Is ketosis and intermittent fasting the same?

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I've been doing intermittent fasting for over a month and I'm doing very good. I look slimmer but I never lost weight. It also motivated me to eat healthier food. plus my muscles popped out more. But during the recent holidays I just can't help but break my routine. Now I'm planning to bounce back but this time I'm going to try ketogenic diet.

So now I'm wondering if both diets are basically the same and will give me the same results, or is there more or less to it
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Replies

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    They are different things, as already stated. IF is having a smaller eating window like not eating for 18 hours and only eating during a 6 hour window. Ketosis is keeping your carb intake below your body's usual needs so you use fat and ketones for energy, and your liver produces any shortfall in glucose that your red blood cells or brain needs. A ketogenic diet is typically under 20-50g of carbs a day, but some metabolically healthy and active people who time carbs around exercise will stay in ketosis at higher levels.

    I think IF and ketosis are often linked because many who try ketosis find that their appetite, or drive to eat, is greatly reduced (perhaps due to more stable blood glucose and lower insulin levels) so they naturally fall into an IF way of eating. I did. Before going ketogenic I ate every 2-3 hours because I shook and had low BG symptoms (hangry, tired, weak, headaches). Once glucose was not my primary fuel, I found I did not need to eat before 1-2 pm and that I could easily go 4-6 hours between meals.

    It could also be due to the fact that ketogenic meals can have a lower volume depending on the veggies you choose (if you choose any or many) so some find it more satisfying to eat larger meals at a sitting.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited December 2017
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    Any diet will give the same results - if you eat less calories than you expend, you'll lose weight/fat; if you eat more calories than you expend, you'll gain weight/fat. There's nothing magical about keto or IF in that regard, nor do either of them defy the physical laws of energy balance.

    As sijomial said, the main similarity is that both are very trendy at the moment (just read through any of the thousands of threads on MFP about keto and/or IF), and neither are necessary for successful weight/fat loss.
  • evilpoptart63
    evilpoptart63 Posts: 397 Member
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    IMF is WHEN you eat and keto is WHAT you eat. You could totally do them together if you eat a ketogenic diet during your eating window but neither are really necessary for weight loss. It's whatever your comfortable with. As long as you're burning more calories than you consume, you will lose weight :)
  • blambo61
    blambo61 Posts: 4,372 Member
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    nvmomketo wrote: »
    They are different things, as already stated. IF is having a smaller eating window like not eating for 18 hours and only eating during a 6 hour window. Ketosis is keeping your carb intake below your body's usual needs so you use fat and ketones for energy, and your liver produces any shortfall in glucose that your red blood cells or brain needs. A ketogenic diet is typically under 20-50g of carbs a day, but some metabolically healthy and active people who time carbs around exercise will stay in ketosis at higher levels.

    I think IF and ketosis are often linked because many who try ketosis find that their appetite, or drive to eat, is greatly reduced (perhaps due to more stable blood glucose and lower insulin levels) so they naturally fall into an IF way of eating. I did. Before going ketogenic I ate every 2-3 hours because I shook and had low BG symptoms (hangry, tired, weak, headaches). Once glucose was not my primary fuel, I found I did not need to eat before 1-2 pm and that I could easily go 4-6 hours between meals.

    It could also be due to the fact that ketogenic meals can have a lower volume depending on the veggies you choose (if you choose any or many) so some find it more satisfying to eat larger meals at a sitting.

    Doing longer fasts will put you partially in ketosis.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    The current surge of threads on the subject(s) in here can make it appear that way, but intermittent fasting is sticking to a certain meal schedule, and keto is extremely low carb and high fat.

    Keto is not EXTREMELY low carb and HIGH fat. It is lowish carbs and high protein. For me, I need to stay under 55 grams of carbs per day...but I eat trimmed-of-fat-skinless-chicken breast, fish, a little bacon, sausage, pork loin, lean cuts of meat in moderation.

    That being said, I do not fret if I have pulled pork, burnt ends, brisket, etc....moderation is still the key.
    Keto is very low carb usually under 50g majority pick under 25g, high fat and moderate protein.

    For the first 2 weeks it can be very low carb if you want fast results...but it is not sustainable. As you approach your weight loss goal, it becomes moderate carbs. Think of Keto as a SUGAR FREE diet that is also higher protein and lowish carbs.

    You can't stay in ketosis on moderate carbs.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,967 Member
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    The current surge of threads on the subject(s) in here can make it appear that way, but intermittent fasting is sticking to a certain meal schedule, and keto is extremely low carb and high fat.

