Burning stored fat----why isn't it always ketosis?

[Louisa]

In an older thread I read that all LC diets don't lead to ketosis......just trying to understand this......I would think that all LC diets would do this............

And, this leads to another question. Wouldn't any fat loss, regardless of the type of diet (high carb, low carb) cause ketosis? I mean, when you are losing fat, you are emptying the fat cells, right?

I had read that many diets don't cause ketosis---but don't ALL successful fat loss diets burn stored fat? And isn't this ketosis?

Anyone willing to 'splain me?? :roll: :roll: :roll: (Hope I've explained my questions well enough)

[timco]

Wow, I was just thinking the same thing. I once lost a lot of weight on a no-fat, high carb diet (not that I am recommending this, believe me). Doesn't that mean I would have been in ketosis b/c I was burning fat????

[Louisa]

Thanks Timco!!! Nice to FINALLY have a response to this post of mine! I believe Doreen made the comment in another thread a while back that not all LC diets put you into ketosis. Not only do I wonder why, but wonder why EVERY diet doesn't, since every diet has you losing fat. Doesn't that fat come from fat cells ???

Hmmm..........hope someone "in the know" responds!

[aimie]

Hi :wave:
i wish some one knew. this has me bumfuzzeled as well. maybe someone will read this and know.

[Louisa]

bumpity, bump............

[timco]

what does "bump" mean? people post that sometimes

[Louisa]

When a post hasn't had any replies, it moves further and further down the list of posts........that way, not as many people tend to see it. By posting "bump" you are moving it to the top of the heap........in the hopes that someone will see it and respond! I only do it with posts that I really would like an answer to....

[timco]

That's a nice thing to do. I'll have to start doing that myself. thanks

[thininBC]

I would love to know the answer to this one too.

[Louisa]

Well, there are a few of us here who seem really interested....hopefully someone "in the know" will chime in!

[thininBC]

You may want to copy and paste this thread or start a similar one in the excersise forum. Some of the people there are fairly well versed in the pysiological changes/effects of LC.

[doreen T]

Ketones are being produced in the liver all the time in everybody. In babies, in people eating high carbs, in people eating low carbs, in people eating a low fat diet. Ketones are a normal by-product of fat metabolism. So from that point of view, everyone is in "ketosis" to a point. Amounts will be very low though, and not likely enough to be measured except with very accurate blood tests.

However, for people eating a high carb diet ... glucose is the main fuel and insulin is the dominant metabolic hormone which helps the cells use the glucose, and also stores the glucose as fat when there's an excess. Insulin will also store dietary fat as fat too.

When people restrict carb intake to a very low level, the amount of glucose available to use as the main fuel drops way off ... and so ketone production speeds up to become the main fuel, and glucagon becomes the dominant metabolic hormone. Glucagon helps the fat cells release the fat, and also inhibits any new fat from being stored.

There's no "carved in stone" level of carbs at which every person will switch from the glucose-insulin fuel system to the ketone-glucagon system. Experts agree it happens once the carb intake drops below 40g per day for *most* people. Some will be in BKD at a higher level, some will need to keep carbs at 20 - 30g longterm in order to achieve and maintain a state of BKD.

Several programs which are considered to be lower carb are not ketogenic, and they state this in their books. I suspect this has to do with marketing, since BKD gets an erroneously bad rap in the media. Programs such as The Zone and Sugar Busters! are higher than 40g carbs per day ... closer to 100 or even more. For weight loss purposes, these programs will need to be lower-calorie, and indeed The Zone weight loss plan is around 900 - 1100 calories a day for women.

Low calorie diets will indeed result in stored fat being burned to make up the calorie deficit, and some ketones will be produced. However, the amounts will likely not be enough to be measured, and the carb intake will be high enough that glucose will remain the body's main fuel source, and insulin the dominant metabolic hormone.

~~~~~

The advantage of BKD, and having insulin suppressed, is that the body gives up its stored fat more readily, and doesn't store new fat as easily, if at all. Thus the calorie intake can be much, much higher and the dieter doesn't have to starve or feel deprived. With a low calorie, higher carb diet, the person will experience hunger and deprivation.


hth,

Doreen

[thininBC]

Thanks for the insight !