Weight loss on ketosis?

Kelly_1981

Hello all,

I have a question I have been testing positive for ketosis all week now I just got my TOM 2 days ago so I have not lost any weight and I am fine with that BUT I had a question do you always lose weight while in ketosis?

The day before my TOM started I measured my waist and I had lost 2 inches!!! I was chuffed so I am not too worried what the scale says as long as the belly keeps going LOL.

What is your weight loss like when you are in ketosis?

Replies

angelapolite

You will eventually lose noticable weight in ketosis. Being in ketosis is when your body is using your fat as energy, versus carbs. The longer you are in ketosis, the longer your body will burn its own fat, you will start seeing the weight loss.
Don't worry about the scale, keep measuring...

rsouthland

I can't really comment on the TOM portion of this, but I wanted to say that I agree completely with Angelapolite. Don't rely on the scale to tell the whole picture, especially if you exercise. You'll find more truth in the story that a tape measure will tell. Keep measuring.

Marll

I've gone weeks or months with no difference on the scale while in ketosis, but my clothes start falling off, that's evidence enough for me. While the scale not moving can be frustrating, at the end of the day if you fit into the clothes you want, look good (or at least decent LOL) naked, would it matter of the scale still said that you were "overweight"?

Kelly_1981

Thank you all xx

grinch031

There is no guarantee of weight loss in ketosis. While restricting carbs to the point of ketosis makes it easier for most people to create a caloric deficit through instinctive eating patterns, you could certainly overeat fat and gain weight. But overeating fat just isn't as rewarding to the body as overeating tasty carbs.

penroseg

How do you know if you are in ketosis?

Alisha_countrymama

I always lose in Ketosis, but when I'm on my period I slow or stall till it's over.

Alisha_countrymama

There is no guarantee of weight loss in ketosis. While restricting carbs to the point of ketosis makes it easier for most people to create a caloric deficit through instinctive eating patterns, you could certainly overeat fat and gain weight. But overeating fat just isn't as rewarding to the body as overeating tasty carbs.

Your opinion!

superstankazz

How do you know if you are in ketosis?

You have to test your urine with ketosticks. You can get them at the drug store or pharmacy:)

mncardiojunkie

I stay as far away from the scales as possible. It triggers me. I pay more attention to how my clothing fits. When I start getting into my "tiny clothing", I measure myself far, far away from TOM. At times, I also stay away from the tape measure, too.

Three years ago, I went to the doctor's and I weighted three pounds more than the scales at home and at the gym five pounds more than at the doctor's. I get easily obsessed then weighing myself every couple of hours.

Just last week, I measured my waist and hips (prior to TOM). My waist was 28" and my hips were 36". Two days after TOM, which I always thought was safe, I measured myself and my waist was 30" and my hips were 39"????? :noway:

Yesterday my waist was 27.5" and my hips were 36.5" :huh: Did gravity move that half inch?

I'm always in Ketosis...always. When I have a couple of Irish stouts my ketosis stick is pale the next day, the following day , I have found that I've dropped two pounds.

What I'm trying to say is that nothing is precisely going to happen within a couple of days of ketosis or food/drink intake. It might be a week before things start showing up. The scales are dependent on too many factors. I find that even the measuring tape is not entirely accurate either at specific times of the month.

It's not a day by day experience, nor even a week by week experience. When doing a low carb diet, I believe it's more of a month by month experience. It took me a long time to figure that out....like months and months and I have to relearn it again when ever I put on these pesky "merriment" pounds over the Christmas season. (Happened twice now in 12 years).

You're doing great!

Therefor:

Be strong, carry on....My motto now. :flowerforyou:

jonski1968

I`ve been trying for ketosis for over a month now...Wife said i smell like i am..

but the sticks say i`m not...I`ve read about people not showing up as positive with the keto sticks...Is there a reason for this?

superstankazz

I`ve been trying for ketosis for over a month now...Wife said i smell like i am.. but the sticks say i`m not...I`ve read about people not showing up as positive with the keto sticks...Is there a reason for this?

If you are drinking large amounts of water before before you test, the concentration of ketones may be diluted in your urine.

jonski1968

Nope i do the test 1st thing in the morning...

superstankazz

Nope i do the test 1st thing in the morning...

I have read somewhere that whey powder causes insulin spikes and prevents ketosis. Not sure if it's true but it may be worth looking into:)

jonski1968

If thats the case...I have protein before bed and with my breakfast...I`ll just have to rely on the tape measure..

dis5150

When I first started low carbing, I went into ketosis, purple. Now that I have been doing this for a month, I am barely in "trace". I do drink lots of water, but I check first thing in the morning. I have stopped testing every day, now just like once a week, and still just in "trace". I keep my net carbs around 20 and the scale isn't moving. Haven't lost any inches this week, either. It can get discouraging. This is where I have always quit in the past. I am in 6th place in our Biggest Loser contest at work. It is week 8 of 10 weeks. I really want to lose more before it's done! I have lost 9 lbs since the beginning of February. Anyone have any ideas?? Am I still in ketosis (still burning ketos for energy)??

