The Ketogenic Diet for Fat Loss
Over the last couple of decades low-carb, high protein diets have been all the rave. However, within the last 10 years the health and fitness space has seen the rise of several different spins on this strategy. One of the most popular among these has been the ketogenic diet often simply referred to as “keto”, but what’s it all about? How do you do it? Is it fast and easy? These are all valid questions and in this post we will explore what keto can do for you and your fitness goals.
Let’s first start by being clear about what keto is. Our bodies use energy to function. The primary source of that energy is glucose most easily obtained through the consumption of carbohydrates(carbs). But what if we don’t have glucose available? Well in that case the body will resort to burning fat for fuel. This cycle occurs regularly in people who utilize a fairly typical diet. We go from a fed state (elevated insulin and energy storage) to a fasted state (lower insulin and fat burning). In the simplest way that I can describe it, the ketogenic diet aims to shift your body’s primary energy source from carbs to fats (referred to as ketosis) keeping insulin levels low.
Before we go any further I need to address a huge elephant in the room. The ketogenic diet does not in and of itself increase fat burn, decrease fat gain, or burn body fat more efficiently. The only thing that can cause body fat loss is a CALORIC DEFICIT. Even ketosis cannot overcome the laws of thermodynamics. You can forego carbs completely and still see body fat increases if the calories you consume outnumber the calories that you burn. This said, many people swear by keto’s fat loss superiority and they can’t be wrong right? Actually there are very real reasons to believe keto can aid in fat loss, but it has little to do with the idea that carbs make you fat.
One thing that keto can do is shift your diet from high carb consumption to high protein consumption. This is significant for several reasons. One of them is that of the 3 macronutrients (fats, carbs, and protein) protein is the most satiating. Protein will satisfy hunger more easily than carbs containing identical calories, therefore you eat less. This is not to mention that avoiding carbs means you will naturally avoid significantly more sugar (added or otherwise). A second advantage is that protein requires more energy to digest than carbs require. This is referred to the “thermic effect of food”. A third advantage is that even if you were to overeat protein it requires more energy to store it as fat than either of the other 2 macros. These 3 factors help the body to maintain a negative energy balance which ultimately leads to fat loss.
In this last section I will describe what to expect should you decide to drink the keto kool-aid. In order to maintain ketosis you will want to keep your carbs below 30-50 grams or so per day. That isn’t much, and people often don’t think about the fact that these restrictions will include much dairy, fruits, and many condiments so you can forget most sauces and dressings. The body will slide into ketosis within roughly a week. A brain that is used to functioning on carbs will become foggy as the glucose is depleted until the transition is complete. Also around this time drastic weight loss will occur, but be aware that this is not fat but water. It is not uncommon to drop 5-10 pounds overnight once you’ve eliminated the carbs that were causing you to hold it. So to be clear ketosis does not cause this rather the absence of carbs does.
After getting over the initial hump everything settles down. Your mental acuity will return and some people even feel more sharp. Depending on the size of your calorie deficit fat loss will occur just as it would with any other diet strategy. Hunger was also reduced in my own experience with keto, which I thought was an interesting side-effect. Obviously if hunger stays low then you eat less and burn more body fat. I don’t have any qualms about keto I just know that it is not for me as a lifestyle. It’s very restrictive and completely unnecessary if the goal is simply to lose fat. It is also worth noting that monitoring heart health is something that becomes extremely important when we start thinking about trying a high fat diet. I will simply leave it at this: If you maintain your health, like how you look and feel, and enjoy what you eat and drink while adopting keto then have at it. Take care and until the next one.
-Chris