My mom always said that to lose weight “you just have to put less food in that hole in your face.”
It works.
1
Regarding sweeteners: by all means eliminate sugar from your diet to the maxiumu extent possible.
But there is a lot of nonsense printed and spoken about artificial sweeteners. I have been using Splenda in my coffee and drinking soda sweetened with Splenda for 20 years, and both work great.
I am unaware of any scientific evidence showing that Splenda is bad for you, and there is also very little evidence that other artificial sweeteners arebad for you--consumed in "normal" amounts.
Imagine, for a moment, that these diets were in fact unhealthy. If that were in fact true, then by now surely lots of MDs (and non-MDs) would know of friends who damaged themselves with these diets.
Some years ago, a researcher named Westman (? Westmann?) published several studies that found that the Atkins diet worked well, and with few or no side effects.
I've followed a low-carb diet for 20 years, and I've taken off 45 lbs, not regained any of them, and I'm pretty healthy.
3
As a diabetic, I followed the ketogenic diet for a few months. Yes, I felt better. But I lost my curls, no joke, I had strong, healthy natural curls all my life, but suddenly they lost their strength, and now they're flat, and not even wavy. Afterwards I read that "on keto", you can loose your hair, but it will come back. My curls did not come back though, but at least, my hair regained strength since I switched to an oat flakes diet (which also helps me control my weight, my blood sugar and my well being).
I wish someone had warned me before. Something which causes such an effect can't be very healthy, I think.
5
The article fails to address the reason many people eat a ketogenic diet, not for weight loss, but for the other effects being in ketosis offers. For example, many people experience increased mental clarity, more focus, more motivation and a sense of well-being. Losing some pounds is just a by-product. Also, one does not have to eat saturated fats on keto, there are plenty of healthy fat sources that work just fine, like monosaturated olive oil, etc.
5
Dr. Furhman’s Eat to Live, if you want to cure type II diabetes, reduce inflammatory responses, lower cholesterol, eliminate acid reflux, digestive system improvements...I’ve tried every diet out there, nothing worked as well as this approach for feeling good everyday. Weight loss is the side effect if you follow it. It puts keto to shame. It’s mostly a vegetarian diet that approaches vegan...I don’t miss the meat anymore, there’s enough protein from the beans and a b12 supplement to make up for the possible deficiency.
1
In my youth I was quite plump and decided to lose weight by eliminating starch and added sugar from my diet (bread, cakes, cookies, rice, potatoes, candies). It was quite easy, as I was a student, eating all meals (except weekends) in campus cafeteria. The key was that I did not increase portion size of fat and protein containing items. I lost 40 lbs in 6 months and had no problems with weight or health ever since.
6
‘and many experts contend that in the end, people will lose weight on any diet so long as they consume fewer calories.’
Case closed!
4
@Diego But it appears that if you consume fewer calories that will "reset" your metabolism so that your normal functioning requires reduced caloric intake, i.e. easy to regain the weight.
1
All calories are not equal in terms of nutrition, thus I wonder if just focusing on calories is valid.
200 calories of diet soda is not the same as 200 calories of walnuts right? Different metabolic responses
1
The real discussion is the type of diet that the individual needs to attain certain goals. Weight loss, weight Maintannce, weight gain, treating Diabetes and other metabolic disorders, etc. The general consensus, is any extreme diet is should not be followed on a long term basis.
2
It seems the media always take a balanced approach in explaining this diet by saying there is evidence on both side when there is a consensus among experts that the extreme nature of eliminating fruit and whole grains from the diet is not a good idea and also may lead to disordered eating. An anecdotal experience from a cardiologist who tried the diet is not worthy of being included in an article like this and only fuels confusion around this trend. I wish there were more articles that could offer (seek Dr. Greger's videos on this at Nutritionfacts.org)
6
I lasted a month - but did lose 8 lbs - (female, 70). Couldn't tolerate no fruit, etc-- also found that w/o the carbs - (and even b4 keto i didn't eat sugar or processed 99% of the time) - my brain just didn't function as it used to-- think i was def. not getting enough glucose to the brain . 2 months later the 8 lbs has stayed off, tho.
low fat vegan diet is the way to prevent and heal disease. worked for me! fruit all morning, then lots of meals centered on the potato, skipping oil and vinegar, and little salt. it was a big change, but I cured several auto-immune diseases doing it and I never felt better. followed anthony williams book cleanse to heal.
2
I went on a keto diet earlier this year and pretty quickly lost 5kg (11lbs). At about 6 weeks I started getting strange chest sensations, I say sensations because I couldn't call it pain, however they were certainly novel. At one stage I ended up in the emergency department being checked for a heart attack. I started eating carbs again and within a week the sensations had disappeared. A subsequent thorough heart check showed that there was absolutely nothing wrong, however it would appear that the keto diet was responsible for the chest sensations I was experiencing. Since then I have just removed gratuitous sugar from my life and stayed at a steady 90Kg (198.5 lbs) for 3 months now.
7
@Scott
Spot on.
Sugar is the first thing to ditch for anyone looking to lose weight
I started back in November and now lost 14kg on the slow boat by eating virtually no sugar and simply reducing calorie intake and extra exercise.
The long road is the best road.
3
This subject has always been of great interest to me, as someone who struggles to keep his body weight within reasonable bounds.
I've always thought of the low carb diets (Atkins, Keto, Paleo) to be unsustainable and fad diets that aren't healthy long term. I've had a lot of success losing weight over the years when I've let myself go too far. COVID set me back farther than my usual yo-yo dieting, to the tune of 40 lbs.
In a fit of desperation, I tried keto. I've lost 24 pounds in 2 months with a mostly sedentary lifestyle. I'm now at the point where I can exercise comfortably and be less drastic with my dietary restrictions.
Keto was very helpful - and during these two months, I've rarely ever felt hungry. Key thing to point out - these lbs weren't lost through magic or ketones, but a reduction in caloric intake (I tracked my macros and calories religiously). This is all weight loss boils down to, as I've done them all - burning more calories than you take in on a sustained basis.
The one upside to keto, IMO - was that the lack of blood sugar swings helped reduce hunger significantly. It took tremendous willpower to avoid my "trigger" foods (I'm a sweets guy), but when eating reasonable amounts of food I was never hungry.
I know some people just stay on keto, but that's not my plan. For me, it was a good way to eliminate hunger and facilitate caloric reduction. Now back to a balanced diet with more exercise.
5
I am on a very low carb diet but not a ketogenic one. I do intermitent fasting (14-16 hours) daily. I am very fit and exercise every day.I consume a lot of vegetables, and occasionally legume, eggs and fish for my protein. I use olive and avocado oil for cooking. Since I have been on this regimen ( I do not call it a diet), my lipid panel is as follow:My HDL is 83, my triglyceride is 40 but my LDL is 150 and my total is 250. My blood glucose is very low too. Although I am pretty healthy and thin, but my Dr is telling me that I am at the verge of stroke if I do not bring down my LDL. I am not sure what else I can do in terms of a healthy life style except going on statin medication which I oppose.
@Maryam Avoid statins if possible. They can cause more harm than good. I've been on them for years, and am trying to 'wean' myself off of them.
1
@Maryam
Although some people do not tolerate statins very well, the vast majority do, certainly at a low dose. Statins have massively reduced cardiovascular disease since they were first widely prescribed in the 1990s. One should not discount the enormous difference they have made.
I would definitely see how they work for you before discounting them summarily.
I had a similar experience you had. 30 years ago, when I was still running marathons, my total cholesterol was very low (~120 mg/dl), LDL at 50 and an optimal HDL of ~63. Then my knees forced me to run less, aging did its own to increase my body weight and in order to bring it back down I went on a low carb diet. Worked great, but too much saturated fat increased my LDL to 130 mg/dl. WAAYYY higher than one wants!!! Less than 70 should be the target.
I achieved that by just adding a low dose of atorvastatin (Lipitor). 10 mg/day are sufficient for me. Side effects: None.
You may be just as lucky, but you won't know until you try. Not everyone responds as dramatically to a statin as I did. If you have any side effects, you can always get off the drug again. But IMO, the dramatically lower LDL levels vastly outweigh any possible concerns.
@Maryam Have a test to see if your LDL particles are small and sticky or big and fluffy. Apparently the “fluffy type” does not pose the same risks.
At 77, I have slowly lost 30 pounds over 9 months on a moderately lo carb weight watchers program. Plus 30 minutes of exercise 5X a week.I have in the past been the most hungry at night. Have begun eating a bowl of Post WheatnBran topped with a bit of shredded coconut for "dessert". Have to swap that out with exercise and a lot less bread, pasta, rice, and potato. Plus more oil and very little butter. And very very few if any cakes, cookies, chips, crackers, etc. With the WheatnBran as an anchor I can then last the night without being hungry. But then, I like that cereal. Probably not everybody's cup of tea. Not sure where this will put the weight loss. But even if it slows down, not being ravenous helps so much.
6
why is it that the so-called medical "experts" are always the last ones to admit that what they've been cautioning against has been the truth all along, and that they have no idea what health is all about.
2
It's amusing how much diet is like economics -- we can't answer really really basic questions, at all.
1
@Larry
Markets are the problem in both cases. If there's so much choice to consume, you are going to do it. One one hand you are unhappy because you are fat, on the other because you have stuff you don't need clogging up your house and mind.
I have been on a number of diets and read about even more diets than I could ever try and have come to the conclusion that, when dieting, if it tastes good, don't eat it.
4
I'm currently doing a low-carb diet -- mostly keeping to less than 100 grams of carbs/day -- and eating in a healthy manner. What makes this work for me is that keeping carbs low keeps my hunger in check which in turn helps me make better choices. I range between 300-600 less calories a day and I've upped my regular exercise a bit. My weight is slowly coming down.
The other thing that works for me is to use a free app, Cronometer, that helps me log in my food and gives me a rough estimate of the nutrient content. I find it encouraging. I look to choosing the right foods to get as close to 100% of all the recommended nutrients.
Spending a few minutes in the morning to log in my food, including what I propose to eat the rest of the day works for me. I can, and do, make adjustments as needed -- it's not set in stone. But the bottom line is to both eat less calories and eat well nutritionally.
I'm keeping a somewhat tight rein on things right now, but don't expect to keep doing so indefinitely. And if I have an "off" day I shake it off and get right back on the wagon the next day.
I do not feel deprived or starving. I appreciate what eating lower carbs is helping me do.
2
I’ve been off and on Keto for the past 4 years. My problem with it even though I’ve had great results with weight loss is the diet is unsustainable for me. I am a vegetarian and I don’t cook much having been spoiled by two marriages where both of my ex wives were fabulous cooks, so I never bothered to learn how to cook other than rudimentary dishes.
While on Keto, I kept my carbs under 25mg a day, but I was only able to do this for stretches of 4-5 months at a time, and then I would go off Keto for a month or two, then go back on. Not being able to eat fruit except for berries in limited quantities was a real hardship for me. I imagine if I did eat meat, I wouldn’t have a problem staying the course.
2
I would like to see the incidence of diverticulosis in people who follow a Keto diet. Weight is a poor measure of overall health and the meat and dairy Western diet means that a large majority of people over 50 have diverticula which can become inflamed and ultimately burst causing peritonitis. We should be eating a healthy, varied diet with lots of fibre and only a little meat. Moderation in all things!
3
I have been on keto for 18 months, have lost 45 pounds, now have a normal BMI, and am no longer prediabetic. Yet people say to me, "are you sure keto is healthy?" The same people did not blink an eye if I had donuts for breakfast.
30
Imagine a middle road where you also did not have donuts for breakfast but would eat healthful legumes and a barley salad.
13
congratulations on your weight loss. and just ignore those people. you'll outlive them.
1
The body can store up to 2000 kcals worth of glycogen, that's approximately 500 grams of carbohydrates. Carbs are cheap fuel, i.e. what the body will first metabolize. They can generate the most energy quickly, which is essential if survival depended on outrunning or fighting a predator. Any excess of carbs in the food will go into storage, i.e. fat, from where the energy can be mobilized during more "leisurely" times, like during winter or a famine.
From the evolutionary perspective that makes perfect sense. During summer, carbs are plentiful and our hunter/gatherer forefathers naturally spent their summers ingesting as many calories as possible. They were effectively inducing a temporary diabetic state during summer, which resolved again during winter, when carbs were naturally restricted and fat burning was activated.
