Weight loss on ketosis?
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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.0 -
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:0 -
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)??
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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.0 -
Technically, being "keto-adapted" is what you're referring to.... Being in ketosis is when your body is using your fat as energy, versus carbs...
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.0 -
I found this site to have a very good explanation:
http://www.ketotic.org/2012/05/keto-adaptation-what-it-is-and-how-to.htmlIn 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.0 -
It's a good explanation of the difference between ketosis and keto-adaptation, thanks for that.I found this site to have a very good explanation:
http://www.ketotic.org/2012/05/keto-adaptation-what-it-is-and-how-to.htmlIn 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.
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.0 -
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.0 -
If you are drinking large amounts of water before before you test, the concentration of ketones may be diluted in your urine.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?
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.0 -
If you are drinking large amounts of water before before you test, the concentration of ketones may be diluted in your urine.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?
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.0 -
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.0 -
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?
I usually stay the same around that TOM, and then drop 2-3 pounds after it lol (that seems to be the pattern,) but all in all I've lost more weight in keto, and stay more full than I have on any other meal plan.
However, sometimes the scale doesn't move sometimes but I do lose inches (I've gone from tight fitting size 18, to a comfortable size 14-12 depending on the brand,) and I started late last December.0 -
I found that I lost a lot more scale weight just keeping my carbs around 100g/day (I wasn't in ketosis). Then I switched to a ketogenic way of eating. I lost about 7lbs. of water weight during the first 2 weeks, but that was it. I've been in ketosis for over a month now (not counting a carb-up day in between) and haven't lost another pound.
So why stay in ketosis? Even though I haven't lost much scale weight in ketosis, I have noticed I'm losing more inches while in a ketogenic state. To me that's what matters the most. Personally, scale weight is pretty irrelevant (I weigh-in only once a month now, and rely more on measurements and progress pics). Also, I have more energy while I'm in Ketosis, which makes working-out easier for me. Am I keto-adapted yet? Probably not.
I have a feeling I'm experiencing Post-Induction Stall Syndrome (PISS), and you may be as well, OP --> I found this helpful info on Reddit keto's FAQ:What will my weight loss progress look like?
Results vary, but you will typically go through three phases:
► Honeymoon: Lots of weight comes off fast. This is water that was tied up with glycogen. Note: if you don’t experience rapid weight loss in this period, do not despair. Not everyone is so lucky, and men may be more likely to see rapid initial weight loss than women.
► Post-Induction Stall Syndrome (PISS): Water and glycogen find a new balance and this causes a stall or even weight gain, which lasts for a week or two. Relax, PISS is both normal and temporary.
► Fully keto-adapted: After 3-4 weeks the body is burning fat as its main fuel and the brain has switched to running on ketones. A bumpy downward trend in your weight will begin. The trend is "bumpy" because there will be days or weeks when your weight stalls, or even goes up slightly. This happens to everyone, on every kind of weight-loss diet. Please don’t post to /r/keto that you gained a pound or two, or plateaued for a week. The trend will be especially bumpy if you are female. In particular, shark week will play hell with your scale weight.
If a plateau lasts more than a couple of weeks, you may need to make adjustments to your lifestyle to break it. See the plateau section.
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq0 -
If you are drinking large amounts of water before before you test, the concentration of ketones may be diluted in your urine.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?
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.
I am not sure of my original source but I believe that this link will help explain:
http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/llvlc-on-youtube-episode-47-ketostix-a-low-carb-guide-not-really-that-necessary/2445
edit to specify - scroll down to the text under the video. Video is long to get to the point.0
