When are you "fat adapted"?

newbies
(Anita) #1

Just wondering how can you tell when you are truly fat adapted? I’ve been on keto for 10 weeks and in ketosis. I have lost 25lbs in 2.5 months so far, I have lost maybe 3lbs over the last week and half but its been fluctuating. How can I tell if I am actually fat adapted or not?

#2

It’s not easy to say. I only know that some of us have very sudden and drastic changes and it’s at least some level of fat adaptation. My hunger and satiation signs drastically changed after 7 weeks, it was a huge thing for me. My naturally small eating window suddenly diminished too.
Many people experiences more gradual changes and not only one (maybe I would have other things too if I did keto for very long, who knows?). Many people get some of my changes right away on keto (ketosis did nothing at all to my hunger, it stayed the same but it’s not true for most people, it seems), no wonder, we are all different and our keto isn’t the same either (and some of us comes from HCLF, some of us from LCHF, it surely matters too).

(charlie3) #3

I’ve been low carb (42 grams net) for 2 years and plenty of exercise as well. My perception was fat adaption was rapid in the early months and continues to this day. I’m certain the exercise speeds up the process. But take a longer view. You’re going to be low carb FOREVER! A lot of other things will change for years to come and they all matter.

(Sheri Knauer) #4

Ive been keto for 3.5 years. For me, the first month and a half or 2 months, I felt sluggish during my workouts and felt I lost some strength. Then after 2 months or so, my workouts improved a lot and I regained the strength I felt I lost and gained more so I feel that is the point that my body became an efficient fat burner.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #5

I would guess that you’ve baby stepped into fat adaptation already. It’s a common misconception with new ketogenic eaters that you get to some point and while you’re sleeping one night a light switch gets flipped and ta da! You’re fat adapted. Well it’s an ongoing process that can go on for 2-3 years getting more in tune. Adaptation is over time. Much more metabolic flexibility occurs with time, if you eat carbs and are fully fat adapted you might only be out of ketosis briefly without stopping ketone production just slowing it for a short period. We’re all different of course and have our own metabolic health state. Early into fat adaptation you can mess things up more doing that and getting knocked out of ketosis for a longer time. :cowboy_hat_face:

#6

In my personal experience:

  • cravings changed from wanting something sweet to something fatty like bacon
  • able to easily skip a meal or two without a lot of hunger pangs
  • ease of which I was able to get into fasting of 24+ hours
  • getting full with less food
(Marianne) #7

This was me, too, although I never “worked out.” I just noticed that I would get winded doing normal things - running the vacuum, light gardening, or doing other light exercise or activity. It took me four months to become I guess fully fat adapted. Everyone is different, but for me it was like a switch - tired one day and then one day everything changed where I had tons of energy, could do strenuous things without stopping or needing to eat (refuel), etc. It was amazing and very exciting.

#8

Everybody’s different and there are different levels of adaptation. At 2.5mo you’re probably fine. Could always try fasting and see how you feel. For most people if you’re adapted you won’t feel a thing.

(Keto Koala 🐨) #9

These are all the things I have experienced. I’m still new, started the 1st of Jan this year. But I’ve been keeping carbs so low for most of that time sometimes only 2grams of carbs a day. My most was 17grams. I tick all the boxes of what you just mentioned. Though I have some health problems so I havnt experienced the loads of energy people get. I found before Keto if I had hunger pangs my gut would hurt so badly, now if I ever get a slight hunger pang, I feel my gut rumble but don’t have that overwhelming desire to eat. I can drink water or have a peice of cheese or a coffee with a little heavy cream and it goes away.