Question about ketosis... does it really help you burn fat faster than CICO?

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  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited June 2015
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    wabmester wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    There is no other magic fat burning voodoo at work here.

    Well, there is quite a bit, actually.

    You'll only make ketones if you restrict carbs. Ketones, of course, are made by partially oxidizing fat. The metabolic cost of making ketones is relatively high, so you're burning more energy (i.e., you've magically raised the CO part of CICO).

    But the best magic is where a lot of the fat comes from. Since most of the work is done in the liver, at lot of the fat comes directly from fat stored in the liver and surrounding viscera. I.e., the fat that has the biggest negative impact on your health is the first to be burned.

    No, no, no, 19 thousand times no.

    You are confusing ingested fat with stored fat. Moving to ketones has no meaningful impact on the rate-limited process of oxidizing stored fat. If you are in a caloric deficit, you will oxidize internal fat at the same rate whether you're in keto or not.

  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
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    wabmester wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    There is no other magic fat burning voodoo at work here.

    Well, there is quite a bit, actually.

    You'll only make ketones if you restrict carbs. Ketones, of course, are made by partially oxidizing fat. The metabolic cost of making ketones is relatively high, so you're burning more energy (i.e., you've magically raised the CO part of CICO).

    But the best magic is where a lot of the fat comes from. Since most of the work is done in the liver, at lot of the fat comes directly from fat stored in the liver and surrounding viscera. I.e., the fat that has the biggest negative impact on your health is the first to be burned.

    Not only that, but the impact of your serum fat profile is improved significantly vs a high-carb diet.

    So, yeah, lots of voodoo associated with ketosis. :)

    Where does this information come from?

    You can find this and a LOT more in Phinney and Volek. Or just search PubMed for the studies.

    If you're an athlete, check out the n=1 experiments of Dr Peter Attia:
    http://eatingacademy.com/

    Lots of good biochemistry for those who love the stuff. :)
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    wabmester wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    There is no other magic fat burning voodoo at work here.

    Well, there is quite a bit, actually.

    You'll only make ketones if you restrict carbs. Ketones, of course, are made by partially oxidizing fat. The metabolic cost of making ketones is relatively high, so you're burning more energy (i.e., you've magically raised the CO part of CICO).

    But the best magic is where a lot of the fat comes from. Since most of the work is done in the liver, at lot of the fat comes directly from fat stored in the liver and surrounding viscera. I.e., the fat that has the biggest negative impact on your health is the first to be burned.

    No, no, no, 19 thousand times no.

    You are confusing ingested fat with stored fat. Moving to ketones has no meaningful impact on the rate-limited process of oxidizing stored fat.

    The original studies of ketosis were of fasting. I.e., zero fat in the diet. How do you think ketones were made?
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    wabmester wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    wabmester wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    There is no other magic fat burning voodoo at work here.

    Well, there is quite a bit, actually.

    You'll only make ketones if you restrict carbs. Ketones, of course, are made by partially oxidizing fat. The metabolic cost of making ketones is relatively high, so you're burning more energy (i.e., you've magically raised the CO part of CICO).

    But the best magic is where a lot of the fat comes from. Since most of the work is done in the liver, at lot of the fat comes directly from fat stored in the liver and surrounding viscera. I.e., the fat that has the biggest negative impact on your health is the first to be burned.

    No, no, no, 19 thousand times no.

    You are confusing ingested fat with stored fat. Moving to ketones has no meaningful impact on the rate-limited process of oxidizing stored fat.

    The original studies of ketosis were of fasting. I.e., zero fat in the diet. How do you think ketones were made?

    Fasting is a low-carb diet.
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    wabmester wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    wabmester wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    There is no other magic fat burning voodoo at work here.

    Well, there is quite a bit, actually.

    You'll only make ketones if you restrict carbs. Ketones, of course, are made by partially oxidizing fat. The metabolic cost of making ketones is relatively high, so you're burning more energy (i.e., you've magically raised the CO part of CICO).

