I'm Very Confused! Do I Need To Be In Ketosis To Lose Weight?

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  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
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    No, you don't need to.
    But, I have to say, for me, carbs are my worst enemy. If I stay away from carbs I see results quicker. So once in a while I will do a low carb week to jump start things. Carbs are calorie dense but are also very important for your body. Also, lifting on low car diet sucks monkey balls.
    So, do what works for you, but no extreme diet can be maintained for a long time. And no carbs for me is extreme.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,069 Member
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    Nope I'm down 24lb since December with no crazy macro restrictions. The important thing is to eat less/move more to create a calorie deficit. When you are comfortable with your new calorie goal you can then look at tweaking your macros to whatever satiates you and gives you adequate nutrition.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    I'm curious. Since the body easily and preferentially supplies glycogen to the insatiable brain, only converting fat to ketones (ketosis) when the glycogen supplies are exhausted, doesn't fat loss happen during those portions of the day and night when glycogen is exhausted due to any combination of exercise, prolonged sleep, or insufficient food? Isn't that a brief and temporary state of ketosis?
  • martyn4314
    martyn4314 Posts: 8 Member
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    hanley1512 wrote: »
    I am on information overload. Everything I read is telling me in order to lose weight, I have to be in Ketosis. Is this true? If so I am doomed. I like all the foods I read I shouldn't be eating (potatos, pasta, bread...)

    So...can you lose weight without being in Ketosis?

    TYIA!

    Ketosis is your body's way of burning fat as an enervy source over carbs. Technically you don't need to be keto to loose weight but if your eating high fat and moderate to high carbs your body will always favour the carbs over fat and store most of the excess fat.
    My personal experience was that I could never loose my stubborn belly fat in a normal healthy diet as I just don't have the time to do a lot of cardiovascular.
    Keto has changed that, and since I've been in ketosis my belly is shrinking rapidly.
    Ketosis is the way for me. But it's all down to what works best for the individual
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,402 MFP Moderator
    edited April 2017
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    martyn4314 wrote: »
    hanley1512 wrote: »
    I am on information overload. Everything I read is telling me in order to lose weight, I have to be in Ketosis. Is this true? If so I am doomed. I like all the foods I read I shouldn't be eating (potatos, pasta, bread...)

    So...can you lose weight without being in Ketosis?

    TYIA!

    Ketosis is your body's way of burning fat as an enervy source over carbs. Technically you don't need to be keto to loose weight but if your eating high fat and moderate to high carbs your body will always favour the carbs over fat and store most of the excess fat.
    My personal experience was that I could never loose my stubborn belly fat in a normal healthy diet as I just don't have the time to do a lot of cardiovascular.
    Keto has changed that, and since I've been in ketosis my belly is shrinking rapidly.
    Ketosis is the way for me. But it's all down to what works best for the individual

    Not really correct. At rest or during daily activities, your body will favor fat. Once you increase into anaerobic states, your body will favor glycogen.
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    hanley1512 wrote: »
    Do I Need To Be In Ketosis To Lose Weight?
    No.
    So...can you lose weight without being in Ketosis?
    Yes.

    Ketogenic and other low-carb diets are the current Weight Loss Miracles by which some people swear. They're also the fad diets that for many people work for a while but they find they can't or won't maintain that lifestyle.

    The way to lose weight, as others upthread have mentioned, is to make sure you're burning more calories than you're taking in. The hard part is figuring out a lifestyle and way of eating that you are able and willing to maintain.

    Why so dismissive and judgemental? Ketogenic diet is not a fad or a weight loss miracle - it works because it reduces your hunger and allows many people who have never succeeded before to gain control of their eating and yes, eat less calories. . It also has many medical applications, controlling diabetes, inflammation, epilepsy. And as for sticking to it, jump over to the low-carb group - there's many of us who have done it for years (4 years for me at 20 - 30g carbs a day). My diet is not restricted in any way, I just choose not to eat sugar and grain based foods - much the same as vegetarians choose not to eat meat. I don't hear so much hate for them though, go figure. Just because you don't understand something, or choose a different path for yourself, doesn't mean you need to condescend to people who aren't the same as you.

