Why Do People Lose Weight When They Go On A Keto Diet?

Do you know why people lose weight on keto?

It seems like you can just eat whatever you want that isn't a carb, and you lose weight.

In this article, I'll go over the science behind the keto diet, why it helps people lose weight, how to do it, and solutions to the most common keto problems.

What Is The Keto Diet?

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can help you lose weight while also increasing your energy levels.

When you eat a lot of carbohydrates, your body produces glucose, which is then used for energy.

But, when you cut down on carbs and thus lower your insulin, your body has to find another source of energy, and it turns to fat.

CREATE YOUR OWN KETO DIET MEAL PLAN

This is known as ketosis, and it can help you lose weight, improve mental focus, and even cure diabetes.

Why Was the Keto Diet Created in the First Place?

The keto diet was created to treat epilepsy in children.

It was found that the diet could help to reduce the number of seizures that children with epilepsy experienced.

The keto diet has also been found to be helpful for other conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and cancer.

However, once it was discovered that it was beneficial in weight loss and the treatment of type 2 diabetes, many people began to use the diet to lose weight.

Why Do People Lose Weight on Keto?

There is much debate about how keto works, but the most widely accepted theory is that it helps to train your body to burn fat for energy rather than carbs. When you don't eat carbs, your insulin levels drop and your body enters ketosis to obtain energy from its own fat stores. This can help you burn fat throughout the day and lose weight.

Furthermore, because most "pleasurable" foods, such as desserts, pizza, and so on, are high in carbs, eliminating them from your diet will cause you to have less desire to eat.

This is especially beneficial if, like me, you gained weight by eating whenever you were bored.

What Are the Benefits of the Keto Diet?

The keto diet is one of the most effective diets for weight loss.

According to one study, people who followed a ketogenic diet lost 2.2 times more weight than those who followed a low-fat diet.

This is because keto reduces insulin rather than just calorie restriction, allowing your body to use ketones instead of carbs for energy.

As a result, your body does not feel as deprived because it has its own energy ready.

CREATE YOUR OWN KETO DIET MEAL PLAN

Mental Clarity

When you follow a ketogenic diet, your body produces ketones, a type of energy that your brain can use. This can result in increased mental clarity, concentration, and focus.

In fact, the keto diet is frequently used to treat people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia for this reason.

Reduced Inflammation

Because carbs are insulinogenic and thus inflammatory, eliminating them from your diet will likely result in much less inflammation.

In one study, people who did a keto diet for six weeks had a reduction in C-reactive protein, which is a marker of inflammation.

In another study, people with arthritis had lowered their symptoms after starting a ketogenic diet.

Personally, when I go off of keto for a short period of time, my acne and allergies worsen, both of which are signs of inflammation.

Improved Energy

You'll likely feel more energetic if you do keto for long enough for your body to adjust to using fats as the primary fuel source. This is because, on keto, your body can use its own fat for fuel throughout the whole day instead of relying on carbs for quick spikes of energy.

When I stick to keto, I find that I wake up more easily in the morning and have more energy throughout the day.

Stabilized Blood Sugars

Many people with type 2 diabetes can stabilize their blood sugars and even get off of insulin shots by following a keto diet.

People in one study had lower fasting blood glucose levels after beginning a ketogenic diet.

In another study of people with type 2 diabetes, those who followed a keto diet for 6 months improved their glycemic control and their HA1c.

This is because, on keto, your body is adjusted to using fat.

So it doesn't panic when it doesn't get any carbs.

Instead, it just uses ketones for energy and keeps on moving as usual.

CREATE YOUR OWN KETO DIET MEAL PLAN

Cure Diabetes

A ketogenic diet can also be used to treat type 2 diabetes. This is because it helps your body to become insulin sensitive again.

A ketogenic diet can help to control and even cure type 2 diabetes. This is because it helps your body to become insulin sensitive again.

In 2008, researchers conducted a 24-week study in order to understand the effects of a low-carbohydrate diet on people who suffer from type 2 diabetes and obesity.

The ketogenic diet group outperformed the low-glycemic diet group in terms of glycemic control and medication reduction.

Another study from 2013 found that a ketogenic diet can lead to bigger improvements in blood sugar control, weight loss, A1c, and discontinued insulin requirements than any other diet.

Over the course of 32 weeks, a 2017 study found that keto performed better than a conventional, low-fat diet in terms of weight loss and A1c control.