    But the best magic is where a lot of the fat comes from. Since most of the work is done in the liver, at lot of the fat comes directly from fat stored in the liver and surrounding viscera. I.e., the fat that has the biggest negative impact on your health is the first to be burned.

    No, no, no, 19 thousand times no.

    You are confusing ingested fat with stored fat. Moving to ketones has no meaningful impact on the rate-limited process of oxidizing stored fat.

    The original studies of ketosis were of fasting. I.e., zero fat in the diet. How do you think ketones were made?

    Fasting is a low-carb diet.

    So the low-carb fairy made them of unicorn dust? Not sure I'm following your logic here.
  • puja25
    puja25 Posts: 31 Member
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    zdyb23456 wrote: »
    Yeah, unfortunately she is impatient and isn't thinking long term. She wants to lose weight for a special occasion, which is now unattainable - she wants to lose over 80 pounds before November. Well, I guess she could, but it'd be incredibly difficult. She tells me she just has to do this until the wedding, then she can enjoy her favorite foods again.


    Losing that kind of weight is really unhealthy within the span she is hoping to lose. However she can easily lose 25-40 pounds by November while eating carbs, fats and protein. Exercising and calorie counting , that is it. Also food with high fiber content keeps stomach healthy, prevents bloating which is absent in high protein low carb diet.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    The human body is always burning stored fat.

    Eat at a caloric surplus -> net, add more stored fat than you're burning -> weight gain
    Eat at maintenance -> store as much new fat as you're burning -> no weight change
    Eat at a caloric deficit -> burn more stored fat than you're adding -> weight loss

    Fasting -> accelerated burning of stored fat
    Fasting + ketosis -> same as fasting
    Fasting + carbs -> same as fasting
    Fasting + unicorn farts -> same as fasting

    Caloric surplus + ketosis -> net, storing more fat -> weight gain
    Caloric deficit + non-ketosis -> weight loss

    Ketosis doesn't do anything to speed up weight loss - calorie deficits are what matter. It is beyond trivial to gain weight while on ketosis, and MANY people do just that.

    Fasting (under the right conditions), however, does increase the rate at which the body can access stored fat, allowing increased "safe" caloric deficits. This happens regardless of whether the non-fasting intake results in ketosis.


  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Fasting (under the right conditions), however, does increase the rate at which the body can access stored fat, allowing increased "safe" caloric deficits. This happens regardless of whether the non-fasting intake results in ketosis.

    Ketogenic diets also produce greater availability of free fatty acids and shift oxidation towards fat as shown by lower RER values (and greater fat oxidation rate during exercise).

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited June 2015
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    yarwell wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Fasting (under the right conditions), however, does increase the rate at which the body can access stored fat, allowing increased "safe" caloric deficits. This happens regardless of whether the non-fasting intake results in ketosis.

    Ketogenic diets also produce greater availability of free fatty acids and shift oxidation towards fat as shown by lower RER values (and greater fat oxidation rate during exercise).

    Since fat is what is (primarily) ingested, obviously that's what will (primarily) get burnt.

    That doesn't equate to increased burning of *stored* fat above and beyond what is needed by the creation of a caloric deficit. The increased RER values will appear in ketogenic diets even when people are eating at a caloric *surplus* and gaining weight.
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
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    The craziest thing is she hasn't even started yet... about a year ago she successfully lost 40 lbs by watching portions and exercising. She fell off horse so to speak and has regained all the weight - she keeps telling me it took too long to lose 40 pounds. Hence why she's insistent keto/low-carb will work cause it will help her stay motivated longer.

    I do believe that whatever diet helps you achieve a calorie deficit consistently is good - go for it, but I also think that you need to pick something you can do long term, whatever it is. I've tried to explain that concept to her too.