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

jasoe

Ditto! (your opinion)

Alisha_countrymama

Sometimes when I test I'm dark, other times I'm lighter/trace. But I can tell I'm in Ketosis, by my mood, my cravings, and the metalic taste in my mouth.

CandyAppleCockers

keto is keto is keto. Trace or high numbers, if you are in you are in. Really, you don't want the dark purple, it can point to being dehydrated.

People testing negative when they know they've kept their carbs in 'keto range' for a while, you can spill ketones through sweat, breath and urine. The strips show extra ketones. It means you don't have extras, it doesn't mean you aren't in keto.

craZNblu23

I have found that if you're drinking LOTS of water (like you should!) you are not likely to get much if any of a reading on the sticks. Review what you're eating/drinking and make sure no carbs are sneaking where they shouldn't be. If you're sure you aren't accidentally consuming sugar in your foods (check your ingredients lists) and your mouth feels very dry hence drinking even MORE water, you probably are in ketosis and just can't get a good reading on the sticks. (My own personal experience)

doneatfour

Nope i do the test 1st thing in the morning...

Maybe try testing later in the day? I'm always negative, or at the most barely trace, in the morning but show a much darker positive in the afternoon. Then it moves toward trace again in the evenings.

Lupercalia

There is no guarantee of weight loss in ketosis. While restricting carbs to the point of ketosis makes it easier for most people to create a caloric deficit through instinctive eating patterns, you could certainly overeat fat and gain weight. But overeating fat just isn't as rewarding to the body as overeating tasty carbs.

^^That's true. And it's not an "opinion", LOL. Ketosis doesn't guarantee weight loss, kind of like how going to the gym and running on the treadmill like a maniac 7 days per week doesn't guarantee weight loss, either.

Similarly, you don't need to be in ketosis to lose weight, and the silly Ketostix don't have to be purple for you to be in ketosis.

More stuff that isn't opinion! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

k_aLLyN

When I first started low carbing, I went into ketosis, purple. Now that I have been doing this for a month, I am barely in "trace". I do drink lots of water, but I check first thing in the morning. I have stopped testing every day, now just like once a week, and still just in "trace". I keep my net carbs around 20 and the scale isn't moving. Haven't lost any inches this week, either. It can get discouraging. This is where I have always quit in the past. I am in 6th place in our Biggest Loser contest at work. It is week 8 of 10 weeks. I really want to lose more before it's done! I have lost 9 lbs since the beginning of February. Anyone have any ideas?? Am I still in ketosis (still burning ketos for energy)??

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

I have read on here about something called a "fat fast". It is supposed to help people break a weight loss plateau. Another option may be to increase your carb intake by 5 or 10 g. That has worked for me in the past.

albertabeefy

... Being in ketosis is when your body is using your fat as energy, versus carbs...

Technically, being "keto-adapted" is what you're referring to.

Keto-adaptation and ketosis are NOT the same thing. You can be in ketosis, but not-yet keto-adapted. It does take a bit of time (those who cycle in/out of ketosis tend to be able to become keto-adapted faster than those entering ketosis less often.)

Just because you're in ketosis doesn't mean you're primarily burning fat... There is a period of time (that varies among individuals) before keto-adaptation (which is a metabolic shift) occurs.

kiramaniac

I found this site to have a very good explanation:
http://www.ketotic.org/2012/05/keto-adaptation-what-it-is-and-how-to.html

In their recent book The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living, Volek and Phinney describe two stages of keto-adaptation. In the first few days of a keto diet, your body is still running on glycogen stores. This is the toughest part of the process, because in order to break the vicious cycle of glucose-based metabolism, you have to avoid eating carbohydrates, even though your glycogen stores are dwindling. Fat metabolism is still not optimized, and ketone production hasn't become significant.

Another noticeable effect in the first days is water loss. One of the inefficiencies of glycogen storage is that it needs to be stored with water. It takes about 3 or 4 grams of water to store a gram of glycogen [1] . This means that as you deplete your glycogen stores you could lose up to 2 kg of water! Not only that, but high circulating insulin levels cause water retention by inhibiting sodium excretion (see e.g. [2]). The keto diet lowers insulin levels and increases insulin sensitivity, allowing excess fluid to be released. These combined effects are the origin of the claim that the weight lost on keto diets is due to water loss. In the very beginning, this is true, but subsequently, of course, it is not.

