me again,
More reading, and no wonder I couldn't find the noun for glucose production from fat (or the glycerol component of fat anyway). Because this process is also called gluconeogenesis : ie. production of 'new' glucose from some non carbohydrate source. In the case of human metabolism , that means amino acids (protein) or fat.

sorry!

Can someone enlighten me about whether free fatty acids in the blood from dietary fat consumption are transformed directly by muscle cells into ATP for use as energy , or is there some prior conversion through gluconeogenesis to glucose which then is used for energy production. Where are the ketone bodies actually produced . In the liver? In the bloodstream? In the various other cells that need energy to function? Or perhaps all three? Come on , I need to know!

Also what actually triggers gluconeogenesis (from either fats or protein). Surely the rate varies as dietary carbs are restricted. Presumably energy needs (activity levels at the time) play a big role in determining the rate . And maybe while your body is adjusting to being a fat burner (from either body stores or dietary sources) -which I read somewhere can take up to 20 weeks , the rate is a lot higher . In other words what determines how efficiently free fatty acids in the blood will be used as ketone body energy factories . The efficiency with which body fat deposits are mobilized into free fatty acids must also play a really important role.

And even more importantly , can the glucose produced from gluconeogenesis from protein and fat be then stored back as body fat, with a little help from it's old friend insulin?

Does dietary protein, ie. amino acids in the blood, become glucose (via gluconeogenesis) . And do the muscle cells sort of digest themselves (again through gluconeogenesis) to provide energy for their brothers and sisters . Which cells get to go on doing the work and which get eaten by gluconeogenesis.

The mind boggles!

Can anyone enlighten me?

I'm convinced that properly understanding gluconeogenesis holds the key to why some punters stall with their weight loss , for seemingly no apparent dietary carb reason. So if you are stalled maybe the trick is to restrict protein intake a bit and up the fats, because gluconeogenesis is so inefficient with fat and comparatively much more efficient with protein. Indeed the trick with optimal health and effortless weight loss may not just be to cut out dietary carbs but to ensure that gluconeogenesis doesn't surreptitiously set up glucose factory in your body anyway and with it's nasty little friend insulin , scuttle all your best laid plans .

I suppose we could all just go back to calorie restricted 'food pyramid ' eating and spend the rest of our lives hungry and unhappy!

I don't think so.

cheers,
Stuart