I’ve read that intermittent fasting causes the body to enter ketosis in as little as 12 hours with a regular carbohydrate diet (so a typical intermittent fast schedule is 16 hrs of not eating and 8 hrs of eating). This is supposedly because the liver depletes its glycogen in about 12 hrs. But don’t muscles also store glycogen?
Furthermore, I’ve read elsewhere that it takes the body 2-4 days to enter ketosis when you eat a lower carbohydrate diet.
Can someone explain the distinction between these figures and how long it takes ketosis to happen?
In: 6
You enter ketosis when the sugar is burned. That’s it. Many people get into light keto every night, because you technically fast all night providing you aren’t a midnight snacker. If you have a liver full of stored sugar, ketosis can take longer. Exercise can get you there more quickly. To maintain ketosis, you need to ingest fewer carbs than you use. For many people, especially just starting out, 20g of carbs is the max and those are generally allocated to veggies for better nutrition.
As an aside, fasting is a tool for many things. One need not fast at all to get into and remain in ketosis. For some, it’s simply a way of managing eating.
Latest Answers