Still in ketosis after 500g carb-binge?

kikkumal
kikkumal Posts: 4
in Food and Nutrition
I recently started a low-carb diet to lose weight. Not following any particular plan like

atkins, but just keeping my carbs below 25-30g each day and eating about 60% cal from fat

and rest from protein (and the little bit of carbs).

I use ketostix to check for ketosis. I was in ketosis (deep-purple) by the second day. As

expected, lost about 6-7 in the first week and then slowed. After losing a total of 11 lbs

in 2 weeks, I didn't lose any in the third week.

I read about some-people doing a carb-refeed. I thought of doing that. I ate about 100g

carbs. But the next day, I ended up binging on carbs, and I estimated that I had eaten 500

-550g of carb. By evening my weight had increased by 4 lbs. I expected that though.

When I checked in the night, ketostix were still deep-purple. I returned to low-carb the

next day. I have been checking the ketostix for the next 2 days and I was never out of

''deep-purple ketosis''. I've lost 3 of the 4 lbs gained in the 2 days.

But I am still wondering why I didn't come out of ketosis? Is there something wrong? Has it

happened with anybody? I have mostly read that people come out of ketosis for a few days

after a carb-binge.

Thanks!

Replies

  • aeb09
    aeb09 Posts: 424 Member
    Actually dark purple on the sticks usually means you're dehydrated and is not something you want to see. With that said, no you wouldn't be in ketosis after 500g of carbs.

    Eating carbs produces glycogen in your system used for energy whereas eating fat depletes your glycogen stores and your liver produces ketones instead for energy. 500g would create a lot of glucose and therefore knock you out of ketosis.

    Personally I think carb-cycling is probably not needed unless you are extensively working out (and even then the carbs should be eaten at specific times before and/or after a workout)
  • supnicole
    supnicole Posts: 23 Member
    I've been doing keto for a while, and I can have maybe 100g of carbs total and not come out of ketosis if I've been in it for a while (at least a month) and start right back at it the next day. 500g of carbs will kick you out, without a doubt. My only guess is that you tested close to the binge and still had ketones floating around, or maybe your sticks are outdated. If you're keto adapted it should only take you a day or two to get back into it with a good diet + workout. It wouldn't raise any immediate concerns for me.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I use ketostix....

    They are highly inaccurate.
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  • aeb09
    aeb09 Posts: 424 Member
    Right now I'm conducting a diet experiment and I'm gorging on about 6 lbs of raw beef one day and fasting for two. By the end of two days fasting I'm still not in ketosis and I haven't had carbs for 38 days now. It takes a third day of fasting to get up to moderate ketones...

    Excess protein can be turned into glycogen, too. That's why keto is "low carb, high fat, moderate protein." :)

    See #2: http://authoritynutrition.com/5-most-common-low-carb-mistakes/
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