Ketosis/Fat Adaption - You can't have both?

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #1

Please read the following passage from an article on Perfect Keto.

Should You Reach a Fat Adapted or Ketosis State?

Don’t let all the terms we discussed today confuse you. When you’re just starting out, aim for ketosis.

This is when your body starts switching from being a sugar burner to fat burner.

To get to this point, cut down your carbs to around 20–25g per day, increase your fats and watch your protein intake.

This also happens to be the same formula for getting to a fat adapted state.

So as long as you keep to a low carbohydrate diet within the 20-25g range, being in ketosis will help you turn into a fat adapted machine.

But, you may also find, as many do, that you’re likely to prefer ketosis to being fat adapted.

The positive benefits of being in ketosis include:

Improved metabolism
Migraine relief
Weight loss
Reduced inflammation
Improved mental health and better moods
Now if you’re only after fat loss and you don’t care about the other health benefits I just dropped at your feet, a fat adapted state may work better for you.

But unless you’re training for a competition, you’re almost always better off focusing on your health instead of just weight loss.

Correct me if I am wrong, but you can’t be in ketosis and fat adapted?

My main point is, you don’t experience all of the wonderful benefits during fat adaption that you do during ketosis?

Help me understand this.

It’s either weight loss or mental clarity/improved performance?

(cheryl) #2

hi - I’m not sure why you are saying it’s one or the other.

I’ve been on Keto since the end of December… It took me about a month to become fat adapted… but I’m still in ketosis. (my numbers run from .5 up to below 2 on average daily)

Maybe I’m misunderstanding something?

(karen) #3

… I think … that they’re saying this because they’re trying to sell you exogenous ketones. In other words, “eat carbs if you like and then eat our product and your urine will say you are in ketosis”. But you’re not actually in ketosis if you’re doing that, you’re just peeing out the ketones you just ate. If you are fat adapted and eating a keto diet, you will also be in ketosis - for real, not just your pee.

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #4

I actually think you are right.

(Diane) #5

Here’s an article regarding ketones, ketosis and fat adaption that I’ve found really helpful.

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #6

I’ve read those before and I understand the difference between fat adaption and ketosis, and I know you can be in ketosis whilst not being fat adapted and you can be fat adapted whilst not being in ketosis, my question is deriving from the particular words that they used in the article, insinuating that you won’t experience all of the benefits of ketosis if you are only fat adapted?

(Ron) #7

Have you read these Kate?


Maybe someone can correct me but once you are fat adapted you will experience all the benefits of ketosis all the time. Should you carb up to the point of kicking yourself out of ketosis you will then experience carb hangover where these benefits are affected but as soon as the carbs are rid of the body, you regain these benefits. You don’t lose them, you just stall them until the carbs are gone.

(karen) #8

“But you may also find, as many do, that you’re likely to prefer ketosis to being fat adapted”…

The only way I can see that sentence making any sense at all is if they mean “fat adapted but choosing to burn glucose instead of fat”. In other words, “you may prefer to burn fat rather than glucose even if you’ve reached a point where you can burn either one efficiently”. Which is sort of a no-brainer.

Bottom line: as you said, fat adaptation and ketosis aren’t joined at the hip, but they’re most absolutely not mutually exclusive.

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #9

I haven’t read those ones in particular no but I will give them a read now.

That’s what I am trying to determine. I’m interpreting that article as once you are fat adapted (and not in ketosis) that you won’t receive those benefits, but I plan on staying in ketosis and fat adapted. Maybe it’s just the way it’s worded but it was messing with my head.

(Diane) #10

That is my understanding as well.

(karen) #12

If you are fat adapted but eating carbs, your body will metabolize carbs the way it always did, I think - it will choose the carbs first, convert them to glucose, feed the cells with glucose. Glucose is poison over a certain level in the blood, I think your body always has to address that first. But maybe it will metabolize them with less insulin resistance, and allow you to enter a state of ketosis very quickly when the carbs run out. (?)

(Empress of the Unexpected) #13

My understanding is that ketosis will happen after the carbs are withdrawn, and that ketosis is the gateway to fat adaptation. After seven weeks I am finally showing pink on the ketostix on a regular basis, and feel great. I am thinking I am on my way to fat adaptation. Don’t understand why the author talks about the ketosis “doldrums.” I have a ways to go to get fat adapted, but feel I am headed the right way.

(karen) #14

again, probably as a way to sell exogenous ketones and boost your “results”. “Fight the keto doldrums, pee our product out onto a stick and see it turn purple!” :roll_eyes:

(Empress of the Unexpected) #15

Yeah, I’m a newbie, but why would someone do that when your body can do it naturally?

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #16

That’s great, it’s been hard to tell for me, i’ve always had a light pink reading, always in trace but never really exceeded 3.0 on my stix

(Empress of the Unexpected) #17

A weird sell, since we know that purple on the stick means wasted ketones.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #18

You are, I believe, at six weeks?

(karen) #19

Sensible people wouldn’t, but Perfect Keto is a company that sells exogenous ketones, apparently to people who have an unhealthy attraction to little eggplant-colored squares.

(Ron) #20
(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #21

Yes six weeks. I have been strict with my carb intake.