Keto Diet: Quick Results, But How Long Do They Last?

The ketogenic diet, or keto, is a high-fat, low-carb diet that aims to change the way the body uses energy. Normally, the body converts carbohydrates into glycogen for energy, but on the keto diet, the body enters a metabolic state called ketosis, where fat is burned for energy instead. While keto can lead to quick weight loss, critics argue that it is mostly water weight and research on its long-term effectiveness is lacking. Additionally, the restrictive nature of the diet can make it challenging to maintain, and it may not be suitable for everyone. Before starting any new diet, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional to ensure it is safe and appropriate for your individual needs.

Speed keto: Combining keto with intermittent fasting

Speed Keto is a diet program that combines the keto diet with intermittent fasting. This extreme form of keto involves eating only one meal a day, with the goal of achieving faster ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat instead of glucose for energy. While Speed Keto may lead to rapid weight loss, it is important to consider the potential benefits and health risks associated with this diet.

Benefits of Speed Keto

• Faster ketosis: Intermittent fasting can help the body reach ketosis more quickly. By reducing calorie intake and shifting the body's fuel source from carbs to fats, intermittent fasting complements the keto diet and may accelerate the transition to ketosis.
• Weight loss: The primary selling point of Speed Keto is the potential for rapid weight loss. By restricting calorie intake and entering ketosis, the body may burn fat more efficiently, leading to a reduction in overall body fat.
• Health benefits: The keto diet has been found to lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Combining it with intermittent fasting may enhance these potential health benefits.

Potential Health Risks and Downsides

• Unsustainability: Speed Keto, like the traditional keto diet, may be challenging to maintain in the long term. The restrictive nature of the diet, especially the one meal a day requirement, can make it difficult to stick to over an extended period.
• Unknown long-term effects: The long-term effects of the keto diet are still unknown, and the same applies to Speed Keto. It is important to consider the potential impact on overall health before adopting this extreme diet.
• Difficulty in building muscle: The keto diet, including Speed Keto, can make it more challenging to build and maintain muscle mass. This is an important consideration for individuals with specific fitness or athletic goals.
• "Keto flu": Adopting the keto diet, and Speed Keto in particular, may lead to temporary flu-like symptoms, including fatigue, mental fogginess, and irritability. This is known as "keto flu" and can affect individuals differently.
• Nutritional deficiencies: Speed Keto may result in insufficient macronutrient intake, potentially leading to muscle breakdown and stress on the thyroid, adrenals, or sex hormones. It is crucial to ensure adequate nutrition and consult with a healthcare professional before starting this diet.
• Mental health impact: The cycle of fasting and then consuming a large meal may have negative effects on mental health, especially for individuals with a history of binge eating disorder or other eating disorders. It is important to consider past eating habits and consult a healthcare professional if concerned.
• Social challenges: Sticking to Speed Keto protocols can be challenging, especially when dining out with friends or attending social events. The one meal a day restriction may be difficult to maintain in certain social situations.

Sample Schedule for Speed Keto

7:00 a.m.: Breakfast stuffed peppers with cheese

10:00 a.m.: 4 ounces of plain Greek yogurt with 1/2 cup of berries

12:00 p.m.: Tuna salad-stuffed avocado boats (tuna salad with peppers, celery, and mayo served in avocado halves)

3:00 p.m.: Sliced raw vegetables and 2 tablespoons of tzatziki sauce

5:30 p.m.: Steak, cauliflower rice, and roasted vegetables

7:00 p.m.: 1-2 cups of popcorn

While Speed Keto may lead to faster ketosis and rapid weight loss, it is important to carefully consider the potential health risks and downsides. This diet may not be suitable for everyone, and it is essential to consult a healthcare professional before making any significant dietary changes. Additionally, it is worth noting that combining keto with intermittent fasting may not be necessary for everyone, as simply following a healthy, well-rounded keto diet can also lead to improved health and weight loss.

