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

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #29

To be honest, I leave my stix at work, and never tested after 3pm.
I’ve always tested morning through lunch.
I could very well have different readings then too but not know it.
I’ve got one stix left and I’m going to use it today then not buy anymore as I feel they are quite useless as I definitely know i’m in ketosis!

(Ron) #30

But even the blood meter readings are not telling a true story. You have to remember that ketones are a byproduct coming from the liver after burning fat that is being utilized for energy so your really not getting any idea of how well your body is using that energy. You can have high readings from excess dietary fat that isn’t being used efficiently and is just excess. Unfortunately there is no perfect way to tell a level so the only benefits are just to know that you are in or out (or maybe reactions to foods).

(Empress of the Unexpected) #31

I’m a test nerd. When I was trying to get pregnant, I tested like ten times a day. (It only took me a month). Then I had a couple of miscarriages, but the bill for all the test strips! Oh my! I’ll probably go nuts with the blood meter if I can get over the finger pricks.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #32

OK. So why is a lot of fat counseled before fat adaptation?. How do you know when you are adapted? What if you are unwittingly already adapted and still eating the extra fats?

(Robert C) #33

Glucose burners burn glucose and can’t easily get at their own fat stores without first becoming “fat adapted”. They are basically encouraged by a full-body rebellion to find some carbs ever few hours.

“Fat adapted” is a glucose burner that can get at their own fat stores – easily switching between fuel sources (glucose is preferred but, when restricted, there is little-or-no problem switching to fat and not eating for extended periods of time).

Ketosis is the difficult to reach state where a glucose burner is restricting their glucose by limiting carb intake (“Hello Keto flu”).

Ketosis is also the easily reached state where a fat adapted person is restricting their glucose by limiting carb intake.

I guess the original author is saying that staying in ketosis (which, I guess, is the major route used to get to “fat adapted”, the second maybe being water fasting) might be best for you to get to maintenance. But, might not be the best to keep you at maintenance (for example, if water fasting got you to maintenance, maybe continuing water fasting is not the best plan for maintenance :grinning:).

Hard to say with the positive keto feeling here but, if I was having to drink ghee and do a pound of bacon a day to keep a maintenance weight below where I wanted to be (actually bony in a pair of jeans) – I might add some seasonal fruit and a workout to my schedule. Only way to find out is through a lot more ketosis!

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #34

This is why I am always trying to figure out a way to test if you are. Not necessarily test but experience symptoms which could only mean fat adaption.

Though mind you, without having my BPC this morning at 8am like normal, I am quite hungry around 11am and when I calculate, techinically i’ve been fasting for 16 hours. So that makes me question should I be able to go longer if I was fat adapted?

(Empress of the Unexpected) #35

I’ve decided to add HWC to my morning coffee. Maybe then I won’t be ripping open a bag of pork rinds at 11:00 a.m.!:rofl:

(Ron) #36

You are forcing the body to learn to burn fat for fuel. If you restrict calories then the body metabolism will think you are starving and will go in conserve mode saving as much glucose as possible. It will shut down things like keeping you warm etc. This isn’t going to allow the body to learn how to burn fat. If you lower consumption all internal processes of metabolism will slow to conserve energy. By keeping your calories high you are forcing the body to go process all that food and by keeping carbs and protein lower, you are forcing it to use fat. Once it converts over, then it becomes the preferred fuel above the others and after it metabolizes what you eat it will seek more fat above anything else and will burn your reserves.
Hope this makes sense?:face_with_monocle:

(karen) #37

I think the idea is that when you are fat adapted, you will feel satiated with somewhat less fat. Your body will tell you, you don’t have to guess. I had some trouble with satiety cues when I first started, I tended to eat very fast, always eat my absolute favorite foods and have a whole lot of different foods at once, and assumed I wasn’t full until I’d eaten a certain volume of food, and then felt miserably stuffed twenty minutes later. With a little practice and slowing down, I feel like I can now tell when I’m satiated, and I assume when I reach fat adaptation, I’ll still know. :slightly_smiling_face:

(Empress of the Unexpected) #38

You are so helpful. And it makes all the sense in the world. But what is this mysterious “fat adaptation” Ketoers speak of? Simply lack of hunger? I am clueless but don’t think I am there yet.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #39

It’s 95 degrees in So. Cal today, so I am warm, thank you very much!:rofl: I will check back in a month to report on any changes.

(Ron) #40

Kind of a tuff one to answer. I will say that I just knew. It was like the body, mind, attitude, everything just fell into place. The world was in balance for the first time in a long time.

Here are some other explinations-

(Empress of the Unexpected) #41

Interesting. I think I’m a B plus at this point. Before Keto, hangry to the point that if someone picked food I didn’t like I went on a hunger strike! How irrational is that?

Can’t go more than five hours now without eating.

On the plus side: Always had and have hummingbird type energy…

Never a problem with mental clarity - cause I did not eat a lot of carbs before, and never had a sweet tooth.

Had a flat belly before menopause. Blamed the weight gain on that, as most other ladies do.

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #42

I always find your responses so knowledgable, thanks for breaking it down for me. I’ll take a read of that post.

(Ron) #43

Yeh, knowing if your adapted is obviously going to be an n=1 thing for sure.:flushed:
It’s 90* here today also , so I hear ya about being warm.
I have a sis lives in San Diego so I understand your weather reference.:grin:

(Empress of the Unexpected) #44

We are Inland Empire - 50 miles east of LA. Basically quasi desert. San Diego beach or Inland?. Makes a huge difference.

(Ron) #45

El Cajon

(Empress of the Unexpected) #46

Just like Fontana. Hotter than hell!

(Ron) #47

Yup! :sweat::sweat::sweat:

(Empress of the Unexpected) #48

Thank you for everything, My only goal is to reduce my triglycerides. If I’m not model slim I don’t care - just want to be healthy!