Keto And Weight Loss: Losing Fat, Not Weight

The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a low-carb way of eating that has been adopted by many looking to lose weight and improve their health. However, some people are interested in the keto diet for the health benefits without wanting to lose weight. This is possible, but it requires a careful approach. Firstly, it is important to note that being in a calorie deficit is key to losing weight, so eating enough calories to maintain weight is crucial. This can be achieved by consuming whole foods, increasing physical activity, and upping protein intake. Additionally, it is important to choose healthy fats like avocados, nuts, and seeds, and lean protein sources like seafood and poultry. Managing stress, getting adequate sleep, and incorporating strength training and cardio exercises can also help maintain weight while on the keto diet. While it is possible to gain the health benefits of keto without losing weight, it is important to note that the diet can be restrictive and challenging to follow.

Calorie deficit

A calorie deficit is a state in which you consume fewer calories than your body burns, creating a negative energy balance that promotes weight loss. This can be achieved by reducing your calorie intake, increasing physical activity, or a combination of both. A calorie deficit is a fundamental principle of weight loss, regardless of the diet you follow. Here are some key points to consider about calorie deficits:

Understanding Calorie Deficits

• The basic formula for a calorie deficit is "Energy stored = energy in – energy out." This means that if you consume fewer calories than your body uses, it will tap into its fat stores to make up for the deficit, resulting in weight loss.
• The recommended daily caloric intake reduction for a calorie deficit is between 500 and 1,000 calories, which can lead to about 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week.
• Achieving a calorie deficit doesn't mean starving yourself. It's about creating a balanced diet with nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods while avoiding highly processed, calorie-dense foods.
• The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that aims to induce a state of ketosis, where the body burns fat for energy instead of glucose. While keto can be effective for weight loss, it's important to monitor your calorie intake as well.
• Keto-friendly foods like avocados, olive oil, nuts, and full-fat dairy are high in calories. Therefore, it's crucial to watch your portion sizes and not overindulge, even when eating keto-approved foods.
• Combining the keto diet with a calorie deficit can be a powerful approach to weight loss. The reduced carb intake in keto can help suppress appetite, and the calorie deficit ensures you're not consuming more calories than your body needs.

Tips for Creating a Calorie Deficit

• Prioritize whole, unprocessed foods: Choose lean proteins like chicken, fish, and plant-based options. Include plenty of leafy greens and low-sugar fruits. Opt for healthy fats like avocado and olive oil in moderation.
• Increase physical activity: Engage in cardiovascular exercises like brisk walking, swimming, or HIIT workouts. Incorporate strength training with free weights or resistance bands to build muscle and boost metabolism.
• Optimize protein intake: Protein promotes satiety and spares lean muscle during calorie restriction. Aim for 0.73 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
• Practice portion control: Be mindful of your portion sizes, especially with calorie-dense foods. Use a food scale or measuring cups to accurately measure your food portions.
• Stay hydrated and replenish electrolytes: Proper hydration is crucial for optimal physical performance and muscle function. Electrolytes like sodium and potassium are important for muscle function and can be obtained from sports drinks or electrolyte supplements.

Exercise

• Ease into your workout routine: When starting the keto diet, your body goes through a metabolic adjustment phase, which can make you feel sluggish. So, start slowly and listen to your body.
• Choose a keto-friendly pre-workout: Most pre-workout supplements are loaded with sugar, which can kick you out of ketosis. Pure C8 MCT oil is a good alternative as it provides long-lasting energy.
• Opt for strength training over HIIT workouts: Aerobic exercise, such as strength training, yoga, and stability training, is better suited to the keto diet as the body uses fat as its primary energy source during these lower-intensity workouts.
• If you are doing high-intensity workouts, boost your carb intake: If you want to do HIIT workouts, you can consume an additional 15-30g of net carbs from simple carbohydrates 30-60 minutes before your workout. This will fuel your muscles without kicking you out of ketosis.
• Make sure you're eating enough: It's important to nourish your body with quality foods to properly fuel your workouts and support recovery. Include healthy fats, such as MCT oil, avocado, and omega 3, as well as lean protein sources.
• Listen to your body: There is no one-size-fits-all approach to keto and exercise. If you're feeling subpar energy levels or halted weight loss, adjust your workout routine or diet accordingly.

In addition to these tips, it's important to incorporate physical activity into your lifestyle, even outside of structured workouts. Aim to move more in your everyday life, such as taking short walking breaks, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or standing up during phone calls. These small calorie-burning movements can add up and contribute to your overall weight loss goals.