Treat Mental Conditions

The keto diet can also be used to treat mental illnesses such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and autism.

In one study, they found that the keto diet helped to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer's.

Another study discovered that the keto diet may help with Parkinson's symptoms.

A third study discovered that a low-carb diet can be an effective treatment for people on the autism spectrum.

Treat Cancer

The keto diet can be helpful in treating cancer. The study found that people who followed a ketogenic diet had a lower risk of developing cancer. This is due to the fact that cancer cells thrive on glucose but cannot survive on ketones.

So, when you eliminate carbs and lower your insulin, you can help to reverse cancer by depriving it of its main fuel source.

How to Start the Keto Diet?

To start the keto diet, simply limit your carbohydrate intake to less than 30 grammes per day.

CREATE YOUR OWN KETO DIET MEAL PLAN

You should also ensure that you eat plenty of healthy fats, such as avocados, olive oil, and nuts.

You can also consume moderate amounts of protein from sources such as chicken, fish, and tofu.

However, don't eat too much protein because protein, like carbohydrates, raises insulin and may cause you to exit ketosis.

To make sure that you're getting all the nutrients that you need, you should also eat plenty of vegetables.

I recommend that you consume 8 cups of vegetables or low-carb fruits per day to ensure that your body receives all of the nutrients it requires.

If you are unable to consume 8 cups of vegetables per day, try to consume as much as you can.

How Many Carbohydrates Can You Eat on a Keto Diet?

A keto diet allows you to consume up to 50 grammes of carbohydrates per day. To minimise the side effects of the keto flu and optimise weight loss, stick to 20-30 grammes of carbs per day.

What Foods Can You Eat on Keto?

On the keto diet, you can eat any type of meat, poultry, or fish.

Eggs, non-starchy vegetables, and healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado are also acceptable.

You should limit your consumption of starchy vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and sugar.

Solutions to Common Ketogenic Diet Issues

The following are the most common keto problems and their solutions.

The Keto Flu

The keto flu is a common side effect of the keto diet that can cause fatigue, headaches, and nausea.

The keto flu can occur for one of two reasons.

The first reason for the keto flu is that you have recently begun keto and your body is still dependent on carbs for energy, even though you are not receiving any carbs.

CREATE YOUR OWN KETO DIET MEAL PLAN

To solve this, just keep doing keto and wait for around 6 weeks so all of the cells in your body can get adjusted to using fats for fuel instead of carbs.

However, if you've waited 6 weeks and are still experiencing the keto flu, you may have an electrolyte deficiency.

This happens because carbs hold water, and when you don't eat carbs, you body expels more water by urinating more often.

This can result in an electrolyte deficiency.

To solve this, I recommend taking half a teaspoon of pink Himalayan sea salt per day with a shot of water so you can get enough electrolytes.

Other supplements, such as bone broth and magnesium, can also help you avoid the keto flu.

How to Eat Your Favorite Keto Foods

There are many keto-friendly alternatives to your favourite foods available nowadays.

For example, if you want to eat some low-carb pizza, you can simply search for low-carb pizzas in the grocery store.

Or, if you're cooking a dessert yourself, just replace the sugar in them with a sugar-free alternative, like stevia or monk fruit, and replace the normal flour in them with a low-carb flour alternative, like almond flour or coconut flour.

You'll find that almost every food has a low-carb alternative if you get creative and search the internet for keto-friendly alternatives to your favourite foods!

Getting Back Into Ketosis After Eating Carbs

All you have to do to get back into ketosis after eating carbs is consume less than 30 grammes of carbs per day for at least two days.

You'll be back in ketosis in two days!

Keep in mind that the faster you want to be in ketosis, the more severe the symptoms of the keto flu will be, so I recommend starting slowly and gradually.

Conclusion

The keto diet can be an excellent way to improve your health by assisting you in losing weight, improving blood sugar control, and even treating mental illnesses.

If you want to follow the keto diet, make sure you consume less than 30 grammes of carbohydrates per day.

You should also consume a variety of healthy fats, moderate amounts of protein, and vegetables.

I hope this helped.

CREATE YOUR OWN KETO DIET MEAL PLAN

Keto Diet for Beginners: How to Kick-Start your Keto Journey

It may sound unbelievable…

But it’s now possible to burn fat so fast, you’ll actually need to hurry and buy yourself new clothes in the next few weeks.

All thanks to this new powerful “keto secret”.

