12 Jul Burn Fat without Ketosis
It is estimated that Americans alone spend over $33Billion on weight loss products a year. At this point, most women have had a friend or two swear by the very trendy Keto diet that promotes weight loss, particularly FAT loss. However, it is an enormous misunderstanding to think that you have to be in Ketosis in order to burn fat and I’m going to break it down for you at a very high level so that you can understand the science behind what your body is doing.
We gather energy from one of two sources. The primary source is from the glucose we provide to ourselves by the carbohydrates we ingest. When we eat carbs, our blood sugar rises and a hormone enzyme called Insulin comes to assess and navigate what is actually needed for cellular energy (glycolysis) and then it takes the left overs to the liver so fat storage can begin (lipogenesis).
If blood sugar is not high on Glucose and we need energy, another hormonal enzyme, called Glucagon comes into play and this is where fat burning comes in. Glucagon releases that stored fat so that we can use it as a secondary source of energy. This happens to almost everyone at some point. If you have fasted overnight for more than 8 hours, most likely your body has turned to fat storage. If your stomach is growling, you are burning fat.
The feeling of being hungry, however, can be quite annoying and leave us feeling light headed, shaky and achy IF we have been reliant on glucose (carbohydrates). Insulin starts screaming for more and we reach for more carbs to subside the symptoms. I like to think of Insulin and our tolerance like I do alcohol on vacation. If we have one drink on the first night, we might feel buzzed but by the 5th day in a row we need like 4-5 drinks to get the party started. Insulin is the SAME! If you keep feeding it more and more glucose, it will want more and more, hence the term “insulin resistant”. This is a vicious cycle.
IF, however, you start subbing out your carbohydrates for more healthy fats and proteins, Insulin will calm down, blood sugar will lower and fat burning will happen much more regularly. The longer you do this for, the more “fat adapted” your body will become. Insulin levels will lower because it hasn’t been called on regularly and as fat converts to energy, Ketones will be released from the liver into the bloodstream. This is ketosis. Levels of ketones are noticeable in the blood stream from a lack of carbohydrates. The biggest difference here is that the “hangry” symptoms subside too. When you are fat burning (moreso in ketosis), your body can go longer between meals, mental clarity improves, digestion and sleep improve and you feel lighter overall. This is why the Keto diet has had such an enormous following.
It’s important to remember, though, that even if you are trying to follow a Ketogenic diet, you can still overdo it and gain weight. Similarly, squash the myth that you cannot fat burn unless you are in Ketosis*.
*University of Chicago Medicine Warns: “The keto diet could cause low blood pressure, kidney stones, constipation, nutrient deficiencies and an increased risk of heart disease. Strict diets like keto could also cause social isolation or disordered eating. Keto is not safe for those with any conditions involving their pancreas, liver, thyroid or gallbladder”