Dietary fat vs body fat - moderators please reply

[ariesdragon]

Hi everyone,

I've posted this question before but haven't received an answer. Here goes:

When the ketostix turn pink/purple how do we know we're actually burning our body fat and not just our dietary fat (given that we're eating a much larger % of dietary fat on this WOE)?

If I ate 2500 calories a day comprising exclusively of fat would those stix still turn pink even though I'm eating waaaaay more than I need to maintain my weight? I notice that in DANDR when Dr Atkins prescribes the fat fast he limits it to 1000 cals. Why?

I've read alot of articles and texts on the science behind low carb dieting and I've read DANDR thoroughly but still cannot find an answer to my first question.

I realize, that over time my measurements should shrink and that's an indicator that I'm burning body fat but is there any other way of knowing what is being burnt on a day - day basis?

I don't have alot of weight to lose compared to some people (14lbs now)and I guess I'm wondering whether, other than the appetite suppression effect (which I love!!!) will Atkins make me lose weight faster than a diet that contains carbs, assuming I eat 1200 cals/day on both plans? I'd like to think I'm burning more body fat by doing Atkins since I know that insulin triggers fat deposition and also prevents release of fat from the fat cells. But.....how can I tell if those stix reflect body fat loss and not just my increased dietary fat intake on this WOE?

If I'm not metabollically challenged with this WOE help me burn more of my own body fat? (I don't think I'm metabolically challenged given my 4lb loss during induction). The science seems to indicate that I will but I'm still doubtful.

Thanks!

E

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Dietary fat vs body fat - moderators please reply

I am a retired moderator, so ignore me if I don't qualify.

Ketostix can also register dietary fat as ketones, so you can't "know" if you are burning body fat or dietary fat when you pee on the strip. If you drink alcohol, you will also test positive for ketones, but it is a false positive. If you eat 2,500 calories of predominantly fat, you will be in deep ketosis and you will most likely gain weight. I find the Ketostix to be a bigger problem than help in knowing whether I am in ketosis or not.

On page 143, Dr. Atkins explains about counting calories. "Gaining weight results in taking in more calories than you expend through exercise, thermogenesis, and other metabolic functions. Research has shown that on a controlled carb program, more calories are burned than in a low-fat/high carb diet, so there are certain metabolic advantage to the controlled carb approach. But understand that this does not give you a license to gorge."

Below that on page 143, he states: " In addition, the time of day, whether or not you exercise and what you ate at your last meal will all affect the test strips."

[ariesdragon]

Re: Dietary fat vs body fat - moderators please reply

Hi Sunnysmile,

Thanks for replying. I thought that might be the case that we can't distinguish between dietary fat burning and bodyfat burning. Why is it that any article on ketosis doesn't point that out?

How many extra cals burnt /day do you think the metabolic advantage of Atkins accounts for?

If I may ask your opinion - I know that my basal metabolic rate is about 1200 cals/day. If I add in daily exercise and other activity cals, according to my calcs., I can eat about 1600 - perhaps 1700-1800 on an active day to maintain my weight. Would you recommend I count calories while I do Atkins? I've been eating 1200 cals/day in the recommended Atkins ratios and am losing weight very slowly now that I'm out of the initial 2 week induction period. I'm quite satisfied eating 1200 cals. It concerns me a little that Atkins says not to count calories (although its qualified with "calories do count"). I feel if I didn't count calories I wouldn't lose weight - it'd be very easy for me to ingest 1800cals/day. Perhaps people who are much heavier than me can take in that many cals and lose weight but I don't think I can. Infact I seem to have hit a stall and have been stuck at 129lbs for a week now. I've only got 14lbs to lose and my goalweight is 115lbs. Should I eat less than 1200 cals? I want to lose 1 lb a week.

Thanks so much for your advice!

Btw - I love eating this way as I'm never hungry, can sleep better and no longer have heartburn.

E

[SunnySmile501]

Re: Dietary fat vs body fat - moderators please reply

Since you are so close to your goal weight, I'm sure you will have to watch calories more than you would have to at the start. I do NOT think, however, that you should eat less than 1,200 calories a day. I'm not sure you can count on losing even 1 pound a week, realistically.

I think you should increase your exercise and eat between 1,200 and 1,500 calories a day. You will need to change up your diet and exercise about every three weeks to avoid your new routine becoming the new "normal" which quickly becomes a maintenance routine instead of a losing routine.

Keep in mind that with Atkins, you may be much smaller at 115 than you would be on a low calorie/low fat diet. The number on the scale is not as accurate on low carb. Most of us have found that we can wear clothes at a much higher scale weight than we could on former low fat diets. You should start to measure for an accurate representation of your true size.

[ariesdragon]

Re: Dietary fat vs body fat - moderators please reply

Dear Sunnysmile,

What do you think of the info in this link that someone sent me? I note that the gentleman in question is considerably overweight. Do you think upping my cals like this (as long as I'm eating predominantly fat like he is), would help me lose weight? What is going on with him? Is weightloss on Atkins different for overweight vs. not overweight folk? Assuming his posts are honest, he seems to be disproving the 'calories count' theory.

http://magicbus.myfreeforum.org/ftop...-0-asc-200.php