I would like to understand something.....

I know when your in induction you should be getting into and staying in ketosis.

But when does that stop? When you move on to OWL, or in Pre-Maint, or Maintence?

As you add back the carbs, and lower your fat intake, dont you automatically stop being in ketosis?
Or is the idea that you stay in ketosis forever? Or is it only when you are still losing?

So all you maintainers out there, while I know you are still Lcing, are you still in ketosis?

Thank you

I didn't find the book entirely clear on that either. However because Dr. Atkins encourages you to stay in induction longer than the 2 weeks I am assuming that you would be in or aiming to be in ketosis while you're in the induction phase. As you add more carbs into your diet with OWL, premaintenance and maintence I can't see how you would stay in ketosis.

As you increase your carb intake, you do eventually take yourself out of ketosis. That is what all the different stages are for. So you body gets use to get us to your body being out of ketosis. Ketosis helps you control your hunger. Once you get to maintance you should be out of ketosis. Assuming that you moved you carbs up.

This may not have any relevance but my boyfriend, who isn't doing this diet, was curious of the ketostix on the shelf and decided to test himself. His stick turned positive for ketosis. The funny thing is that he is eating carbs and lots of them. But I figured that his metabolism is so high that it doesn't matter if he eats carbs because he has always been active. He's 6'3 and played hockey. So the reason he's so trim is that his body uses up the carbs everyday and he knocks into ketosis at night! This makes me highly jealous and mad!!!!!

Like menstruation, ketosis is a normal bodily function. People who are on low carb diets are not the only ones who experience this and doctors who declare this function as dangerous should be caned. If you are burning fat ( lipolysis ) you are in ketosis, although this may not show on the ketostrips. Athletes are in ketosis on a regular basis. You should burn fat throughout your lifetime, afterall, it is fuel. It doesn't matter what phase you are on, however, the fewer carbs you consume, the more fat you will burn.

Not necessarily. I remember reading a post here oh, 6 months ago, and we kinda did a "LowCarber.org" study and most people said that you will lose the same amount of fat at consuming 20g/day as you woulf if you consumed 0g/day.

I'd like to ask a question. I've been around 20 grams of carbs for the past 2 1/2 months and I'd like to up my carbs to 25-30 so I can add in more variety. I would like to stay in ketosis, thus this is why I'm afraid to go up in carbs any farther than 20. For those of you who have gone past 20 and have tested for ketosis, how many carbs are you able to have and still stay in ketosis? Thanks in advance.
Brittany

At around 40-50g o carbs a day the ketostyx will stop reading just because that is there limit. So you can still be in ketosis at those high levels.

Basically Atkins states Ketosis is for induiton and OWL. By the time you reach premaintannace though you should get out of ketosis since you are no longer trying to lose the weight, just get into maintaining it. It is also so you can learn how to cope with eating without the appitite supression of ketosis. Kind of like having to take responsibility without the aid becoming a crutch

But, you can be in ketosis and not lose weight. Many have made that comment on these boards. The reason I said that the fewer carbs you consume the more fat you will burn wasn't for the purpose of eating fewer carbs. I am sorry. In DANDR it states that by reducing the carbs the body will use fats as fuel, therefore ketosis may continue through any phase. The degree
of ketosis will vary. but, I remember have a metallic taste in my mouth long before my endeavors into low carb.I thought that I had some sort of disease, but I was probably just in ketosis.

As long as insulin is balanced, glucagon will be produced and if glucagon is being produced then ketosis ( lipolysis ) will take place regardless of the phase. Dietary fats should continue to be consumed and this is what the body will use as fuel, not necessarily from body fat. Therefore you won't continue to lose weight once you are in maintanence.

I think entirely too much emphasis is put on ketosis for exactly what Black57 said, you can be in ketosis and not lose weight, you can be out of ketosis and still lose weight.

I don't really think its the ketosis itself that curbs your hunger, I think it is probably just the lack of carbs that does, or perhaps the protein.

Nancy I must say that I totally agree. I have never used the ketostyx nor have I ever been sure that I have ever been in ketosis.

I also have expressed the same belief that it is the balanced glucose and insulin that keeps our appetite controlled. This is achieved through a carb controlled diet. Protein assists in keeping insulin balanced. This I learned from a pharmacist when I worked at the hospital.

Britgrl, everyone is different as to how many carb they can consume and still be in ketosis. Some people can not go above 20 and some can go much higher. I would suggest you slowly up you carb intake (Atkins recomends upping by 5 grams a week after induction) and see what this does to your keto sticks, your weight and your measurments. All three are important to determine your carb limit.

I think it's two things:
1. Your blood sugar levels aren't swinging wildly, therefor you shouldn't be getting uncontrollable cravings. Remember when we were on high-carb how HUNGRY we'd get between meals?
2. Protein and fat are filling and stay with you a lot longer than carbs. I can eat three or four eggs for breakfast and not even be very hungry by lunch time. When I was eating high-carb, I could have a couple big pancakes and be starving by lunch.