ketogenic levels (20g a day or less).

Good luck, I hope you find something that works but I’ll tell you, if I could go back through college in a state of ketosis, I’d do it in a heart beat. For me, the mental clarity and energy means I could have probably studied things that I would have never considered before as I thought they were above my intellect.

(Allie) #4

You would adapt to the lifestyle change just like anyone else.

150g carbs will not allow ketosis. As is very commonly said, you cannot out-run a bad diet.

(Tim W) #5

Very well said!

(VLC.MD) #6

get a ketomojo (blood ketone tester) and see if it works for you.

What is your “Goal” ? (besides “health”)

I agree with above 150g carbs a day is likely too much.