The “keto” diet seems to be all the rage these days. But what is It about this diet that makes everybody jump on board and is It worth It?

What is Keto?

Keto is a diet that puts your body into Ketosis. Ketosis is a method of energy burning, that uses ketones, rather than glucose for energy. To achieve ketosis, a very high percentage of your macros will be from dietary fat, moderate protein and minimum carbohydrate. It can take minimum of 2 weeks to reach Ketosis!

Fast Results

The one thing people notice when they begin their keto journey, is a rapid weight loss. 

Notice, weight loss, not fat loss. Let’s distinguish the difference. 

When carbohydrates are removed from the diet, the body begins to expel water as carbohydrates bind with water in the body and stored as glycogen, which adds body weight. Remove carbs, remove water weight, the scale goes down. BUT it’s not all fat.

Sustainability

The biggest issue in being on a keto diet is the ability to sustain ketosis long term. We have cravings, we have events, dinners, and many places don’t offer keto friendly options. So either break ketosis, or dont eat, which neither sound optimal.

Calories matter 

The only way to sustain a fat loss diet, is through a calorie deficit via diet, or energy expenditure. If you are on a keto diet, but you are eating more calories than you are burning, the results you have will not be those you desired unfortunately. 

Is keto for me?

As with every diet, It depends. The best diet is the one you can stick to long term, not for 4-12 weeks. A diet should be able to fit into your lifestyle. Whether it’s keto, carnivore, high carb, high fat, low carb, low fat, if you can stick to It, and eat in a caloric deficit, you’ll achieve results. There’s no magic in keto, just like there’s no magic in IIFYM or any other diet. Long term sustainability should be the goal!

January 10, 2019 — Jordan Adams

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