    Keto reduces YOUR hunger. As has been stated countless times on these threads, satiety is largely individualized and many people DO NOT find Keto satiating.

    Mine and thousands of others. And I'm willing to bet that anyone who's tried it and NOT had their appetite reduce has not done it for long enough, and has not actually eaten properly low carb, or has had too many cheats. It only works if you do it properly and stick to it long enough to switch your body to fat burning rather than sugar burning. If you do it properly, it works for most people. Most people who quit low carb do so a couple of days in because they felt lethargic and headachy - which can be eliminated by having enough salt.

    You're right... I didn't do it long enough to know how it would effect my appetite. It was long enough for me to know HF makes me absolutely miserable - as in major GI-Distress, I think I'd rather die, kind of miserable (think xenical coupled with extreme cramps).

    Oddly enough, even though any version of LCHF is out for me, I still managed to lose 30kg and keep them off. I've even managed to bring my hormone triggered hunger (all the while maintaining that 30kg loss and losing an additional 1-2kg) under control eating higher carbs with moderate protein and low to moderate fat.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    edited April 2017
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    hanley1512 wrote: »
    Do I Need To Be In Ketosis To Lose Weight?
    No.
    So...can you lose weight without being in Ketosis?
    Yes.

    Ketogenic and other low-carb diets are the current Weight Loss Miracles by which some people swear. They're also the fad diets that for many people work for a while but they find they can't or won't maintain that lifestyle.

    The way to lose weight, as others upthread have mentioned, is to make sure you're burning more calories than you're taking in. The hard part is figuring out a lifestyle and way of eating that you are able and willing to maintain.

    Ketogenic diet is not a fad or a weight loss miracle - it works because it reduces your hunger and allows many people who have never succeeded before to gain control of their eating and yes, eat less calories. It also has many medical applications, controlling diabetes, inflammation, epilepsy. And as for sticking to it, jump over to the low-carb group - there's many of us who have done it for years (4 years for me at 20 - 30g carbs a day). My diet is not restricted in any way, I just choose not to eat sugar and grain based foods - much the same as vegetarians choose not to eat meat.

    Keto made me hungrier and made me feel ill with the high fat. I did it properly for months and had the proper macros and advice according to the LCD group. No cheat days, no extra carbs. I was hungry from day one. Hated it. Spent far too much time visiting the porcelain throne. Eff that.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    hanley1512 wrote: »
    Do I Need To Be In Ketosis To Lose Weight?
    No.
    So...can you lose weight without being in Ketosis?
    Yes.

    Ketogenic and other low-carb diets are the current Weight Loss Miracles by which some people swear. They're also the fad diets that for many people work for a while but they find they can't or won't maintain that lifestyle.

    The way to lose weight, as others upthread have mentioned, is to make sure you're burning more calories than you're taking in. The hard part is figuring out a lifestyle and way of eating that you are able and willing to maintain.

    Why so dismissive and judgemental? Ketogenic diet is not a fad or a weight loss miracle - it works because it reduces your hunger and allows many people who have never succeeded before to gain control of their eating and yes, eat less calories. . It also has many medical applications, controlling diabetes, inflammation, epilepsy. And as for sticking to it, jump over to the low-carb group - there's many of us who have done it for years (4 years for me at 20 - 30g carbs a day). My diet is not restricted in any way, I just choose not to eat sugar and grain based foods - much the same as vegetarians choose not to eat meat. I don't hear so much hate for them though, go figure. Just because you don't understand something, or choose a different path for yourself, doesn't mean you need to condescend to people who aren't the same as you.

    Keto reduces YOUR hunger. As has been stated countless times on these threads, satiety is largely individualized and many people DO NOT find Keto satiating.

    Mine and thousands of others. And I'm willing to bet that anyone who's tried it and NOT had their appetite reduce has not done it for long enough, and has not actually eaten properly low carb, or has had too many cheats. It only works if you do it properly and stick to it long enough to switch your body to fat burning rather than sugar burning. If you do it properly, it works for most people. Most people who quit low carb do so a couple of days in because they felt lethargic and headachy - which can be eliminated by having enough salt.

