is this dangerous?

[rabid hamster]

Okay, you know that ketosis diet where you don't eat any carbohydrates and only eat fruits, veggies and meat, so your body starts eating fat, or something like that. I am planning to start this when summer vacation starts, but isn't this dangerous? and can you lose muscle from doing this? I don't want to lose muscles, just fat.

 

 

[KickChick]

... touched upon it in this thread http://www.karateforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=2931&forum=19&start=0

 

 

 

To understand how ketosis develops, you first need to understand how the liver converts the food you eat into fuels and how the body uses these fuels.

 

The protein, complex carbohydrates, and fat that you eat ... and the protein, carbohydrate, and fat in your body ... can all be used to fuel your body functions. But first, the liver converts them into chemicals the body's tissues can use as fuel, as follows:

 

The liver converts the carbohydrates into a simple sugar, glucose, which can fuel most body functions.

 

It converts any excess protein you eat, over and above what you need to replace the proteins in your body, into glucose as well.

 

It converts the fats into chemicals called ketone bodies.

 

Once these conversions are made, the liver exports the glucose and ketone bodies into the blood stream for distribution to the tissues for use as fuel.

 

The amount of ketone bodies you make depends on how much glucose is available to your system. If you starve yourself, or if you eat a low to no carbohydrate diet, you will make large amounts of ketone bodies to compensate for the lack of carbohydrates. As a result, you will start to accumulate these ketone bodies in your blood stream. This accumulation is called ketosis, and the diet that causes this accumulation is called a ketogenic diet. Ketosis will give a distinctive taste in your mouth, and a distinct (and not very pleasant) breath odor ... it smells like a cross between apples and nail polish remover (YUK!!!!) .... because some of these ketones can be exhaled from your lungs as a gas.

 

Most tissues can use ketone bodies as fuel, so when little glucose is available, they switch to using ketone bodies. But there are several tissues of the body which don't do very well when you have ketosis. These include your brain, the muscles you use for rapid movement, and your red blood cells. Sorry Bon ... I disagree with you! (on ketones being the best fuel for brain). One tissue that cannot use ketone bodies very well as a fuel is the brain. The brain needs a certain amount of carbohydrate per day to function properly (about 150 grams a day).

 

If you eat a low carbohydrate diet for a while, or if you starve, you brain can start to use ketones for about 50% of its fuel needs. But when your brain uses ketones, it cannot function at its best -- thinking and reaction times tend to slow down. People tend not to notice these changes when they are on a low to no carbohydrate diet, because the brain changes make them slower to react to any stimulus, including the stimuli that come from self-awareness. So you may not be aware of this slowing down, but it may make a difference if you use machinery, such as a car, which requires quick thinking and quick reflexes.

 

Another tissue that cannot use ketones very well are the muscles that you need to use for fast movement. For example, the muscles in your hands cannot use ketone bodies very well, so on a low carbohydrate diet, your fast repeated hand movements (punching) will slow down and your hands' endurance will decrease -- for example you will become slower and more tired when you type for a long time. (like I'm doing now )

 

Furthermore, on a low to no carbohydrate diet, the protein you eat, and protein from muscles is converted to glucose to supply the brain's needs. So if you go on this diet, you may feel tired because you have lost muscle mass too.

 

When you begin a low to no carbohydrate diet, you will experience water weight loss, even when you don't change the total anount of calories that you eat. This water weight loss is due to the changes in kidney function, including loss of body sodium, that accompany the need to excrete the excess ketone bodies. As a result you will reach a new, slightly dehydrated weight.

 

You will also need to excrete the urea that is produced when you convert protein into fuels and into glucose. The urea is excreted along with water, so that you will continue to have higher than normal water loss.

 

Because a low carbohydrate diet is unbalanced, it can cause ketosis with possible undesirable consequences. Please consult with a doctor!

 

 

 

_________________

 

KarateForums Sensei

 

1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF)

 

Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr.

 

[ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-05-28 21:11 ]

 

[ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-05-28 21:14 ]

[rabid hamster]

hmm, sounds more dangerous then I thought. Thanks for the information kickchick. so if you go on this diet, I understand your brain and some muscles slow down, but once you get out of it, does it ever come back(reflexes, etc)?

 

Thank you. I'm gonna go see a doctor hehe..

