Originally Posted by
ryanb741
So I'm there or thereabouts on the 105kg goal meaning I've lost 29 kilos since the 4th Jan. I am now starting to add running into the daily routine but to be honest I may as well keep doing the Keto diet as it just works so effectively and I'm used to it. Next goal is 90 kgs.
For anyone curious as to why a keto diet is the fastest way to lose weight and the science behind it please see the below;
It is very difficult to achieve significant weight loss by exercise alone. You need to establish a comprehensive weight-loss program.
The old logic of dieting to establish a net caloric deficit to lose weight is a canard for most who follow a typical Western Diet, that is, a diet high in carbohydrates and processed foods. It seems logical that a calorie deficit would cause a weight loss, but this ignores the truth underlying the metabolism of body fat. Please permit me to explain more fully.
When you consume carbohydrates, your blood sugar increases, and your pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels, and the storage of glucose and body fat. It does this by signalling liver, muscle, and fat cells to appropriately metabolize blood sugar for the body's current or anticipated energy needs. If, for example, your body's cells have sufficient energy available to them, insulin signals the liver to take up consumed carbohydrates and store it as glycogen in muscle tissue and the liver. If energy levels are too low, then glycogen is metabolized directly at the cellular level.
If the liver is "full" of glycogen, then another metabolic process initiates the conversion of glycogen to body fat, whether visceral--that is, firstly, within your liver, and, secondly, surrounding your liver and other internal organs--or subcutaneous. The liver can store around 18-36 hours of the body's energy requirements in the form of glycogen.
So, when you exercise, your body first uses glyocgen available in muscle tissue, then blood sugar, and then finally it starts to use glycogen stored in the liver. If insulin levels are above a certain threshold level that varies by individual, your body cannot burn your own body fact because insulin is a blocker to the necessary underlying metabolic processes. However, if your body is in the state of ketosis, your insulin levels will be such that once glycogen levels are depleted, your body will be able to burn stored body fat.
If you are not in ketosis and your glycogen stores are depleted, then you essentially "crash". You may have plenty of body fat to burn for energy but your insulin levels prevent it.
In conclusion, you need to consider a ketogenic diet that will allow you to burn your body fat. How to do this? Well, you need to change your diet so that your liver glycogen levels are fully depleted. You do this my either fasting for such time as those stores are consumed-remember the comment above about 18-36 hours of glycogen stores-or reducing your carbohydrate consumption so that insulin levels are below the threshold that cause insulin to act as a metabolic blocker to fat being used as an energy source.
To do this, you generally need to have carbohydrate consumption below a certain level-20g net carbs per day is commonly recommended (net carbs is total carbs less fibre), but some can tolerate as much as 100 g.
If you do not follow the ketogenic approach and have a lot of body fat to lose, then you will try create a daily calorific deficit. Generally this is done by exercising and restricting consumption. Unfortunately, the way the body usually responds to this is by reducing your basal metabolic rate until you are no longer at a caloric deficit. As a consequence you will feel tired and otherwise listless.
When on a ketogenic diet, there is no metabolic blocking of fat metabolism, and so when you need energy, you simply dig into your superabundant stores of visceral and subcutaneous fat.