Maybe you’ve been at the gym and seen an advertisement from the “Keto Man” on the TV while you are working out, and now you’re wondering, “Can it really help me lose body fat? Boost energy? Allow me to eat all the bacon, cheeseburgers, and butter I want? Sounds too good to be true doesn’t it? Typically, for every report of diet plans with amazingly positive results, there is usually other information that must be shared to balance the picture a bit, and that is what this post is designed to do.
What is the Keto Diet?
First let’s get some background.
Traditionally, it has been used primarily to treat medication-resistant/non-responsive pediatric epilepsy (the tendency to have recurring, unprovoked seizures), but is recently making headlines for weight loss as well as other diesases.
The Ketogenic Diet is not just another low-carb diet, which by the way, there is no standard definition for low-carb. There are, however, some proposed definitions.
| Proposed Definition | |
| Very-low Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet | 20-50g/day, <10% calories from carbs |
| Low-Carbohydrate | <130g/day, <26% calories from carbs |
| Moderate-Carbohydrate | >130g/day, 26-45% calories from carbs |
| High Carbohydrate | >225g/d, >45% calories from carbs |
| *Based on 2000 calorie diet |
It is important to note the average American’s carbohydrate intake falls into the high carb category. On a typical day American’s consume about 49% of their daily caloric intake from carbs.
So if the Keto Diet isn’t Low-Carb, what is it?
It’s a nearly zero carb, high fat, diet. In a true Keto Diet, the recommended carb intake is 10-15 g/d (or 10-15 grapes— the only carb for the whole day!).
Just a reminder of where CHO comes from: Dairy, fruit, grains, starchy veggies (potatoes, corn), beans and legumes, and processed foods.
The chart below gives a comparison of different diets and how the major nutrients are broken down into daily intakes.
| Protein | Carb | Fat | |
| 2GH Meal | ~30% | ~40% | ~30% |
| Paleo Meal | ~40% | ~20% | ~40% |
| Low-Carb Meal | ~40% | ~10% | ~50% |
| Ketogenic Meal | ~20% | ~5% | ~75% |
What is the reasoning behind this diet?
To reach ketosis and use stored body fat.
Where does stored body fat come from?
We package and store fat when we eat more than we burn through metabolism and activity. This excess energy, no matter if it is fat, carb, or protein, has to go somewhere. Our body’s preferred storage method is adipose tissue, or fat. This excess energy, in addition to other factors such as body composition, hormones, genetics, age, and gastrointestinal microbiome all affect nutrient storage.
What is ketosis?
Our body and especially our brain’s favorite fuel source is glycogen from carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are the
fastest-acting source for energy, and are essential to proper body function. But during times of starvation, fasting, or very low carb intake, rather than shut down, our body uses an alternative energy source: fatty acids stored in our body fat. Our body’s mission is to fuel the brain by any means necessary. These fatty acids are processed in the body to produce ketones that can be used for energy in place of glycogen.
Ketosis, which just means having more ketone bodies than normal, should not be confused with ketoacidosis, which is a potentially dangerous metabolic situation of uncontrolled ketosis. Normally, our body is very good at self-regulating. If for some reason our body can’t compensate, we’re in trouble. This usually happens in diabetics and alcoholics, since their normal metabolic mechanisms may not work properly.
About 72 hours into starvation or complete fasting, ketogenesis (the making of ketones) is happening and you’re in ketosis. This is because glycogen is rather heavy. We don’t carry around much of it. Our body prefers to store most of our excess energy as body fat. When we stop eating, we run out of stored glucose (as glycogen) within 2-3 days (faster if we’re active), and have to find some other fuel source.
The relative heaviness of stored glycogen is why many people report fast weight loss on a ketogenic or low-carb diet: their body has dumped a little extra weight in the form of glycogen and water. Unfortunately, this water and glycogen comes right back once we start eating normally again.
Will ketosis help me?
The idea of using stored body fat as energy to produce weight loss is intriguing.
Consuming more protein and fat and less carbs means we’re often less hungry, because these take longer to leave the stomach than carbs. Which means we eat less. Which means we lose fat. It’s the “eating less” part that actually matters.
Here are a few things to consider:
- For many people, a ketogenic diet is too hard to consistently follow, which is ultimately the goal…finding a healthy way of eating that can be maintained for a lifetime in order to stop weight cycling.
- For women in particular, lowering carbohydrate intake seems to have negative effects. Women’s bodies go on high alert faster when they sense less energy and fewer nutrients coming in. Many women have found that the low-carb diet that worked great for their husband not only didn’t work for them, but it knocked out their menstrual cycle.
- Can lead to elevated blood lipid levels of LDL and Triglycerides and decreased HDL if the diet is followed as suggested.
- Diet quality may be poor
- Too high in saturated fat
- Lacking in fruit and veggies and certain vitamins and minerals
- Too little fiber
- Can cause constipation, GI discomfort
- Too little fiber
Implementing the Diet: 16 Foods to Include
- Seafood (2 times per week)
- Low carb (non-starchy) veggies
- Examples: Tomato, bell pepper, cabbage, spinach, kale, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce)
- Ways to incorporate: Mash cauliflower as a substitute for potatoes, make zucchini noodles
- Dairy Options:
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Plain Greek Yogurt and Cottage Cheese
- Butter, Cream, Sour Cream
- Meat and Poultry
- Oils:
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Nuts and Seeds (be careful with cashews as they are higher in carb)
- Berries
- Shirataki Noodles
- Olives
- Unsweet tea and coffee
- Dark chocolate and cocoa powder
- Bone broth
Foods the Diet Says to Avoid
- Fruit (except berries, which are low carb)…Not because it is bad for you, but because the goal is for the body to operate in ketosis and this is not possible when consuming a high carb food like fruit.
- Starchy veggies (potatoes, corn, bean, legumes)
- Grains (oat, wheat, rice, barley, etc)
- Soda, Juice, and Alcohol (except wine)
- Packaged foods
- Milk and low fat dairy
- Sugar
- Margarine
Bottom Line: What this means for you
If you’re a “regular person” who just wants to be healthy and fit: You can try this diet and see if it works for you, and if so great! But if you find it isn’t a good fit, you can still be fit, lean, and healthy. If you would like to learn more, simply click here for more info.
If you have a specific health problem that a ketogenic diet (or ketone supplementation) may help with:
Consult your doctor first. Discuss any research findings or potential dietary modifications with a doctor as this diet is best done with the help of a professional. If you’re on any medications, make sure nothing you do will interfere with their effect. Most importantly you want to stay safe.
So, what’s next?
We totally applaud you for exploring options to help you lose weight and achieve the body that you’ve been wanting, and it’s our hope that you’re starting to learn whether this particular eating plan may or may not be an ideal choice for achieving lasting weight loss results.
We wouldn’t be serving you well if we didn’t provide you with what we believe to be the BEST possible solution to achieve great weight loss results…and without you having to starve yourself or eat foods that negatively impact your health and well-being. To this end, we’ve created a Weight Loss Webinar that you can watch to provide you with 5 simple steps that you can take today to finally achieve the weight loss results you’ve been working so hard for.
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If you’re interested in learning the best way to a better body, then click on the image below to watch the webinar, compliments of 2 Good Health Coaching.
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