What is Fat-Adapted or Keto-Adapted?

Metabolic ketosis can occur during fasting, pregnancy, infancy, or starvation, but experiencing ketosis and achieving fat-adaptation is not precisely the same.

Granted, eating a diet consisting of no more than 50 total carbs and 20 net grams (total carbs - fiber) of carbohydrates a day is an excellent approach to coaxing the body to rely on fat and ketones rather than glucose (sugar) fuel. However, entering a state of metabolic ketosis, but not necessarily effectively relying on fat as the body's preferred and primary energy source is the essential factor between the two states of being.

Of course, eliminating carbs and sugars can put the body in a ketotic state. Still, fat-adaptation refers to the body converting to systematically relying on and preferring ketones and fat to glucose—it's a process more than a singular or short-term event.

Learning more about fat-adaptation will help uncover all its potent health benefits and why achieving and maintaining it is essential to optimizing a low-carb, high-fat lifestyle.

• Fat-adaptation is a longer-term transition that you shouldn't expect to occur overnight. It's taken a while to train your body to rely on glucose and other sugars in a state of carb-adaptation, and switching the body's inclination will require reformation.
• No worries, the transition to fat-adaptation requires effort and intention, but the process is quite simple once you ditch the carbs and focus on eating loads of healthy fats.
• Don't get us wrong, it's impossible to run the body without glucose, quite literally. However, although we will always utilize a mixture of fat, ketones, and glucose to function, our systems will prefer the former as their primary fuel source, using glucose sparingly and efficiently.
• Many find that their appetite naturally dwindles once they've removed carbs and most sugar from their diet consistently for a couple of weeks.
• However, there is no need for alarm. A standard signal of the body relying on fat over sugar is a decreased appetite and fewer if any pesky cravings—an incredible advantage if you want to lose excess body fat!
• Heightened focus is something that most would welcome, especially as hectic as life is today. Thankfully, the body's increased ketone levels when in ketosis or a fat-adapted state improves mental focus and sharpness.
• Expect to experience a sounder sleep once fat-adapted as preliminary studies indicate increased ketones aid in a more restorative slumber.
• Increased and rapid weight loss is a benefit experienced by many, especially when getting started and on the road to fat adaptation. Plus, you'll notice that other notable bonuses shared above can work well in concert toward your fitness goals as increased energy and stamina lend toward engaging in a more active, healthy, and energized lifestyle.

While there are many benefits to reap once the body starts relying on fat and ketones for fuel, it's crucial to stay mindful to avoid mistakes commonly made by those new to the ketogenic diet.

Here are some notes to help to avoid a few commonly experienced side effects:

• Keto Flu: Fatigue, brain fog, and intense breath may all act as evidence that the body is beginning to run on fat for fuel. Your body may have come accustomed to accessing glucose for frequent and short-lived bursts of energy, and weaning our system off sugar to convert to running on ketones and fat can pose some physical reactions.
  
  However, we can take simple steps to mitigate or avoid the common symptoms of the keto flu as the body adjusts to using fat as a primary energy source. Check out our dedicated article for all the tips needed to mitigate or side-step the initiation woes of the keto diet—possibly entirely.
• Eat your macros: Restricting carb or calorie intake significantly may feel familiar if you’re a serial dieter, but skimping on your food intake can backfire! Focus on filling your meal plan with a wide variety of nutrient-dense, low-carb options and you’ll soon naturally eat until you're full, and nothing more, with ease.
• Measure non-scale victories: Whether it’s easier to chase your littles around or you notice yourself achieving groundbreaking personal records in fitness, notice improvements happening apart from the scale for best perspective, especially during times when the scale may stall.
• Drink your H2O: Water is essential for all, but drinking adequate levels is especially important for anyone following a ketogenic diet. Ample water intake and frequently replenishing hydration will aid in feeling your best as your body releases higher levels of water and other elements in the presence of increased ketone levels in the body.
• Be patient and trust the process: Your body didn’t become attuned to running on carbs and tons of sugar overnight and our body’s need time to convert to fat-burners, too—no surprise there. However, it’s easy to feel antsy and anxious to become fat-adapted quickly, but no worries, there’s no need to rush.

Although it takes time, once achieved, fat-adaptation offers many health benefits and helps you better utilize and regulate how your body accesses and burns fuel—even improving our ability to manage insulin well naturally.

