If you want to lose weight, but don’t want to live on rabbit food, then the keto diet may be for you. Touted as one of the best healthy diet plans for individuals who want to lose weight without losing energy, it can work for you as well. Contrary to popular belief, just because a diet plan is popular, doesn’t mean it works for everyone. To understand if the keto diet is for you, let’s do a deep dive into the diet plan.
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What is the Keto Diet?
To understand how the keto diet works, you need to understand how the body stores and uses fuel. There are basically two sources of fuel namely fatty acids and glucose. We store fat as excess energy in the body which can lead to weight gain if it is not controlled. In order to lose weight, we need to train our body to access that fat for energy rather than glucose – the main basis for the ketogenic diet.
The diet is not new. Before diabetic medication and anti-seizure medication were invented, the keto diet was prescribed by doctors for its high fat, moderate protein and low carb/sugar ratio. The approach not only prevented seizures, it also controlled the effects of type II diabetes.
The diet is based on the simple idea that by reducing sugar and carb intake per day for more than a couple of days, the body turns the fat into ketones. These are then used by the body for energy. In the traditional sense, the keto diet is defined according to the food ratios it recommends:
- Carbohydrates should make up 5% of calories. These include strawberries, cherries, coconut, leafy vegetables, almond flour etc.
- Proteins should make up 20% to 25% of calories. These include green vegetables, nuts, meat, chicken, etc.
- Fats should make up 60% to 70% of daily calories. These include chia seeds, cheese, flax seeds etc.
How the Keto Diet Works
The ketogenic diet triggers ketosis, a process which involves the breakdown if fat tissue into free fatty acids. These are then taken to the lover where they are turned into ketones i.e. molecules that can be used as an alternative source of fuel. These include acetorne, acetoacetate and beta hydroxybutyrate.
Think of ketones as high octane fuel for the body that fuels the brain and the rest of the body when you reduce your sugar intake. Plus, ketones do not do as much oxidative damage to cells than sugar does.
What A Keto Meal Looks Like
A simple keto meal has all of the aforementioned calories that can give your body a steady supply of fuel without adding weight. Here is a sample of three keto meals you can have in a day:
Breakfast – coffee with cream but sugarless, bacon and eggs that are cooked in butter.
Lunch – Three ounces of a low carb meat such as chicken with a size of salad that has an olive oil dressing and grilled leafy veggies and feta cheese.
Dinner – Three ounces of your favorite protein such as fish, two cups of veggie noodles such as zucchini that is sautéed in butter and served with a side of Alfredo sauce and sautéed broccoli.
As you can see, starchy food items such as pasta and rice are not part of this healthy diet plan. Plus, the carbs do not exceed 50 grams which may otherwise stop ketosis in its tracks. If that happens, you will need to wait two to four days for the system to get back in place while ensuring that you maintain the diet.
Naturally, to adopt this healthy diet plan, you need to make some serious lifestyle changes. Once you meet your weight loss goals, you can add more carbs from food that is minimally processed or 100% organic.
Is Keto Right For You?
A good candidate for the keto diet is an individual who is 100% dedicated when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off. The keto diet may be a healthy diet plan, but it is also a way of life. As such, they also need to have the resources that can help them make a commitment to said lifestyle. Plus, you should also consult a trained and registered dietician nutritionist who can make a custom keto diet plan for you.
This is important because the diet is different for each individual who takes it up since it is calculated as per their health and weight loss goals. Apps are not sophisticated enough to do this accurately. Plus, ketosis can prove dangerous for people who have certain conditions. If your primary care doctor advises you against it, you should not adopt the keto diet.
Here are some red flags that should concern you if you are planning on or are following the diet:
You Have Health Concerns
The main risk that the keto diet has is that it is high in saturated fat which can contribute to heart disease by increasing bad cholesterol. Other risks include the following:
Nutrient deficiency – If you reduce your intake of a range of grains, fruits and vegetables, you can suffer from serious deficiencies in micronutritents such as vitamins B and C and magnesium.
Liver issues – Due to high fat intake, the liver may not be able to metabolize excess properly/
Kidney issues – The kidneys are supposed to process the proteins we consume and you may get more than this organ can metabolize if you are on the keto diet. On average, women should get no more than 46 grams and men should get at least 56 grams of protein per day.
