Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I was just wondering about why it matters whether you eat VLC or not when in Ketosis? If you eat an excess of carbs or fats, compared to your daily expenditure, you will gain weight. Same is true for net calorie deficits and losing weight. But if you have excess fat to burn on your body and you are only consuming 1200 calories a day, won't your body tap into these stores regardless of whether you are eating VLC or not? Basically, if you are eating less calories than you expend, whether they come from carbs/proteins/fats, won't your body still burn excess fats in the body to make up the rest of the energy you require?

flag	asked Apr 16 2012 at 14:00 mzrdnan 1,740●8●19

April S. · Answer 1 · 2012-04-16 14:32:49Z UTC

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As long as your body is getting a continued supply of carbs (which is ultimately broken down into glucose and converted into glycogen for storage), your body can and will tap into your glycogen stores for fuel. No carb intake means your body will use fat for energy (which is actually a more efficient source of fuel).
And your body will not tap into your fat stores just because you are eating less. In fact, it may do quite the opposite, where it thinks it is starving and saves fat for survival and your body may actually eat up precious muscle.
In the case of VLC, it's definitely more about what you put into your body than how much. But of course if you eat in excess, you will gain weight.

answered Apr 16 2012 at 14:32

April S.♦
11.9k●1●13●47

	but if you're eating at a constant 1200 cals a day but burning 2200, your body will have to source energy from somewhere no? that somewhere will always be your excess fat stores? – mzrdnan Apr 16 2012 at 15:37
	i mean regardless of if that's 1200 from purely fruit or 1200 from purely coconut oil? – mzrdnan Apr 16 2012 at 15:37
	You probably won't be burning 2200, it'll rapidly become much less – PrimalDanny Apr 16 2012 at 15:44
	I should add that there is a misconception. Your body can only tap in to liver-gylcogen stores. The glycogen in your muscles cannot be liberated for general use. So you remain in ketosis if you completely drain muscle glycogen and then 3 baked potatoes. – Satchmo Apr 16 2012 at 15:44
	@primaldanny even if you exercise and whatnot? how does that happen? what about BMR just to keep your body alive? or if you do walking each day etc...does that occur only out of ketosis or on ketosis too? – mzrdnan Apr 16 2012 at 16:08

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Chris · Answer 2 · 2012-04-16 14:49:59Z UTC

Ketosis means you have elevated ketone bodies. Everyone uses ketogenesis to form ketones, but It's just something that can be up regulated or down regulated, if I am not mistaken. Doesn't mean that your body doesn't use glucose still or you would probably die.

Anyway, so with the carbs and "ketosis" it's more about up regulating and down regulating the ketogenesis process. It doesn't directly relate to weight loss.

I could be completely wrong about that, though. So...

PrimalDanny · Answer 3 · 2012-04-16 15:50:47Z UTC

We usually mean keto-adaptation when we talk about ketosis - having been in a state with elevated ketones long enough that they are being used efficiently as fuel. We are of course burning fat constantly, there's a neverending flux of triglycerides in and out of our bloodstream. But in the presence of too many carbs this will remain secondary, and if forced to rely on it then the body will partially shut-down, conserve energy, you'll feel like crap and (for most people) give up on your 50% calorie restriction dieting. Then you'll start eating normally and your body will grab hold of all that lovely food.

Periodically being in ketosis appears to be perfectly natural and healthy, and possible even necessary for good long-term health. The body operates quite happily despite burning mostly fat, even its own.

Steph · Answer 4 · 2012-10-18 06:13:03Z UTC

Spot on PrimalDanny. Undertake a short-term ketogenic diet with a trained professional and then gradually increase your carbohydrate intake over the course of another 5 or so weeks to ensure you maintain your goal weight & BF%. You will become more efficient at burning fat and hopefully learn what you need and create positive behaviours for long term weight loss.

Carbs matter mzrdnan as they will limit your fat burning capacity due to their preferential availability as a source of fuel.

Why do carbs even matter in ketosis?

4 Answers