Keto Weight Loss: Fact Or Fiction?

The keto diet is a popular weight-loss method that involves eating high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate meals. While many people report significant weight loss when they first start the diet, much of this can be attributed to water loss. This is because when you restrict carbohydrates, your body rapidly burns through glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscles and bound to water. As a result, when you deplete your glycogen stores, you also lose the water that was bound to it, leading to a rapid decrease in weight. However, this initial weight loss is mostly water weight, and the actual fat loss occurs once you enter the state of ketosis, where your body burns stored body fat for energy.

Weight loss is mostly water weight initially

The keto diet has become a popular method for weight loss, with many people reporting dramatic weight loss shortly after starting the diet. However, it is important to understand that much of this initial weight loss is water weight. So, what does this mean, and why does it happen?

The Role of Glycogen and Water

When you consume carbohydrates, your body stores them in the form of glycogen, primarily in the liver and muscles. Glycogen is bound to water, typically at a ratio of 1:3, meaning for every gram of glycogen stored, 3 grams of water are also stored. When you start the keto diet and restrict your carbohydrate intake, your body turns to burning through these glycogen stores for energy. As these glycogen stores are depleted, the water that was bound to them is released and excreted through urine or sweat. This leads to a rapid decrease in water weight, which can be noticeable within the first week of starting the keto diet.

Factors Affecting Water Weight Loss

The amount of water weight lost during the early stages of the keto diet can vary from person to person. People with a higher body weight initially tend to lose more water weight, with some reporting losses of up to 10 pounds or more in the first week. On the other hand, those with a lower starting body weight may lose less water weight, sometimes as little as a single pound in the first week or two. Overall, the amount of water weight lost depends on factors such as previous carb intake, overall weight, and daily water intake.

Transitioning to Fat Burning

After the initial water weight loss, the rate of weight loss typically slows down as the body adjusts to being in ketosis. At this stage, the focus shifts to shedding fat over water, which leads to more lasting weight loss. This is the stage that many people are eager to reach, as it is associated with the health benefits of the keto diet. While the scale may not move as drastically as during the early days, steady weight loss of around 1-2 pounds per week can be expected.

In conclusion, while the keto diet can lead to significant weight loss, it is important to understand that the initial weight loss is mostly water weight. This is due to the body burning through glycogen stores and releasing the bound water. Once this water weight is lost, the body transitions to burning fat, leading to more sustained weight loss over time.

Glycogen stores are depleted, along with water

When you eat a meal with carbohydrates, your body releases insulin, which takes glucose from the blood for energy into the cells. When the body gets excess fuel, the glucose molecules are linked together in a chain, producing longer units called glycogen. Glycogen is stored in your liver and muscles and comes from carbohydrates in the foods you eat and drink.

Glycogen is stored in a "hydrated form", meaning approximately three molecules of water are used up every time you store one glycogen molecule. When you burn through these stored carbs, this water is excreted in your urine or sweat.

When you start a keto diet, your body rapidly burns through glycogen, the stored carbs in your liver and muscles. After your glycogen stores are depleted, you shift to burning fat. This shift, during which you burn through your glycogen stores and switch to using ketones, usually takes less than a week. However, for some people, it may take longer.

Many people notice dramatic weight loss during this transition period after first starting the keto diet, but most of this is due to changes in water weight. The glycogen stored in your muscles and liver is bound with water, typically at a ratio of 3 grams of water for each gram of glycogen. When you burn through these stored carbs, this water is excreted in your urine or sweat.

As such, after starting keto, you may notice that you have to urinate more often and feel much thirstier than normal. You may also notice large weight losses, which are mostly water-weight losses. Depending on your size and how much water weight you’re carrying, this weight loss can vary. Anecdotally, people report losses within the first week of anywhere from 1 pound (0.5 kg) to 10 or more pounds (5 kg).

Ketosis is a metabolic state that burns fat

To enter ketosis, you need to restrict your carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams per day, and sometimes as little as 20 grams. This means removing or reducing carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread, rice, sugary drinks, and certain fruits and condiments. Instead, a ketogenic diet includes foods such as oils, lean meats, eggs, and leafy green vegetables.

When the body doesn't have enough carbohydrates to burn for energy, it turns to burning fat. This fat is converted into a substance called ketones, which the body and brain use as fuel. Ketosis can also be achieved through fasting or starvation, as the body will break down fat stores to use as energy.

While ketosis can lead to weight loss, it's important to note that initial weight loss on a ketogenic diet is often due to water weight loss. As the body enters ketosis and burns through glycogen stores, it also loses the water that is bound to glycogen. This can result in dramatic initial weight loss, which is mostly water weight. However, once the body is fully in ketosis, it will burn more stored body fat, leading to more sustained weight loss.