Hormonal imbalance

Hormones play a crucial role in regulating various bodily functions, including metabolism, appetite, and weight management. Thus, a hormonal imbalance can impact weight loss efforts, including those on a keto diet. Here are some ways to address hormonal imbalance while on a keto diet:

Manage Cortisol Levels:

Cortisol, often referred to as the "stress hormone," can impact weight management. Prolonged elevated levels of cortisol are associated with an increased risk of disease and weight gain, especially around the belly area. The keto diet may impact cortisol levels due to the reduction in carbohydrate intake, which can cause a loss of sodium and, consequently, increased cortisol release. To mitigate this, ensure your keto diet contains adequate sodium levels, as a well-formulated keto diet with sufficient sodium is unlikely to significantly alter cortisol levels. Additionally, managing stress through techniques like meditation or yoga can help reduce cortisol levels and improve sleep quality.

Support Thyroid Function:

Thyroid hormones control metabolism, digestion, protein synthesis, and bone growth. Some studies suggest that keto diets may decrease levels of T3, or "active thyroid." However, this decrease may indicate improved sensitivity to thyroid hormones rather than impaired thyroid function. More long-term studies are needed to fully understand the impact of keto diets on thyroid function.

Balance Sex Hormones:

A keto diet can help restore balance to female sex hormones. By focusing on healthy fats, keto supports hormone production and maintains balance. These "good" fats are building blocks for estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Additionally, reducing carb intake can help balance insulin levels, a master hormone that controls blood sugar. When insulin is well-regulated, metabolic benefits occur, including weight management, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and improved bone health.

Address Adrenal Health:

Chronic stress can lead to elevated cortisol levels, which can disrupt sex hormone balance, including progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. The adrenal glands release cortisol in response to stress. By enjoying low-carbohydrate vegetables typically included in a ketogenic diet, you may help normalize cortisol levels, support adrenal glands, and improve natural progesterone levels.

Prioritize Protein:

Protein is essential for maintaining muscle mass and can help create a calorie deficit, which is crucial for weight loss. Aim for a protein intake of 0.73 to 1 gram per pound of body weight. Include whole food sources of protein such as red meat, chicken, eggs, fish, seafood, and nuts in your keto diet.

Poor diet quality

The quality of food we eat is just as important as the calories we consume. Poor diet quality is one of the leading preventable causes of death and disability in the US and worldwide. Lower-quality foods include highly processed snack foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, refined sugar, fried foods, foods high in saturated and trans fats, and high-glycemic foods such as potatoes.

A poor-quality diet is typically characterised by the overconsumption of refined grains, processed meat, sugary beverages, and ultra-processed foods high in added sugar, salt, and fat. These diets often lack fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

Improving Diet Quality

• Cook at home: Opt for home-cooked meals instead of eating out at restaurants or getting takeout. Even full-service restaurants often offer poor-quality food.
• Avoid sugary drinks: Cut down on sugary sodas, energy drinks, pre-sweetened iced teas, and specialty coffee drinks, which can be extremely high in sugar.
• Limit refined grains: Refined grains, such as white flour, white bread, and white rice, have been milled, removing the nutritious bran and germ. Choose whole grains like barley, bulgur, farro, quinoa, and brown rice instead.
• Nourish your gut: Include plenty of gut-friendly foods in your diet, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut.

The Keto Diet

Now, let's bring this back to the keto diet. While the keto diet has gained popularity for weight loss, it is not without its drawbacks. One of the main issues is that it can be difficult to maintain due to the restrictive nature of the diet. This can lead to yo-yo dieting and an unhealthy relationship with food. Additionally, the keto diet may not provide adequate nutrition, as it restricts the intake of certain food groups, such as carbohydrates and fruits. This can result in nutrient deficiencies if not properly managed.

To summarise, improving diet quality involves making mindful food choices that prioritise whole, unprocessed, and nutrient-dense foods while limiting the consumption of highly processed, sugary, and refined options. This approach not only promotes weight loss but also supports overall health and well-being.

Lack of lifestyle changes

A ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that shares similarities with the Atkins and low-carb diets. It involves drastically cutting down on carbohydrates and replacing them with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of glucose.

While the keto diet can be effective for weight loss, it is not sustainable for everyone and may not be suitable for certain people. Here are some reasons why someone may not want to adopt a keto diet due to a lack of lifestyle changes:

• It is highly restrictive and challenging to follow over the long term. Carbohydrates typically account for at least 50% of a standard diet, so cutting them down to 10% or less can be difficult.
• It requires careful planning and monitoring of macronutrient intake. To reach and maintain ketosis, individuals must drastically reduce their carbohydrate intake and be mindful of their protein and fat consumption.
• It may lead to an increased consumption of red meat and other fatty, processed, and salty foods that are notoriously unhealthy.
• It can be socially isolating. Eating out or attending social gatherings may become challenging due to the limited food options available.
• It may not be suitable for individuals with certain medical conditions, such as kidney disease. It is crucial to consult a doctor or a registered dietitian before starting the keto diet.
• It can cause side effects, such as tiredness, bad breath, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and sleep problems. These side effects typically occur during the initial phase of the diet.
• It may not be sustainable for the long term due to its restrictiveness. "Yo-yo diets," which lead to rapid weight loss fluctuation, are associated with increased health risks.

Frequently asked questions