    Keto is not EXTREMELY low carb and HIGH fat. It is lowish carbs and high protein. For me, I need to stay under 55 grams of carbs per day...but I eat trimmed-of-fat-skinless-chicken breast, fish, a little bacon, sausage, pork loin, lean cuts of meat in moderation.

    That being said, I do not fret if I have pulled pork, burnt ends, brisket, etc....moderation is still the key.
    Keto is very low carb usually under 50g majority pick under 25g, high fat and moderate protein.

    For the first 2 weeks it can be very low carb if you want fast results...but it is not sustainable. As you approach your weight loss goal, it becomes moderate carbs. Think of Keto as a SUGAR FREE diet that is also higher protein and lowish carbs.

    You should probably read a Keto book...again.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    blambo61 wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    They are different things, as already stated. IF is having a smaller eating window like not eating for 18 hours and only eating during a 6 hour window. Ketosis is keeping your carb intake below your body's usual needs so you use fat and ketones for energy, and your liver produces any shortfall in glucose that your red blood cells or brain needs. A ketogenic diet is typically under 20-50g of carbs a day, but some metabolically healthy and active people who time carbs around exercise will stay in ketosis at higher levels.

    I think IF and ketosis are often linked because many who try ketosis find that their appetite, or drive to eat, is greatly reduced (perhaps due to more stable blood glucose and lower insulin levels) so they naturally fall into an IF way of eating. I did. Before going ketogenic I ate every 2-3 hours because I shook and had low BG symptoms (hangry, tired, weak, headaches). Once glucose was not my primary fuel, I found I did not need to eat before 1-2 pm and that I could easily go 4-6 hours between meals.

    It could also be due to the fact that ketogenic meals can have a lower volume depending on the veggies you choose (if you choose any or many) so some find it more satisfying to eat larger meals at a sitting.

    Doing longer fasts will put you partially in ketosis.

    True.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Options
    The current surge of threads on the subject(s) in here can make it appear that way, but intermittent fasting is sticking to a certain meal schedule, and keto is extremely low carb and high fat.

    Keto is not EXTREMELY low carb and HIGH fat. It is lowish carbs and high protein. For me, I need to stay under 55 grams of carbs per day...but I eat trimmed-of-fat-skinless-chicken breast, fish, a little bacon, sausage, pork loin, lean cuts of meat in moderation.

    That being said, I do not fret if I have pulled pork, burnt ends, brisket, etc....moderation is still the key.
    Keto is very low carb usually under 50g majority pick under 25g, high fat and moderate protein.

    For the first 2 weeks it can be very low carb if you want fast results...but it is not sustainable. As you approach your weight loss goal, it becomes moderate carbs. Think of Keto as a SUGAR FREE diet that is also higher protein and lowish carbs.


    A ketogenic diet will have you consuming fewer carbs than than your body needs. Few enough that they are used almost immediately. For some people, with insulin resistance, that may be around 30 g, but for active healthy people, who time carbs around exercise, a metogenic diet can be well over 100g of carbs.

    If one is in ketosis, they are eating a ketogenic diet. Low carb is generally considered to be 100-150 g of carbs. I think high carb us over 60% (maybe 50%) of your macros
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    Simple.
    Intermittent Fasting is a SCHEDULE.
    Keto is a MENU.

    You can use both, either, or neither. One does not conflict with the other, nor does one cause the other.
  • Tweaking_Time
    Tweaking_Time Posts: 733 Member
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    nvmomketo wrote: »
    The current surge of threads on the subject(s) in here can make it appear that way, but intermittent fasting is sticking to a certain meal schedule, and keto is extremely low carb and high fat.

    Keto is not EXTREMELY low carb and HIGH fat. It is lowish carbs and high protein. For me, I need to stay under 55 grams of carbs per day...but I eat trimmed-of-fat-skinless-chicken breast, fish, a little bacon, sausage, pork loin, lean cuts of meat in moderation.

    That being said, I do not fret if I have pulled pork, burnt ends, brisket, etc....moderation is still the key.
    Keto is very low carb usually under 50g majority pick under 25g, high fat and moderate protein.

    For the first 2 weeks it can be very low carb if you want fast results...but it is not sustainable. As you approach your weight loss goal, it becomes moderate carbs. Think of Keto as a SUGAR FREE diet that is also higher protein and lowish carbs.
    A ketogenic diet will have you consuming fewer carbs than than your body needs. Few enough that they are used almost immediately. For some people, with insulin resistance, that may be around 30 g, but for active healthy people, who time carbs around exercise, a metogenic diet can be well over 100g of carbs.

    If one is in ketosis, they are eating a ketogenic diet. Low carb is generally considered to be 100-150 g of carbs. I think high carb us over 60% (maybe 50%) of your macros

    Exactly! That was my whole point...but you said it better.