Ketosis has potential benefits beyond weight loss, including increased energy, improved blood sugar management, and reduced seizures in children with epilepsy. However, the ketogenic diet can be challenging to follow and may cause short-term side effects such as "keto flu," bad breath, constipation, and dehydration. It is important to speak with a healthcare professional before starting a ketogenic diet, as it may not be suitable for everyone.

Weight loss slows down after the initial period

After the initial period of entering ketosis, you may find that your weight loss slows down. This is because the initial weight loss is mostly water weight. When you restrict carbs on keto, your body rapidly burns through glycogen, the stored carbs in your liver and muscles. Glycogen is bound to water, so when you burn through these stored carbs, the water is excreted in your urine or sweat, leading to dramatic initial weight loss. However, once your glycogen stores are depleted, your weight loss will probably slow down, but it will be more fat than water.

Reasons for the Slowdown

There are several reasons why weight loss may slow down after the initial period on the keto diet:

• Your body is remodeling itself: As you lose weight, your skin begins to loosen. Your body has a natural process that will start harvesting this loose skin and tightening it up. This process takes time, and during this time, your weight loss may appear to slow down.
• Your body is repairing itself: If you are morbidly obese, your metabolism is likely to be impaired, and you may have other health issues that you are unaware of. It takes time and energy for your body to fix these issues, and during this time, weight loss may slow down.
• Your body is protecting itself: Rapid weight loss is a risk factor for a heart attack. When you lose weight quickly, your body releases toxins that have been stored in your fat cells, which can increase the risk of a cardiac event in the short term. To protect your health, your body slows down weight loss so that these toxins can be filtered by the kidneys and liver.
• Your body is balancing itself: When you were eating a standard American diet, your hormones were likely imbalanced. It takes time for your body to rebalance these hormones, and during this time, weight loss may slow down.
• Your body is building itself: A ketogenic diet is muscle-sparing, which means you will grow muscles more easily and maintain them longer than on a standard American diet. Muscle weighs twice as much as fat, so as you gain muscle, the number on the scale may stay the same or even increase, even as you lose fat.

What to Do if Weight Loss Slows Down

If you find that your weight loss has slowed down after the initial period on the keto diet, here are some things you can do:

• Be patient and allow your body to make the necessary adjustments at its own pace.
• Focus on providing your body with high-quality, nutrient-dense foods that don't raise blood sugar and plenty of healthy fats.
• Make sure to drink enough water and eat more salt, especially in the first few months, as your natural stores of these resources will be reduced.
• Consider adding more cilantro or parsley to your diet, as these herbs can support the process of filtering toxins released during weight loss.
• If you are concerned about your weight loss slowing down, consult a doctor or registered dietitian.

The keto diet has health benefits beyond weight loss

The keto diet has been around since the 1920s and was initially devised to treat epilepsy. While it has gained popularity as a weight-loss tool, it has several other health benefits beyond that.

Firstly, the keto diet can help with hunger control. This is because the diet curbs your appetite by limiting blood sugar crashes, which is a common trigger for hunger. The keto diet also reduces ghrelin, the primary hunger hormone, and boosts cholecystokinin, a hormone that makes you feel full.

Secondly, the keto diet has been shown to be effective as a form of diabetes therapy. In a study conducted by Virta Health, 218 type 2 diabetics were supervised through a year of keto dieting. The results showed that 50% more participants reached a healthy blood sugar level, with a 70% reduction in insulin therapy, and an average weight loss of 30.4 pounds.

Thirdly, the keto diet has potential benefits for brain health. On a regular diet, the brain consumes about 120 grams of glucose daily. However, on a keto diet, the brain uses significantly less glucose, relying more on ketones for fuel. Ketones have been shown to positively impact cognition, with studies indicating improved working memory, visual attention, and task-switching performance. Additionally, ketones appear to be a suitable fuel source for the aging brain, making the keto diet a potential therapy for Alzheimer's disease.

Furthermore, the keto diet may have benefits beyond weight loss in the realm of cancer therapy. Cancer cells, unlike healthy cells, rely heavily on glucose for energy, as described by the Warburg Effect. By lowering blood glucose and insulin levels, the keto diet creates unfavorable conditions for cancer cells. Ketosis also seems to make cancer cells more susceptible to standard treatments.

Lastly, the keto diet can aid in endurance by allowing athletes to burn more body fat during exercise. This is especially advantageous for long-duration events, as the human body can only store a limited amount of carbohydrates but has access to tens of thousands of calories of body fat.

While the keto diet offers these potential health benefits, it is not without risks. It is associated with an increased intake of saturated fats, which can lead to higher levels of unhealthy cholesterol and an elevated risk of heart disease. The diet may also cause nutrient deficiencies, liver and kidney problems, constipation, and mood swings due to its restrictive nature. Therefore, it is essential to consult a healthcare professional before starting the keto diet or any other dietary regimen.

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