How Ketosis Makes You Lose Weight Faster Than Calorie Restriction

The popular low-carb diet that swept through the national a decade ago has lost its steam, but many people still advocate its superior weight loss results. Some individuals swear that a low-carb diet makes them lose weight faster than a normal low-carb diet, while others contend that its simply the reduction in calories, due to reduced appetite, that causes weight loss.

The reality is a little more complex than that. There are several things that happen in the body when one reduces their carbohydrate intake, and they all contribute to weight loss, including low insulin levels. The biggest cause of weight loss is ketosis, however.

Ketosis is very misunderstood. The biggest misunderstanding is that ketosis is dangerous-it is not. When people refer to ketosis as dangerous, they are thinking of ketoacidosis, which is a condition that type 1 diabetics can develop. Another misconception is that ketosis is starvation, which shows a marketed lack of common sense and basic knowledge of biology.

Ketosis happens when an individual consumes such small amounts of sugar (carbs) that their blood sugar levels are practically non-existent, which causes insulin to lower greatly (necessary for adequate fat loss). In the absence of sugar, the liver will breakdown protein into glucose via gluconeogenesis, and the byproduct is ketones. The body can then burn these ketones as energy.

Because the body must actively breakdown protein to form glucose, the body is using energy (calories, essentially) to create energy, and inefficient process if you're starving, but absolutely ideal if you're obese. In addition, once a ketone is created, the body cannot convert it back into fat. Because of this, all extra energy is expelled through the urine instead of stored once again as body fat. Finally, the heart has been shown through studies to run up to 30% more efficiently when running on ketones instead of sugar.

The argument that ketosis is dangerous because it is what happens during starvation is lacking one very important perspective-you're not actually starving. The reason starving is bad is because it, A) causes the body to metabolize itself in order to keep running, and B) it deprives the body of nutrients. Both of these things are absent when a person is in ketosis due to a low or no sugar diet. Ketones aren't something bad that occurs during starvation, it is simply the bodies alternative method of fuel.

Note: always, always consult with a doctor before changing your diet. This article is not medical advice, it is for informational purposes only.