Ketosis and Weight Loss

#21

The podcasts are also funny as :smiley::+1:t2:

#22

@amwassil Wilco

#23

Are you tracking what you eat or going blind?

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #24

It is well-known that the body down- or up-regulates the metabolism, according to caloric intake. Hair, nails, and reproductive system are some of the first things to be cut back when the body is faced with short rations.

Now that I’ve been eating a ketogenic diet to satiety for a few years, my body is spending quite a bit of energy growing my nails and hair, with the result that I’m trimming them more frequently these days, than I ever had to in my entire life before keto. And my libido? Well, I don’t want to brag, so . . . :grin:

(Joey) #25

Well put.

When it comes to what’s wise and what’s foolish: metabolic context is everything.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #26

I have never seen a specific recommendation by weight or calories for fat intake. The standard recommendation from Phinney and other researchers is very little carbohydrate (we recommend under 20 g/day), moderate protein (recommendations range from 1.0 to 2.0 g of protein per kg of lean body mass per day), and fat to satiety.

Once insulin drops and leptin signaling reasserts itself, it is easy to use hunger as a guide to how much to eat. So eat enough fat at each meal to assuage your hunger pangs. When you stop being hungry, stop eating. Don’t eat again until you are hungry again. Don’t intentionally eat less food than you think you need, and give your body a couple of months to sort itself out before you decide things aren’t working right.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #27

Phinney has stated (in lectures available on YouTube) that a well-formulated ketogenic diet eaten to satiety speeds up the metabolism so that, although we end up eating more fat, we also end up metabolising more fat. This means that the body is capable of using both dietary fat and any excess stored fat it wants to shed.

#28

Really interesting article, thanks. And a load of other links to follow, but less thanks for that as I really shoold go to sleep now…

#29

I live for that day……

(Gail St Aubin) #30

I have no idea. That’s why I’m asking.

(Gail St Aubin) #31

That makes sense. I am at around 1000 calories per day. I am keeping my carbs below 20. My current weight is 188, and I am only looking to possibly go down to about 160. Thanks for the information you shared.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #32

Since you have been on a ketogenic diet for only a month, and since your post mentions only serum β-hydroxybutyrate and not serum glucose, I think that Bob’s question means, “on what basis have you concluded that your glucose control is not improving.” For example, do you have serum glucose readings, or HbA1C that give reason to believe this?

This is likely to work against you, so far as fat loss is concerned. Try eating enough to satisfy your hunger, and see if that doesn’t help start your loss. Many people on these forums have found that their weight didn’t start dropping until they began eating more, not less. There are plenty of posts on these forums explaining how the human body works, in this connexion.

Though 28 lbs. are going to come off very slowly, in any case.

(Gail St Aubin) #33

Tracking. On Cronometer.

(Gail St Aubin) #34

I am using a glucose meter four times a day. Readings are better, just not what I expected with so few carbs.

(Gail St Aubin) #35

I can’t really eat very much more than 1000 calories because I had gastric bypass surgery (13 years ago). And I seldom actually get hungry. Sometimes I have to remind myself to eat.

(Robin) #36

Well, thats’ an interesting situation I have noticed seen explored here. Keto after bi-pass surgery. Could you get more calories if added some small meals?

(Gail St Aubin) #37

Yes, possibly. It is a little hard to digest meat, but I could do sliced meat, or cheese, or eggs- which I do, but more!

#38

Nice! What are your stats and how are you looking for average macros? The answers gotta be there. Also, what’s your activity level?

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #39

@GailSt Thanks for the additional info about yourself - it’s important to know what you’re dealing with for anyone to make useful suggestions. Anyhow, I’ve said the following multiple times in multiple places and it bears repeating for your benefit here. Keto is a process of metabolic normalization that takes time, depending on the specific damage and degree of severity that needs fixing. The basic requirement is to get into ketosis and stay there consistently - by which I mean 100% of the time. The second requirement is to give your body and metabolism sufficient fuel to get the job done. I doubt that 1000 cals per day will suffice - so you’ll likely have to eat more frequently. Some of us do not have normal hunger and satiety signals so we use appropriate tools/feedback to make sure we eat enough but not more than enough. This stuff is not magic and often requires more effort than you think, but the outcome is worth whatever it takes.

(Richard Morris) #40

No. It’s a bit more nuanced. But that’s not surprising, I have studied some biochem in the past 6 years.

When you eat more protein, digested amino acids replete your labile pool of protein. That is a buffer that constitutes roughly 1% of your lean mass and consists of amino acids and short peptides in aqueous compartments (circulating, cytosolic). That buffer is drawn down to make proteins including enzymes, peptides, cellular structures (including muscle cells), non-cellular structures. Excess to requirements is ultimately deaminated and the rest of the carbon backbone oxidized for energy (although there are multiple pathways only one of which involves glucose). The ammonia is converted to urea and disposed in urine.

Specific amino acids in circulation directly stimulate insulin secretion from the pancreas. They don’t have to become glucose first. That effect in type 2 diabetics is almost as potent as glucose stimulated insulin secretion so the point is probably moot.