The problem is this: Ready access to carbs shuts down the fat burning enzymes. To induce them, carbs need to be absent.
Not a problem thousands of years ago while we were foraging for food on the prairies. Winter naturally brought on carb restriction.
Today, things are different. Carbs are abundant year round and not in short supply. The result is a continuous, not temporary, type 2 prediabetic state from which obesity ensues.
This is what the keto diet avoids. It basically tells the body that it is winter and fat needs to be mobilized as the body's carbohydrate pool is permanently running on low.
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No diet is good for you.
Eat less, and mostly plants veggies, fruits ETC.
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@RP
Thank you for pointing out the obvious & I totally agree with you!
I can remember reading the same type of comments in my mother's "women's magazines" about the grapefruit diet...then the Scarsdale Diet as well as the Atkins Diet: "never felt better", had "more energy", "lost (fill in the blank but better if it's a double digit) weight & needed a new wardrobe"...
Everything that goes around comes around again given enough time...
Like you said - no "diet" is good for you.
Healthy eating is. And it's okay to have an occasional dessert, too!
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@RP
"No diet is good for you."
Actually, that is a contradiction in terms.
'No diet' means you eat nothing and thus starve yourself to death. That can't be good....
'Healthy eating' is a 'diet', too.
It is the caloric content and composition of that diet that matters.
The Keto Diet helped me lose 15 pounds. Then COVID hit- there was no way to avoid comfort food aka/pasta. Slowing - nearly as slowing as the weight came off it went back - being sedentary wasn't helpful either. Also!! while on Keto the weight came down but my cholesterol went up. Not good. My diet is healthy - no processed food - no red meat - and as Michael Pollan has long promoted in his documentary - In Defense of Food - Eat More Plants!!! This approach is life sustaining, healthy sustaining, and comforting. Shop the fresh fruit and vegetable isles, farmers' markets and slow down to truly savor meals, a social event, an aesthetic pleasure, and the nourishment comes from all of it. Refresh your memory with his excellent research. https://www.pbs.org/food/shows/in-defense-of-food/
6
I’d been a type one diabetic for about 10 years trying to keep my carb intake at about 45 grams per meal. I had terrible blood sugar swings depending on physical activity. I then tried increasing my fat intake and reducing my carb intake to about 15 grams per meal. My total insulin intake was reduced by two thirds. Blood sugar swings disappeared no matter what my level of physical activity. My average blood sugars dropped to “normal” (non diabetic) levels. While I only dropped a few pounds, they seemed to come off my belly. My good cholesterol went up and the bad went down. I love fresh veggies but I’ve learned to severely limit my intake in order to up my quality of life. My physician’s last comment to my annual wellness visit has been “keep those carbs down”.
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The only diet that's ever worked is counting calories. I'm a fairly muscular 6' 1"; 20 years ago I went from 240 to 200 by monitoring calories (used an old Windows program called DietPower), without any particular exercise (though I was a gym rat for many years before that). Since then I've kept it off by keeping a daily food log (I currently use Fitbit, but have used MyFitnessPal at times). It no doubt helps that I road-bike around 3,000 miles a year, but that allows me to eat more too.
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@Stratman
You're a total outlier. That's a very strong mileage count for cycling and no doubt affects much of your overall health. (Cycling is my health-hobby, too, keeping me easily at 6'2" and 175lbs.)
Most people don't exercise at all, much less to that level. Therefore, the question is which diet is best.
For me, it's the Zone. 40% carbs, 30% fat and protein each. Actually, it's not a diet but a lifestyle. Yes, Barry Sears (Zone founder) argues, there are times a small bowl of ice cream is better than one of strawberries.
Calories can increase or decrease based on your activity, but if you keep this ration of 40/30/30 I think your weight will stabilize and pre-diabetic conditions will disappear.
2
Eat anything except meat, dairy, and processed foods. Eat all you want as long as it isn't in these categories, and you'll get healthier, lose weight, and feel better.
10
Sometimes I think that I have tried every diet ever invented only to regain the weight eventually. The only thing that seems to work for me is to avoid processed anything and junk food. I eat primarily fish for protein and a healthy amount of fresh veggies including those that are high in carbs. When I go to the grocery store I avoid the junk food aisle, you know the one dedicated to potato chips, cookies, crackers. I call it empty calories aisle.
11
Jan of 2019 I was 200 lbs, on 3 different diabetes meds, a statin and bp med. In 5 months I lost 50 lbs on strict clean keto. Never hungry once I switched out of using carbs for fuel. May 2022 blood work shows A1C at 5.3, cholesterol excellent as well as all other numbers. Still eating Keto and have maintained the weight loss. Oh, and my bilateral knee replacements no longer needed, I can run up and down stairs. I am 68 and feel fantastic. If I never eat another cookie or potato it's a trade I. happy to make.
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@maggie
No need to give up potatoes, just the insides. The skins are healthier and avoid too much starch and too many calories.
Been on Keto for over a year. Lost 25 lbs and lowered my blood pressure. I find it amusing the misinformation used to scare people from this diet. For example, I have never been constipated the entire time on the diet nor do I miss the fiber. I find I have very little gas and bloating compared to when I was eating a 'normal' diet. Yes your LDL cholesterol goes up along with Total cholesterol but but your HDL will skyrocket and your triglyceride level will go down. I should state that I tried many other diets prior to Keto including Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Vegan, but they all left me hungry. I would lose a few pounds a then hit a plateau but always hungry. Keto was the only diet with no plateau and never hungry. Do your own research though. Many good books available written by medical doctors. scholar.google.com is very useful as well.
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@Brian ,
I am on a very low carb diet but not a ketogenic one. I do intermitent fasting (14-16 hours) daily. I am very fit and exercise every day.I consume a lot of vegetables, and occasionally legume, eggs and fish for my protein. I use olive and avocado oil for cooking. Since I have been on this regimen ( I do not call it a diet), my lipid panel is the way you described it. My HDL is 83, my triglicride is 40 but my LDL is 150 and my total is 250. My blood glucose is very low too. Although I am pretty healthy and thin, but my Dr is telling me that I am at the verge of stroke if I do not bring down my LDL. I am not sure what else I can do in terms of a healthy life style except going on statin medication which I oppose. Have you been alarmed by your Dr about your high LDL?
I think healthy diets can differ person to person. in my case, I cut out all red meats, even though I never ate a lot of meat to begin with, and continued with my usual vegetables, fruits and nuts. As a result, I lost a few pounds and my cholesterol dropped 50 points over two years.
3
Shop on the edges of the supermarket where the fresh produce, meats, bakery and dairy are located. Factory food bad. Fresh ingredients good. Cook your own meals. Occasional restaurant meals are fine. In-and-Out less frequently is a treat - a pox on all other fast food. Meals at our house include leafy green veggies, some carbs like rice or potatoes, a salad, and some protein. Snack on nuts and berries - almost never buy ice cream. Kinda like the old pyramid. Count calories - at least be aware. I once spent a year in Saudi Arabia where the incidence of diabetes was common - the local diet atrocious. I weighed 240 lbs and was bilious when I returned. I have been around 185 lbs since 2012 and have never looked back. No longer pre-diabetic, blood pressure under control, lower back no longer struggling to cope with moments of inertia. Oh yeah, some exercise might help too. Eschew fad diets. Use common sense.
3
A friend's husband, who is borderline diabetic and overweight, has been following a keto diet for a number of years. A couple of years back, when he had been on the diet for about three years, he had a stroke that landed him in the hospital and nearly killed him with various side issues like nearing kidney failure. He went right back on the diet and is thinner now, except for his "beer belly." Count me out.
3
FIBER is Filling!
“The greatest risk, however, of the ketogenic diet may be the one most overlooked: the opportunity cost of not eating high-fiber, unrefined carbohydrates,” the authors wrote. “Whole grains, fruits and legumes are some of the most health-promoting foods on the planet. They are not responsible for the epidemics of Type 2 diabetes or obesity, and their avoidance may do harm.”
Not ALL, but many people 'like' eating to satiation and when there is no fiber it takes a much larger amount of high fat calories to do so. Most of our degenerative health issues are indirectly caused by our lack of fiber. Most importent 'measurement' ought to be how much fiber are you eating! A Whole Food Plant Based Diet, rich in whole food fats like nut, seeds, avacodos & olives rather than 'distilled oils' and animal fats is the straight line down this very crooked path! WFPBNO only way to complete health!
Every single 'Blue Zone' where a large percentage of people live active lives into their tenth decade ought to be a clear demonstration how to eat! On the Standard American Diet (SAD) we have befor us millions living less than 6 - 7 - 8 decades and throughly NOy enjoying those later ones through frailty, lack of function, inability to truly participate in life!
I fail to see how we are STILL discussing ketogenic when not one of it's proponents has lived nearly as long as those Blue Zone people along w'scientists & Docs like Ornish, Esselston, TCCampbell and Pritikin!
6
Ive been Keto for over three years. One unmentioned benefit of a keto diet is that you are eating very very little if any processed food. No sugar or chemical additives. All those aisles of processed corn and sugar are ignored. Leafy vegetables, berries, low carb nuts, (for me) salmon, ribeye steak, eggs etc are my staples. Yes, I lost 20 pounds (205 to 185) but I do not miss the cake, ice cream, soda, sugared cereals, big macs etc that make up so much of our unhealthy american diets. Keto is more NOT eating foods that will kill you than losing weight. Also your LDL might go up but my HDL (healthy, protective) skyrocketed.
11
Fifty years ago few people were obese. Americans ate the standard American diet, as it was then. Some of us remember the Food Pyramid that used to be taught in the schools. During the past fifty years the American diet has changed and the result is mass obesity and ill health. I leave it to physiologists and medical professionals to explain, in scientific terms, why this diet it is so awful. We do know that it is the result of decisions by the government and agri-business concerning our food. Unless these decisions are reversed, there is no the slightest chance that Americans will become less obese. A few highly motivated people will lose eight because of the latest diet, but the great majority will not. They will continue to consume, in huge quantities, the bad food they are given.
7
@WB 50 years ago, people were more active physically. Thanks to various innovations, we have become much more sedentary. I don't do my laundry in a sink or hang it out on the line to dry. I have a washer and a dryer and an HOA that does not permit me to dry clothes on a line. The HOA does my lawn mowing. I'd actually like to get rid of the lawn, but once again, not permitted. I could go on, but you get the point. To move, I have to go to a gym and it is boring as all heck.
2
@Jennifer Fifty years ago labor saving devices had been with us for a generation or more. One thing I did not mention is the price of food. Nixon reversed the policy of expensive food, which was intended to keep farmers in business during the Depression. The results we see all around us. Cheap junk food is for sale everywhere, in schools, stores and even in hospitals.
3
@WB
It started with corn syrup being introduced in the late sixties to early seventies. We didn't have corn syrup when I was little.
3
A modified keto diet has been a God-send for my husband, who has a rare form of type 2 diabetes. He needs to take insulin and have a very strict diet that eliminates even good carbs like beans and whole grains and fruits because they will elevate his blood sugar. He follows a keto diet but without the fruit, and focuses on lean proteins and not using as many added fats (like butter and cream) that are in many keto recipes. It really helps him manage his diabetes.
3
Please do your own research. Start with Dr. Eric Westman at Duke University and Dr. Annette Bosworth. Realize the Keto lifestyle is up against Medical, Pharmaceutical and Food Engineering, industries and manufacturers who would rather sell you something than have you understand the power is in your own hands. There are too many success stories to doubt them, but you will need to do the research yourself. I changed my diet 17 months ago and at 67 its the best decision I ever made. Be skeptical of anyone trying to sell you something. Real health is possible.
13
I recently lost a few pounds by cutting one meal in half. I make my "old" amount for breakfast, then eat half of it. I eat the rest of it at lunch time. Then a regular amount for dinner. So far so good! I don't feel too hungry and I keep myself busy during work hours so I don't miss the half meal that I cut out.
4
This is a poorly written and researched article. Firstly, Ethan Weiss appears in both this and the intermittent fasting article posted the same day. So there was likely one interview conducted with one person, not a selection of multiple experts on these topics. And the details provided from his information are only anecdotal - his own personal eating habits. This is not scientific or responsible reporting.
