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Vodka and Keto weight loss

Martzie119

I been on Keto plan for 4 or 5 weeks and have been drinking vodka. I have not begun losing. Is the vodka throwing me out of ketosis? My macros are around 35 carbs65 protein and 96 fat and I have been given 1220 calories but been keeping caloric deficit to below 1000 calories. Please advise!

Replies

Emmapatterson1729

Your calories are too low to lose weight on keto.

Keto diet works best on a small to moderate calorie deficit.

Everyone is an individual and numbers might vary a little person to person, but from what I've witnessed, most doing keto and losing are consuming daily about 100 or more grams of fats (that's 900 calories of just fats). Eating around 1-2 grams of proteins per kg of body weight. So example: a 190 lb person should be consuming around 86-172 grams of protein a day (that's 344-688 protein calories). And 15-30 grams of carbs (60-120 calories).

Keto kind of mimics starvation and burns one's own stored fat. It flushes electrolytes. So, on extremely low calorie intake, especially on Keto, one puts themself at very high risks for things like congestive heart failure.

Vodka has zero carbs, and should not affect insulin and blood glucose levels.

Good luck.

ccrdragon

Vodka will not affect insulin or BG levels, but it does affect fat burning. When alcohol (any alcohol) enters the blood stream and is detected by the liver, all metabolic energy processes are put on standby until all of the alcohol has been converted over to non-poisonous that can be removed from the body (mainly by the kidneys). So, while you are consuming alcohol, you are not converting fat (another process that takes place in the liver) to use as energy - you will be using what ever energy is already available in your bloodstream plus the little bit of energy that can be derived from the alcohol.

Now, I am not saying that you should give up alcohol, just be aware of what happens when you do consume it.

Emmapatterson1729

Good point!! I didn't even think about how alcohol gets converted. I quit drinking at age 21... It lost its appeal once I turned legal drinking age in US, lol.

Sunny_Bunny_

You’re consuming 1000 calories of which some is vodka.

Kokodaready2020

Martzie119 wrote: »

I been on Keto plan for 4 or 5 weeks and have been drinking vodka. I have not begun losing. Is the vodka throwing me out of ketosis? My macros are around 35 carbs65 protein and 96 fat and I have been given 1220 calories but been keeping caloric deficit to below 1000 calories. Please advise!

KETO is a funny thing, You need to find the exact right thing that works for you. I had been stuck at 84 kg for a month (really pissing me off) although I have been doing everything "right".. I decided to change it up and drop my intake for fat and protein to around 65 g of each and carbs under 10. which ends up at around 900 cal per day. I also exercise 5 days a week. I am now 79.85 kg 2 weeks later. It's about shocking the system and keeping it guessing, My bodies needs change as I drop the weight, what i needed 3 months ago is not what I need now.. Try different things for yourself if your not happy with the results change the input.

d_dc_lady

When you start keto, or any metabolic healing process, it is highly recommended not to drink alcohol for at least the first month (2 keto dudes podcast talks about this, as well as other low carb authorities including the original Atkins book). Your body is trying to adjust to a more natural way of eating and arriving at a new, better homeostasis. Drinking alcohol, no matter the carb content, will impede this process. For some it's only mild, for others it's a huge impediment. You will have to find what works for you, but it seems that for the first month or so, you have to listen to your body as it adjusts, and alcohol makes that very difficult.

There is mixed research on the effect of alcohol on insulin sensitivity, specifically unsweetened alcohol (aka: ethanol). In some individuals, even low/no-carb alcohol does affect insulin sensitivity. I am pretty sure I am one of those people; you may be as well, and it could be worth experimenting to see what benefits you get with removing alcohol.

I went through this earlier this year. Was drinking low/no carbohydrate alcohol, but my weight loss slowed and then reversed. After I stopped drinking, my weight loss jumpstarted to the fastest rate I've ever experienced, and I have also "gotten to know my body" (if that doesn't sound too corny, haha) better, have educated myself based on my observations, and now better understand my unique nutritional needs.

__Roxy__

Your body uses fuel in the following order:

1 - alcohol
2 - sugar
3 - fat

So as long as you have alcohol or sugar in your system, you will not be burning fat.

That said, you can be keto and drink vodka. But, your body will pause fat burning until the alcohol is converted, and then you will go back to fat burning. You can do keto and drink, but you likely lose slower than if you weren't consuming alcohol.

Emmapatterson1729

4-5 weeks at that low of a calorie intake, no weight-loss... Vodka isn't the main problem.

When consuming too low of calories, the metabolism slows down for preservation.

Muscles require nutrients. When dipping below 1200 (female)-1500 (male), it is impossible to get the nutrients the body and muscles need. The body needs calories (energy) for fuel to metabolize.

Occasionally, doctors will put a patient on a very low calorie diet under medical supervision, for a short period of time for extreme health conditions.

The heart is a muscle and can have loss of muscle mass like any other muscle. Except when the heart loses muscle mass, the walls weaken, and one or more chambers can then become enlarged. Electrolytes are like our body's battery. They keep the heart pumping with an electrical charge. Getting too low on electrolytes or severely unbalanced electrolytes can cause the heart to slow and chambers to enlarge.

Of course, this doesn't happen overnight. Like other muscle mass loss, it's a slow process.

If wanting to drop calories under 1200, seek medical advice and do it under close medical supervision.