Keto Diet: Effective Weight Loss Method?

The ketogenic diet, or keto, is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has gained popularity for its weight-loss benefits. The diet involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, forcing the body to enter a metabolic state called ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of glucose. While keto can be effective for weight loss, it is not suitable for everyone and should be done under medical supervision. Here are some key points to consider when exploring the topic of keto for weight loss:

- Weight Loss Benefits: Keto can lead to significant weight loss, as evidenced by numerous studies. It may be more effective than traditional calorie-reduction diets, and people may lose weight faster.

- How Keto Works: By limiting carbs to 20-50 grams per day, keto lowers insulin levels and reduces hunger, making it easier to access body fat stores. This can result in reduced calorie intake and increased fat burning.

- Potential Risks and Side Effects: While generally safe, keto may cause side effects like keto flu, which includes fatigue and mental fogginess. Long-term risks are not yet fully understood, but there are concerns about kidney and liver problems.

- Food Choices: Keto involves eating high-fat, low-carb foods like meat, fish, eggs, healthy oils, and non-starchy vegetables. It excludes sugary and starchy foods, as well as most fruits and fruit juices.

- Challenges and Considerations: Sticking to keto can be challenging due to the restrictive nature of the diet. It may require careful planning, and some people may struggle with the limited food options. Additionally, not achieving ketosis, consuming too many calories, and a lack of exercise can hinder weight loss.

- Individual Variations: The effectiveness of keto for weight loss can vary from person to person. While some may experience rapid weight loss, others may have slower or more gradual results.

- Medical Supervision: Keto is not suitable for everyone. It should be approached with caution and under medical guidance, especially for those with certain medical conditions or those taking specific medications.

Achieving ketosis

Reduce Carbohydrate Intake

Lowering your carb consumption to 20-50 grams per day is crucial for reaching ketosis. This limit can vary, and some people may need an even more restricted diet. Carbs are broken down into glucose, which the body typically uses for energy. By reducing carbs, you force your body to use fat for fuel instead.

Increase Physical Activity

Being more active helps deplete your body's glycogen stores, which encourages the transition to using fat as fuel. Exercise aids in reducing glycogen levels, and when you're on a low-carb diet, these stores aren't sufficiently replenished, promoting the shift to fat burning.

Fast for Short Periods

Intermittent fasting can be a useful tool to reach ketosis. It involves going without eating for several hours or periods of 24-48 hours, supervised by a doctor. This approach helps manage obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and may offer protection against certain cancers and neurological disorders.

Consume More Healthy Fats

Replacing carbohydrates with healthy fats is a standard approach. Focus on sources like avocados, avocado oil, fatty fish like salmon, olive oil, and nuts. However, limit saturated and trans fats from fried foods.

Monitor Ketone Levels

Testing your ketone levels can help track your progress. You can measure ketones in your breath, urine, and blood using simple tools like strips and monitors available for purchase. This lets you know if you need to make adjustments to your diet.

Check Protein Intake

On a keto diet, fat intake is typically higher than protein. Recommended protein amounts vary, but a standard suggestion is around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily. Those who exercise heavily might need more.

Consume More MCT Oil

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), found in MCT oil, can help you reach ketosis. These fats are rapidly absorbed and used for energy or converted into ketones. MCT oil is especially beneficial for people with Alzheimer's and other nervous system disorders.

Calorie counting

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has been adopted by many looking to lose weight and improve health. The diet forces the body to use a different type of fuel by limiting the intake of carbohydrates, which are replaced with fat. This reduction in carbohydrates puts the body into a state of ketosis, where fat becomes the main source of energy.

The keto diet is distinct from other low-carb diets, such as the Atkins Diet, in that it does entail calorie counting. However, this does not mean that the amount of calories is the most important factor. It is more about the type of calories and the types of food consumed. The keto diet is consistent with the foods humans were designed to eat, such as proteins and fats, along with fibre-rich vegetables. These promote satiety and help control blood sugar to reduce cravings.

While it is important to maintain a calorie deficit to lose weight, this does not mean that you should always track what you eat for optimal weight loss. Eating highly satiating foods that keep you satisfied as you lose weight can be a successful strategy.

However, if you are not getting the results you want, then tracking your calories and macros for 2-3 weeks can be a helpful tool. This will help you develop a greater awareness of how much fat, protein and carbs you are eating and enable you to fine-tune your intuition based on what your body needs.

There are several apps available to help with calorie counting on the keto diet, including Cronometer, MyFitnessPal and CarbManager.

