With keto getting all this attention for its therapeutic uses, many people are turning to keto for weight loss purposes. I want to share with you why people are using this diet for weight loss
There is no denying that many people lose weight on the keto diet.
First of all, when you eliminate an entire macro nutrient, there are a lot less options for food. And when there are less options, we tend to, well, eat LESS!
Secondly, many people who start keto, rid of the "typical american diet foods such as fast food and heavy carb meals. Essentially they are in general making healthier eating choices. Anyone who "watches" what they eat will change in one way or another. For example, when people start any diet it typical to order the salad over the mouth watering cheeseburger. That is a no brainer on what is better for you. It’s no surprise that people start feeling better and losing weight when they make healthier choices.
But the biggest reason that people lose weight quickly when they start keto isn’t because of what I’ve mentioned above, it’s because of a loss of WATER weight. One of the concerns with the keto diet is the loss of muscle mass and the depletion of glycogen stores. Glycogen, which stores our glucose, also stores water, so when stores are depleted, we flush out excess water. In other words, that rapid weight loss isn’t fat, it’s just water.
The keto diet can also directly impact hormone levels.
Our hormones Ghrelin and Leptin are responsible for our hunger and fullness cues. Many studies confirm that our appetite hormones, Ghrelin and Leptin, are supressed while in ketosis.
Another hormone that can be impacted by the keto diet is cortisol. Cortisol, put simply, is our body’s stress hormone. Unfortunately, the studies show that cortisol can be increased in individuals following a very low carb diet. High levels of cortisol are associated with insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and fat accumulation.
Advocates of the keto diet will say that while their total cholesterol will increase, it’s only the good kind (HDL) that increases, not the bad kind (LDL.) However, a study using the keto diet as a form of treatment for epileptic seizures in children found that after 6 months of administering the diet, triglyceride levels increased, total cholesterol levels increased, and HDL and LDL increased. So if heart disease runs in your family, you may want to do more research before jumping on the Keto bandwagon.
A study from the Netherlands confirmed this. In the study, participants were given three diets (high carb, moderate carb, low carb) and moderate protein. The study found that those following a low carb diet experienced increased muscle breakdown.
This is because when we eat carbohydrates, we produce insulin which promotes muscle growth. This is why athletes depend on carbohydrates (along with protein) to fuel their performance. When we eat carbs, the insulin release unlocks our muscles to let the protein in so it can do its job at building our muscles.
So, when we skip the carbs all together, muscle glycogen stores get depleted, we lose out on those muscle building opportunities.
What I am saying is that we need to look deep within and really ask ourselves WHY we want to jump on some diet trend.
Because that’s just what keto is – a trend! Next year, there will be another diet that people jump on. And on and on the cycle goes.
I agree on the fact that there are some rare medical justifications to follow a keto diet, and it was created to help children who suffer from seizures. But most people who choose to follow a keto way of eating are NOT doing it for medical reasons and they do not understand how to come out of ketosis.