Secondly, insulin is NOT a “hormone that leads to weight gain.” It is dangerous and irresponsible to label it as such.
Insulin is a hormone, like any other, that acts as a messenger and regulator of the body’s systems. Its role is to take glucose in the blood and move it to the body’s cells - that’s it.
Our body stores glucose (as glycogen) in the liver and muscles. When the glucose present in the blood exceeds their storage capacity it is converted into fat and stored as fat cells.
This process has nothing whatsoever to do with insulin. It has everything to do with the amount of glucose present in the blood, which generally comes from eating carbohydrates. On any diet, eat too many carbs or too many processed carbs and you will gain weight because of this very natural process.
In medical instances where hormones are imbalanced, as in diabetes, such a diet can help restore the balance. In this case it serves a particular and specific medical purpose (seconding other comments here classifying keto as a useful medical diet).
9
@kg3850 The process of taking extra glucose and storing it in fat cells has everything to do with insulin as glucose cannot enter fat cells without insulin to open channels in fat cell plasma membranes that allow glucose to travel down its concentration gradient (high in the blood to low in the cell.) It has nothing to do with blood glucose without those GLUT channels opening in the presence of insulin. You can readily accept this if you consider what people with an insulin deficiency (classically, type 1 diabetics) look like when not treated- wasted.
Fats are readily put into adipocytes (fat storage cells) also through a process called the exogenous lipoprotein pathway.
In other words, you can get fat eating fat. To really understand keto diets, it would be helpful to get a total caloric intake over time from keto participants and participants in other diet types.
4
@kg3850
It is intertwined with insulin. Some people develop insulin resistance. Also, women who have hypothyroidism have an extremely difficult time losing weight.
Women who have POS have a difficult time losing weight as well. I don't know if there was a difference between males and females.
Also, this diet is used by people who have infants who develop infantile spasms,which if not caught early enough can lead to brain damage.
In Europe when babies were found to have infantile spasms, they were often left outside in the forests to fend for themselves. This is connected to insulin.
Infantile spasms are not as recognizable as grand mal seizures.
50 years from now we are still going to be talking about dieting…
13
We're all gonna die. Eat, be active, be as good to yourselves and others as you can. Soon it will be over and we can all fight over whose the thinnest corpse.
14
And, oh by the way, don’t raise your kids on the typical American diet or on these artificially restrictive fad diets because you will be giving them life-long health problems.
2
I've done it and it works.
But long term, it's like anything else with diet: don't be an extremist.
Eat carbs in moderate amounts and try and make them mostly whole grains. Not sugar and the white processed stuff.
10
Weight loss is not complicated. The basic requirement is that you burn more calories than you eat. Then your system will consume any fat you have stored to make up the deficit. The tricky part is to make sure that the calories you do consume are made up of the nutrients you need to maintain the various bodily functions. That's the famous balanced diet. An occasional sweet treat is not a problem.
One suggestion is that you don't try to lose lots of weight real fast. It's better to Take a little time and get used to your new, good habits. Too many people crash diet and, when they reach their target, they revert to their old habits and put the weight right back on again.
3
It's called keto-lite. Do Keto as best as you can. Love pasta? Instead of having spaghetti and meatballs, have meatballs with a side of spaghetti. Instead of having a bagel sandwich, have an open bagel sandwich. When you order chicken and broccoli from a Chinese takeout, tell them to replace the rice with more broccoli, and charge and extra dollar or two.
100% keto is extremely difficult. 80% keto is not.
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@Erik I like this approach and try it most days.
1
I'm 66 and shed 20 lbs doing keto. Then I went to the doctor and all my numbers -- blood pressure, blood sugar and bad cholesterol -- were up. So now I've added back in some more fruits and have stopped eating as much cheese, and no red meat. I'm keeping the weight down, though not losing as steadily.
5
All those fruits and vegetables in the accompanying photo are CARBS. We need to differentiate what we think of as starches from other carbohydrates. Meats and fats are the only foods that are not carbs.
Get it straight that fruits and vegetables (including legumes, btw) are carbs.
10
@geeb
Legumes such as quinoa are not carbs. Need to go back and read info on quinoa. That is classified as a legume which is not a carb.
I did the Keto diet for about a year and lost 20 pounds. I couldn’t find it sustainable, as I love my healthy carbs such as legumes and whole grains. What Keto did for me is make me more aware of what I put on my plate. I eat healthier now (and have the occasional Fig Newton) and have kept almost all the weight off.
9
I was given two scholarly articles about the keto diet in the 90s: they were published by a team of European doctors involved in the management of extreme obesity. When I talked about this diet, people would invariably say "Aah! Atkins..." But the two diets were not the same concept.
One thing that surprises me when I read articles such as this one, is the idea that while on the keto diet, one can eat unlimited amounts of fat. That's not what those articles recommended... In those papers, all sources of carbohydrates were eliminated: no fruit, no bread, no pasta, no rice, no potatoes, no sugars of any kind. Vegetables were separated into two groups, high in carbs, low in carbs, and a limited amount of each group was allowed each day (100 and 150 grams respectively). The quantity of protein allowed was calculated according to a simple formula that took into account the height of the patient, as well as his/her current weight and the desired post-diet weight sought.
The goal was to offer only the amount of protein necessary to maintain organ integrity and muscle mass. And finally, fat intake was limited to 3 tablespoonfuls of oil per day, or their equivalent in butter. The logic was that some fat was necessary for skin and hair health, but that calorie consumption should be minimized. Limiting one's carb intake is a great habit to adopt, especially nowadays when sugars lurk in all processed foods. Embarking on the keto diet to lose weight in a different ballgame altogether!
5
@LM
First, you can't 'eliminate all sources of carbohydrates' and still eat vegetables. Vegetables ARE a carbohydrate!
Second, You are saying limit fat, protein and carbohydrates. Well there isn't anything else, what do you propose eating?
What you ( and everyone else) are really saying is reduce overall intake. That is what will allow people to loose weight.
2
@Isabel
Vegetables CONTAIN some carbs, some vegetables more than others. And in Keto its NET carbs that matter---that is, the total carb count minus fiber (which doesn't count). More important and not sufficiently mentioned here is SUGAR. Most vegies are low in sugars. But ANY processed food is loaded with sugar---and soda (AND fruit juices) are PURE sugar water (with NO fiber). I used to eat oatmeal everyday and 3 hours later would be very hungry---now I have flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp hearts, almonds, walnuts and pecans (drowned in half and half)---its VERY filling and staves off hunger till mid afternoon. On some days I have a cheese omelette and bacon---no toast (which I miss). I'm 67 and weigh the same (or more important have about the same muscle/fat ratio) as I did in my 20's. For a complete guide to KETO see Dr. Ken Berry's YouTube videos.
2
I've had good success with Keto: lost weight, don't feel too tired, kept the weight off for a year (while gradually relaxing a bit).
For me, a central part of the benefit is that it let me avoid sugar, which I think is my personal weak spot. I've avoided all the bad sugar carbs that I could not say no to before. I think that's the primary source for my benefit, personally.
6
I was on a high protein low carb diet for a few years and fasted one day a week, some times several days having read on the internet that was good for you. I was also getting some reasonable exercise.
Then at age 65 I felt chest pains and had to have a stent put in a blocked artery in my heart. My cardio suggested to avoid meat that had saturated fats. I am now taking statins to reduce my LDL.
I no longer trust anything I read on the internet related to diet and health.
7
@Joseph B2 I'd get a new cardiologist
5
@Joseph B2
PLEASE check out www.nutritionfacts.org
Put words like 'heart', 'keto' and healthy food into the 'search box'!
You will find every link to orginal info neatly listed on the site.
2
@Robert Why? Makes sense to me to avoid sat fat if you have cardiac issues.
4
I'll chime in, for no particular reason -- but the cardiologist recommended it for a number of reasons. I did lose my muffin top, but there are other things he tracks having to do with particle size and density, the whole immune system, and things beyond my ken.
What I DO know is that burning hydrocarbon is different from burning carbohydrate. Think of the difference between stoking the potbelly stove for a winter cabin weekend with wood or coal. Or think of a wick-type lamp filled with either oil or alcohol.
The alcohol or wood will burn easily, perhaps flaring up at the start, and will burn cool for a short time. The coal or oil won't flare, and will deliver more heat for a long time (no waking at 4:00am to stoke the stove.) The result for ME is that when I burn hydrocarbon, I don't become ashen and weak after a few hours. I can tell I'm hungry, but I continue to perform, and I just know I'll have to get around to eating sooner or later. The smoothing out of my eating cycle makes it easier to reduce overall caloric intake without getting frantic, so I guess that's why my waist became indented after a year or so.
I can't say what the long-term effect will be, but I'm past the age when I can die young. Meanwhile, the cardio is happy with my bloodwork -- based on an NMR panel, not just classic LDL-C measurements. So far, the ACC hasn't found that a good standard, but I trust the fellow's approach. Organizations can be slow to see clearly.
1
You can’t just “eat Keto” and lose weight and stay healthy. A Keto diet is complicated and should be directed by a competent dietitian. Done correctly it is wonderful for your brain and is used by doctors to treat epilepsy and difficult to treat migraine patients. I know several migraine sufferers who have gotten their lives back because of the Keto diet. It is not a fad diet, it is a medical diet and should be treated as such.
9
Why not just eat whole grains, lots of vegetables and fruits, and in moderation?
Do we need these constantly changing diet fads?
Our ancestors knew to eat what grew naturally in the region without having to scientifically analyze what it contained and know it’s chemical composition.
As society became affluent, food habits have changed to unhealthy and processed foods.
Convenience and advertising play a role. But it is not that difficult to plan and cook healthy simple meals.
After all, it is a matter of taking care of our health and worth the time and effort.
Nutritious food is the best medicine!
12
@ABC "Why not just eat whole grains, lots of vegetables and fruits, and in moderation? Do we need these constantly changing diet fads?"
Whole grains, lots of vegetables and fruits is a diet fad.
7
Since when is eating grains fruits and vegetable fad diet? It’s what is grown on the land and people have been eating it for centuries.
1
Oh for pete’s sake, the reason why we have an enormous ( sorry for the pun) problem with obesity and concomitant health problems is because of how the typical American diet has evolved. Too much sugar, fat, salt and processed grains. Soft drinks, French fries, pizza, fast food, etc. , all with too many calories and all of the above. You don’t need diet gurus (and artificially restrictive diets) selling their wares to understand the basics of healthful eating. If you stick to a variety of whole natural occurring foods , the Mediterranean diet being a good model, you will be helping your health and weight will not be the issue.
11
@Susan There are 22 countries on the Mediterranean Sea. The coastline is 28,000 miles. There is no such thing as a Mediterranean Diet. It is a fiction created by gurus who picked one spot on the Mediterranean that had a diet they liked, and then named it the MD.
5
It comes and goes about once every 20 years. First it’s good; then it’s bad. After that it’s gone for another generation. Then it’s baaack! Etc.
4
When dining in Cambodia a few years ago, I, a white American woman taught my whole life to fear carbs, declined the proffered rice at lunch. Our server giggled and said “we Asians eat the rice and are thin. You Europeans won’t eat rice and are fat.” Chew on that for a minute.
21
“Whole grains, fruits and legumes are some of the most health-promoting foods on the planet.” That’s the myth, anyway, but not much science to back it up. The fact of the matter is, the majority of pesticides consumed by human beings are not artificially applied, but rather the naturally occurring pesticides plants produce to discourage predation. At any rate, it is not a problem to eat high fiber green veg and occasional watery fruits and some nuts and still be on a low carb, ketogenic diet.
Any diet that causes stored fat oxidation is by definition a high fat diet as far as the body is concerned. The body makes no distinction between dietary and stored fat for energy use. And since ketones are a byproduct of fat oxidation, any diet that results in fat oxidation is also to one degree or another ketogenic.
Finally, the argument that the body burns carbohydrate preferentially is largely a function not of preference but of survival. Because blood sugar has to be kept in such a tiny window to avoid death, any consumption of sugar in any form has to be dealt with immediately. The body is able to make all the glucose it needs by converting dietary protein in the liver. There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate.
8
The is a logical inconsistency evident in many comments when authors claim great changes are attributable to keto, without considering the factors that went into the need for change. For example:
"I eat real, unrefined food, and no factory created foods. No potatoe [sic] chips out of a can. No soda out of a bottle. No 'frozen dessert product'. None of it."