When glycogen runs out, you start producing ketones, and some are excreted in the urine. This is easy to measure, and some keto dieters use it to know if they are hitting a low enough level of carbohydrate restriction. This also marks the beginning of the second stage of keto-adaptation. Ketones are now becoming available for fuel, but they haven't yet risen to their stable adapted level. There is an interesting interplay between ketone use in the muscles and the brain. When ketone levels are low, the muscles tend to use them directly for fuel, but as levels increase, the muscles use them less, turning to fat for fuel instead. The brain, on the other hand, uses ketones proportionally to their concentration in the blood. This means that at low levels of ketones, the brain's supply is not much affected, because the muscles intercede, but above some threshold, the brain's supply rapidly becomes much higher. At this point, the brain can rely on ketones, and since it is no longer susceptible to running out of fuel, the need to eat frequently throughout the day to maintain mental function disappears. The muscles in turn now rely on fat: they finally have access to a virtually unlimited supply of energy, which is particularly valuable for athletes.

albertabeefy

I found this site to have a very good explanation:
http://www.ketotic.org/2012/05/keto-adaptation-what-it-is-and-how-to.html

In their recent book The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living, Volek and Phinney describe two stages of keto-adaptation. In the first few days of a keto diet, your body is still running on glycogen stores. This is the toughest part of the process, because in order to break the vicious cycle of glucose-based metabolism, you have to avoid eating carbohydrates, even though your glycogen stores are dwindling. Fat metabolism is still not optimized, and ketone production hasn't become significant.

Another noticeable effect in the first days is water loss. One of the inefficiencies of glycogen storage is that it needs to be stored with water. It takes about 3 or 4 grams of water to store a gram of glycogen [1] . This means that as you deplete your glycogen stores you could lose up to 2 kg of water! Not only that, but high circulating insulin levels cause water retention by inhibiting sodium excretion (see e.g. [2]). The keto diet lowers insulin levels and increases insulin sensitivity, allowing excess fluid to be released. These combined effects are the origin of the claim that the weight lost on keto diets is due to water loss. In the very beginning, this is true, but subsequently, of course, it is not.

When glycogen runs out, you start producing ketones, and some are excreted in the urine. This is easy to measure, and some keto dieters use it to know if they are hitting a low enough level of carbohydrate restriction. This also marks the beginning of the second stage of keto-adaptation. Ketones are now becoming available for fuel, but they haven't yet risen to their stable adapted level. There is an interesting interplay between ketone use in the muscles and the brain. When ketone levels are low, the muscles tend to use them directly for fuel, but as levels increase, the muscles use them less, turning to fat for fuel instead. The brain, on the other hand, uses ketones proportionally to their concentration in the blood. This means that at low levels of ketones, the brain's supply is not much affected, because the muscles intercede, but above some threshold, the brain's supply rapidly becomes much higher. At this point, the brain can rely on ketones, and since it is no longer susceptible to running out of fuel, the need to eat frequently throughout the day to maintain mental function disappears. The muscles in turn now rely on fat: they finally have access to a virtually unlimited supply of energy, which is particularly valuable for athletes.

It's a good explanation of the difference between ketosis and keto-adaptation, thanks for that.

BTW for anyone that hasn't read Phinney/Volek's book, it's a fantastic read. They also do considerable research and commentary on low-carb athletes/fitness-enthusiasts.

kiramaniac

My memory of Lyle McDonald's information is that the greatest rate of weight loss occurs during those first 3 weeks as your body becomes keto adapted - primarily because you have your muscles using ketones during that period. (Yes - some of this is water loss, but not all). Once you are fully keto adapted, the muscles are not utilizing ketones, but switch over to the Free Fatty Acids. Your losses are slower when you are fully keto adapted.

Not sure if this is valid or not (or maybe - I'm not sure if my MEMORY of this is valid). However, I found it to be an interesting potential explanation of why some people have a positive result when trying to break a plateau, and they do a carb re-feed. If you force a break in your keto adaptation by eating a LOT of carbs, do you then go back through the full re-adaptation process when you resume LC-HF? And if so, does that result in a weight loss burst? Of course, you also have the revival of cravings, which is not a good thing at all.

jsuaccounting

I`ve been trying for ketosis for over a month now...Wife said i smell like i am.. but the sticks say i`m not...I`ve read about people not showing up as positive with the keto sticks...Is there a reason for this?

If you are drinking large amounts of water before before you test, the concentration of ketones may be diluted in your urine.

For those who are very keto-adapted the keto stix will not show ketones because all the ketones are being used for fuel. However, if that was the case you would not have a ketone smell to you.

kiramaniac

I`ve been trying for ketosis for over a month now...Wife said i smell like i am.. but the sticks say i`m not...I`ve read about people not showing up as positive with the keto sticks...Is there a reason for this?

If you are drinking large amounts of water before before you test, the concentration of ketones may be diluted in your urine.

For those who are very keto-adapted the keto stix will not show ketones because all the ketones are being used for fuel. However, if that was the case you would not have a ketone smell to you.

What's your source for this statement? This doesn't sound right.

JisatsuHoshi

Did keto for 2.5 months. Once you become fat-adapted your body will make better use of ketones for energy meaning less spillage into the urine. Same goes for the hydration issues. The more water you drink the more diluted urine becomes to detect ketones.

The first month I registered small or trace on the stix. Afterwards I no longer registered and was losing my mind... but I was still losing body fat at a high rate. Long term Ketostix's become useless. Once you've done the diet long enough you'll know if you're in Keto or not.