I’m chowing down like never before and I’ve lost body fat. I’m eating an average of 2600 calories per day and all I’ve done is lost body fat… My Base Metabolic Rate is 1850 calories per day.
If I was eating that amount of food on my old diet I would, add body fat.
My activity level hasn’t changed. I’m eating more and losing body fat. How does that happen???
Fat is magic! Not really but close.
There are a handful of things going on that becoming fat adapted does for us.
Mitochondria
These little guys are the workhorses of our metabolism. The more we have and the better they work, the less stress our bodies have to deal with and the more energy we can utilize throughout the day.
When we say we are “speeding up” our metabolism what we’re really saying is that we are optimizing our mitochondrial production and performance to increase our body’s ability to burn fuel.
Guess what is the best way to help those mitochondria produce and function……cutting out the carbs and adding in more fat.
“See, mitochondria burn fatty acids cleaner than they burn carbohydrates. Generating ATP via fats/ketones produces fewer free radicals, because it’s more efficient, whereas generating ATP via carbs produces more” – Excerpt from https://www.marksdailyapple.com/managing-your-mitochondria/
Eating more fat “speeds up” your metabolism. That explains why I’m able to eat more than before and still lose fat. I’m burning more than I was before with a slower metabolism.
…..EVEN THOUGH MY ACTIVITY LEVEL IS THE SAME
Brown Fat
Apparently, there are 2 types of body fat. White Fat and Brown Fat. White Fat stores energy and Brown Fat burns energy. Guess what is inside Brown Fat that makes it burn energy……..
Mitochondria!
Brown Fat burns energy for fun. It’s almost like its sole job is to keep our body fat regulated like a release valve. All it does is burn fat.
Summary
Eating a very low carb/zero carb puts us in a position to:
- Remove carbs and become fat adapted
- Providing fat as fuel for mitochondria improves fuel utilization
- Reduces free-radicals
- Allows for enhanced body fat loss regardless of caloric intake
Sign me up!!
Editorial Note
This is why calories in calories out (CICO) doesn’t work. What you put into your body has to go somewhere. There are only three options. Use it, Store it, Get rid of it.
You can increase body fat by ingesting too much dietary fat.
You can decrease body fat even when eating more than your estimated caloric burn
This is why it is so important to keep track of what you’re doing and make adjustments as you go. Everyone is different and it’s up to you to find what works best for your goals.
Bonus Content
Here is a study that shows a relationship to a high-fat diet, mitochondrial production, AND improved protein synthesis in muscle tissue. This is awesome because it means there could be a relationship to fat intake and improved athletic performance and development. Just something I wanted to throw in here since I’m sort of a fitness fanatic.
Wow, very informative