If before you switched to keto you were eating refined food, factory created food, potato chips (out of a bag or out of a can), soda, and "frozen dessert products", the problem is your previous diet, which was a disaster. While the solution for you may be keto, almost any change away from this mode of eating will give you great results.
13
One thing I noticed with people is that being on Keto (and previously mentioned Atkins) activates a cell within the brain that causes the subject to comment (babble) to any and all just how "healthy" the diet is, how much weight they've lost, along with a recommendation that I should consider going "on" the diet as well.... btw I don't care that you eat bacon and sausage for breakfast every morning...
No one stays on these fad diets long term, and it always comes back to quantity / calories / variety and activity.
16
@TJJ
Smart aleck...Americans consume too much sugar, period. A balanced keto diet can have plenty of variety but says NO to sugar.
4
It would be great to read an article on intermittent fasting. Eating like this, in a short eating window, has similar metabolic effects to keto, as it depletes the liver glycogen and activates the 'metabolic switch' towards burning ketone bodies. Therefore it activates autophagy, which is the body's cellular cleansing process, and very healthy.
I am not a fan of keto. Too much fat, no thanks. I eat lots of barlery and beans, as they are low glycemic index starches, and try to finish eating by 6 pm. I have had a lot of health benefits from doing this. Long story short: it's really not healthy to be eating all the time, and skipping that late night snack can be very beneficial.
5
@Erin
Yes, yes, yes! (And its not that hard!)
1
While pregnant with my third child- before the keto diet for weight loss was a fad- I failed my glucose challenge test, and I was shocked. I was referred to a dietician to help me regulate my blood sugar. We discussed my food diary and routine: I would start my day off with a big bowl of oatmeal, go to the gym, have nuts after the gym, veggies and eggs or tofu for lunch, an animal protein of some sort and a vegetable dish for dinner, and 73% dark chocolate for dessert- you know, lots of healthy baby-building foods, mostly vegetables. The dietician explained that my body was accidentally in a ketogenic state and that I was super healthy. It was the gunk they make pregnant people drink for a glucose challenge that spiked my blood sugar. I was advised to keep doing what I was doing and to also avoid eating any starches or carbs after my workout to protect my baby from another sugar spike. I gave birth to a healthy baby boy and celebrated with a piece of chocolate cake the size of my head. I now make sure to eat more starches!
6
In my clinic, I’ve seen so many people with ridiculously high LDL cholesterol who are “eating keto”.
This is not a good “fad” for CAD (coronary artery disease”.
20
@T Does their height and weight, blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL, amount of exercise and genetics matter, or is just LDL that matters?
2
The keto diet is extreme enough that it includes too many variables to know what part of it works for which people. Is the keto diet itself causing people to lose weight, or just some part of it? Maybe just not eating sugar anymore is enough to cause weight loss, depending on your prior habits. Maybe your heightened awareness of food is enough to simply limit your calories. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but it does sound like the evidence is there to help us say who and why. I've always been able to peel pounds off (and keep them off for years, even after my old habits creep back) by just doing two things: No sugar. No eating between meals.
3
Our good family friend has been following this diet for several years. He has lost a lot of weight. He has also wound up in the hospital twice with life threatening illnesses; once with temporary kidney failure and most recently a stroke. It may be related and it may not, but I am unwilling to take that chance for 20 pounds.
3
@Patty I used it to lose 20 pounds last year with no problems. The fact that your family friend was on it for a long time worries me. I am confident that his kidney episode occurred as a result, but it was the effect of a long time on keto, not from a short period. I used keto to lose my weight in period of 2-3 months and then I transitioned back to carbs. Unfortunately I gained the weight back and now I am on keto again. I will build some better habits when I transition back to carbs again!
@Patty
For many Americans its not a matter of 20 lbs., its 50 or 150! Now THAT will kill you slowly.
2
I appreciate the health warnings of doctors who deplore the lack of fruit, whole grains, legumes, etc., on keto. But they virtually never address the problem that we carb addicts have. I can fervently commit myself to only eating the "good" carbs, such as fruits, veggies and whole grains---but if my level of carb consumption gets high enough, the cravings for bread, sugar and desserts come roaring back. It's hard to explain to anyone who doesn't have this problem---but it's like an itch. For me, the only way to avoid the "bad" carbohydrates is to avoid most of the "good" ones as well. And nutritional requirements can be met with low-carb sources.
14
Totally agree. I never have any problems skipping desserts, but I would cheerfully sell my soul for any combination of starch and cheese. Low carb'ing completely obliterates the cravings - it just doesn't occur to you to eat those things.
8
@Joanne Murphy Have you tried eating barley or oatmeal? Barley is a filling, very low glycemic index starchy carb, so you won't get the yoyo feeling (blood sugar-wise) that you get with bread or rice, leading to cravings (I think). Oatmeal is a higher glycemic index carb, but its sugar releases slowly over a long period of time, so its filling. I think either of these might help with carb cravings.
3
@Erin It is a thought. I can certainly experiment with adding small amounts of barley or oats back into my diet. But unfortunately, wheat does not work for me. The last time I ate bulgur, I ended up binging. And I am generally a highly disciplined person. No red meat or chicken for almost 20 yrs. Almost no alcohol. And as long as I keep my carbs low--no sugar either.
All special diets have one thing in common: they increase awareness and accountabilty for what you are actually eating and how much of it. Accountability alone likely promotes weight loss. Also, special diets give you a sense of control over your life, which can make a person feel better all on its own.
12
I was woozy and near-fainting on keto for a couple of weeks before finally passing out at the the grocery store. That was the day I realized the keto diet isn't safe for me. Sure I lost 10 pounds but they came right back when I stopped doing keto. I've watched so many family members and friends yo-yo on and off keto now because it's simply not a sustainable way of eating. It's also horrible for the planet with all that meat. Now I've lost weight in a healthier way and am mostly vegetarian, which feels better ethically and physically. I will never do no-carb again.
12
Do all the people commenting about their 30 pounds of weight loss know that the first 10-20 pounds you lose on any diet is just water weight, because your body needs water to process carbs. Eat fewer carbs and your body will retain less water.
The second you resume consuming a normal amount of carbs that water will return.
3
@Elise
That's silly.
Your body needs water regardless. People on Keto do not have less water in their systems than anyone else.
It's not the stopping of a diet that causes weight gain, but what goes with it - changed eating.
1
Enough with all these goofy diets. A friend of mine did keto and told me that the diet was against eating lentils. What nonsense. Severe obesity probably needs medical intervention. Most simply overweight folks seriously need to ask themselves what they actually eat. I lost 55 lbs primarily by cutting portion size and leaning heavily on vegetables. The only food I actually avoided was pasta because I love it and tend to eat too much. Eat real food, eat at home, watch your portion sizes, and get some exercise. Simple enough.
28
@H Silk
If its so simple why are 40% of Americans over fat or obese? I say over fat because its the fat/lean ratio that matters. (I'm "overweight" by BMI because I'm fairly muscular.)
1
What brought about my Type II diabetes and obesity? Overeating carbs and sugar. I wanted to reverse both of these medical conditions...I have yet to read a paper that eating whole grains and non-starchy vegetables will reverse T2D. My 1 year anniversary on a well-formulated ketogenic diet is next week. I have lost 30% of body mass (predominantly as fat mass - not lean mass) and my T2D is in full remission (says my endocrinologist). With good adherence ANY diet with a caloric deficient will result in weight loss, but reversal of T2D? I think this is the power of a well-formulated ketogenic diet.
25
@Erika Diabetes isn't caused by overconsumption of carbs.
9
@Elise No, but carbs cause blood glucose to shoot up for diabetics. The keto thing worked for me--my A1c went from 9.5 to 6.7 after just THREE MONTHS of keto. The problem was I could not stick to such a low amount of carbs (less than 50g day).
3
@Elise Correct, but if you have diabetes, avoid all consumption of grains, starches and sugars. Unless you want to be on insulin for the rest of your life.
2
It’s obvious Keto diets cause efficient weight loss in the short term, but I’m highly skeptical that a diet in which it is encouraged to essentially free-base butter is going to be good for one’s health long term.
7
@Kyle D Why? Lots of people are on Keto diets for literally years with no ill effects. What's so bad about butter?
2
On a recommendation from a doctor, I tried the Keto diet to deal with some chronic pain issues. (I did the diet so hardcore that in the end, I had only cheated with a single blueberry. ) After a month, I felt fantastic. I had an endless supply of stable energy and lost weight so fast I had to fight to keep it on (I normally have a medium to light build). Most interestingly, even my brain had noticeably more horsepower. By the 8 week point I began to suspect something was wrong. I was running out of energy. Increasing amounts of coffee couldn’t keep pace with it. When it became a fight just to get out of bed I went back to the doc. He urged me to stay the course because he believed my ketones weren’t working yet, refusing to believe that what had helped him could be debilitating me. At 10 weeks, I broke up with the doc, quit the diet, resumed eating fruit and quickly my energy came back. The doc has the sort of soft body of people carrying a few extra pounds. I realized that everyone else I knew who liked the diet had the same build - unlike me with my natural low fat build. I would love to understand exactly what went right and why, and exactly what happened metabolically that broke me by the end. It would be incredible to maintain the brain supporting effects without totally incapacitating me.
8
@Brian Wengrofsky - what went right? don't rule out the placebo effect or the natural optimism at the start of a relationship.
2
@Brian Wengrofsky
Well for one thing, blueberries aren't forbidden on low-carb diets.
There may be something to your keto diet not for slim-build types, but frankly, you sound like a bit of an extremist, which is never good.
Everything in moderation.
3
@Brian Wengrofsky I wonder if you ingested enough fat. If you were still hungry or had no energy or were losing too much weight, perhaps you simply weren't eating enough.
My partner and I have been on the keto diet for 5 years. I have kept off the 50 pounds that I needed to lose. He has had many fewer migraines and body aches, and generally feels much better. (He ha had those symptoms since he was young, and this diet is the first thing that has helped. And he has tied practically everything.)
2
hi everyone ..i've been using keto diet almost for 6 months i loss around 30 LBS . i tried almost keto diet but no one told what foods to eat , when to eat. almost searching for 1 month i find a program about custom keto diet. and this changes my life :( https://keto-dietnano.blogspot.com/p/please-wait-little.html )
this is the article which one of the best thing happen in my life.
1
i've been using keto diet almost for 3 months i loss around 30 LBS . i tried almost keto diet but no one told what foods to eat , when to eat. almost searching for 1 month i find a article about custom keto diet. and this changes my life https://bit.ly/30pq1ia
this is the article which one of the best thing happen in my life.
@Jack Gellenhal - the spam-bots and fake reviews don't even try to look real anymore, down to the same typos and grammatical errors they don't even try to fix over multiple postings (compare "Jack Gellenhal" and "mnanok").
Why do people think fake reviews are a problem? They're so easy to spot.
3
This article is really helpful, I have started doing Ketogenic diet for long now, Most of the time it's dirty keto, and seldom in strict clean Keto, it was still effective, But I have heard Strict-clean keto is the best. As a woman with PCOS. Should I stick into strict-clean Keto? Thank you
1
Well the most important part for a keto diet is in my opinion the will to stay focused. Its the same with other diets and it can be pretty hard sometimes. I made a game out of it if some of you want to try it I used this:
(https://ketochallengegkgjkhkhgk.builderall.net/ketochallenge)
Great post! Thank you for the insightful article.
An Amazing information...
https://healthowdy.com/keto-diet-plan-for-beginners-keto-diet-meal-plan/
If you want to lose weight quickly, the easiest way is to eat green vegetables. Of course, all vegetables are good, but some are relatively better for weight loss-these are green vegetables. Green vegetables are nutritious: low in calories, rich in vitamins and minerals.
Current guidelines re. saturated fat are misguided and misleading, if not harmful, advising against saturated fat and pushing hydrogenated fats and seed oils into our diet as somehow "healthy". There are no reasons to avoid saturated fat. I hope that one day people who issue or guidelines will take time to educate themselves beforehand. Most high quality, randomized controlled trials have consistently failed to show a link between saturated fat and heart disease. As long as you avoid highly processed hydrogenated and seed oils, and don't eat to much protein, keto is healthy.
