Why I Don't Reach Ketosis?

Ketosis is a state in which the body uses ketone bodies and fat as physiologically preferred energy sources over glucose.

- states Dawid Dobropolski in his publication "Ketosis. Get to the next level."

The ketogenic state can result from either a well-run ketogenic diet, starvation, or vigorous exercise - everywhere we have one denominator - a lack of glucose.

I won't write about the symptoms and benefits of ketosis. Anyone who has successfully switched from glucose fuel to fat fuel (in the big picture) has probably experienced them and wouldn't be reading this article right now.

What if you can't get into ketosis even though you're doing everything right? 
Well, that's what. Because either you're not doing it right, or the reason lies somewhere else.

 

What could you be doing wrong?

 

- you are eating too many carbohydrates

The basic problem is that you are not counting. If we don't weigh our food then statistically we eat 20% more than we think we ate. Going further, if you eat too many carbs your body won't start to switch to obtaining energy from fat, won't start producing ketone bodies in the right amounts - ergo - you won't go into ketosis. It could also be that you don't know how much carbohydrate you should eat at all and you follow an (recently fashionable) intuitive diet. It is assumed that in order for the ketone body magic to work, you should aim for 20 to 50g of net carbohydrates per day. Naturally, these figures are very approximate, not taking into account your weight or gender.

 

- you eat hidden carbohydrates

This means that you eat foods that you do not suspect of containing carbohydrates and you do not add them in the balance, such as alcohol. Also, too high a protein vs. fat intake can cause protein to convert to glucose

 

- you are counting wrongly / you are not listening to your body

It is possible that you are in ketosis after all, but you have an inaccurate measuring instrument for ketone bodies, or you are testing inadequately. If you are not using the tools and relying on your feelings you conclude that there is no difference in how you feel and you are not losing extra pounds, for example, then I will also sadden you. It may be that you just don't see any fireworks and you don't burn subcutaneous fat because you overeat too many calories (in a low-fat and low-volume diet, and the adaptation period requires such a diet, it is extremely easy to have a lack of control over calories).

 

 

But what if the reason lies elsewhere?

Time for my rabbit out of the hat.

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)

When I came across this term while studying physiology, all the puzzle pieces fit together. Before, it seemed very strange to me that despite meeting all the requirements and strictly sticking to diet, calories and with increased physical activity, there are (few, but always) cases of people who cannot enter ketosis. This has affected me as well. And the answer lies, as it usually does, in physiology.

In short, ADH is an enzyme that is involved in, among other things, metabolizing alcohol and ketone bodies. Everyone has the enzyme, but everyone has it in different amounts. And now, people who have it in sufficiently large amounts, lightly undergo a hangover or do not feel the effects of "yesterday" at all, have a "strong head", quickly sober up. In the vast minority, however, there are cases of people who do not metabolize alcohol very well, half a beer can put them under the table and they suffer from yesterday's hangover for two days cut out of their lives. These are the people who have relatively low levels of ADH. As I mentioned, ADH is also responsible for the metabolism of ketone bodies, thus = lots of enzyme - easy entry into ketosis, little enzyme - hard entry into ketosis.

So if you have a "weak head", it's more than certain that you will also find it very hard to enter ketosis, if at all possible. In my case it wasn't. And yes, after half a beer I can also end the party:)