What Is Ketosis?

When you start to lose your carbohydrate and replace it with protein and fat, metabolism starts to shift. The first stage is known as lipolysis, and is the initial burning of fat for energy use.

Ketosis is, in fact, the second part of the process that occurs when your body's metabolism shifts from gaining the energy from carbohydrates to extract it from fat. When this happens, this is the time you lose the most fat. The name ketosis refers to the fat block stored for release as energy, known as ketone.

Ketosis cannot cause muscle tissue loss, unless you are completely out of fat. This makes you better to burn fat, as you maintain your whole body's strength to do so, especially in smaller internal muscles. When ketosis occurs, it may lose one stone in less than a week.

The main side effects of ketosis are bad breath and slow movement. Loss of breath is caused by changes in bacteria and enzymes throughout the digestive system, and slower movements as fats are more difficult to use for energy production, leaving you low on energy. Both are unlikely to be dangerous.

However, if you have diabetes, ketosis can lead to a condition called ketoacidosis, which causes the blood to become more acidic. This can then cause symptoms including confusion, vomiting, and can even go as far as causing coma and death.

If you want to find out if your body is doing ketosis, go to your local chemist and buy a ketone test strip. It operates in a manner similar to the universal indicator strip (if you remember your old chemistry lesson) and turns purple if ketones are contained in the urine.

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