14
Yes, the keto diet is healthy in some cases.
Any 'diet' works great until you stop.
Weight loss is important, for sure, but that seems to be the focused of most people and not long-term health. With an eye to obesity, for sure weight loss is a hugely beneficial path to both physical and mental health.
However, the way we eat needs to be a well-considered mindset for our future selves, rather than the short-term benefits. We're likely all gonna be here on planet earth for a while still...
It's so easy for everybody to stand on a soapbox, and sure, the keto diet works for me, but maybe not for others. What I think most people should be concerned with is knowing facts about the foods we eat and how they impact us. How the inform our behaviour, our mental states, our physical states, our long-term health, our addictions. If you follow a high carb diet because your research shows it works for your constitution, fantastic. As long as we are enlightened about the truth of nutrition.
3
I recently read that it's not so important which diet you follow. Instead, it's more critical to have personal meal plan to reduce alienation when starting the diet. Many seem to quit early on because suddenly their daily meals are so different. Here's the article https://leanwithnature.com/the-secret-to-make-keto-dieting-work-like-a-charm/
I am currently doing a low carb (keeping our carb intake under 50 grams/day) diet with my wife. We have both lost 30 pounds and feel great. We have been tracking our food intake with an app so are keeping track of calories as well which I think is the key to success in all diets. The main difference between this diet and low fat diets (and eating a “healthy “ diet as the nutritionists say) that I have been on in the past is that I am not hungry in between meals. Before I was always hungry except right after eating. Whatever causes it, the low carb/keto diet works for me.
12
I've always felt the lack of hunger from keto easily explained. Your body is being fueled by fat. It turns to the "fat on board" when it needs fuel instead of signalling for more food. This is based on my personal success with Keto and zero scientific study, but it always made sense to me.
I am baffled. Where are the studies that show reversal of heart disease on a keto diet? Nowhere to be found. On the other hand, there is ample evidence of diets centered around whole plant foods not only preventing but actually reversing heart disease. If keto cannot improve on that, then why would a whole food plant based diet not be the default diet?
13
@Sven Orlenski
There is now evidence of diabetes reversal (or remission) on a keto diet. Since diabetes is a gigantic risk factor for heart disease...
Any "whole plant foods" diet that claims to prevent or reverse any disease always involves the removal of _sugar_, other refined carbs, and highly processed foods. Yet somehow the benefits are attributed to the veganism, while ignoring the sugary elephant in the middle of the room.
26
@Sven Orlenski I am evidence that the Keto diet reverses what have been considered indicators of heart disease developing. If blood work is the metric I should have advanced heart disease. I don't. The Keto diet has dropped by lipids levels to normal range. A plant based diet made them go up. Scary high up. Doctor having a panic attack high. Make of it what you will, but I don't have any evidence of heart disease. My doctors are thrilled. They won't educate themselves about the diet which is ridiculous, but they are adamant that I keep going No one diet is the answer. Nutrition is highly personal. Studies of Keto are currently underway at NIH.
2
@The Pooch Great post! Thank you for the insightful article.
An Amazing information...
https://healthowdy.com/keto-diet-plan-for-beginners-keto-diet-meal-plan/
If you want to lose weight quickly,
the easiest way is to eat green vegetables. Of course, all vegetables are good, but some
are relatively better for weight loss-these are green vegetables. Green vegetables are
nutritious: low in calories, rich in vitamins and minerals.
1
One of the distinctions you have missed is the difference between refined, high-glycemic carbohydrates and unrefined starches rich in resistant starch (starch that resists digestion and reaches the large intestine where it feeds the microbiome and improves metabolism). There are now more than 230 published clinical studies showing that resistant starch improves metabolism - it improves insulin sensitivity within hours, reduces hunger, reduces inflammation, heals a leaky gut as well as improving regularity and digestion. People have always eaten starchy foods, making resistant starch the most consumed prebiotic in history. Focusing on this health-promoting type of carbohydrate would help. People who are insulin resistant and/or prediabetic should not be eating refined carbohydrates, but everybody should be increasing resistant starch in their diet.
12
Keto is certainly good for reversing type 2 diabetes. But I do wonder why anyone would worry about saturated fat in any diet when large differences in saturated fat intake, from very high to very low, are associated with no difference in cardiovascular risk (RR 0.97) in the latest and biggest meta-analysis.
"Highest versus lowest levels of total dietary fat were not associated with the CVDs risk [0.97(0.93–1.01),"
"Fifty-six studies reported the association between dietary SFA intake and CVDs risk. Highest versus lowest levels of dietary SFA were not associated with the risk of CVDs [0.97(0.93–1.02)"
So when does the public get told for once and for all that the whole saturated fat moral panic was a complete waste of everyone's time>
https://lipidworld.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12944-019-1035-2
15
@George Saying that keto "reverses" diabetes is like saying that going gluten free reverses celiac disease.
If you consume fewer carbs while diabetic, you'll have lower blood sugar levels and need less insulin. You won't become less diabetic.
3
My insurance company begs to differ. They consider diabetes meds medically unnecessary for me (I was type 2 for 7 years before Keto). considering that they cannot control my food intake and don't know how I am on Keto, they have pretty much declared me "cured". My Dr was going to keep me on a low dose medication because of my history but United Healthcare said nope.
I am 3 weeks in a keto diet, following the advice of the Diet Doctor (dietdoctor.com) website, which I highly recommend. I love the diet for many reasons. Firstly it appears the kilos are falling off, but there are other benefits: I find cooking for myself (something which I too easily avoided previously) now simple and very rewarding tastewise. As I write this, it is now midday and the coffee with cream I had for breakfast is sustaining me well and I have only vague thoughts of what I might get myself or lunch. I consider myself a rational person, not taken with fads and unproven opinions posing as facts from the diet gurus (although previously I may have been this way throughout the low-fat "revolution", which started for me with Nathan Pritikin in the 70s). I commend this article for giving equal weight to the both the pros and the cons of a keto diet. I read as much as I can of the articles claiming the diet is inadvisable or even dangerous - although I find that most of the arguments assume that the low-fat dogma of the last 20+ years is beyond doubt. I think that the claims of the low-fat movement are still not proven. I am 70 years old and before I started the keto diet, I had a BMI of 29.1 (overweight), I have (treated) blood pressure of 150/85 and my doctor assessed my risk of cardiac incident as 7%. If I have the opportunity, I'll give you an update when I see my doctor in 6 months time!
12
For many of us eating is one of the great pleasures in life. Excessively rigerous diets Puritanically deny us this pleasure. Moderation in all things seems much wiser for a good life.
10
@stephen. I'm sorry but the moderation in all things argument really annoys me. Do you recommend "moderate" cigarette smoking?
11
@Des Buckmaster
Grandma on the English side said that Grandpa should smoke two cigars a year "to make the house smell right."
5
My diet plan, which has worked so far, resembles my life plan, I’m going to live till I die.
5
Here is my weight control diet: No sugars or sweetness, red meat two small servings per month; fish several times a week; lots of veggies, fruit, nuts, pasta two times per week and two cups of coffee every morning. I am 79 years old, 6 ft. tall, and weigh 171 pounds. Take zero meds maybe a baby aspirin once in awhile. My wife and I live on our ranch, do most of the labor required ourselves take winter vacations to warm places, and are appalled at how many fat people young and middle aged we see in our travels. The processed food industry has poisoned us with chemicals, addicted us to sugars, and are on the same moral plan as any drug pusher.
46
@John P. McGlynn
Try not to be so "appalled" at the young fat people. Better to live and let live. I mean, you may not like it if they said they were "appalled" at all the really old people still kicking around.
11
@Ron A
But they do take up more space on the bus than they're entitled to.
Their percentage is a useful indicator, though: like the bad roads, the vast numbers of the grossly obese let you know when you've crossed from Canada into the States.
8
Sixty years ago, my family learned of the earliest experiments with ketogenics, when my sister was given a keto diet for her epilepsy as part of a clinical trial. The diet? Whipped cream and nothing else, which my mother made breakfast, lunch and dinner. Can you imagine? Needless to say, the experiment didn’t last long and my sister cannot eat whipped cream to this day.
4
There are two things which make recommending ketogenic diets for the general public (which many adherents do; see comments) problematic:
First, these diets either eliminate or severely restrict inexpensive, nutritious foods like whole grains, legumes and starchy vegetables. If one is poor, or merely needs to save money, it is possible to eat an extremely healthful diet that includes liberal quantities of foods like these, but impossible if they are off the table so to speak. For under $20, one can buy a ten pound bag of potatoes, 2 lbs of dried beans, and a bag of rolled oats - an amount of food that will last many days. Even those not in poverty- especially families - would struggle to afford a diet of mostly fat calories in the form of high-fat foods (rather than say lard or canola oil, which at least the ketovangelists have the sense not to recommend).
The second problem arises because doing away with whole grains, legumes and starchy vegetables necessarily means that the options available to replace the many foods available in these food groups are limited. The notion that large quantities of green leaves will keep appearing on plates which rarely were graced with them before is highly suspect, despite what many highly-motivated and vocal advocates imply. Far more likely for animal food intake to increase, due to the enjoyment factor as well as the notion that at least protein+fat is not an evil carb. Or the adoption of fake "carbs", for example, keto brownies.
4
@childofsol
I always tried to eat a healthy, whole food diet. We do not eat beans, because I am the cook and I am allergic to them. Our primary form of "processed food" would be bread. We, however, ate a whole-grain, high-fiber bread without soy. When my husdand and I both lost our jobs during the market crash some years ago, I reduced food costs by reducing our meat intake (primarily skinnless boneless chicken breast) and increasing "healthy carbs" like whole wheat, potatoes, corn, steel cut oats, etc. to add to the veggies and fruits we already ate. The size of our meals did not increase; only the ratio of carb to meat did. Within 3 years I had gained 30lbs and developed Type 2 diabetes. My husband gained significantly more.
Eating from only a 10 lb bag of potaties, 2 lbs of dried beans and a bag of rolled oats, you will feel full, but will eventually be malnourished. It amazes me that people feel they can't live without beans. I must.
We eat low carb. Chicken thighs (bone-in and skin-on). They have high enough fat and far more cost efficient than any chicken breast. The fat provides more satiety with a smaller amount of food. Include one or more of the many low carb veggies. Add a small amount of red meat once a week. Even add in fruits that are low in sugar and some that are high in fat and the number of meals you eat and meal sizes will decrease naturally unles you eat with your eyes instead of true hunger. Weight lost. No longer diabetic.
20
@Gabrielle
Dealing with job losses is difficult. I'm happy that you and your husband were able to get your energy intake back on track.
My own testimonial, for what it's worth: Strong family history of diabetes. Never been fat. Or diabetic. Large quantities of complex carbohydrates in whole and minimally processed form: whole wheat, oats, brown rice, potatoes. Abundant physical energy as well.
The suggestion to consume only a diet of oats, potatoes and beans was a figment of your imagination. Eliminating or severely restricting food groups is a recipe for health disaster, if not in the short term, then later on.
I agree with you that chicken thighs are tasty and low in cost. They make a good addition to a pot of stew, beans, casserole or vegetable stir-fry.
Although individual results vary, diets with higher carbohydrate percentages tend to result in lower energy density and lower weight in groups of people than diets with a lower percentage of energy from carbohydrates. Of course, at the extreme end (keto, etc), this is not the case. But again, restrictive diets don't have a great track record.
2
@childofsol
Gosh, it's almost like a specialized diet like keto is useful in some contexts but should not be recommended to the general public as a "one size fits all" solution.
Now apply that same logic to your favored low fat, whole grain diets.
7
I’ve been on the keto diet for almost 2 years at the suggestion of a cardiologist. I’ve struggled with high LDLs (and followed the for Mediterranean diet) for 30 years, but two years ago my HDLs plummeted and everything else went through the roof. Physicians pushed repatha hard (incredibly expensive, largely untested, new drug with side effects). My answer - never happening. I tried the vegan diet and it made all levels worse. The keto diet was suggested but with no guidance, information or support. I was told - look it up on the internet. The diet worked. HDLs rose significantly and other values dropped dramatically. LDLs are still high, but my ratio is good. Cardiologist, while impressed with the effects, provided no support for the diet. I hated it and felt lousy. She essentially told me I no longer needed to see her. My internist, equally impressed with the results, also said keep going but shrugged his shoulders when I asked for the name of a nutritionist or another physician who had experience with the diet. My concerns about possible health risks of the diet and how lousy I felt were ignored. I suspected my lack of energy was because I could not get enough fat into me. For the first time in my life I had bouts of hypoglycemia. A second internist also said keep going, but provided no support. So, with the help of the internet, a few books I’ve found, I am trying to find an acceptable balance - with zero assistance from the medical community.