Exercise

Benefits of Exercise on the Keto Diet

• Exercise helps deplete glycogen stores, facilitating the transition into ketosis, where the body burns fat for fuel instead of glucose.
• Exercise accelerates weight loss by depleting glycogen stores, especially during prolonged and intense workouts.
• Working out while in ketosis preserves lean muscle mass, which increases the resting metabolic rate, leading to greater calorie burn even at rest.
• Exercise can boost fat burn, especially during steady-state aerobic exercises like distance running or cycling.
• Combining keto with exercise may have a synergistic effect, enhancing the benefits of both.

Types of Exercises

When it comes to exercise on the keto diet, it's important to consider the intensity and duration of the workouts:

• Low-Intensity Steady-State (LISS) cardio exercises, such as walking, running, cycling, or swimming, are generally well-tolerated by those on the keto diet. They improve fat distribution and are easier to recover from.
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) includes intense cardio or strength training in short bursts. While challenging, HIIT exercises can be performed on the keto diet once a fat-adapted state is achieved.
• Weight training helps increase lean muscle mass, which boosts metabolism and calorie burn. Combining weight training with keto may also improve hormonal profiles, such as increasing testosterone in males.

Tips for Exercising on the Keto Diet

• Listen to your body, especially during the initial adjustment period to the keto diet. Don't hesitate to reduce the intensity of workouts if needed.
• Set a daily calorie goal and ensure you're consuming enough protein to support muscle growth and recovery.
• Get adequate rest and sleep to allow your body to recover effectively between workouts.
• Stay hydrated and maintain proper electrolyte levels to prevent dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, which can be more common when combining keto with exercise.
• Connect with a fitness community or use a fitness device to track your progress and stay motivated.

Stress

The keto diet can be a good way to lose weight, but it is a dramatic shift from a standard diet, and the transition can be challenging. During this time, it is common to experience stress eating or bingeing, which can hinder your ability to enter or maintain ketosis.

Keep a Food Journal

Note how you feel when you eat certain foods, as meals can influence your mood and feelings for up to 24 hours. Try having a higher-carb day and pay attention to how your cravings change over the next day. Then, do the same for a lower-carb day. This will help you determine if you need to adjust your carb intake.

Choose the Right Carb to Stop Stress Eating

The type of carb you consume matters. If you find yourself craving more after consuming certain carbs, switch to something else. For example, keto desserts made with low-calorie sweeteners can trick your brain into thinking you are consuming sugar. Instead, opt for protein-packed whole foods like almonds or cheese.

Make Gradual Changes

If you are new to keto, you may need to gradually decrease your carb intake and slowly transition to ketone-dependence. This can help retrain your brain away from carb-dependent habits.

Focus on Stress-Fighting Keto Foods

In addition to managing cravings, focusing on consuming certain stress-fighting keto foods can help naturally decrease stress. Here are some examples:

• Avocados: High in potassium, which helps protect the normal function of muscle and nerve activity.
• Berries: Rich in antioxidants and immune-supporting vitamin C.
• Dark chocolate: Shown to help reduce cortisol and other stress hormones when consumed in moderate amounts.
• Dark green vegetables: High in magnesium and molybdenum, which helps regulate breathing and heartbeat. These vegetables are also loaded with fiber, which supports the stress response and allows your muscles and nerves to relax.
• Fermented foods (such as sauerkraut and kimchi): High in probiotics, which promote a healthy gut microbiome. Imbalances in gut bacteria have been linked to anxiety and other mood issues.
• Free-range poultry: High in tryptophan, an amino acid that can help with sleep and elevate mood.
• Grass-fed beef: Rich in B vitamins, zinc, and iron, which can help stabilize mood.
• Mushrooms (cremini and shiitake): Rich in pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), which improves your ability to respond to stress by supporting adrenal gland health.
• Nutritional yeast: High in B vitamins, which are essential for a balanced mood and nervous system health.
• Wild-caught salmon: Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to combat mood swings and improve cognitive performance.

Medical conditions

While the keto diet can be an effective way to lose weight, it may not be suitable for everyone. It is always best to consult a doctor or dietitian before starting any new diet, especially if you have an underlying medical condition.

Some medical conditions that may be impacted by the keto diet include:

• Endocrine conditions: For example, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and Cushing's syndrome. These conditions can cause weight gain and make it difficult for someone to lose weight, even when following a strict diet and exercise plan.
• Mental health conditions: Depression is associated with weight gain and can make weight loss challenging.
• Disorders of fat metabolism: The keto diet may not be suitable for individuals with certain disorders of fat metabolism.
• Carnitine deficiency: Carnitine is involved in fat metabolism, and a deficiency can impact the body's ability to process fats.
• Pyruvate kinase deficiency: This condition affects red blood cell metabolism and can lead to anaemia. The keto diet may not be recommended for individuals with this condition.

Additionally, the keto diet can be challenging for individuals with vegetarian or vegan dietary preferences due to the key role that meats, eggs, fish, and dairy play. It is important to ensure that any dietary changes are well-planned and nutritionally adequate.

Frequently asked questions