“Will I have weight loss if I’m over 20 g carbs per day?”

How much insulin does it take to totally stop ketosis? Do I keep to the 20 g carbs per day? High or low levels of ketones in the blood when keto-adapted? And, how can a pizza that has over 1,000 calories be conducive to weight loss?

Get the answers in this week’s Q&A with me:

Insulin and ketosis

Hello,

As a person with type 2 diabetes I have had success in losing some weight, reducing my Hba1c and ditching some of my insulin by following keto. Given that, as I understand it, insulin can “turn off” ketosis I assume that I have probably never been in ketosis as I still take 124 units slow per day.

What I would like to know is just how MUCH insulin does it take to totally stop ketosis? Presumably, healthy people following keto have a certain amount of insulin circulating in their bodies… but how much?

Daren

 
Hi Daren,

Interesting question. There are likely individual differences, e.g. it’s not just about the amount of insulin, it’s more about the effect of the insulin. So if you’re insulin resistant (T2D) you’d need more insulin to get the same effect as someone without insulin resistance.

With normal insulin resistance, about 0.25 units per pound of body weight might be considered normal for many people on a standard diet. To get into ketosis would then require significantly less than that, on average. But with insulin resistance, e.g. T2D, this number could be higher.

These numbers are highly individual. It’s impossible to give personalized advice about it. So everyone should consult with a healthcare professional.

Best,
Andreas Eenfeldt

I recently started the keto diet and would like to continue. Do I keep to the 20 g carbs per day?

As I select the various meals for the weekly planner, I realize that the carbs are not high. I remember watching a video from DD where you mentioned not surpassing 50 g. Is this correct? I want to continue experiencing weight loss, so what is recommended?

Leah

 
Hi Leah!

The effect on weight loss tends to be higher the lower you go with carbs. Below 20 net grams per day seems to be the most effective level, but below 50 can work fine too for many people, and it’s easier to do.

Best,
Andreas Eenfeldt

Ketone level for keto-adapted individuals

If a person is keto-adapted, wouldn’t you want to see fewer ketones in the blood? There seems to be to be so much emphasis on high ketone levels.

Sandy

 
You’re right, the emphasis on high ketone levels may be exaggerated. It’s not a contest, and higher levels are not always better.

Best,
Andreas Eenfeldt

A serving of pizza has over 1,000 calories, how can that be conducive to weight loss?

Hi,

I’m a 23-year-old female, (5’9 and 65ish kilos, not overweight but looking to lose fat/define muscle). I signed up for the 2-week challenge and was looking at the recipe for the pizza, which has 1,000+ calories for one serving – for 1 meal it seems like a lot. I watched the video about why counting calories aren’t the best method, and that it matters where your calories come from, and I understand, but this seems like a lot of calories for one meal, and are calories really that arbitrary?

Lana

 

Hi Lana!

It’s not required that you finish it. If you feel that you’d be satisfied with a smaller portion, feel free to make a smaller pizza or leave some leftovers. In the future we hope to have a feature where you can enter your size/weight etc. and get serving sizes more tailored for you.

The idea, however, is to get your weight-regulating hormones (like insulin) working so that you can lose excess weight without voluntarily having to restrict food amounts. It’s better if you’re able to eat what you feel you want, to feel satisfied, and still be able to lose excess weight.

Best,
Andreas Eenfeldt

More

Keto for beginners

Intermittent fasting for beginners

How to lose weight

More questions and answers

Many more questions and answers:

Low-carb Q&A

Read all earlier questions and answers – and ask your own! – here:

Ask Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt about LCHF, diabetes and weight loss – for members (free trial available).