Don't Do Keto to Lose Weight
The ketogenic diet (or Keto for short) is arguably the most popular diet on the market right now. Thousands of people are getting on board to see if Keto could help them lose weight and burn fat.
But what is Keto? Does it work long-term? Is it the magic weight loss pill you've been looking for?
The short answer is no. Spoiler alert: This is not a diet we advocate for or recommend. Let's break down why.
What is Keto?
Keto, put simply, is a low carb diet. It shares many similarities with the Atkins diet of the early 2000s and other low carb trends. It involves drastically reducing your intake of carbs and replacing it with fat. This reduction of carbs puts your body into a state called ketosis.
Ketosis is a metabolic state where your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbs. When your body is in ketosis, it is efficient in burning fat for energy. Since there are little to no carbs in the body, it relies on these fat stores for energy instead.
There are several different ways to do Keto. The Standard Ketogenic Diet and High Protein Ketogenic Diet are the most popular versions of Keto. Both involve a very low amount of carbs, at just 5-10% of of your diet. The Cyclical Keto Diet and the Targeted Keto Diet allow periods of higher carb days and more carbs around workouts. These methods are most popular among athletes and require extensive planning.
In general, Keto requires limiting your carb intake to about 20 to 50 grams of carbs a day and filling up on healthy fats instead.
What are the Positives?
Keto can lead to:
weight loss
lowered blood sugar
improved insulin sensitivity
reduced blood pressure
reduced triglyceride levels
lowered risk of diseases like diabetes and heart disease
an increase in ketones, which can improve brain function
All of this sounds great, right? In practice, however, Keto is not sustainable, and these benefits could be achieved by other, healthier means.
Why Not Keto?
In short, your body needs carbs. Protein, fat, and carbs are the three macro-nutrients that the human body needs to function well. Carbs should actually be your body's main source of energy. Most people should get 65% of their daily calories from carbs, or about 225-325 grams of carbs a day in a standard 2,000 calorie diet. They help fuel your brain, kidneys, heart, central nervous system, and digestive system. Carbs like grains and fruits provide your body with essential fatty acids, B vitamins, folate, vitamin E, zinc, magnesium, fiber, and phytonutrients that help prevent disease. Although they have been demonized over the years, carbs are not "bad." Most people consume simple, processed carbs in portions that are too large and find themselves gaining weight.
It should be noted that the body doesn't hold on to carbs more than other types of calories, nor are carbs harder to "lose." All calories are simply a unit of energy-- nothing more, nothing less. If you are doing Keto but are still eating more than you're burning, you won't lose weight. Point blank, period. Your body must be in calorie deficit in order to lose weight, and that can easily be achieved with carbs in your diet.
The primary reason we don't recommend Keto is because it is a very restrictive diet that requires a high level of adherence, which simply isn't sustainable for most people. You probably know someone who has tried Keto (or another low carb diet like Atkins or South Beach) in the past-- and most likely they aren't doing it anymore. It's easy to lose weight quickly, but much harder to keep the weight off and do so healthily.
Keto may give some people quick results, but not usually results that last. The benefits Keto offers could be achieved through other means. Eating a healthy, nutritious diet will also lead to weight loss, decreased risk of diabetes and heart disease, reduced blood sugar levels, reduced blood pressure, and more. Simply put, there is no good reason to put your body through the physical toll of Keto when all of the benefits can be attained through a healthier, more enjoyable, more sustainable method.
Keto can also lead to disordered eating and overly restrictive dietary habits that can be hard to shake. Like most restrictive diets, it is difficult to meet all nutritional needs while doing Keto, and can come with uncomfortable side affects like constipation, flu-like symptoms, and liver damage. Also, the long-term consequences, positive or negative, are not well understood.
Keto can be useful for some individuals, such as those who experience seizures or have fatty liver disease. But it is not recommended for the majority of people.
Conclusion
Everyone wants a quick fix or magic pill for weight loss. The truth is, that simply doesn't exist. Eat well and move more. That's the "secret." So while you may lose weight quickly when doing Keto, it certainly is not necessary to do Keto in order to lose weight. It is much more beneficial to eat in a way that is enjoyable, sustainable, moderate, and holistic in terms of meeting your nutritional needs.
So what do we recommend instead? A balanced diet that consists of whole grains, complex carbs, lots of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and oils, lean protein, and minimal processed sugar and alcohol within your daily calorie range. It's nothing new and sexy, but it works. And you'll be happier overall than going with a fad.
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Fire + Voice coaches people on-the-go on how to overcome busy days, yo-yo diets, and unsustainable fitness fads in order to stay fit from anywhere in the world-- and live a life of freedom rather than restrictions-- through online personal training, yoga, life coaching, and global retreats. We show our clients how to be fit and free. Most importantly, we give each client the tools they need to reclaim their body and life.