Ketosis: A metabolic state that burns fat instead of carbs

Ketosis is a metabolic state where the body uses fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. The body can reach this state in about two days to a week through a low-carb, high-fat diet, like the ketogenic diet.

Normally, the body converts carbohydrates, or sugar, into glycogen for energy. On the ketogenic diet, carbs are drastically reduced, limiting the body to less than 50 grams of net carbs per day. This forces the body to enter a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of glycogen.

Benefits of ketosis

The keto diet was originally developed in the 1920s as a treatment for children with epilepsy. Today, it is also used as a medical diet to treat other diseases, like type 2 diabetes and obesity. Studies show that ketones provide energy without elevating blood sugar levels, which reduces the need for insulin.

There are also indications that the keto diet may be beneficial for brain health. A small study in 2019 showed that a low-carb diet may improve memory in adults with mild cognitive problems, which could be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease.

Downsides of ketosis

Despite the potential weight loss and health benefits, some experts caution against the keto diet, recommending a more moderate approach to eating. Lorraine Turcotte, a metabolism researcher at the University of Southern California, says she would not recommend the keto diet, especially to athletes, as it can lead to a breakdown of muscles. The body cannot function optimally without carbohydrates, so it may resort to using muscle stores for energy instead.

Turcotte also points out that a keto diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies, as it cuts out carbohydrate-rich food groups like fruits, whole grains, and legumes, which are essential for overall health.

Combining keto with intermittent fasting

Some people combine the keto diet with intermittent fasting, where they only eat during a certain window of the day. This approach has gained popularity as a way to boost weight loss and improve results. However, experts caution that this combination can be challenging to maintain and may be risky for people with medical conditions.

Tips for reaching ketosis

• Fasting: Studies show that fasting for two to three days can quickly trigger ketosis.
• Exercise: Physical activity helps deplete glycogen reserves more quickly.
• Avoid supplements: Preliminary studies suggest that keto pills and other supplements do not help in reaching ketosis faster.

Weight loss: Keto may help lose weight faster than other diets

The ketogenic diet, or keto, is a high-fat, low-carb diet that aims to change the way the body uses energy. Normally, the body converts carbohydrates into glycogen for energy. On the keto diet, carbohydrates are reduced so that the body can enter a metabolic state called ketosis, where fat is burned for energy instead of glycogen.

Ketosis is a metabolic state that can help you shed fat fast. The body can reach ketosis in about two days to a week through a low-carb, high-fat diet. Low-carb diets have been shown to help people lose weight and fat faster than other diets, but they don't necessarily lead to greater weight loss in the long term.

One trial showed that obese women following a low-carb diet lost nearly 10 pounds more than those on a low-fat diet over six months. They also lost significantly more body fat – 10.5 pounds compared to 4.4 pounds. However, most weight loss studies on keto have been short-term, so the performance of this diet over a longer period is unclear.

Keto can be an extremely challenging diet to follow. It is recommended that anyone considering this diet consult a qualified health professional, especially if they have underlying health conditions.

To reach ketosis, you must first reduce your body's glycogen reserves. The keto diet does this by limiting carbohydrates to less than 50 grams per day. After about two days to a week of restricting carbs, your body should start burning fat for energy.

• Fasting: Studies involving children with epilepsy have shown that fasting for two or three days triggers ketosis quickly.
• Exercise: Physical activity is powered by carbohydrates and will help deplete your glycogen reserves more quickly.
• Avoid supplements: Preliminary studies suggest that supplements like keto pills do not help to kickstart ketosis faster.

Downsides of keto

Despite the weight loss and other potential health benefits, some experts do not recommend keto over a more moderate approach to eating. One reason is that keto can lead to a breakdown of muscles, as the body cannot operate optimally without carbohydrates and may resort to using muscle stores instead.

