Interesting Info on 'Starvation Mode'

songbyrdsweet

Neat thread! I'll keep my exercise calories though.

Songbyrdsweet, I've always trusted your depth of knowledge. On the subject of ketosis, is it dangerous for the body to be in that state? I've heard so many conflicting arguments. Mind you, I'm not an Atkins chick, just a curious one. :happy:

As of yet, no studies have shown ketosis to be harmful in non-diabetics. In fact it's a treatment method for juveniles with epilepsy. For some unknown reason, being in ketosis reduces the frequency of seizures. It was discovered to be an effective way to lose weight when parents ate just like their kids, and everyone seemed to lose weight.

Here's the thing with ketones--they're acidic. In a normal body, they're flushed regularly with the urine...just enough is kept around for use in a specific energy system. Glucose is still made available to the brain, but it runs on about 70/30 glucose:ketones. However, in diabetic patients, the system doesn't work correctly. Despite the presence of glucose, the cells don't respond to insulin, so no glucose enters the cells. They send out signals calling for glucose, and the body in response produces ketones. Ketone levels will continually elevate because the monitoring mechanism no longer works. Then they enter ketoacidosis, where the blood pH becomes more acidic and does a lot of damage to the internal organs. But at the moment, it doesn't look like non-diabetics experience this.

It's still up in the air, and obviously people will respond differently to ketones.

songbyrdsweet

OK... I have been eating fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean meats (no refined or processed foods)and have not been hungry.....trust me, I would never let that happen. I have a lot to lose and my calorie requirements are high. When I go to the gym, my workout adds 600 + calories to my requirements. I can't eat that much of the healthy stuff.

How do I get all those calories while sticking to eating the healthy way(meaning no processed foods)

Just eat the healthier foods with higher fat...so 2% milk instead of skim, 80/20 beef, salmon, peanut butter/nuts, full fat cheeses.

I checked out your profile, and with that much to lose you would still be safe with more than a 500 calorie deficit, so you might want to try the 1000 calorie deficit until you have lost some weight and need to reduce your deficit back down to 500.