A little over two weeks ago I made the decision to start eating semi low-carb and I am not following a specific plan. I was really not looking to lose weight but, instead, looking to shed a little extra body fat. I had already lost pretty much all of the weight I wanted to lose when I started cutting out the refined and processed foods from my diet six to eight weeks ago. I've always had a fairly healthy diet but I managed to gain a little extra weight over the winter (around 10 pounds) that I wanted to get off. So, I cut back on calories and dumped all of the "junk" food I was eating. The ten pounds came off very quickly but I wanted to lose that extra flab that I've always carried my entire adult life. So, I made the decision to go lower carb and see what happened.

I have seen a big difference in how my body looks in the last couple weeks; it's actually quite amazing to me. I lost a few more pounds and can really see that I have lost body fat.

I bought some ketone strips today to see if I might possibly be in ketosis even though I highly doubted it because I consume around 50 carbs per day, which mostly come from a breakfast bar I eat every morning (17 carbs) and otherwise just from veggies, dairy, eggs, etc. Strip came back positive with small to moderate ketone levels. How is that possible? I've read lots of posts of people here who are virtually zero carb and who can't get into ketosis.

Stats:
39 year old female
5' 1.5" - very small framed
96 pounds

According to the body fat analyzer I have at home (I know they aren't very accurate but I always test at the same time of the day and use it mostly for monitoring any changes/losses), my current BF is 16.2%, down 1.5-2% over the last couple weeks. And, I've also dropped a full size.

On a typical day, I consume between 800-1000 calories (before you start giving me the business, know that I am a teeny tiny framed person and have a full-time sedentary job), 50-60 grams of carbs, 30-35 grams of fat and 60-70 grams of protein. I walk (stroll) a few times per week and do a weight lifting circuit a couple times per week.

What I've been doing over the last couple weeks is working. My question is why? And, when should I stop? I don't want to lose more weight but I am also afraid of what is going to happen when I start eating a bit more to maintain.

Sounds like you have set up the hormonal situation so your body is burning fat. Not everyone has to go super low carb to burn fat. Specially when it sounds like you don't have a broken metabolism. Ketone strips just show that there are byproducts of fat burning. (they don't say anything about carb levels even though most people don't burn fat unless carb levels are low)

Your amounts of protein, carb, and fat are consistent with the Kwasniewski low carb plan ratios except for extra low calories because of the low fat. No wonder you are losing .

What were you thinking of adding? If you try just one thing at a time then you can do your experiment of one and see how it goes. In your shoes I would add fat because your protein is good for a person of small stature, you don't need more carb energy unless you are adding strenuous exercise, so that leaves fat to make up your energy difference.

You want to lose fat right? Ketosis means you're burning fat. It could be fat you're eating or fat from your body -- a ketone strip doesn't tell you that. You may have a lot of fat in your liver and around your internal organs that could be getting burnt off. This is not a bad thing.

Some people can even be in ketosis at 100g and at 50g you certainly can be in ketosis-this is very YMMV. If you don't want to lose more experiment with upping your carbs and/or calories.

OMG I would be so so interested to know what you eat on a normal day to follow???


Thanks!!!