Figure out if Keto is right for you
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or dietician, please eat responsibly.
In recent years the Keto diet has been the new fad people go to for weight loss. The Keto diet is nothing new though, doctors have been using since the early 1900’s to treat epilepsy. Ketosis is the process of which Keto based upon, when the body reaches ketosis it switches from using carbohydrates as a primary source to fats. For the body to enter the state of ketosis, the diet must consist of mainly fats and protein with only 20-50 grams of it being carbohydrates from fruit and veggies. It takes about two days of sticking with the diet until the body will be in full ketosis. Now lets get to the reason you’re here, will this help you lose weight? The short answer is yes it can if you’re willing to stick to it.
The Good
For short term and long term weight loss Keto has been proven to be effective and safe. In a study done by Pulsus Experimental and Clinical Cardiology, 83 obese patients on average lost 22 pounds within the first 8 weeks doing the Keto diet alone. This study continued for 2 years with the patients losing even more weight and lowering total cholesterol. HDL(good) increased while LDL(bad) decreased and the blood sugar levels dropped a significant amount.
The Bad
The Keto diet is very hard to stick to mainly because it’s very restricted. I know from experience that initially you feel like you have lower energy and I was getting to the point where the foods made me nauseous. I lasted like 5 days and couldn’t do it anymore. Everyone is a bit different though so it might be easier for some people.
The Ugly
Because Keto is restrictive and hard to follow, for most people this leads to people quitting and starting multiple times fluctuating their weight leading to “yo-yo dieting”. Yo-yo dieting has been linked to a shorter life span and overall Is hard on health. Apparently there are some other side effects; fatigue, bad breath, nausea, constipation, trouble sleeping, and vomiting.
My take is if it works for you and you can stick to it go for it. The best diet is one that works for your goals and one that you enjoy. I would also recommend asking a doctor before trying out Keto as it’s hard on the kidneys and you never know how it will react with some medications.
References for further reading:
Pulsus Experimental and Clinical Cardiology
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716748/
Harvard
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