[KickChick]

hmmmm.... I'm not a doctor, but I wouldn't take any chances (would you????) I mean I need every last brain cell that I've manged to hold on to over the years .... and as I get older my reflexes aren't getting any better so .... actually fat, smart and quick sounds better to me! (not that I'm fat mind you! )

 

 

[ckdstudent]

According to a doctor fellow student of mine (ex-kung fu third dan who's just converted to Choi) diets are in general bad news, if you're not obese then losing weight is more effort, and more dangerous, than its worth. If you do want to lose weight the best way is to simply exercise sensibly and not overeat. Its slower, but not as likely to severely injure you through malnutrition.

 

 

[Bon]

KickChick, you know I only say what has worked for me..

 

I am a carbohydrate addict, so if I eat carbs I feel like going to sleep immediately after eating them. I've found ketones work better for my brain since I'm not tired and CAN actually think long and hard without any brain fatigue as opposed to when I'm tired and feel like sleeping.

 

I also find it odd you felt lethargic on a low carb diet. The first 3 days I was lethargic, but on the fourth day when ketosis kicked in I had a LOT more energy.

 

Every body is different, I guess ..

 

_________________

 

It takes sacrifice to be the best.

 

There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it's easy.

 

[ This Message was edited by: Bon on 2002-05-30 00:21 ]

[Jack]

I suggest you do a search on Ketosis off of http://www.bodybuilding.com - do plenty of researching first before diving into Ketosis!

 

Good luck!

 

 

[KickChick]

Yes Bon I know it works for you ... (works for my husband too no matter how much I *itch and moan to him about it ) Some guys happen to adjust well to this diet and see results. Yes I hate diets and ultimate any diet (unless nutionally balanced) does not work for the long term!

 

I don't know if you guys heard what bodybuilders are doing to take this a step further --->extreme. Maybe Jack you peruse the bb sites .... although I didn't see this there.

 

For bodybuilders without sufficient carbohydrates ... performance deteriorates and ultimately muscle mass is lost. .

 

So the body could switch metabolic pathways and use fats for energy with this no/or low carb diet. Athletes discovered that eating very low amounts of carbohydrates allowed them to lose the weight and water. They combined with this carb loading, a period of eating almost exclusively carbohydrates. The end result was fat-loss without any appreciable loss of lean body mass.

 

Keeping carbohydrate intake under 15 grams per day the body will enter (in about 3 days on average) ketosis. This was too long for bodybuilders. Heavy exercise, which depletes blood sugar and stored glycogen, speeds up this process. But with the addition of insulin or insulin like drugs assisting driving down blood-sugar levels ... allows the athlete to enter a state of ketosis much sooner.

 

Then the bodybuilders use insulin to quickly enter ketosis, but iby using insulin in a very dangerous way... with the complete absence of carbs.

 

The risk is that your body will enter hypoglycemic shock, which leads to coma and death. eath:

 

That's extreme ketogenic dieting in a nut shell.

 

You can research more on the web ... but please don't even consider.

 

_________________

 

KarateForums Sensei

 

1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF)

 

Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr.

 

[ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-05-30 04:44 ]

 

[ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-05-30 04:54 ]

[Jack]

Only the professional Bodybuilders may try taking Ketosis a stage further, but the majority of ones that aren't on steroids and diuretics and all that stick to the original keto.

 

 

 

I would not use Ketosis myself since I do not know as much about it as I would like to yet, plus I see nothing wrong with relying on Carbohydrates for energy. Ketosis can work for some, others may suffer too badly in those 3 days and decide not to persue it. It is up the individual, as well as they are well informed. This is why I recommended Hiya a website he could do some research with.

 

I'd just like to say I didn't have the time to read the entirity of your post here Deby, I was simply trying to help out.

 

I agree - don't even consider taking keto to the extreme, but the original ketosis diet can and has worked for many and if you seriously want to try it out, I suggest you do your research and ask questions so that you understand what is happening to your body and why you may feel ill at times. Don't attempt this without the proper knowledge.

 

Peace.

 

 

[Jack]

I'd also agree with ckdstudent - eat healthy with plenty of exercise and you'll get the results you need. It may take a bit more time and willpower but you'll get there in the end, plus there is less risk of malnutrition and injury!