out-of-control blood-sugar levels, a condition that can occur as well in alcoholics and people in a state of extreme starvation. Ketosis and ketoacidosis may sound vaguely alike, but the two conditions are virtually polar opposites. They can always be distinguished from each other by the fact that the diabetic in ketoacidosis has been consuming excessive carbohydrates and has high blood sugar, in sharp contrast to the fortunate person doing Atkins.
To avoid any further confusion, I will use the term lipolysis throughout this chapter to describe the process of burning fat for energy.
Many controlled carbohydrate regimens have been proposed over the years. They work with some degree of effectiveness for some people. However, many of them do not bring carbohydrate intake down to a level that will permit lipolysis. For people who are metabolically obese and have great difficulty losing, that is a grave weakness.
Atkins, on the other hand, starts off at 20 grams of carbohydrates. Each individual then proceeds at his or her own rate, gradually adding back both the amount and the variety of carbohydrate foods. We ' ll get into the specifics of how you calculate grams of carbohydrate and which carbs you will and will not be eating in Chapter 8. For now, let me assure you that my state-of-the-art weight loss program is the safest, healthiest, most luxurious way to become and stay slim for the remainder of your life.
Going for It
How does lipolysis work? Lipolysis simply means that you ' re burning your fat stores and using them as the source of fuel they were meant to be.
The by-products of burning fat are ketones. When your body releases ketones-which it will do in your breath and your urine-it is chemical proof that you ' re consuming your own stored fat. Once more, for emphasis: When a person on a safe, controlled carbohydrate plan such as mine is releasing ketones, he or she is in the fat-dissolving state of lipolysis. This process is simply the most efficient path ever devised for getting you slim. And the more ketones you release, the more fat you have dissolved.
Lipolysis is the biochemical method of weight loss-the alternative to using glucose for fuel, the very process that has made you heavy. Lipolysis can be your life raft, giving you both slimness and health, and distancing you from the obese person ' s perils of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Most of all, of course, it is the key to achieving your goalto use up the fat stored on your body.
The phenomenon of lipolysis or fat burning being the major alternative fuel system has been so well researched that it is simply not disputed in academic circles. It is scientific fact.
Lipolysis vs. Glucosis
Many scientists are of the opinion that you need glucose for fuel. That statement is only partially true. Ketones provide the exception. They are derived from fat when lipolysis is occurring, and are the other source of fuel that energizes our cells and powers our brain and other vital organs. Ketones fuel the body in lipolysis just as glucose fuels the body in
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