If you are trying to lose weight, likely you’ve heard of the keto diet. But beyond knowing it’s a very low-carb diet, you may not know why it works, for whom it works best or for how long. ICWA has the answers to many of your questions about the keto diet so that you (and your trainer or nutritionist) can decide if this is your best weight loss strategy.
First things first: the name—why is the keto diet called the keto diet? It’s named for ketones, an alternative form of energy to glucose. Ketones are produced when your body runs out of glucose (a simple sugar) and starts converting fat into usable energy. When your body starts metabolizing fat stores, it is said to be in ketosis.
The keto diet is designed to deprive your body of sugars so that your body regularly burns fat. On the keto diet, you essentially eliminate carbohydrates (the entire food group) from your diet, ideally consuming 20 grams or fewer per day. Instead, you eat moderate protein, low-carb vegetables and healthy fats.
Because the keto diet is so low-carb, your body does not experience the same blood sugar highs and lows as those who consume substantial amounts of carbohydrates. As a result:
Although doctors and researchers do not know why, the keto diet also seems to be effective in reducing seizures in children with epilepsy and complements chemotherapy in shrinking tumors in some cancer patients.
The keto diet is safe for most people. It is most effective for people who want to lose significant amounts of weight/body mass comprised of adipose tissue.
However, the extremely low-carb diet may not be right for people with certain medical conditions, such as:
Women who are breastfeeding or pregnant should consult with their doctors before starting a keto diet and be under their physician’s care the entire time they are pregnant and/or lactating.
Although the keto diet is (medically) safe for most people, there are other factors to consider before starting a keto diet, such as:
Because the keto diet is only moderate protein, it is not a good diet choice for those trying to build muscle mass. In order to bulk up, your protein intake should be significantly higher than that recommended for daily consumption on the keto diet.
The keto diet only works when it is adhered to very strictly. Consuming too many carbs or protein, which can be converted into glucose, will prevent your body from going into ketosis, so you will not see the weight loss results you want. If you know you have a tendency to cheat more often than you’d like to admit on any new diet plan, then you may want to consider working up to a strict keto diet.
You may also want to consider how long you want to be on the keto diet. Doctors and researchers do not agree about the diet’s long-term safety or effectiveness. Some medical professionals say that the keto diet is safe to be on indefinitely, allowing you to maintain your weight loss results. But, others say it should be limited to short-term practice and always done under a doctor’s supervision. Because fats are converted to ketones in the liver, some in the medical community suspect that liver and/or kidney damage could result from long-term keto diet adherence.
If you would like to know more about the keto diet and how you might integrate it into your life, talk to one of the certified nutritionists at ICWA. We will help you determine if the keto diet can help you safely achieve your fitness goals.
