I recently celebrated with a reader when she told
me her husband had lost 13 pounds since downloading Ketones Aren't From Motown in
August! However, she went on to say that she felt disappointed to have only
lost 3 pounds. This isn't the first time I've heard a story like this and it
got me wondering why some people experience radical results and others have
just ho-hum results. Since that
conversation I have given this a lot of thought. For me, a lot of thought amounts to a lot of
words!!! so I'll share my thoughts in a series of blogs.
Before I go on let me share a simple way I think of the
glucose-ketosis relationship: I think of each of us as having a 'glucose tank' which will look different
depending on what you're eating.
- · Your tank may be full and overflowing (with the 'overflow' turning into future fuel, aka 'fat').
- · Your tank may be full-ish, but not overflowing.
- · Your tank may be nearly empty with its contents being frequently used up so that your body needs to find another source of fuel - i.e. ketones.
I think there are a few factors that may cause results to
vary between two people who begin eating with the goal of entering into ketosis.
First, what was their carb intake before ketosis? If Person One's average daily
carbohydrate intake was at least the FDA recommend 300-375 grams per day,
cutting back to 30 grams would produce radical results. If Person Two was eating fewer carbs, say 150
grams or less, and cuts back to 30 grams then she or he would (logically
speaking) see only half the results of Person One. There are a couple reasons
for this.
First, carbs retain 2-3 times their weight in water so
reducing carbs reduces water retention and voila! you've lost weight.
Secondly, and I think more importantly, when our bodies
first experience a drastic glucose reduction there is an adjustment period as
the body re-learns how 'switch over' to a ketosis based metabolism. The body very likely will overcompensate at
first and that is why the extra ketones 'spill over' into your urine, breath
and body odors. During this adjustment period your body will likely need to
relearn how to transform body fat into fuel.
Depending on how slowly or quickly your body makes the adjustment will
determine how much you'll lose right away.
In future blogs I'll share
a personal experience of Ketosis vs. Results and other reasons why I think
results vary from person to person.