28
Hello Caroline,
Unfortunately, your experience with the medical community is common and I believe it will remain difficult to find a knowledgeable medical professional for the foreseeable future. The science behind the ketogenic diet is viewed as quackery by the vast majority in health and nutrition fields. Nonetheless, the science behind keto is easily available on the internet.
One of my favorite experts is Dr Stephen Phinney. He has been researching on this topic for decades. His talks and many others are available on YouTube. One great channel is “Low Carb Down Under”.
Lastly, from my experience, I surmise that your general malaise is being caused by the “keto flu”. It’s called this because the symptoms are similar. Most commonly the cause is insufficient salt intake. While in ketosis, your body excretes more salt than when not in keto. One can generally clear up quickly by increasing your salt intake. Dr Phinney recommends carrying a bouillon cube and drinking it in water to quickly bring your salt levels back to normal. I learned this early on and have never experienced keto flu in two years of being on keto.
I hope this helps!
7
@Caroline
Hi Caroline,
I have done keto too and I don't feel great on it. Now that your numbers are down I wonder if you could transition off of strict keto into a healthy low carb diet. I have am now on a modified low carb diet, devised by Dr. Ludwig, who is quoted in the article here. His book, Always Hungry, lays out the diet and his research. It allows slow carbs, which are some starchy vegetables, like sweet potatoes and turnips, legumes and some fruit. And eventually you experiment with some whole grains, like steal-cut oatmeal, and see if you can tolerate it without weight gain or other unwanted effects. It isn't as restrictive, and I think will be more livable in the long run. I hope you can find a happy balance. There is also a very supportive facebook community, along with an informative website. Good luck.
4
@Paul Hi, Paul, Please forgive the long delay in my reply! Thank you for the recommendation of Dr. Stephen Phinney! When it comes to salt I use it on everything and always have (low blood pressure and I love it). Still do. The Keto flu kicked me really really hard for the first month and I had symptoms for about 3 months after that. Oddly, I finally introduced more sugar back into my diet. Not recommended I know, but my blood work still looks good and I feel better. Honestly, individual nutrition is fascinating. As an aside, sadly, I made plans to spend time at an incredibly well known spa and mistakenly mentioned that I followed the Keto diet for health reasons. I quickly received a nasty, patronizing, belittling email from their nutritionist letting me know that they didn't support the diet and someone on her staff would be delighted to speak with me if I decided to see the error of my ways. I cancelled my reservation. I have no doubt that if Oprah (a fan of the place) made the same request she would not be so shamed and dismissed. Sad that those on the forefront of nutrition are so closed minded.
3
Reducing carbohydrates and overall calories and body weight all benefit those with type 2 diabetes to reduce blood sugar and to improve the sense of well being. Given the deficiencies of known necessary nutrients in any dietary should be of concern.
People who eat too little protein will experience shrinkage of muscles and probable lower production of substances based upon proteins.
Fat is an important source of energy but it cannot provide all the nutrients needed by the body.
Micronutrients are rich in vegetables and fruits and in whole grains and legumes.
Balancing carbs, proteins, and fats with a variety of foods is likely the best way to sustain a healthy diet.
5
Read Dr. Jason Fung The Obesity Code, and this will thoroughly answer all doubts about how to combat obesity and loose weight and why the calorie in, calorie out model never has worked for anybody long term. The body is much more complex than the information in this article.
31
A diet is a way of eating that a person uses daily. It is not a temporary change in eating that is adopted to lose weight. Of course, if you go off the Ketogenic diet, the weight loss and all the other benefits of the diet will be lost. Your body will always reflect what you have been eating.
8
It's odd that Mr. O'Connor didn't even bother to mention the names of, never mind discuss the research findings of, the country's preeminent scientists studying ketogenic diets for health and athletic performance. Drs. Stephen Phinney and Jeff Volek co-authored several books, including The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living and The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance, two foundational books on low carb nutrition science and nutritional ketosis.
16
I would love to read an article someday about how and why ketosis - or any particular food regime - affects people’s cognitive alertness and sustained energy instead of constantly repeating the same things about how cholesterol may or may not be impacted, and how weight loss may or may not be sustained.
There is so much more about how food affects our bodies than these same two metrics over and over. People are also interested in how to best be supported through a day full of work and family duties with enough energy to enjoy their lives.
23
@CS - In 2014 I went off beer and onto red wine somewhere in France, a year later changed to a LCHF diet while visiting South Africa (its called Banting there). I lost 22 lbs but what amazed me was my cognitive improvement. I was studying BBus Acc and my GPA increased from 2.5 to 3.5 over the 3 years even as the units got harder in the 2nd and 3rd years. Elective units of multi variate statistics proved a doddle in the 3rd year.
Then I completed graduate taxation with a GPA of 2.9. It could have been higher but I had just got out of ICU a few weeks before the exams, Spending 8 out of 12 days in a coma while the docs tried to sort out my sepsis. I was discharged after 20 days with blood results my dr called “amazing”.
I am 70 yrs old.
3
Since fibre has very little calories because by definition it is food that is not being digested there is not reason to assume that a ketogenic diet has little fibre. Pick vegetables and fruits that aren't sweet or starchy and these are the ones that contain the most fibre.
I thought people no longer believed in the French Paradox. The fact that the French have less heart disease than Americans should be proof that saturated fat isn't responsible for heart disease. Their wine isn't protecting them.
8
@Allen
The French women do have among the highest rates of breast cancer, could be the alcohol, though high fat diets have been linked to an increased risk for breast cancer.
7
@Karen No! US is rated 5th and France is rated 7th highest in breast cancer. (American Institute of Cancer Research)
3
@Alan
Yes, 5th and 7th place in the world, so very high rates compared to the rest of the world. Do you know how many countries there are?
In the USA total fat consumption is higher than it ever was due to the increased intake of calories over the past 30 plus years.
5
For the past 40 years I have been following what I consider the tried and true method; at least for most people. I eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables, minimal alcohol consumption, and limited desserts. I also exerciser daily. As stated above unless you have a health issue mandating a specific type of diet I believe this is best way to a healthy lifestyle.
6
The keto diet has worked well for me for about 4 months, but I'm using it in a different method. In 4 months, I went from 130 lbs to 118 lbs. I usually will eat what I like but will more than likely skip bread, pasta and potatoes. If I am not satisfied a hand full of nuts works well. Mostly I eat less of everything and if I really want dessert I limit the amount, maybe once or twice a week.
But it is unknown if this could be maintained long-range without regaining the weight.
5
@Carol I believe you are correct in this diet. I have done this for a year-and-a-half and I've lost 33 lb and my blood sugar has stabilized. I'm 75, and have more energy than I have had in years. A balanced ongoing diet low in carbs is certainly the best for me.
5
First it's not a diet; it's a way of lifetime eating. Second, both the Phoenix Colon Cancer Prevention Physicians Network Trial and a $30 million trial by the National Cancer Institute concluded that fiber has no effect on colon cancer. And a study of 49,000 women called the Dietary Modification Trial of the Women's Health Initiative concluded that eating fiber had no effect on colon cancer, diabetes prevention, breast cancer prevention...or weight loss. O'Connor's sloppy reporting in saying that one nay-saying doctor pointed to "studies" without specifying what these studies were, is frustrating at the least and journalistic malpractice at most.
13
@raviolis1
The Phoenix Trail used only 13.5 grams of wheat bran for the "high fiber" group and it didn't test for cancer but for the occurrence of benign tumors. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10770980]
The Women's Health Initiative compared a low fat diet to a higher fat diet. They did not specify fiber values. As well, the so-called low fat group was still eating 20% of their daily calories in fat. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16467233]
I can't comment on the NCI test as you provided no links; no links nor quotes for anything you said.
I had no problem with this article and found it informative and unbiased.
5
I can guarantee that one year after ending the keto diet, you will gain all the weight back and more. I'd bet the house on it. Have a balanced diet with all the macro nutrients. Incorporate a cardio and strength training program into your lifestyle. That is the key to lasting success.
11
@Jack Why would one stop a diet that was beneficial. Most people who make positive changes want to maintain those changes. Why would one expect to maintain the benefits of a ketogenic diet once one has stopped it. Think about it.
12
Yes, if you go back to high carb diet that spikes insulin (fat storage hormone) you will gain weight. Metabolic syndrome requires a lifestyle change.
9
@jack Well Jack if you go back to eating your bad diet of candy bars, bagels, sugar laden cereals, sodas and fries...you bet your bippy you will regain the weight. Going keto replaces your bad diet with a healthy one!
5
This keto diet has too little fibre. We have too little fibre in our diets as it is. Fibre is a key nutrient to a healthy diet.
3
@Bob Smith No! Fibre by definition isn't a digestible carbohydrate. Choose vegetables and fruit that aren't sweet or starchy and you can eat your fill of fibre without going over 10% of your calories. To produce calories, the carbohydrate has to be digestible and fibre is not digestible. so will not be restricted by the 10% figure. Think about it.
6
@Alan Brown
The question isn't whether people *can* consume enough fiber on a ketogenic diet, but whether they actually do. In other words, does adoption of a ketogenic (or other low-carb) diet typically result in inadequate fiber intake among the general population.
3
@childofsol
Apply that same logic to recommending low fat diets to the general population.
I am just not sold on the keto diet for the everyday person (medically indicated for epilepsy- ok).
I just don't see how large amounts of saturated fats can be good for anyone. I personally find too much SF to be irritating to the body.
This diet also can do a lot of damage if done incorrectly or half-heartedly. If you're still eating a fair amount of carbohydrate and start eating heavy amounts of fats, you can do *a lot* of damage to your liver. Sugar + fat glycate in your body to create glue.
Also, I don't care for the fact that you must count vegetables and fruits (even lower starch and carb plants). Those are dense in micronutrients.
Proceed with caution.
7
@cookie czar if you combine saturated fats with carbs sugar as in standard American diet you will harm boy, but if you do a true keto diet you have a healthy diet. I have been on keto two years and have an HDL of 127 and ldl 100. Fluffy ldl test done no risk for any cardiovascular events. I eat coconut oil no problem.l
9
One thing ketogenic proponents have wrong is that they claim that a high carbohydrate diet that was promoted back in the day made everyone overweight or obese. People are consuming less fat as a percentage of their diet now, but not in absolute terms since caloric intake increased in the past 30 years or so. So, people are actually consuming more of everything, fat and carbohydrates.
What has changed is the types of carbohydrates and fats that are consumed. Refined carbs and sugar will make you fat because people tend to overeat them. But how often do we eat just carbs or just fat? Pizza and chips are just as much high in refined carbs as they are in unhealthy fats.
4
@Karen No! Carbohydrates break down into glucose, glucose causes the body to produce insulin and insulin cause the body to absorb glucose and store it as fat. Fat is never stored as fat; it is ether burned for energy or excreted. The start of the fat epidemic in America corresponds to start of the panic about eating fat causing people to eat more foods high in simple carbohydrates.
13
@Alan Brown
This is a seriously distorted view of insulin. Insulin is the chief anabolic hormone in the human body, has been around for a billion years, and has been central to the functioning of humans. Its function is to get glucose into both muscle and fat, and out of the bloodstream, after eating.
The fat epidemic starts/started when people chronically overeat and continue to do so despite clear warning signs. I sympathize with anyone dealing with a couple decades worth of overeating (given the way the body wants to protect existing fat stores) and the keto diet seems to be working for lots of folks.
I would argue that exercise (the dreaded "E" word) also has a role to play since, in a normally functioning body it has a direct effect on whether, and to what extent, fat reserves get burned (after all, fat exists to support human activity and movement by giving up its calories to permit muscle activation.)
7
@Alan
I’m sorry Alan but you are wrong about fat. Fat is the first thing to be stored as fat if you eat too many calories. Remember, carbohydrates are the preferred fuel source for the body, so those get used up first.
