Catch your eye? Apparently this is the theory of one Jay Robb author of the book "The Fat Burning Diet". He suggests doing a 1 hour carb purge once a week to keep you out of ketosis so that your metabolism can pick up and NOT slow down. So I have 2 questions. My first question is, does this really happen? If one is in ketosis does their metabolism in fact slow down? It seems logical because when you stop eating carbs you inadvertantly eat less calories too even though you are eating a lot more fat which is the densest calorie macronutrient.

Second question. If it is so that ketosis does slow down your metabolism, then is the tradeoff worth it? Is it worth it to be ketosis and be breaking down fat and have a slow metabolism, or is it better to stay out of ketosis and have a fast one? I hope this second question makes sense to all of you. Thank you.

This is what I got off the Atkins Center web site:

"Why does Atkins have a metabolic advantage over low-fat weight loss programs?

The simple answer is that it takes more energy to burn fat for energy than it does to burn carbohydrate. Conventional thinking had been that the number of calories you consume (and expend) determines the use or storage of that energy. Eat fewer calories and use up more of them and you will lose weight. However, such low-fat diets are hard to stay on and their high carbohydrate content often leads to food cravings and bingeing. In contrast, by controlling the intake of carbohydrates and thus burning body fat for energy, individuals on Atkins can eat high fat, satisfying foods that contain more calories and still lose weight. That edge is called the metabolic advantage."

I've been in ketosis for about 5 weeks now and haven't felt any change in metabolism. Last night I ran 8 miles in 20 degree weather and felt fine at the end. I'm not sleeping more than before Atkins. If anything, my metabolism is increasing as my body adapts to the lowcarb diet.

It could just be that the longer days are stimulating me. A carb binge once in a while won't kill you but personally I haven't felt the need for it. Two days ago my wife and I went to a restaurant. I had lobster in butter and felt no urge to finish the meal with dessert. That's got to be the first time in my life that I ate out and didn't have dessert.

Hello. From what I've read, there should be no reason why ketosis would lower one's metabolism. Yes, you eat fewer calories, but not so few that your body perceives starvation. My metabolism has been through the roof since I've been LCing, even though I don't think I'm in ketosis often.

>>"If it is so that ketosis does slow down your metabolism, then is the tradeoff worth it?"

I suppose it depends on the person - if ketosis means relief from food obsession, blood sugar instablility, etc; then I would think it's worth risking lowering your metabolism slightly, but I really don't believe it happens.

I don't suppose you own that book... I was going to ask what evidence Mr Robb offers up.

I have been a very thin person all my life until age 38 when a lot of stress entered my life. I gained a lot of weight rapidly. So, I went on Atkins 2 differnt times. The first time was 1999. I went from a size 11 to a size 7 in approximately 6 months. After 2 years of eating low carbs, following his book closely, I gained back most of my weight and size. I slowly added in good carbs but continued to eat a lot of fat and meats. I believe now that the bad estrogens I've been exposed to came from that intake of too much regular meat and dairy. I went back on the diet again and it worked for a year then the weight returned again. (At that time I didn't know I had hypothyroid and that's probably why my weight returned).

Now I eat the Maker's Diet as closely as possible. The difference is that the grass-fed beef and organic dairy products like Kiefer are not tainted with chemicals, hormones, etc. fed to the cattle. Cheese and other dairy have in them what the cows eat. If cows are allowed to graze on grass and not grain fed, they produce meat that is actually good for you. Even then, it is best to eat it moderately. A good diet will consist of the above mentioned along with organic vegetables, fruits and whole grains according to the Maker's Diet. I believe eating that bad meat and dairy is the reason my thyroid is messed up now. I believe it caused such a toxic build up in my system that it lead to this problem. I can't go into how much time and money I've spent on nutritionists, doctors etc for 10 years now. But believe me, this is what I truly think has caused my suffering.

A person like myself does much better on a diet higher in these foods with an emphasis on more protein since I am hypothyroid. I notice if I limit my grains/fruits and eat more fish, protein powder and freshly made green juices, I feel even better and tend to keep from gaining more weight. I have to lose 20 pounds because of the thyroid but I'm told that no matter what I do unless my thyroid issues are corrected, it is very tough to lose the weight short of protein shake fasts. I have done the fasts and lost weight very quickly but it just comes back even if I eat a good diet like the Maker's Diet. So I've learned to just relax about it and have decided to try and conentrate more on feeling good. I think my weight will come off eventually but if it doesn't I'm not going to get too stressed about it anymore. I see a very good doctor and have spent 2 years with a profesional nutritionist. The more you read about nutrition, women's health, and learn as much as possible, the better because it is impossible to simply trust just one opinion. I've seen many doctors over the years for my health issues and this Maker's Diet thing has made the most sense of all.

