Newbie

Lisa Sheffey said:
Hello I am 53 years old and weigh 230 lbs. My goal
is to first get below 200.  I did keto for 7 months and lost 40 lbs. Then I hit a plateaux and gave up. I know it works but want to be better prepared and informed before starting again.   
Is MCT oil better than Coconut Oil for staying in ketosis?
Are artificial sweeteners bad for keto. 

 40 lbs In 7 Months

That is impressive.  Did you keep it off?

Plateau

They are discouraging. 

It is an indication of that the body has adapted to the diet and something needs to be changed; usually calore intake.

The General Adaptation Syndrome

This means that the body learns and adapts.  It is a survival mechanism.

Adaptation is one of the reason vaccines work.  A small dose of the vaccine is given.

The body responds developing immunity to the disease.  

The same occurs with diets 

Decreasing Calories, Decrese Metabolic Rate

A decrese in calorie intake, lead to a decrease in Metabolic Rate. 

The body adapts to survive.  Once adaption occurs weight loss/fat loss stops.

The Solution

Research (The MADATOR Weight Loss Study) demonstrated how to increase your Metabolic Rate once it stops.

The key is to slighly increase you calorie intake, regardless of the diet you are on.  

A Common Sense Approach

Once weight loss stops, increase your calorie intake approximately 20% for a couple of weeks.

The body will automatically increase your Metabolic Rate with the increase in calories.

That is then followed by decreasing your calorie intake for about two weeks, which increases your Metabolic Rate.

The increase Metabolic Rate is followed by a decrease in calories, which trigger more weight loss.

Any weight gain that took place when you increased your calorie intake will be negated when you decrease your calorie intake for a couple of weeks.

You will lose any weight that you gained plus more.

Calorie Rotation

Alternateting with this method of decreasing and increasing calories allows weight loss/fat loss to be maintained.

The research demonstrated that this method preserved muscle mass and increased fat loss.

MCT Oil Vs Cocnut Oil Ketones

MCT Oil elicits more ketones. 

However, an increase in ketones does not mean an increase in body fat nor fat loss.  

Any diet in which you are in a calorie deficit; burning more calorie than you consume will produce weight loss.

The Twinkie Diet

Mark Haub, MS Nutrition, at Kansas State demonstrated that when there is a calorie deficit, even when eating junk food, weight loss occurs.  Haub lost  27 lbs in three months. 

Haub did it to demonstrated his students that the first rule of weight loss is, "Calories In, Calories Out."

Insulin Resistance

One of the issues with overweight individuals is they tend to be Insulin Resistant 

That means their body tend to store glucose as body fat.  

A High Carbohydrate Diet

Individual who are Insulin Resistant have elevated Blood Glucose Levels.

This trigger elevated Insulin Levels; insulin is realesed to bring Blood Glucose Levels down.

Unfortunateley, elevated Insulin Levels blocks body fat from being utilized for fuel and inceasse body fat storage. 

Jay Robb, Nutritionist

As he he stated, "Insulin is a Fat Maker.  Glucagon is a Fat Taker."

Glucagon is one of the fat burning hormons.  

Elevated Insulin Levels block Glucagon Levels; which burns body fat.

Low Carbodhuarte Diets

Low Carbohydrate Intake minimizes Blood Sugar, less Insulin is produced.

When Insulin Levels are lower Glucagon and other fat burning hormones are released, buning more fat calories

A Low Carbohydrate Diet is around 150 gram or less.

The Ketogenic Diet

This is a Untra Low Carbohydrate Diet.  

Artificial Sweeteners

Most individual don't have any issue with them.  They don't produce any increase in Blood Sugar Levels; Insulin Release.  Nor do they affect Ketones.

I have been on the Ketogenic Diet since July 2016 due to a metabolic conditiion.  

I have a Glcometer, Blood Ketone Meter and a Ketonix Breath Ketone Meter.  

I constantly monitor my Blood Glucose and Ketones. 

I have Diet Drinks and my readings are great.

Diabetic Friend

I have a Diabetic Friend that found that Diet Drinks elevate his Blood Sugar. 

The only way to determine if Artifical Sweeteners affects your Blood Sugar Level, which may affect your Ketone Level, is to pruchase a Glucometer. 

Diathrive      

I have the Diathrive Glucometer.  It pretty inexpensive. 

The Test Strip are about 8 cents each.