The whole idea that carbs are stored as fat because of insulin is only partly true. If you consume as many calories as you need for your resting metabolic rate and activity level, then the food you eat will not contribute to fat gain, because you will use carbs and fat as fuel. Fat can be converted to glucose as well, inefficient as it is. In the absence of carbohydrates you will use fat as fuel, but if you consume too much fat in terms of excess calories you will easily store fat as fat.
5
when discussing using a low-carb diet and diabetes, there are significant differences between treating a Type 1 diabetic, who is replacing insulin that the body does not produce, and Type 2, where the body may still be producing insulin. In the first case, while reducing simple carbs is a standard goal, severe reduction of carbs can be very difficult to manage when all insulin is artificially introduced and ketoacidosis is a risk.
I wish that distinction had been made clear in the article. I know Type 1 diabetics who follow a keto diet but it’s certainly not as straightforward as for a non-diabetic or someone with Type 2.
3
Um. On what planet do vegetables and salads not consist almost entirely of carbohydrates?
The doctor's diet was hardly no/low carbohydrate if he was eating fruits and vegetables. I find it hard to believe a doctor is unaware of what fruits and vegetables consist of.
5
@Terrils There's an important nuance most folks gloss over when talking about carbs (I admittedly do it sometimes as well). When people are talking about low carbs, they in fact actually mean low net carbs (carbs-fiber) that is because fiber has little to no impact on your blood glucose & insulin, which is the primary focus when talking about carbs in this context. So many non-starchy vegetables are indeed very low in net carbs. Fruits are trickier, and you have to be smart with which ones to eat and how much to stay in the low net carb range.
4
@Terrils On what planet are lettuce, cabbage, broccoli etc sweet or starchy. These vegetables are mainly fibre (indigestible matter) and should be part of a ketogenic diet. Only vegetable and fruit that are sweet (bananas) or starchy (potatoes) should be avoided on a ketogenic diet because they cause the body to produce insulin.
3
I think that what many people misunderstand about LCHF eating is that the 'high fat' refers to the percentage of one's caloric intake that comes from fat. It does not mean that we are eating more fat than the typical American diet. With an emphasis on healthy fats, like those in avocado, nuts, and oily fish, it is a healthful way to eat. After six months, I lost significant weight and my a1C went from 11 to 5.2. For people who do not process carbohydrates well, eating this way can be a real lifesaver! And if you're worried about fat, my lipid panel improved so drastically that they ran it twice to be sure it was not incorrect!
15
Yep, when I was living in ketosis & not considering fats at all (bring on the butter, olive oil, heavy cream, mayo), my *non-fasting* cholesterol was 130, my triglycerides only 11.
4
Where is the evidence for the frequently cited benefits of unrefined carbohydrates? There is also confusion between a diet that improves metabolic health and a diet that causes weight loss. A ketogenic diet may be beneficial to metabolic health but not cause weight loss. Furthermore the so-called evidence of the great harm caused by saturated fats is not supported by high quality human studies. Agree that evidence in favor of the health benefits of a ketogenic diet is needed but so is evidence in favor of any diet!!
9
This is somewhat off topic. There’s a vlog hiker on YouTube who weighed in excess of 400 lbs who has been famously hiking, or trying to hike, the 2600 mile pacific crest mountain trail that runs from Mexico to Canada. His adventures have been startling, and sometimes excruciating but his personality is infectious and delightful. More interesting is the dynamics of thousands of fans offering nutrition advice and moral support for his weight loss objectives. He started in early spring so it’s advisable to start with his earliest report.
His trail name is “2ndChance”.
2
NHS recommends low fat and whole grain products for cancer prevention. A ketogen diet would be contraindicated if NHS recommendations were based on valid data.
6
"in the end, people will lose weight on any diet so long as they consume fewer calories."
Quite right - it is simple Physics "Energy is neither created or destroyed" therefore if energy input is higher than energy output body mass increases and vice versa.
Perhaps someone can enlighten me. I believe that the calorific value of food is measured by burning it but that deos not necessarily mean that calorific value is the same for the human body. e.g. Wheat bran has a fairly high calorific value but much/most of it passes through the human gut uncahnged i.e.is not absorbed. Sugar has a high calorific value but most is absorbed.
Do the calorific values published on food take into account the differring absorption of the foods?
I don't know - please enlighten me.
5
@Snail
It completely ignores homeostasis, hormone activity and other complex mechanisms going on within each of our bodies to suggest that conservation of mass and energy applies exclusively to a biological system.
Calories are a measure of energy, but not a measure of how hormones, illness, mitochondrial health, age, and other factors play a role in fat storage and energy utilization. Because it is highly individual, with multitudes of variables, efficiency markers are a fool's game and an oversimplification.
Carbohydrates and, to some extent, protein, raise insulin levels. Insulin is the glucose "pusher" to the cells and, when the cells reject the glucose, it stores it as fat. Glucogen, the antagonist hormone to insulin, is the fat utilization hormone. If there is too much insulin, glucogen is not produced. A ketogenic diet (or long-term intermittent fasting) reduces the insulin present in the blood, giving glucogen a chance to go to work.
And there's more. So, see, it isn't so easy as a simplified mass in-energy out paradigm. I'm no expert, but I've read enough hard science on the matter to tell you that is a sorry theory proposed by "experts" who don't care if people get sick or fat and, indeed, make money off us being obese and riddled with type 2 diabetes.
16
@The Raven
It is a law of the Universe i.e conservation of energy - it doesn't matter whether we are talking about bodies or anything else. So if the body takes in more energy than it uses the calories build up in the body as matter. Sure hormones, enzymes tissue all use the energy that is input, however if all these processes in the body use less energy than the input the energy builds up in the body. It analogous to a pond with a stream for input and a stream for output - if the input of water exceeds the output, the water in the pond builds up and vice versa.
2
@Snail
Calories reported on labels are based on lab data passed down in tables. Calories reported on labels are not based on experiments involving human digestion, absorption, utilization, and retention. Perhaps there should be an index that reports the percentage of food retained. Note that food in the gut is dissolved in fluid, not burning in dry air in an empty chamber.
Furthermore, the data reported on labels is a rough guess from the manufacturer. The FDA allows 20% error. It doesn't investigate such labeling but allows big business to self regulate.
The keto diet credits the mechanism of excess caloric retention [excess blood sugar + insulin = fat store] with relatively excess influence on total weight of the person.
Note that even eating pure table sugar, it is not absorbed 100%. We feed trillions of gut bacteria. Several strains thrive on carbs, others on meat, others on fiber.
Total weight and fat composition is complicated. It's not easy to hack a diet that leads to weight loss with a formula that focuses on one factor (fewer carbs). Keto diets fail. Most diets fail.
4
Keto is essentially just eating REAL food that we are lucky enough to be able to grow and farm. Animals, birds, fish and vegetables have been around for thousands of years. Obesity and diabetes was non-existent before grain and sugar production Grain is much cheaper to feed the world than meat, especially grass fed meat. Seed oils too. The agenda from some organisations is to promote grain and they do this on the back of “high fibre is good for you”. Well folks, we can get all we the fibre we need from vegetables. Ditch sugar and grain and eat foods high in vitamins and minerals and watch your health improve.
26
@Simon
The idea that people somehow ate a low carb diet for thousands of years is completely incorrect, you must have never studied what hunter gatherers ate/eat. Their diets are high carbohydrate diets, but indeed mostly not from grains. They do and did however eat lots of fruits and vegetables, among them loads of root vegetables which are high in carbohydrates and fiber.
Fish and eggs are easier to obtain, if they are available, but meat less so in most hunter gatherer societies, though eaten when available. They eat mostly what is reliably available and that is plants, high in carbohydrates.
12
@simon YES! Grain foods were made popular because they are cheap to produce! Also consider the fact farms use grain to fatten animals quickly for production. Those same grains fatten humans too! Canola oil producers went on a campaign to promote their awful oil and said coconut oil and palm were bad for health! Coconut oil is great for health! Look up how it’s used for the brain.
The beautiful thing with the keto diet is once you convert and get rid of sugar in the body you stay full all day and never get the hangries.
7
@Simon Shorrock
Sorry Simon but you are describing a paleo diet not a keto one. Your diet has far too many carbs and not enough fat. Need 20%carbs,protein based on lean muscle, say 20%,and rest fat60%. Macro vary.
One thing that no one realizes how this has an effect of teens. Many teens are trying to live a Keto diet and it is causing health concerns. They are putting their health bodies at risk because they think they are “too fat”. This is because of the society we live in today. Instead of promoting physical activity, they are trying to find quick and easier ways for us to lose weight. I believe the safety of teens should be a main concern due to the effects it has on their bodies.
For adults as well, they are putting their bodies at risk by cutting so many things from their diet. The Keto diet is honestly unhealthy and do not recommend unless you are willing to put your life at risk.
1
@rylee This is a way better healthier diet protein and veggies than the typical American teen diet riddled with fast food, sugar laden snacks and beverages.
13
Fads ... there's never an end to fads.
7
@DW except when the "fad" fixes a lot of health problems that medicine only masks, then I think it will be around for a long time.
13
@DW
The endless obsession with weight in this country depresses me (and I am not overweight.) People should eat a healthy diet but stop reading planned diets that have turned into big business. For heaven's sakes, is there anyone in this country who doesn't know that too much sugar/salt/fat is unhealthy? Going on a fad diet won't eventually cure those cravings.
12
Any diet, every diet works short term. To diet means to eat less. Doesn't matter what. There is no gorge yourself diet. Gorging is so typical, self control so elusive that it has to be programmed and marketed to people as a product or gimmick or line of belief to get them to buy in and participate in their own health.
Good luck selling the idea of buying less, consuming less. Who funds that? Not big business or the Republic for which is stands. Wanna lose 10 pounds? Buy less, waste less, eat less. Coach said walk it off.
I recently heard a story that the darling 110 year olds of "Blue Zones" in Okinawa and Greece are not the key to understanding longevity and healthy living. Turns out they lied. They're not that old. It just got them a lot of attention. The 121 yr old Frenchie turned out to be a scammer who assumed her mother's identity to get her pension. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Calment
There's no wisdom in fakery.
4
Perhaps crickets ARE the answer.
14
This article points out that perhaps we should know more about the long term effects of consuming a high fat, low carbohydrate diet, such as the ketogenic diet, because it is still unclear whether it is healthy in the long run. No long term studies have been done, just lots of anecdotal evidence.
I believe everyone’s testimony about the great benefits they have seen from a keto type diet, but isn’t most of it from the weight loss itself? Diabetes is not simply a disease caused by eating too many carbs, it is when you eat too much food, fat and carbs, and you start to store fat in your liver and pancreas, that insulin becomes less efficient.
Also, if you normally eat junk food and then switch to keto and cut out processed foods and sugar, of course you see an improvement. You would see improvements in health on any diet that doesn’t include processed foods.
So far, all studies point to longevity in populations that consume mostly vegetarian or plant based diets and an increase in cvd and cancers in those who consume high fat and high animal protein diets. Show me longitudinal studies that say otherwise. And don’t mention the Inuits, it turns out that they have higher rates of stroke and heart disease.
9
@Kara in every point you make you are completely wrong. You seem to have no understanding of the science behind low carb diets. There is no evidence to support an increase in heart attack or stroke and in fact the opposite is true. Additionally for the first time VirtaHealth associated with Indiana University, has proven that type 2 diabetes can be reversed on a low-carb diet. and those populations in Northern climates existing on primarily fat have no incidence of heart attack or stroke even close to those eating carb bass diets.
More importantly it is now evident that cholesterol and saturated fat are not related to heart attacks. Check out Nina teicholz and her book Big Fat Surprise and many YouTube presentations that prove there was never any science behind the low-fat craze
7
@steve
Uhm, I know a little, having spent the past years of my Master’s in Nutrition reading scientific articles full time on diet and health.
First of all, a low carb diet is not necessarily a ketogenic diet, you would need to clarify how many grams of carbohydrates you are consuming. Ketogenic has to be less than 50 grams per day. As I stated before, a keto type diet is of course healthier than the standard American diet, but is it better or healthier than the types of diets that are now presented in the majority of scientific studies as the best ones to prevent chronic diseases? Those are by far still ones that do not cap the amount of carbs from vegetables and fruit, as well as legumes, that you can eat, as long as you don’t consume more calories than you need.