  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    zdyb23456 wrote: »
    I do believe that whatever diet helps you achieve a calorie deficit consistently is good - go for it, but I also think that you need to pick something you can do long term, whatever it is. I've tried to explain that concept to her too.

    :drinker:

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Since fat is what is (primarily) ingested, obviously that's what will (primarily) get burnt.

    That doesn't equate to increased burning of *stored* fat

    Depends how much fat is eaten, does it not ?

    It has to be useful to have a higher rate of fat oxidation, surely ? For a given fat intake / production / release from storage it will result in more leaving the body. Faster loss or slower gain.


    Mildly ketogenic cyclists
    for example lost more fat and could be seen to be oxidising more at the same calorie intake etc as when they ate 50% carbs.

  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Ketosis doesn't do anything to speed up weight loss - calorie deficits are what matter.

    Calorie deficits matter. CI < CO. So we can either reduce CI or increase CO, right? What might increase CO if you're completely sedentary?

    That's right! Metabolism! There are many metabolic changes that happen with fasting, and ketogenic diets attempt to mimic fasting. I'm sure we all agree that gluconeogenesis increases CO, right? Just try to get fat by eating an all protein diet. It's impossible!

    Ketones are not free. It takes energy to produce them from fat. It doesn't matter if you're oxidizing dietary fat or adipose tissue fat. CO increases.

    It increases in other ways, too. For example, some of those ketones are wasted in the urine. You literally piss away energy!

    And ketones do regulate how much FFA is liberated, but that's yet another issue.

    Bottom line: not only does CI influence CO, but the contents of CI can profoundly influence CO.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited June 2015
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    yarwell wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Since fat is what is (primarily) ingested, obviously that's what will (primarily) get burnt.

    That doesn't equate to increased burning of *stored* fat

    Depends how much fat is eaten, does it not ?

    It has to be useful to have a higher rate of fat oxidation, surely ? For a given fat intake / production / release from storage it will result in more leaving the body. Faster loss or slower gain.


    Mildly ketogenic cyclists
    for example lost more fat and could be seen to be oxidising more at the same calorie intake etc as when they ate 50% carbs.

    Asked and answered - since they're eating primarily fat obviously they're going to be metabolizing more fat since that's what there tummies are putting into their bloodstream.

    Another hint, from your link:

    ...greater oxygen uptake necessary to obtain the same energy yield as on a mixed diet...The max work load and the work load at lactate threshold were significantly higher after the mixed diet.

    These are *bad* outcomes for a ketogenic athlete.

    And here...

    [Fat loading may also slow down the rate of carbohydrate utilization and enhance endurance performance in long distance events lasting from 2 to 5 h.

    "Fat loading" is ingested fats, not stored fats.

    And another money quote:

    During the last 15 min of exercise, when maximal intensity was introduced, FFA metabolism was inhibited by glycolysis, which was evidenced by significant increases in LA concentration. This phenomena was observed in the case of both diets, yet it was more pronounced in the case of the high fat diet [21,22].

    This very clearly demonstrates the body is rejecting the use of fat metabolites when put under heavy loads.
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    edited June 2015
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    shell1005 wrote: »
    wabmester wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Ketosis doesn't do anything to speed up weight loss - calorie deficits are what matter.

    Calorie deficits matter. CI < CO. So we can either reduce CI or increase CO, right? What might increase CO if you're completely sedentary?

    That's right! Metabolism! There are many metabolic changes that happen with fasting, and ketogenic diets attempt to mimic fasting. I'm sure we all agree that gluconeogenesis increases CO, right? Just try to get fat by eating an all protein diet. It's impossible!

    Ketones are not free. It takes energy to produce them from fat. It doesn't matter if you're oxidizing dietary fat or adipose tissue fat. CO increases.

    It increases in other ways, too. For example, some of those ketones are wasted in the urine. You literally piss away energy!

    And ketones do regulate how much FFA is liberated, but that's yet another issue.

