Do a quick Google search on the Ketogenic Diet and you see headlines like this:
‘Keto Diet is ‘ Most Dangerous FAD’ of 21stCentury, Says Leading Doctor’
and
7 Benefits of The Keto Diet You Will Want in Your Life’.
It gets bloody confusing. And when you bump into another friend who’s dropped a dress size & says it’s all down to her new Keto diet, no-one can blame us for not knowing which way to turn.
The whole low carb era got a lot of traction. And I for one experimented with Atkins (which used ketosis in its first phase) during my fad-loving days, only to be left with bad breath, no energy and a bad mood. I’ve got to admit I didn’t last more than a week.
So is Keto the new magic diet you’ve been searching for your whole life?
I do want to help you to get some clarity here, because I’ve had SO many people ask me about the Keto diet lately. One client said that all her friends who’ve lost weight recently have told her it’s from Keto.
They don’t say “it’s just because I have been eating a more balanced diet and improving my habits”.
Isn’t this the crux of any good fad diet?People see dramatic weight loss in the short or even medium term, by making dramatic changes to their diets. Their friends and family are shocked and impressed, so they see this as the miracle they’ve been waiting for.
Don’t take this the wrong way – there is good research to suggest that Keto is good for some people in some circumstances. It is not a new craze and has been used for the last 100 years.
First, let’s understand what Keto is:
- It is a diet;
- That is high in fat;
- Low in protein;
- With close to no carbs;
- And as such, leads to limited food choices.
What are the Benefits of the Keto Diet?
There are two areas to explore here but, as I am not a medical professional, I’m going to leave the medical research to one side and explore Keto for weight loss.
What is Ketosis?
Ketosis takes place when blood ketones are high, through dietary changes or through supplementation. People think of ketones as a fourth energy source alongside carbs, fats and proteins. This is true and ketones can be used in this way.
We get into ketosis when we fast for 72 hours or when we eat high fat, low protein and close to zero carbs.
The reason lots of people report sudden weight loss with Keto is the heaviness of glycogen. Our bodies don’t store much glycogen but it is stored in 3 parts water – so when we go into ketosis, we lose the (carbohydrate store) glycogen store along with this water.
Unfortunately, this goes straight back as soon as we are no longer in ketosis.
Ketosis for Fat loss
One of the benefits to this approach is that you eat more protein and fat, leading to greater satiety and eating less because we’re not as hungry. So it is essentially eating less that is the key to weight loss here.
The other factor to consider is our carb stores. When we lose our heavy carb stores and some water along with it, it seems we are magically losing weight. But again, this is weight we will put straight back on once we eat the carbs again.
So yes, you may experience some weight loss from eating protein and fat, and next to no carbs. But is this really a sustainable, realistic, long-term diet?
It’s also possible you’re at risk of some other nutrient deficiencies from all the fruit and veg you’re not eating.
Ketosis for healthy
There is some good research to suggest ketosis can be effective in the treatment of some conditions, like drug-resistant epilepsy. And although there have not been any human trials as yet, there has been some research to suggest a Keto diet could be beneficial for some other brain related conditions (this is something to discuss with a doctor and is outside my scope of practice).
At the same time, there are limitations to ketosis for health. For example, for people with kidney disease, ketosis could actually worsen their condition.
Is Keto right for you?
I truly, deeply believe that ANY dramatic diets & shifts in your eating – especially those that cut out whole food groups – are likely to lead to yo-yo dieting. And make an unhealthy relationship with food even worse.
Because dramatic diets are simply unlikely to be sustainable. Whether a week, a month of year later, we go back to eating the bread and drinking the wine. We ‘fall off the wagon’, beat ourselves up for it & never see the sustainable, long-term change we so desperately want.
I DO completely understand how irresistible a ‘quick fix’ is (especially if you really want to lose that 10lb before your holiday). But after spending 25 years on the diet rollercoaster myself, I also know that ‘quick fix’ highs are followed by massive lows, when you start eating normally again & all the weight goes straight back on.
It’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about being a Nutrition Coach.
My ethos is quite literally the opposite of Keto, cutting stuff out & restricting yourself.
Instead, it’s about:
- Changing your mindset– the way you think & feel about food;
- Changing your habits(like the 3pm packet of biscuits) – for new habits that truly serve you;
- Nothing is off limits– so you don’t crave all the food you ‘can’t’ have;
- You break the binge / purge cycle– when you know there’s not a famine tomorrow, you don’t feel the need to feast today;
- And it’s real-life eating!You can still eat with your family; go on holiday & enjoy celebrations, with going off the rails & spiraling out of control.
I completely get that this might sound impossible for you. That you might not be ready. Or that the idea of never dieting again might actually feel terrifying (I’ve been there!).
But it truly works – for me & for the hundreds of women like us I’ve worked with over the last decade. It’s got us off the vicious dieting cycle, once and for all.
So if you ARE ready, and would like a chat to find out more, just click here now to get in touch.
I’d love to help you reach your health, fitness and weight loss goals – once and for all!
Fran x