What's wrong with coming off ketosis?

retrostan

New Member
I'm in ketosis, week 2 of SS plan 1. There's a lot of info online that says don't eat food else you'll come off ketosis, but I can't seem to find any info that explains why I shouldn't. I mean, people lose weight without being in ketosis on mild diets, so if I come out of ketosis perhaps after having a meal every other week, then go back to diet, what is wrong with that? And the one meal isn't going to add 1 stone back on.

Thanks in advance
 
I believe being in ketosis helps suppress appetite. And it can be hard to go back to not eating after a night off, and you can regain water/carbs. But you're right, it can't make you magically regain the actual fat :)
 
lots of people find the feel fluey/otherwise unwell while they actually get into keto. and until they get back into it, they feel hungrier. if neither of those things bother you, then it's just a calorie-counting exercise.
 
Yes I should have said getting into ketosis was no big deal for me, I didn't feel that hungry, or just coped with it ok, and didnt feel any different to what I do now. So don't think it would be an issue for me to do those first few days again. I have wedding to go to on weekend so might have food then back on diet.
 
My understanding is that ketosis does a number of things to us including changing how we use stored energy, so it burns off better and we don't feel hungry. It's much easier completing this diet because the ketosis gives us more energy and no/ less hunger..

On a separate note I'm lead to believe that our weight tends to go up a little when we come out of ketosis because of water balance.. so coming out of ketosis can make it look like you've gained weight (when actually you haven't regained fat). That needn't matter.. but if you are psychologically affected by the scales then it won't help.

I'm no expert on these things and I don't know if it's unhealthy for other reasons like lowering metabolism or increasing risk of diabetes..

All of the above is a guess.. I'm sure your Cambridge weight plan consultant could tell you more..

Or might recommend ss+ or 810..?

All the best
 
This was sent to me by a friend the last time i did CD. Sorry its long - Hope it helps. there was also a really great thread about miners and how they (the body)chooses to mine the easy fuel first(carbs) -instead of the harder fuel - fat. I'll see if I can find it and link.


Ketosis is a condition in which levels of ketones in the blood are elevated. When there are plenty of carbohydrates in the body, it breaks them down into glucose, which is then converted into energy and transported into the cells of our body. The modern human body in most societies usually metabolizes glucose from carbohydrates for energy purposes, rather than energy from fat. However, if there is not enough glucose (from carbohydrates) in the bloodstream the body draws on fat stores for fuel, causing the appearance of ketones in the blood. Therefore anyone losing weight will be in some form of ketosis, although with most diets this is usually only for a very short period of time between meals and although there will be the ketones in the blood there will normally be insufficient to register in the urine or breath.

If however there is a significant amount of fat broken down there will be a build up of excess ketones. Ketones consist of acetone, acetoacetate or beta-hydroxybutyrate. Very high ketone levels can be toxic, making the blood more acid, and may damage such organs as the kidneys and liver. The human body tries to lower acetone (a ketone) levels by breathing it out, causing a sweet and fruity breath. We also reduce ketone levels by expelling them through our urine.

When the body is in ketosis the individual tends to feel less hungry, and will probably eat less than he/she might otherwise do. The body switches from being a carbohydrate-burning organism into a fat-burning one. The fat stores become a primary energy source, and the person loses weight.
 
Very high ketone levels can be toxic, making the blood more acid, and may damage such organs as the kidneys and liver.

Hmm. I'm not 100% sure that's the best description of ketosis I've ever read. :) Whoever wrote it was confusing benign dietary ketosis with ketoacidosis. The kind of ketosis that we get into on low carb diets isn't toxic and it certainly doesn't damage kidneys and liver - unlike ketoacidosis, which is something that can afflict those who suffer from diabetes (and would cause acidosis and organ damage).

Sigh. Anyway, back to the original question:

The problem, as Enough has said, is that you'll gain something in the region of 5-7 pounds if you consume carby stuff whilst off the diet. That's fine if you know it's going to happen and can deal with the 'head stuff' that comes with rapid weight gain. And if you're pretty sure that you can handle going straight back on the diet again, then you're right, you'll be fine.

If...

Because the thing is, I've noticed that each time you get back into ketosis is different. Sometimes it's an absolute breeze and you wonder what everyone makes all the fuss about. Other times, you get the headache that lasts for days on end... I've experienced it both ways, that's for sure. And it's easy to kid yourself that you'll find it easy to get back on the diet when you're still in the throes of ketosis. Unfortunately, once you've had a few pesky carbs, it doesn't seem so easy. :(

You might be one of the lucky ones who really can handle the switch to and from Cambridge relatively painlessly. To be brutally honest, most people find it very difficult - you only have to look at the number of folk who start Cambridge before Christmas, do well and come off 'for Christmas' then find it very very difficult to get back on track in the New Year.
 
I agree with the above comment. CD is such a restricted diet and costly but the outcomes it gives you are totally worth it. If you are considering a meal consisting of carbs every other week I would say it may not be the plan for you. Apart from confusing your body if your losses then average 1-3lb a week you could achieve that on a plan that allows food and costs significantly less than CD. Just a thought.
 
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