    Bottom line: not only does CI influence CO, but the contents of CI can profoundly influence CO.

    So if I eat 3000 calories a day of straight protein, I won't gain weight, gain fat? Shudders.

    That is correct! And for two reasons: 1) the conversion of protein to fat is VERY inefficient, and 2) the liver and kidneys can't keep up with normal energy demand. GNG maxes out at somewhere around 1000 kcal/day.

    Edit: oh, you wanted a link. Here you go:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_starvation
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    shell1005 wrote: »
    So if I eat 3000 calories a day of straight protein, I won't gain weight, gain fat? Shudders.

    If you mean eating nothing but protein, you may not gain weight, but you are putting your health at serious risk in other (worse) ways.
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    So if I eat 3000 calories a day of straight protein, I won't gain weight, gain fat? Shudders.

    If you mean eating nothing but protein, you may not gain weight, but you are putting your health at serious risk in other (worse) ways.

    In other words, "yeah CICO doesn't always apply, but I'll find some other reason to bash your diet." :)

    Broscientists, CICO is simply too simple. Open your minds to the complexities of human metabolism. :)
  • richln
    richln Posts: 809 Member
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    wabmester wrote: »

    You'll only make ketones if you restrict carbs. Ketones, of course, are made by partially oxidizing fat. The metabolic cost of making ketones is relatively high, so you're burning more energy (i.e., you've magically raised the CO part of CICO).

    GNG increases to CO is minimal and temporary until the body becomes ketone adapted. This is also mitigated by the fact that fat has a lower TEF than carb.

    This study and this study show there are no significant changes to BMR (REE) due to ketogenic diet alone.

    wabmester wrote: »

    But the best magic is where a lot of the fat comes from. Since most of the work is done in the liver, at lot of the fat comes directly from fat stored in the liver and surrounding viscera. I.e., the fat that has the biggest negative impact on your health is the first to be burned.

    Not really magic here, unless you think genetics are magic. Visceral fat and subcutaneous fat are accumulated and depleted according to genetic instruction; hence the difference between the type, location, and quantity of adipose in healthy men and women. Visceral fat tends to be reduced at a higher rate relative to subcutaneous during initial periods of caloric deficit regardless of type of diet. Since it seems you are a fan of Volek, here is his study that seems to show an increased rate of visceral and overall fat loss of ketogenic diet vs. low-fat diet when deficit is controlled. These results are controversial, not only because they contradict a large body of evidence accumulated in other studies, but also because they are not protein controlled and intake is self-reported, as Aragon discusses here. If you are still not skeptical about Volek's results, please note at the bottom of his linked study that it was sponsored by the Robert C. Atkins Foundation, that some rat studies have have shown ketogenic diets actually increase visceral fat, and larger meta-analyses show no significant long-term difference between between keto and balanced diets regarding fat loss or health markers.

    wabmester wrote: »

    Not only that, but the impact of your serum fat profile is improved significantly vs a high-carb diet.

    Where did you find this? Serum lipid profile is improved by losing body fat, regardless of how one accomplishes the fat loss. In cases where a long-term comparison is made between keto vs. moderate-carb diet and body fat between the groups is a control, results are usually mixed or insignificant.

    wabmester wrote: »

    Edit: oh, you wanted a link. Here you go:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_starvation

    ...
    In other words, "yeah CICO doesn't always apply, but I'll find some other reason to bash your diet." :)

    If you are going to discuss the pathological limits of CICO theory, then yes, it should be noted that one cannot live off of protein alone, nor could one live off of fat or carb alone, and CICO theory can break down with severe vitamin or mineral deficiencies. It is also possible to raise CI so high that the body cannot process all of the energy and just passes it through, or overloads (see the movie se7en), at which point you would then have a serious change in CO to say the least.

    I am genuinely glad that keto works for you, but I think you are overreaching to look for benefits of it. It is enough just to say that you like it, and it helps you to reach your goals.