can you gain weight and have your ketostixs dark purple?

[aim in Fla*working]

just a question for my BF.....

[malibu2008]

well i may be a different situation but im using low carb currently to GAIN weight, and am doing so successfullY!

[aim in Fla*working]

hi malibu YES I read your thread..you are underweight thought....I was wondering for overweight peeps. Are you using the ketostixs?

[tybeeanna]

Yes one way is to be dehydrated

[aim in Fla*working]

he averages 2 liters a day..sometimes 3 but today he had only 1 liter of water and 4 glasses of crystal light.
I don't think he is dehydrated.
That is a good thought though...

[Charski]

Ketostix can measure the dietary fat you're burning, as well as whatever fat is already onboard (which is what you'd LIKE to burn off!), so yes, you could be eating a lot of fat and burning it for fuel and still gain weight if you're taking in too many calories!

[aim in Fla*working]

thanks Charski!
I guess it is good something is getting burned. I told him that if it was purple he was passing ketones and that was fat...he said, so if I ate fries it would change..and it would...so i guess the diff is that you actually burn fat when you nix the fries...

[BrianSCohen]

Assuming your BF is doing low carb, then purple on the ketostix means that he is generating excess ketones. It may be transient, but if it is ongoing then he is in deep ketosis. Most people don't overproduce ketones, they just produce what they need. During heavy exercise, your body will often go into deep ketosis, but that ends after a couple hours of recovery.

You can gain weight in ketosis, but it is very difficult to gain fat. You can gain muscle and lean body mass by keeping your protein intake high (200 g+) and exercising. Too much protein, and you may kick yourself out of ketosis.

[aim in Fla*working]

ah,s o that if he is deep purple and he is well hydrated he is either gaining muscle mass or losing fat?

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by aim in Fla*working

ah,s o that if he is deep purple and he is well hydrated he is either gaining muscle mass or losing fat?

Well not really. He is generating excess ketones from fat. He may or may not be gaining muscle or losing fat. He could just be burning his dietary fat. If you don't have enough dietary fat to meet demands, you will burn body fat.

[polarbear]

Originally Posted by BrianSCohen

Well not really. He is generating excess ketones from fat. He may or may not be gaining muscle or losing fat. He could just be burning his dietary fat. If you don't have enough dietary fat to meet demands, you will burn body fat.

I thought fat in the diet was a good thing? I'm still on induction levels of carbs but have not lost anything in almost 2 weeks. That after an initial drop of 23 pounds in the first 2 weeks. Should I be watching fat and calories so soon? I'm getting my calories of around 2500 as 65% fat.
Thanks

Jay

[aim in Fla*working]

good question Jay.
My BF has been burning pruple sticks for 2 weeks and he has not lost a pound.

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by polarbear

I thought fat in the diet was a good thing? I'm still on induction levels of carbs but have not lost anything in almost 2 weeks. That after an initial drop of 23 pounds in the first 2 weeks. Should I be watching fat and calories so soon? I'm getting my calories of around 2500 as 65% fat.
Thanks

Jay

Look, I have my own view of things. Others may totally disagree. In my view, induction is about adaptation, getting your body used to burning fat. During that process, you will lose some water weight as your glycogen levels drop. If you return to your Sad American Diet, all that water weight will reappear.

As you move beyond adaptation, your weight will either fall or rise depending upon your bodies requirements and what you eat (as long as you don't drop too low). For Jay, I figure your BMR at about 2500-2600 calories. If you are totally sedentary, your total figure would be about 1.2xBMR or about 3000 calories. Unfortunately that is probably nearly to the point where your body thinks you are starving. If you are exercising, your body may well have freaked out thinking there is a famine. Strangely, at too high a calorie deficit, your body may attempt to hold on to every single molecule thinking you are dying.

I know it seems strange, but if you do think you are severely calorie deficient and you are stuck, you should try to up your calories. You may not even realize you are getting too few calories, as with a low carb diet you don't get as hungry. You can eat more fat and even some more protein to do this. Remember, unless you are really watching your fat and calories (with something like fitday) you are just guessing.

[polarbear]

Thanks Brian-
I do use fitday although I occasionally forget to add something in. But I have had trouble eating lately. My appetite is low. I can easily skip breakfast or lunch or both when at work. Sometimes I just forget to eat.
Thanks for the advice. I've read some of your posts and liked what you had to say.
I'll be more vigilant about not skipping meals and getting enough calories. While I don't do formal exercise I work on my feet all day and do a lot of bending and lifting as well. Not sedentary, but not yet at the gym. I plan on beginning weight training when I feel more comfortable in the gym.

Thanks again.

Jay

[Ilpirata]

For Jay, I figure your BMR at about 2500-2600 calories. If you are totally sedentary, your total figure would be about 1.2xBMR or about 3000 calories. Unfortunately that is probably nearly to the point where your body thinks you are starving. If you are exercising, your body may well have freaked out thinking there is a famine. Strangely, at too high a calorie deficit, your body may attempt to hold on to every single molecule thinking you are dying.

Don't forget to subtract 300-500 calories for weight loss to complete the HB Equation. That would mean eat approximately 2500 - 2800 calories for weight loss based on Brian's other calculations. (which are for SEDENTARY lifestyle not including exercise)

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by Ilpirata

Don't forget to subtract 300-500 calories for weight loss to complete the HB Equation. That would mean eat approximately 2500 - 2800 calories for weight loss based on Brian's other calculations. (which are for SEDENTARY lifestyle not including exercise)

Kisha,

You are exactly right. I think your target calorie deficit of 300-500 is a great target for sustained weight loss. That should let you get a pound a week and keep going week after week. My concern was that most people here are also doing some form of exercise and adding that in might result in a calorie deficit much greater than 500.