    You're right... I didn't do it long enough to know how it would effect my appetite. It was long enough for me to know HF makes me absolutely miserable - as in major GI-Distress, I think I'd rather die, kind of miserable (think xenical coupled with extreme cramps).

    Oddly enough, even though any version of LCHF is out for me, I still managed to lose 30kg and keep them off. I've even managed to bring my hormone triggered hunger (all the while maintaining that 30kg loss and losing an additional 1-2kg) under control eating higher carbs with moderate protein and low to moderate fat.

    Same symptoms! Excruciating cramps. I did it for months. No cheats days (I've never done a cheat day!) But we must have done it wrong, anyway. :laugh:
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
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    hanley1512 wrote: »
    I am on information overload. Everything I read is telling me in order to lose weight, I have to be in Ketosis. Is this true? If so I am doomed. I like all the foods I read I shouldn't be eating (potatos, pasta, bread...)

    So...can you lose weight without being in Ketosis?

    TYIA!


    If you had to be in ketosis to lose weight, no one would have ever lost weight before about 2004 or so.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    if you have to be in ketosis to lose I would have never lost weight. high fat for me is a no no
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    edited April 2017
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    hanley1512 wrote: »
    I am on information overload. Everything I read is telling me in order to lose weight, I have to be in Ketosis. Is this true? If so I am doomed. I like all the foods I read I shouldn't be eating (potatos, pasta, bread...)

    So...can you lose weight without being in Ketosis?

    TYIA!

    What the heck are you reading? Toss it! Calories in calories out! Zig Zag them for better results.
    Try this:
    https://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    ^ That is the one I have always used and it works for me.

    Put in your stats and it will tell you how much to eat. Use the food diary on here to log it. Read the nutrition labels OR get the app on your phone and you can scan barcodes on foods that are boxed/canned/frozen. Do not forget to log things you drink as well and if you want to go even further you *can* buy a food scale. They're like $15 on Amazon. I eat frozen food pretty much every day and tons of "junk" food and I lost 3+lbs a week at one point. I eat whatever I want.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,402 MFP Moderator
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    Verity1111 wrote: »
    hanley1512 wrote: »
    I am on information overload. Everything I read is telling me in order to lose weight, I have to be in Ketosis. Is this true? If so I am doomed. I like all the foods I read I shouldn't be eating (potatos, pasta, bread...)

    So...can you lose weight without being in Ketosis?

    TYIA!

    What the heck are you reading? Toss it! Calories in calories out! Zig Zag them for better results.
    Try this:
    https://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    ^ That is the one I have always used and it works for me.

    Put in your stats and it will tell you how much to eat. Use the food diary on here to log it. Read the nutrition labels OR get the app on your phone and you can scan barcodes on foods that are boxed/canned/frozen. Do not forget to log things you drink as well and if you want to go even further you *can* buy a food scale. They're like $15 on Amazon. I eat frozen food pretty much every day and tons of "junk" food and I lost 3+lbs a week at one point. I eat whatever I want.

    Zig Zagging calories doesn't make the results better.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    martyn4314 wrote: »
    hanley1512 wrote: »
    I am on information overload. Everything I read is telling me in order to lose weight, I have to be in Ketosis. Is this true? If so I am doomed. I like all the foods I read I shouldn't be eating (potatos, pasta, bread...)

    So...can you lose weight without being in Ketosis?

    TYIA!

    Ketosis is your body's way of burning fat as an enervy source over carbs. Technically you don't need to be keto to loose weight but if your eating high fat and moderate to high carbs your body will always favour the carbs over fat and store most of the excess fat.
    My personal experience was that I could never loose my stubborn belly fat in a normal healthy diet as I just don't have the time to do a lot of cardiovascular.
    Keto has changed that, and since I've been in ketosis my belly is shrinking rapidly.
    Ketosis is the way for me. But it's all down to what works best for the individual

    nope, nope, nope..

    Keto has absolutely nothing to do with spot reduction.