Constipation – Since the keto diet has little to no fiber, you may get constipated especially if your water intake is also low.
Mood swings and disorientation – The brain needs sugar from healthy carbs to function properly. A low carb diet that has no sugar may cause hormonal issues which can lead to mood swings and a fuzzy head.
Long story short, if you are on the keto diet and you think your health is not improving and is in fact getting worse, this diet may not be for you. At this point, stopping is in your best interest. Ask your primary care doctor to recommend healthy diet plans that can suit your health and personal well being.
You Don’t Enjoy Food Anymore
Irrespective of any underlying health condition you may, all of us have different preferences when it comes to our diet. If you factor them into the decision, you can determine if the keto diet is for you or not.
For example, if you thrived on delicious and healthy food such as sweet potatoes, whole grains and nuts, don’t ignore them completely when you are on the diet. You will be able to eat like that for a limited amount of time but eventually, you may start to crave other food that is not part of the keto lifestyle. If you find that you cannot maintain a keto diet because you are tempted to try starch for example, the diet may not be for you.
You Are Sneaking In More Cheat Days Than The Keto Diet Allows
Cheat days can be a good thing, but not if you are sneaking in more than your body can handle when it is on the keto diet. This may happen if you feel that the diet plan is too restrictive. If you cannot get rid of those thoughts and find yourself stressing out at say restaurants while going over the menu, the diet may not be for you.
This is your life and you get to decide how you want to live it. If you find yourself re-starting the diet every Monday because you cheated the whole weekend, you are not doing it right. The best healthy diet plans are ones that you can follow for the long haul. It should not become a noose around your neck that causes additional stress which can also lead to weight gain.
You Don’t Have Support
If you are on a strict keto diet, chances are you will start to avoid family gatherings and cancel plans at restaurants because you don’t want to be tempted to cheat. Not everyone may understand this tendency and with time, you may get cut off completely.
Unless you have a strong support system, the keto diet can lead to a lonely existence. Food plays a key role in several cultures and traditions. If the diet is taking away your happiness and your ability to connect with the ones you love, it may not be for you.
You Don’t Feel Healthy While On The Diet
When you take on the keto diet for the first time, you may feel the effects of the keto ‘flu’ at first. That is just your body’s way of adjusting to the new way it is metabolizing fat which can trigger some illness symptoms. You should start to feel better in a couple of weeks provided that you remain on the diet.
If however, you still feel awful in a month’s time, chances are your body is not receiving sufficient amounts of fuel to remain healthy. At this point, you can get lab tests done and consult with a doctor to determine how your body is reacting to the diet. It may give you a clue as to the changes you should make.
On the other hand, if nothing works and you still feel sick all the time while on the keto diet, you should consider switching to other healthy diet plans.
Your Periods Get Irregular And Weight Loss is Minimal
The keto diet may affect hormonal signalling which can in turn affect period flow and regularity. In fact, you may not even menstruate for a whole month when you start the diet which can lead to mood swings and other health concerns in some women. If that is the case, chances are that the diet is too restrictive for your health.
Additionally, some people may not experience as much weight loss than others who are on the diet and this is completely normal. The set of rules that the diet is based on may not be best for your preferences, genes or lifestyle. A dietician can help you determine another eating approach that has a better chance of helping you meet your weight loss goals.
You Cannot Wait To Switch Diets
If you have maintained the keto diet since New Years, you are on the right track and can maintain it for longer. However, if it has only been three months and you want to switch to a different diet plan because of the restrictions, keto isn’t for you.
In Conclusion
Any healthy diet plans you wish to take on should be sustainable for YOU, not the weight loss regime you choose. Just because it worked for your friends doesn’t mean it will give you the same results they experienced. Everyone has a different metabolism and lifestyle after all. Forcing yourself to maintain a diet plan that is causing you more stress than reducing weight is a punishment.
The keto diet is great for people who want to lose weight without sticking to a purely vegan diet, but that doesn’t mean it is right for you. Make sure you consult a dietician or a primary healthcare doctor before starting it. If it isn’t for you, you may be recommended healthier and more sustainable alternatives that are better for you in the long run.