The same secret our customers are applying to achieve amazing and fast results.

Women losing 5 dress sizes in just 4 weeks…

Men dropping 2 or 3 pants sizes in just one month…

Already hundreds of people are getting back in shape fast thanks to this secret.

And if you’re willing to buy yourself a whole new wardrobe in the next few weeks…

I suggest you check this new “keto-secret” out too.

Click here to try it for yourself.

How to do Keto Diet for Rapid Weight Loss

KETO is the word on everybody's lips when it comes to losing weight, but is it all it's cracked up to be? An expert weighed in.

Nutritionist Anthony O’Reilly outlined the advantages - and one key disadvantages of the popular Keto weight loss method.

Anthony stated: "In recent years, the Ketogenic diet has arguably been one of the most discussed and debated diets.

"Keto, as it is called for short, prioritises fat (65-75 percent of your daily calories), with moderate protein consumption (20-30 percent) and very few carbs (only about five percent, though some versions prohibit carbs altogether)."

And despite being an incredibly strict diet, it continues to attract a lot of slimmers.

The expert continued: "The Keto diet ranks as the sixth most popular diet online, with 44,000 average monthly searches worldwide."

So what happens to the body on the Keto diet?

Anthony explained that this rapid weight loss plan keeps the body in a "near-constant state of ketosis".

This is where the body creates ketones from fat to use as energy instead of sugar from carbs (the body’s primary and preferred energy source).

And according to Anthony, the Keto diet isn't just for regular slimmers, but the elite as well - including those who have to get in shape quickly for sporting events or films.

He claimed that the Keto diet is popular with the "Hollywood elite", said to be followed by stars such as actress Vanessa Hudgens and basketball player LeBron James.

In addition to weight loss, this particular diet can lower blood sugar for those who have diabetics.

The Keto diet is favoured by weight loss mogul Dr Michael Mosley as a short-term solution.

He recommends that participants eat less than 50g of carbs per day.

Click Here to get Your Own Personalized Keto Meal Plan! 

So what should slimmers stock up on if not white bread, pasta and rice?

For breakfast, Dr Michael suggested that dieters enjoy a meal of protein-rich eggs, served with greens or a protein source like salmon.

Throughout the day, leafy greens and colourful vegetables are also heavily recommended.

Oily fish, prawns, turkey and chicken are some "high-quality proteins" to choose over processed meats such as bacon or salami.

Extra virgin olive oil, avocado and dairy are also key.

Carbs are not totally banned, but dieters should stick to complex cards such as whole grains and starchy vegetables.

While the Keto diet may reap rapid results, expert Anthony outlined one important downside.

He said: "Several studies point out Keto is no more effective for weight loss when calories are matched with other diets."

Anthony O’Reilly is a nutritionist from Barbend.

Click Here to get Your Own Personalized Keto Meal Plan! 

Surprising Results from the Keto Diet

Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash

Get Your Own 8-Week Personalized Keto Meal Plan Here!

They Don’t Tell You Everything in the Handbook!

I expected to lose weight when I started the keto diet almost three years ago. I spent a month researching it thoroughly before attempting it, so I assumed I knew everything there was to know about it. However, there are always things beyond scientific facts that frequently fail to make their way into scientific research. You know, the little surprises that come with the expected outcomes. Here are a few examples of those things.

• I lost a lot of weight fast.

I knew I was supposed to lose weight, but after trying and failing for years with conventional dieting, I was still a bit shocked when the pounds started coming off. Before keto, even 5/2 fasting (not eating two days a week) hadn’t caused me to lose any weight. On keto, I lost 55 pounds in about six months until I was skinny again, going from 246 to 191. I was losing ten pounds every month! While that might not be as fast as we’d all like, it’s still pretty fast. In half a year, I’d lost so much weight that I had to buy a bunch of new pants (luckily, I had kept some of my old ones that I just couldn’t part with).

• I wasn’t hungry while losing weight.

In fact, I have never been less hungry in my life. One of the things we all dread about trying to lose weight is the hunger that accompanies eating less. If you’ve tried regular calorie-restriction diets, you know what I mean. But with keto, I experienced the exact opposite! I was eating about half of the calories I normally ate, but I was never hungry. I actually had to make myself eat sometimes to make sure I was getting enough protein. There’s a whole explanation involving insulin, fat cells, and satiety hormones, but I’m not going to go into the scientific details. I’m just commenting on surprising experiences in this article. Suffice it to say, this is the only diet I’ve ever come across where not only is hunger not a problem; it’s nonexistent.

