CaliforniaAJ wrote: »

From WebMD

"Ketosis is a normal metabolic process, something your body does to keep working. When it doesn't have enough carbohydrates from food for your cells to burn for energy, it burns fat instead. As part of this process, it makes ketones.

If you're healthy and eating a balanced diet, your body controls how much fat it burns, and you don't normally make or use ketones. But when you cut way back on your calories or carbs, your body will switch to ketosis for energy. It can also happen after exercising for a long time and during pregnancy. For people with uncontrolled diabetes, ketosis is a sign of not using enough insulin."

My guess is that if you are eating more calories than you need, even if you are eating LCHF, you will put on weight and knock yourself out of ketosis. It just seems to make sense.

Ugh...there is so much wrong with this quote. WebMD has gone the way of the dodo...

Regardless of diet, the body controls how much fat it burns. If you're eating more than about 100g of carbs, your body will not make or use ketones, because it has enough glucose to not require it. When you go below about 100g of carbs, regardless of calorie level, or if you cut your calories so severely that you're not getting enough energy overall, you'll go into a state of ketosis to one degree or another. Technically speaking, since ketones are a product of fat burning, if you're losing weight at all, your body is, in fact, making and burning ketones. It's just that a small deficit and higher carbs means there won't be enough to register on meters. Basically, any time you've burned through your consumed carbohydrates and a chunk of your glycogen, you'll be in a state of ketosis.

Regarding uncontrolled diabetes -- assuming the person is eating a higher carb diet, if they see elevated ketones, then yes, it is a sign of not enough insulin. This is especially the case with ketone levels significantly above about 5mmol. If they're eating low carb, then that's not necessarily the case (but one could also argue that their Diabetes is "in control," since LCHF is known to turn it around in as little as a month).

If you keep your carbohydrate intake low enough, there is no calorie level that will knock you out of ketosis. As stated, ketosis is a product of fat burning. Even if you're eating a calorie surplus, your fuel source is fat. It doesn't matter if it's body fat or consumed fat, your body will make ketones. Additionally, healthy fat storage/utilization is a cycle of storage and utilization as the body needs it. This means that you'll burn and store body fat as needed and dictated by intake or activity level. If you go on a fasted bike ride, you'll burn body fat, even if you don't need to lose weight. When you eat again, the body will store the fuel it doesn't need right at that moment. It balances out over time if your intake and output are balanced.

However, it is still possible to gain weight while still being in ketosis. Ketosis and weight loss are not the same thing. Calories do still matter. You can't be sedentary and expect to be able to eat 5000 calories and not gain weight, even if you are in ketosis the whole time.