HOW LONG CAN YOU BE ON A KETOGENIC DIET BEFORE...

how long can you stay on a ketogenic diet, before your metabolism starts to slow down, due to a downregulation of the thyroid gland? i believe it's not a problem on a CKD, because of the carb-up on the weekend, but what about a TKD?

Ketogenic diets are dangerous! Your body was made to run on carbs.

why do you think they are dangerous? i only wanna do it for like three weeks, to get lean, it's the fastest and easiest way (for me, 'cause you're not hungry all the time). i know it's impossible to gain muscle doing a tkd, but it's a great fatloss diet.

LOL at Rose, either explain or stfu.

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Complex problems have simple, easy to understand, wrong answers.

there is a big difference between being in ketosis and ketoacidosis! a healthy human being will not get ketoacidosis doing a ketogenic diet. the body and the brain work well on either glucose or ketones, depending what's available! you should really inform yourself before making such a strong statement about something you don't know enough about.

there are certain disease conditions that will lead to abnormal keton concentrations in the blood, leading to ketoacidosis, meaning a dangerous drop of ph levels in the blood. being in ketosis (being on a ketogenic diet) does not lead to these conditions! ketosis is normal and safe.

Ketone bodies are just an alternate source of fuel, the body is not designed to use only glucose, if that were the case then ketones wouldn't be produced. Ketoacidosis (when your blood becomes "acidified") only occurs in diabetics who are unable to process ketone bodies and use them for energy. Any healthy individual can live in ketosis quite well. There's your physiology lesson.

Cytrix, I don't think there is a certain number and I don't think it's even been proven to occur at all. But, just watch your rate of weight loss and calorie levels and you should be able to tell.

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Complex problems have simple, easy to understand, wrong answers.

hey TSB, i was kinda counting on you to have an answer for me!

Okay TSB, let me give YOU a physiology lesson. Ketogenic diets force your body to oxide fat at a extremely high rate resulting in the production of ketone bodies. These ketones are used by organs such as the brain for fuel which are biologically designed to run on carbs. The end result is a high acidification of your blood which could lead to death and brain malnutrition.

Ok,lets put the "textbook" stuff aside and talk about the real world.I have competed in about 20 or so bodybuilding competitions and helped prepare clients for countless others.I have used every diet imaginable and nothing has worked as well as a ketogenic diet.I have been on 30 grams of carbs or less for stretches as long as 10 weeks with no ill effects other than occassional fatigue.After an initial adjustment period,the body will learn to adapt and work rather well on this type of diet.In fact,I keep my carbs under 175 grams per day all year and I weigh about 235 in the offseason.Does this mean ketogenic diets are for everyone...no....does this mean that its the healthiest diet...no...but it does work well.However,because we are all individuals and we all react somewhat differently to all things,it is our responsibility to monitor ourselves and our health while on any "radical"or "non-traditional" diet/training/or supplement regimen.

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symmetry over size

Rose, you don't know what you're talking about. Ketosis is a perfectly safe natural adaptation of the body. You're confusing it with ketoacidosis, which is a separate condition. Ketosis is normal, safe, and can even be experienced long-term. I'd suggest picking up a copy of Lyle McDonald's textbook, "The Ketogenic Diet," in which he discusses the natural safety of the diet at length.