Get Your Own 8-Week Personalized Keto Meal Plan Here!

• I only eat twice a day.

Prior to going keto, I ate four times a day (sometimes more). I was always hungry every four hours or so. And I got hangry sometimes too! I don’t anymore. My experience of hunger completely changed after going on keto. I started eating only twice a day, breakfast around 10 am and then dinner around 6 pm. This wasn’t something I’d necessarily planned on doing, but I just didn’t feel that need to eat all the time. Even now, after losing my excess weight, I still only eat twice a day (I’m still on keto). I still eat plenty of calories (2500–3000/day), but I can have a big breakfast and go eight hours until a big dinner, then go 15 hours until breakfast the next day.

• I have energy all the time.

Here’s what I mean by this. Prior to keto, I woke up hungry. The first thing I did in the morning was eat. After going keto, I don’t wake up hungry anymore. Not only that, but I can have a cup of coffee and then lift weights before having breakfast. I don’t need a meal to fuel my workout. Even skinny people have sufficient stored fat to make it through a workout. I was pretty shocked by this! I could work out just as hard as before but without having eaten for fourteen hours. I couldn’t even think straight before eating breakfast until keto, let alone lift weights.

• I don’t really miss carbs.

The gist of the keto diet is to replace calories from carbohydrates in your diet with calories from fats. But I loved cinnamon rolls, macaroni and cheese (homemade, not that boxed stuff), biscuits and gravy, and I even made my own wheat bread. How was I going to get along without them? Easily enough, it turned out. While I can’t eat everything I like, I do like everything I eat. Instead of toast with my eggs, I’ll have bacon or sausage. Rather than a potato with my steak, I’ll have a 1/2 pound of broccoli. It’s been almost three years since I went keto, and I get along just fine without all those foods I’d eaten before. Now that I’ve lost all of my excess weight, I will go out to eat once a week and have whatever I want. Hell, I had a giant piece of chocolate cake last week! But then I went right back to strict keto and didn’t blink.

(I’ll tell you one thing I don’t miss at all: that big old spare tire I was dragging around.)

Get Your Own 8-Week Personalized Keto Meal Plan Here!

• I pee a lot.

I only bring this up because it’s probably about twice as much as previously, so you’ll notice it. This one I’ll explain so nobody gets freaked out and thinks something is broken. When you go keto, your body excretes sodium at a faster rate. The scientific term is natriuresis. Your body accomplishes this by urinating more frequently. In fact, this is the cause of the so-called keto flu. I drink a cup of water with a 1/4 tsp of salt when I get up in the morning and before dinner to make sure I have enough sodium to keep my nervous system up and running smoothly. Don’t worry about the extra salt; it won’t be with you for long!

• My bald spot filled in.

It’s true! I had that whole male pattern baldness thing starting, and I was on my way to looking like Friar Tuck with that bald spot forming on the top of my head. I cut my own hair at home with clippers, and I use a handheld mirror to see what I’m doing in the back. I had been cutting my hair shorter and shorter over time to make the bald spot less noticeable. So I was flabbergasted when after a couple of haircuts I noticed that the spot was becoming less noticeable all on its own! It’s still a little thinner than the rest of my hair, but I’m now able to let my hair grow a little longer in the winter without worrying about a glaring bald spot.

So, these are some of the things you don’t necessarily hear much about keto but can expect should you give it a go. Luckily, these surprises are mostly of a pleasant variety (other than the increased bathroom visits). In the nearly three years I’ve been on the keto diet, I haven’t had any reason to regret making the change. I lost weight, stopped feeling hungry all the time, have plenty of energy, and even got some of my hair back!

Get Your Own 8-Week Personalized Keto Meal Plan Here!

Article Source

Keto Diet vs Low Carb: What's the Difference?

Keto diet vs low carb: what’s the difference and which is better? Although the two diets both involve cutting carbs and can help with weight loss, the keto diet (short for ketogenic) is a far more restrictive way of eating and involves limiting carb intake and eating a high amount of fat, with moderate protein.

This Keto Meal Plan will make following the Keto Diet easy as 1-2-3!