Plus, certain foods aid in fat-adaptation as they are rich in nutrients, low in carbs, and help you feel fuller for longer. Here are some notable foods to enjoy as you seek to boost ketone levels and achieve running on fat for fuel:

• Coffee: We know you likely need little encouragement to drink a warm cup of java, but do so with a bit of added comfort as those aromatic roasted beans also aid in protecting against fatty liver disease.
• Green tea
• Bone Broth
• Berries: Stick to blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries to keep your options on the low-glycemic side.
• Avocado
• Lemon
• Unsweetened yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Cheese
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Collard greens
• Turnip
• Bok choy
• Garlic: Plus, garlic enhances food's flavor and provides an anti-inflammatory effect.
• Canned tuna or salmon
• Unsweetened almond milk
• Unsweetened coconut milk

Deficiencies can occur when eating any dietary style, and this remains true with a ketogenic diet. Our bodies release increased levels of fluid, vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes when in ketosis or fat-adapted, making it especially important to replenish nutrients and hydration on a low-carb, high-fat diet.

Plus, some can become obsessed with monitoring macronutrient intake (e.g., fat, carbs, protein, fiber, et al.) to the point of neglecting micronutrients (e.g., vitamins and minerals). And placing all the attention on curbing carbs and boosting fat while disregarding eating nutrients or drinking probiotic-rich foods to encourage digestive health may result in deficiencies and gut microbiome dysfunction.

Fortunately, there are many foods and beverages to enjoy to boost the gut microbiome: kombucha, pickles, kimchi, and bone broth are all keto-friendly items to consume for an abundance of nutrient-rich fare that also supports a healthy gut microbiome.

We've even dedicated a post to keto-friendly preserved foods that you may find handy to preserve your favorite meals of the season to enjoy throughout the year.

Ways to Ease Adaptation

Every transition comes with its set of changes. Adaptation requires adjustment, and shifting the body's metabolic mechanism from carb-burning to fat-burning is a unique experience.

From encountering the 'keto flu' to your appetite curbing effortlessly before your eyes, there are tangible effects tied to becoming fat-adapted.

While the process of adjusting to a fat-adapted state poses a call for a commitment to cutting carbs, there are a few ways to lessen the effects of the transitory process, especially during week one.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you embark upon fat adaptation:

• Boost salt and water intake: Again, our bodies release increased levels of fluid (water weight), salt, minerals, and vitamins when in ketosis, and it is vital to replenish hydration, nutrients, and electrolytes regularly to maintain adequate levels to feel your best. Salt your food and/or beverages with a good quality salt or take a daily electrolyte supplement.
• Curb intense workouts: Engaging in extreme activities is an excellent way to re-establish ketosis quickly after a slip-up; you’ll empty your glucose stores swiftly causing the body to alternatively seek fat for fuel.
  
  But, a metabolic energy swap may leave you feeling a tad drained at first, as your body efforts to recalibrate from running on glucose to operating primarily on fat and ketones for fuel.
  
  But, you can remain active with a minor adjustment. Opt for low-impact, steady-state activity like walking or pilates instead of anything rigorous.
• Eat loads of fat and fiber: Consuming healthy fat is always a goal on a ketogenic diet; it will keep you full and always satiated. However, incorporating fiber into your meal plan will prevent pesky problems like constipation and aid sustained digestive health—don’t skip it!
• Improved Insulin Sensitivity: Consuming excessive carbs can cause the body to regulate glucose and insulin in the body poorly, but a keto diet can steer your insulin health in a positive direction.
• Further Spaced-out Meals: Many note a reduced appetite as they rely more heavily on fat and ketones for fuel, along with needing to eat fewer times throughout the day.
  
  Don't be alarmed if you feel less hungry, eat smaller portions at each setting and your cravings virtually vanish once fat-adapted—it's par for the course.
• Optimized Use of Fat for Fuel: While many experience growing pangs when transitioning to fat-adaptation, once settled, our bodies begin to run at peak performance levels and require refueling significantly less often.
• Enjoy a Constant Fuel Source: Spikes and dips in energy are common when carb-adapted, which is why those relying on glucose for fuel feel the need to eat about every three hours when glucose levels drop and require frequent replenishing often to maintain current performance.
  
  However, you'll always have an ample and premium energy supply when in ketosis and fat-adapted as the body efficiently manages and produces ketone levels that are ever present when fat-adapted.
• Burn More Fat During Exercise: Those relying on sugar to power through workouts are more dependent on fast-digesting sugars to boost their activities.
  
  However, those who are fat-adapted and easily able to work out in a fasted state or without the boon of high-glycemic carbohydrates can tap into fat stores for fuel and burn excess amounts of stored, even visceral, fat—resulting in safe and often rapid weight loss in areas of the body most essential to health (e.g., about the abdomen).
• Enjoy Metabolic Flexibility: Our bodies need glucose. Some levels of sugars are necessary for the body to operate brain and bodily function properly. However, an excess of glucose or jamming our system to the point that it no longer regulates insulin signals may result in metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.
  
  However, the body can most efficiently use fat, ketones, and glucose to best fuel the body based on its present needs and demands once it adapts to using ketones and fat as its primary fuel source.
  
  What’s even better is that the body learns to run on fat and ketones primarily for steady-state premium energy, but it can fluidly access glucose efficiently when and as needed, as well. You get the best of both worlds!