Is keto an effective diet for losing weight? Here are 5 reasons why the keto diet may not be as advertised for weight loss.
The keto diet is, in my simple terms, just an extremely low-carb diet (typically consuming less than 30 grams per day) which in turn converts your body’s fuel system from running on carbohydrates to ketones (more in-depth here).
The body uses fat to power itself, because there are no carbohydrates available. At least that’s my understanding of how it works.
MY THOUGHTS:
“Being on Keto is great, until you get hungry”
-A Former Keto Person, probably
Not all the topics I write about do I have such a strong understanding than I have with the keto diet.
I was a “keto guy” for around 5 months, it changed me. If you knew me, you knew what diet I was on. If you were within ear shot of me, you knew what diet I was on.
Testing my blood for the ketone level was a little much now that I can reflect on the experience, but it was what I believed I needed to do to be successful. The reason why I thought I needed to go to that extreme, fitness influencers.
My goal going on the keto diet was to lose body fat and I did. I lost about 15 pounds in 5 months. Three pounds per month, not very impressive results.
Compare this to me then losing another 10 pounds in the following 2 months on a regular carb-infused diet.
Hopefully if you are considering the keto diet, the following reasons why it is not the most effective diet at losing body fat are helpful in you fitness journey!
– Jordan
5 REASONS THE KETO DIET IS INEFFECTIVE
REASON NUMBER 1:
Which fat are you burning? Body fat or consumed fats
It seems more like just a confusion between fat in food and fat on our bodies. They are the same, yet different. The important fact to remember is body fat is removed by the body when it has run out of energy it collects from food (calorie deficiency).
REASON NUMBER 2:
More fat = less food = cravings = uncontrolled consumption = weight gain = less healthy = lower quality of life = unhappy
People want to feel full. It’s why crash diets don’t succeed, people are always hungry.
If you are unable to consume a satiatable amount of food, you will feel very hungry and be susceptible to binge eating.
Keto diet foods are high in fat and therefore highly dense calorie foods.
This means the sustainability of the diet will be difficult due to the noticeable small portion sizes of keto diet foods.
REASON NUMBER 3:
You have no choices.
The food choices on the keto diet are slim. There are far more foods and beverages (no beer!) that are restricted than allowable on the keto diet.
You get meat, select vegetables, select fruits, and eggs.
Here’s a good source of keto-friendly foods.
REASON NUMBER 4:
Not sustainable.
To have success in anything, consistency is usually the difference between success and failure.
Due to the strict control that must be administered to complete the keto diet, the typical individual won’t have the large amount of time to plan every meal and make sure every carb is counted.
REASON NUMBER 5:
The grease, everywhere.
High fatty foods are greasy. When your diet is all fatty foods, everything is always greasy.
CONCLUSION:
So, is the keto diet a scam?
Quick Answer: YES, but…
Here’s Why:
I was convinced this was the diet of all diets. It made so much sense. Eat more fat to run your body off fat to make it easier to burn your body fat and bing boom boom you lose weight.
Here’s the truth.
Body fat loss (lipolysis, explained here) will only occur when a calorie deficit is achieved (this is the 1st Law of Thermodynamics).
I could get into all the other claims made by the keto kin, like mindful clarity, being able to see colors no one else can, you can go into space in your birthday suit, but it’s not worth your time.
Bottom line:
The keto diet can be used for losing weight, but the health and fitness industry (a$ alway$) doesn’t do a good job of explaining how and combined with the limited food selection and extreme attention to detail (and the grease, yuck) required to be successful; my opinion of the keto diet is it’s more of a marketing scheme with the ample amount of “keto friendly” products and foods being pushed rather than a legit go-to diet for fat loss.