Are you on any thyroid replacement? That will help, too.

The Makers Diet.

yeah.. The eating plan is great but Jordan Rubin also suggest that you dont take a bath for days at a time and women should not wear a bra. Oh and I remember reading something along the line of "You will only get cancer is you are predestend for it (sp)"

yeah..... sun tanning here I come..

It's catchy for selling books!

According to the theory you cited, if one eats less calories your metabolism slows. What does that have to do with ketosis? As far as I know, the reason any diet works is that you're taking in fewer calories than you were before. This one basic thing seems to hold true for me. Sure, you can speed up your metabolism by eating too many calories, but you'll also gain weight.

I'm scratching my head.

I think it was in one of Dana Carpenders books where she uses a fire analogy. You can burn hay in your stove, and it burns very, very hot, but quickly, or you can burn wood slowly and steadily.

Slow and steady wins the race doncha know?

I totally agree but sometimes...just sometimes...a little "speed up" is wanted... Gosh...I know I do! Where is that whoosh fairy when I need her!

Interesting Thread... merely from a personal standpoint, the opposite for me is true. The first four or five days of low-carbing I have a lack of energy. After that however, it seems like I have more energy than ever!

THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION REGARDING DO I TAKE MEDS FOR MY THYROID:

I suffer with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. I was diagnosed in August by Dr.
Tenanbaum from Dr. Holtorfs center. My journey has been very long.

Although I'm still being attended to by Dr. T of the Torrance, CA Hormone and Longevity Center, I have yet to be successfully treated for my thyroid with any type of Thyroid replacement thus far. My adrenals are part of the problem. Tired adrenals sometimes cannot handle the stress of a metabolism booster from thyroid replacement hormones.

Dr. T has had me on T4/T3 combination and just T4 but the symptoms get worse (put me to sleep) so I've had to stop taking any medication for my thyroid. I've had success with the cortisol he put me on as far as helping me out of my terrible fatigue, which was the most difficult to deal with. I used a 15 mg. dose for about 3 months and now he has weaned me off. So far so good with the tiredness not returning but I'm not 100%. I'm still working on the weight problems but that is not as much of a concern to me as getting healthy first. When you are so tired you can't hold your head up at work....the weight problem is not what I'm thinking about. Yes, I want to get back to my normal weight but for now I'm just hoping to feel like a human being. It is a very terrible thing to suffer with this. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

YOUR COMMENTS ON NOT TAKING A BATH/NO BRA ETC.

I have never read anywhere in either book by Jordin Rubin about not taking a bath. He simply states that the water supply has chlorine in it and to use a shower filter. Chlorine is bad for thyroid sufferers. Bathing for a woman is not a great idea according to one doctor I've known for years. He has 3 phd's in nutrition and medicine. He said it allows bateria to enter a woman's genitals and can cause health problems. Jordin Rubin is a person who suffered with Chron's disease. He has overcome his illness and simply wants to share his knowledge to help others. I take his products and have had very, very good results. There is a ton of helpful information in his books, so spending $10 at Jimbos isn't really a problem for me.

As far as the bra thing goes, who cares? How is that going to affect a person's health? I don't understand your reasoning. Maybe if your body is top heavy it would hurt the back but other than that I don't see the point.

KEATOSIS?

Your question was: What does this have to do with ketosis? It has everything to do with it. No. 1 - the body needs a balanced amount of foods to function at its best, therefore fat burning is a natural benefit of eating healthy foods and in the right proportions to your size, your health, etc. No. 2 - everyone has different genetics dictating whether or not their body will respond to any type of diet the same way it might for another person. There is no set rules to dieting. Everyone is different so each person needs to find what works best for them and sometimes that takes a long time and a lot of effort. I have tried ketosis. It worked for me but as soon as I ate a balanced diet, the weight returned because of my low thyroid. The weight did stay off the first time for 2 years.

Amandaj777, I am so sorry that you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. It is a terrible burden to bear.

Bathing, for women, can cause issues. One of my little granddaughters has nothing but grief with yeast infections for as long as I can remember. She needs to take showers instead. She is only seven.

The bra thing, well, that's different strokes for different folks. I'm old enough to remember when not wearing one was THE thing to do. Anyone remember Marlo Thomas starring in the sitcome "That Girl" or something like that? She was the first female to not wear a bra on her own show on national television that I can recall. Now it's come full circle and wearing one is once again the thing to do.

I wish you all the best. Good luck with your weight loss and with getting all your health issues resolved.

The Makers diet also says you should eat dirt....

Dirt is an excellent source of minerals. For most of Homo Sapiens time on Earth, food was not washed. Lots of dirt was consumed with the food.

I don't eat dirt, but I cannot say that eating small amounts (unless it was contaminated) would hurt in any way, and may help with minerals.