Another concern is the high fat intake, especially saturated fat, which may not be good for cardiovascular health in the long term. Cardiologists say the diet could lead to high cholesterol. Over time, ketosis can also cause side effects like kidney stones and constipation in children following the diet for epilepsy treatment.

Keto is also a very strict regime to follow for a long period of time. In addition, leaving out carbohydrate-rich food groups like fruits, whole grains, and legumes can lead to a nutritionally deficient diet, lacking in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.

Combining keto with intermittent fasting

Some people combine keto with intermittent fasting, where they eat only during a certain window of the day. This approach is called 'speed keto'. Experts say that while this can boost weight loss in the short term, it is not recommended, especially for beginners. It can be difficult to maintain and may be risky for people with medical conditions.

The keto diet may help you lose weight faster than other diets, but it is a very restrictive and challenging diet to follow. It is important to consult a healthcare professional before starting this diet, especially if you have any underlying health conditions.

Health benefits: Potential to treat type 2 diabetes, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's

The ketogenic diet has been found to have several health benefits, including the potential to treat type 2 diabetes, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's.

Type 2 Diabetes

The keto diet can be beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes as it improves glycemic (or blood sugar) control and insulin resistance. It may also reduce the need for insulin and increase heart-healthy HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. In a 2018 study, a group of 262 people with type 2 diabetes were able to reduce their A1C levels and reduce or eliminate diabetes medication after one year of ketogenic dieting.

Epilepsy

The classic ketogenic diet is a special high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that helps control seizures in some people with epilepsy, especially children whose seizures have not responded to medication. The diet is usually started in the hospital, with the patient fasting (except for water) under close medical supervision for 18-24 hours. The diet is then started, either by slowly increasing the calories or the ratio of fat to carbohydrates and protein. The typical "classical" ketogenic diet, called the "long-chain triglyceride diet," provides 3 to 4 grams of fat for every 1 gram of carbohydrate and protein, or about 90% of calories from fat. Over half of the children who go on the diet experience at least a 50% reduction in the number of their seizures, and some, usually 10-15%, even become seizure-free.

Alzheimer's

The brain usually relies on glucose as its primary source of energy, but in people with Alzheimer's, the brain is less able to use glucose for fuel. However, its ability to use ketones as an alternative energy source remains intact. Ketones are produced when the body is in short supply of glucose and turns to fat as its main energy source. A pilot study, the Ketogenic Diet Retention and Feasibility Trial (KDRAFT), showed that cognitive scores of participants with mild Alzheimer's improved significantly after a three-month intervention with the ketogenic diet.

It is important to note that the ketogenic diet is not a magic cure and does not have the long-term health implications are not well-known. Before starting the keto diet, it is recommended to consult a qualified health professional.

Downsides: Nutritional deficiencies, kidney stones, and constipation

The keto diet is a very high-fat, very low-carb, and moderate-protein eating plan. While it may be effective for weight loss, it also has several potential downsides, including nutritional deficiencies, kidney stones, and constipation.

Nutritional Deficiencies

The keto diet restricts carbohydrates and protein, which can lead to deficiencies in essential micronutrients. Specifically, those on the keto diet may be at risk of not getting enough selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins B and C. These nutrients are typically found in fruits, whole grains, and vegetables, which are limited on the keto diet.

Kidney Stones

The keto diet has been associated with an increased risk of kidney stones. This is due to several factors, including chronic metabolic acidosis, dehydration, and low urine pH. These factors contribute to the formation of uric acid and calcium oxalate stones. The prevalence of renal calculi in people on the keto diet is 3-10%, compared to 1 in several thousand in the general population.

Constipation

Constipation is another common side effect of the keto diet. This is because high-carb, fiber-rich foods like fruits, whole grains, and starchy vegetables are restricted on the keto diet. Fiber is essential for maintaining regular bowel movements, and a lack of fiber can lead to digestive issues like constipation. Additionally, the transition to a very high-fat diet can also cause gastrointestinal upset, leading to constipation.

Frequently asked questions