What Happens When One Marginally Exceeds Carbs?


(Walt ) #1

I have been “ketoing” for a couple months now and I have lost enough weight so that people who hadn’t seen me in awhile notice. I have cut out so many things I love. Ice cream, potato chips, bread, candy, potatoes, pizza, pasta, on and on. So much so that I am now analyzing the ingredients on a can of dice tomatoes! So, what happens if one eats too much diced tomatoes, and winds up going over the max daily carb recommendations? Does that just slow Keto down, or abort it entirely?

My query is based on difficulties I have had receiving Keto meals from Factor. Now that it has gotten very warm in S. Arizona the ice gel packs Factor uses to ship with aren’t holding up and the meals have been arriving warm. The last two bi-weekly delivers I have had to refuse. So, this leaves me searching for other things to eat.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

Firstly, congratulations on your keto sucess!

As for the question you ask, it comes down to your insulin response. The threshold between fat-burning and carb-burning is just under 25 μ U/mL of insulin in the blood. Above, and we metabolise glucose and store fat; below the threshold, we make ketones and metabolise fatty acids.

Whether a given amount of carbohydrate will put someone over the threshold depends on how insulin-sensitive or -resistant that person is. The more insulin-resistant we are, the greater our insulin response to a given amount of carbohydrate. So if we are really insulin-sensitive, we can eat more carbohydrate and stay below the threshold; but if we are insulin-resistant, it is likely that the same amount of carbohydrate could push us above the threshold and out of ketosis.

So the upshot is that you will have to experiment to see whether the diced tomatoes will kick you out of ketosis or not. And as for getting your food delivered, are there any local supermarkets that will deliver food to you? If so, then your odds of getting unspoiled food should be good. Alternatively, if you were to call Factor, do you think they might pack your order in dry ice, instead of gel-packs? Or at least insulate the boxes better?


#3

Going over on stuff like veggies won’t do anything in most cases. Going over on more starchy carbs will depend on how insulin sensitive you are, and what your metabolic rate is to burn them back off before your back in ketosis.

They’re just that, how many carbs you can have is completely specific to you. More carbs recommendations = less ketones being produced. The 20g number is a safe point, it’s not a magical point that ketosis ends.


#4

Eating an extra 100g carbs from veggies (very easy even without the high-carb ones if you ask old veggie lover me) totally does a lot to me…


Just going over 20g may cause nothing. We all have our personal limits, it seems to be a bit over 40g net carbs for me (activity should matter too and probably other things), many people say they need total, some even below 20g but 20g net usually works.
At some point we lose ketosis. And may or may not feel worse.


(Joey) #5

@Goose55 As noted above by others, everyone’s metabolism is unique and can vary significantly over time (daily, weekly, … over the decades). For a meaningful answer you will have to conduct your own n=1 experiments to understand where the lines are for you - at this particular time in your life.

If you’re feeling good, losing excess body fat, and enjoying what you eat, that ought to inform and inspire your food choices.

As for AZ being hot in the summer, yeah. Sounds like you need a new shopping strategy. :vulcan_salute:


(cerastez) #6

I have a keto-mojo blood tester, so I can test if I am in ketosis. If I go just a little over with the carbs I will drift out of ketosis and can get back in relatively quickly.

For example, on a day when I tested at 1.2, I had too much half and half. The next day my blood test is at 0.8 and I start reining in my carb intake. The next day I am out of ketosis at 0.4. The next day I am back in ketosis at 0.5, and I get farther in, over the next few days. I have a tougher time getting into ketosis than most people that I have met, so you might get in quicker than me.

If I really go overboard and eat a lot of carbs, then it takes me 5 days to get into ketosis. I have tried fasting, going carnivore, but nothing speeds it up. It always take me 5 days.


(Walt ) #7

That’s why I like the idea of the prepared Keto meals available from several enterprises like Factor 75, FreshNLean, Trifecta, etc. I liken it to cruise control. If I stick with mainly just those Keto meals I will continue to lose weight just as a vehicle continues at a set speed, and reaches it’s destination.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #8

Everyone’s different. For me, the easiest way is simply to cook some meat and make a salad. That way, I know exactly what I’m eating.


(Walt ) #9

Paul, I like that. Because the prepared meals can be quite pricey. But then there is the 1:2:3 Keto ratio of carbs:protein:fat. Maybe the simple approach you suggest would work if the meat portion is modest and the salad was rich w/ avocado & extra virgin olive oil.

I’m going to give this idea of yours a try.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #10

Actually, it’s 20 g max of carbohydrate, moderate protein, and fat to satiety. No need to worry about precise ratios. A decent-sized salad is well under 20 g, especially if counting net carbohydrate. And if you eat a steak large enough to satisfy your hunger, you will be getting enough protein and fat to meet your needs.

If you prefer to calculate your protein, the range we recommend is 1.0-1.5 g per kg of lean body mass. So take me, for example. I weigh 100 kg (220 lbs.) and probably 70% of that is lean mass. So I eat 70-105 g of protein, which is 280-105 grams (10-15 ounces) of meat.

These calculations are based on the fact that most meats are 25% protein. Another rule of thumb is that an ounce of meat contains more or less 7 g of protein.


(Walt ) #11

During a nap I began to imagine how to prepare my Keto meals. For variety, chicken thighs, ground beef, and salmon. And cooked w/ fresh herbs. Also, I’ve made cauliflower mashed “potatoes” and really liked it, but it has to be made in mass because it’s laborious. Though I love salads, they are also time consuming, so I’ll just stick to sauteed spinach or asparagus. Also, I find cold Hunt’s canned diced tomatoes so refreshing and I’m going to experiment with fresh herbs w/ them. Lots of extra virgin olive oil on the spinach & tomatoes.

I’m also hoping to find on Ketogenic Forums tips for quick Keto meals.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #12

There are three main threads: Boring Keto, Keto Made Easy, and the various incarnations of the What Did You Keto Today? thread. Plus a lot of useful recipes.