“Keto means the body has switched into ketosis and is using fat instead of glucose for fuel,” says diet expert Heidi Normanton, founder of Heylo(opens in new tab). “Meanwhile low carb diets limit the amount of carbohydrates consumed, especially simple and refined ones found in sugary foods, pasta and bread. Going low carb helps regulate blood sugar but it doesn’t produce ketosis, so the body will first use the glucose stored as energy, then move onto fat for fuel.”

It’s important to have an understanding of your body and the calories and nutrients required for it to function effectively before starting a new diet, adds elite coach Farren Morgan, who runs The Tactical Athlete(opens in new tab). He advises speaking to a dietician or a health professional first.

In this article we look at the key differences between the keto diet vs low carb, so you can decide if either plan is right for you.

WHAT IS A KETO DIET?

“A keto diet, also known as a ketogenic diet, is based on lowering your carbohydrate intake and increasing your intake of healthy fats,” says Morgan. 

It’s fairly restrictive, but while all keto diets are low carb, not all low carb diets are keto. The keto diet involves getting 70% of daily calories from fat, 20% from protein and 10% from carbohydrates.

This Keto Meal Plan will make following the Keto Diet easy as 1-2-3!

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

WHAT IS THE LOW CARB DIET?

Like keto, low carb diets follow the same principle of cutting carbs and replacing them with protein, healthy fats and vegetables. “Carbohydrates are easier to digest, but don’t provide the same essential nutrients that proteins and fats do for the growth and development of your physique,” explains Morgan.

(Image credit: Getty images)

KETO DIET VS LOW CARB: SIMILARITIES

“Both diets have the same objective in mind – weight loss - but keto diets fall as a subcategory of a low carb diet, while low carb diets represent the umbrella that covers a large variety of other diets that it has under its belt,” says Morgan.

This Keto Meal Plan will make following the Keto Diet easy as 1-2-3!

Put simply, a low carb diet is very relative, and doesn’t have specific amounts of carbs you should or shouldn’t consume – unless you are following a set diet plan like Atkins or Dukan. Going low carb also means you’re probably not eating as much fat as you would if you were trying to force the body into ketosis, and you’ll be eating lots of filling lean proteins and vegetables to stay energized.

Both plans have some noticeable health benefits, too. A study in the BMJ(opens in new tab) revealed that going low carb was associated with higher states of remission among people with type 2 diabetes, while keto diets could improve heart health, according to another study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology(opens in new tab). Further research published in the Frontiers in Neuroscience(opens in new tab) journal found that the keto diet helps prevent seizures and treat epilepsy, something it was first used for in the 1920s. 

KETO DIET VS LOW CARB: DIFFERENCES

First up, your carbohydrate intake will differ depending on whether you’re following a keto diet or simply low carb. “With a low carb diet you'd be expected to eat 50-150 grams of carbs per day, but keto diets are restricted to just 50 grams,” says Morgan.

Protein intake is another factor that differs. “Low carb diets generally require a large intake of protein, but keto diets moderate your protein consumption to between 20-22% of your total calories. Keto diets also require a large intake of fats compared with low carb diets to compensate for the protein and carbohydrates.”

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Advertisement

Normanton says if your goal is to build muscle, then going low carb could be a better option, as glucose is needed to repair muscle. “Many people also feel that a low carb diet is an easier transition and therefore some start with that, then move onto keto,” she says. “The keto diet is also very popular with athletes and some marathon runners swear by it as their bodies are ‘fat adapted’ and it can help them maintain endurance for longer periods of time without needing carbs to refuel.” 

This Keto Meal Plan will make following the Keto Diet easy as 1-2-3!

But there are some slightly unpleasant side effects associated with both plans. “Transitioning into these diets will be a process, especially regarding the keto diet,” says Morgan. “With low carb diets you may feel weak or experience constipation due to the impact of your micronutrient consumption. If you’re new to the ketogenic diet, you may experience the ‘keto flu’, which includes symptoms such as headaches, brain fog, irritability, fatigue, and lack of motivation.”

Morgan says that these symptoms generally last for a week or less, but in extreme scenarios they have been known to last to a month, so it's important to be mentally prepared and fully equipped with an experienced professional to guide you before you decide to start your diet.

KETO DIET VS LOW CARB: WHICH DIET IS BEST?

“Both are effective for weight loss, so what ultimately matters is which diet is best for you and your body,” says Morgan. “If you're looking to acquire a physique that's lean yet muscular you may go for the low carb diet, while those looking for an overall slim physique may lean towards keto.”

This Keto Meal Plan will make following the Keto Diet easy as 1-2-3!