Sugar and processed carbs aren’t healthy, that is obvious to the majority of people. Vegetarians still live the longest and are the leanest people in study after study. I’m not a vegetarian, but do believe in eating mostly plants, with a little animal protein. Let’s not forget about the planet while we discuss diets as well. Most grains are grown for livestock, and livestock take a terrible toll on the environment.and eating too many grains isn’t great for health, especially too much wheat.
11
@Kara not sure where you're studying but the science for the last 60 years told us low fat and high carb diets were the best. We know what we got and that is obesity and type 2 diabetes in epidemic proportions.
Current science and the new dietary guidelines in fact have no restriction on cholesterol. That was a gigantic mistake and tragic in many cases for a very long time. At the same time saturated fat from animal products is not the problem that we were told.
Plants can certainly make up a good part of a healthy diet but optimally that diet should include animal proteins and fats.
It would be very instructive to watch the Youtube video with Mark Hyman and Nina teicholz to complement what's your learning now.
And what would be best for the planet is more grass-fed livestock improving and feeding on land not suitable for farming.
Allan Savory has a very interesting approach to this.
Besr,
5
This might be the first slightly positive article written about ketogenic diets during the entire history of publications from the NYT. That alone gives me some hope. If al of these journalists went on the keto diet for 3 months (it takes at least a month to get adjusted properly to it), we would see many more postive articles.
There are so many people who, while they might not have tried a keto diet themselves, know someone who has done one with exceptional success. While it might not work for everyone, in my view is by far the the most healthful diet I've every tried and the only one that has ever resulted in significant and highly positive results over time. It is largely the nutritionists and writers still cling to the cholesterol hypothesis who intensely dislike the diet.
Many type II diabetics, some of who have been on full dose insulin for decades, report stopping all insulin injections with 30-45 days of starting a keto diet, and that is remarkable. The Virta Health trials in the US provide some evidence of this.
19
@Todd. I agree with you except that Gary taubes published in the New York Times an article that started most of this. It was called "what if it's all been a big fat lie."
1
“Insulin is like a Miracle-Gro for fat cells" If you are at risk for T2D there are 3 established protocols to put it in remission: 1. A very low calorie diet (not sustainable), 2. Bariatric surgery (expensive and drastic), and 3. A ketogenic lifestyle (sustainable as you control what you put in your mouth). Every body is different, but for those of us who practice a keto/fasting lifestyle, this way of eating has saved us from the doom of a horrible disease. T2D can result in amputation, CVD, and eventually dementia. There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. (period) We need to consume essential fats and protein (amino acids). There are low-earth-impact ways of eating keto - just soak all Keto-friendly veg and proteins in EVOO. Thought leaders in this space: Dr Jason Fung (The Diabetes Code), Dr Steven Gundry (Chap 10 of the Plant Paradox), and Dr Dale Bredesen (The End of Alzheimers). Genes are not destiny - you don't have to get the metabolic diseases of high insulin levels (T2D, Alzheimers and oh yes, cancer). You choose your lifestyle and path to health and keto/fasting is one such path for some.
18
@boulder faster I think you don't understand human biology if you think there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. In fact they are so essential our body creates them from what we eat.
@Terrils
I don't think you understand the meaning of "essential nutrient."
Hemoglobin is a vital molecule to the body. But we don't have to _eat_ hemoglobin, because our bodies can make it from other nutrients. Same story with glucose.
Wow, this article really opened my eyes about this phenomenal diet. The nourishment business is a trillion-dollar business, and they profit to a great extent by selling every one of us sugars. You can't stroll into any store without being assaulted with shoddy nourishment at the checkout line. The nourishment business won't surrender their piece of the pie without a battle, and some portion of that is planting seeds of uncertainty in regards to caloric admission.
8
@Rohan Bhasin
Not so fast. There's already plenty of profiting from the Ketogenic diet and much more to come. I have a client who got sucked into a pyramid scheme of buying special foods (all highly processed so how healthy can they be?) that support the keto type diet. Some people will sell anything to get rich and they're no better than the sugar pushers.
4
I think the main culprit of our obese problem is way too much junk food and processed food which is designed to eat more of it. I believe if eating everything in moderate is good and avoid unhealthy processed food.
6
Why is Mr. O'Connor writing about health and nutrition when he fails in knowing that fats and cholesterol have no detrimental effect on your health? This has been discussed by all medical journals and the government as well. This is a non-factual reporting and it's beyond my comprehension that Mr. O'Connor is a best selling author of health books.
15
@Milan
Science on Cholesterol has changed, as has the science on fats. Check the latest. What we thought we knew is no longer considered current. Now there are good fats and bad fats and cholesterol is an indicator, but no longer the whole story.
Many comments about drinking fruit juice. This is one of the deadliest things we can consume. For the sake of health, we must cut them out of the diet completely. Alas, marketers have trained us to think "A day without orange juice is a day without sunshine." But consuming fructose without the fruit's fiber is a proven hepatic poison. Fruit juice is metabolized in the body the same as alcohol. Would we start off our day with a shot of bourbon? Would we give vodka to our children and think we did well?
As with HFCS in sodas, fruit juice is one of the worst things we can eat. Processed foods, "lite" or otherwise, are also high sugar/low fiber items. Eating these things is killing us. But as we clearly prize convenience over health, that - as they say - is that.
Dieting - by which we mean "reducing diets" - for a limited period is of no use if we don't fundamentally change the way we eat.
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
15
@Rev. E. M. Camarena, PhD
Totally agree with you on this. Sadly, food labeling in this country is misleading at best and bald lies at worst. This is so confusing to consumers that they often think they've chosen something healthy when it isn't. Perfectly intelligent people get fooled all the time.
3
People enjoy eating tasty foods. They enjoy a tasteless fibrous healthy meal far less. If you are hungry or craving something moderation is the key. Satisfaction and satiety are linked and no one gets it from food that tastes bland.
2
Genetics is a major factor in susceptibility to diabetes, weight gain, heart disease etc. and genetics also determines how one responds to any diet. So, one size fits all does not work.
5
The keto/paleo diets work if catered individually using the same aspects. MD's are integrating functional and integrative approaches and seeing results. I'm proof it works with inflammation and autoimmune disorders as well as neurological. I'm constantly researching which of the food sources to swap and which ones to leave in that I need in my diet.
3
I lived low-carb/keto for 5 years (could eat up to 75-90 carbs/day (fruit, vegetables, beans) without gaining any weight back—started out @ 15 carbs/day)—and I swear that I felt so much better....
Thinking about going back to it: no sugar—“nothing white”.
I note that, for me, after 4-5 months, eating a high carb dish (such as mashed potatoes with gravy or 2-3 chunks of French bread or spaghetti or cheesecake) made me feel like I had a 10-pound bowling ball sitting in my stomach for hours afterwards, plus positively nauseous if sugar involved—negative reinforcement that kept me on track!
18
@Sy
Carbohydrates and foods are not the same thing. At least three of the four "high-carb" foods you mentioned are highly processed foods made up mostly of refined carbohydrates and added fats; if you're adding butter to the french bread, make that four for four. These are highly palatable, energy-dense foods - a recipe for consuming excess energy. Cheesecake is not a "carb". It's a 400-500 calorie dessert, and is one-half fat.
Many foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are high in carbohydrates. They are also low to moderate in calories and not particularly enticing; not surprisingly, dietary patterns featuring regular consumption of these foods are associated with maintaining a healthful weight.
4
@childofsol
Gosh, it sounds like you're writing that nutritional quality of the food affects satiation, which in turn feeds back on total calories consumed?
Quite the reversal from your previous commentary.
I eat healthy fats, such as avocados and EVOO.; almonds, walnuts, and pecans ( in moderation- 10 to 20 nuts a day); fruit that is low in carbs, like berries, apricots, kiwi, and peaches( also high in fiber) and have cut out cheese. No bacon.
2
Like all carb reduction it only works for as long as you stay on the diet. I have found that intermittent fasting “The Obescity Code” is better since you still get all the benefits of whole fibers, fruit and vegetable as well as protein. Since there is so much money to be had in diet programs all opinions will polarize people to one or another. I have found IF to work for me.
5
I had great success with the Keto Diet right up until I had a moderate heart attack on the Fourth of July, which was the end of week 8 on keto. My mental clarity was astounding and the meals were great. Unfortunately, my LDL skyrocketed, and an important artery became blocked. I’m apparently lucky to be typing this. My learning which I’d like to share is to look into your family history for heart disease and if you have some, work with your doctor to determine the best way forward. I was in the lowest risk category for heart disease - don’t drink, don’t smoke, exercise a bunch and eat well. I miss keto but I was the wrong person for it.
22
@David Hicks
Valuable comment re. LDL and clarity.
I find that taking two capsules of Ceylon Cinnamon daily helps to stabilize blood sugar management and eliminate brain fog for improved clarity. Medication prevents me from adopting the keto diet but find the restricted 7-hour daily meal window (IF) relaxes the body and quietens the mind. No benefit in wearing out the infrastructure with traffic rushing down the freeway and across cloverleafs for longer unless there's no choice...
3
@David Hicks
You presumably know that: (1) 8 weeks of potentially increased LDL (total or particles by the way? it matters) didn't cause your arterial blockage, because that process takes decades; and (2) anyone whose individual genetics predispose them to overproduce or underclear atherogenic LDL particles should simply swap monounsaturated fats such as EVOO, high oleic sunflower oil, avocado oil, etc. for saturated or polyunsaturated fats when implementing Keto. The fact you had a heart attack suggests that, in fact, you were not among the lowest risk for heart disease. Instead, it suggests you were just ignorant of the risk factor that you had.
7
@David Hicks
I’ve thought about Keto but I have inherited a gene LPa that causes your body to produce cholesterol despite dieting and exercise. I am on a statin which is standard protocol but I am very wary of a diet like this.
Dr. Weiss says that he skipped breakfast, which amounts to intermittent fasting and could account for the weight loss, regardless of the keto regimen.
4
@Al Whitaker
And . . . ? Lots of us prefer time restricted eating AND modified Keto (i.e. low carb, high fat, moderate protein). I think the point was that Dr. Weiss is a preventative cardiologist, so the boogeyman of "high fat" should no longer be used to criticize the health effects of this way of eating.
7
It is a fallacy that a low carb diet (keto diet) needs to be high fat for someone trying to lose weight or reverse diabetes. It can be a higher protein, low fat, lower carb diet. There is no reason to eat lots of high fat meat and dairy if you don’t choose to eat that way. People need to do their research and find the “keto” diet that right for them, which may be high fat, therapeutic diet, for neurological problems; or, a lower fat diet for weight loss and maintenance.
10
@K.D. Hyland Exactly. Healthy fats for some may be different than others. And the numbers of regular carbs will vary needed from person to person.
4
Too much protein and too little fat is NOT good for you. A high protein diet needs to be relatively high in fat to be healthy and sustainable.
2
I have co-worker who is on that diet. It’s so boring and restrictive and I feel sorry for her because she is either munching on some sad salad leaves for lunch or scrapes the cheese of the pizza. Of course, roasted veggies, fish, salads and nuts are delicious and part of my diet. But to miss out on freshly baked bread, fresh pasta and brick oven pizza is just sad. How about a well-rounded diet that allows everything in moderation. That is healthy and provides the body with all nutrient needed. The brain needs glucose and I often wonder if a strict keto diet promotes cognitive impairments.
8
@Karen B. Moderation is key. It can work but you need to listen to your body and research your medical background to choose the right foods for you on this diet catered to you.
1
@Karen B.
Your liver makes glucose, even if you never eat another gram of carbohydrate for the rest of your life. So you should probably stop with "the brain needs glucose" line of criticism.
9
@Lori Finnila If I'm insulin-resistant and my pancreas is already working overtime, why on earth would I eat even a "moderate" amount of anything that the body converts into glucose. "All things in moderation" is not a good idea. For example, why not smoke "moderately"? Same thing with anything that raises insulin and wears your pancreas out?
8
Based on this and other articles I have read about diets, it is clear there is no clarity on the topic. The best advice I ever heard was from Julia Child: eat what you like, not too much, no seconds.
9
First off let's talk about fat loss not weight loss. Weight loss is just a overall number that includes water, bones, blood, muscle and organs. Fat loss is specific and the goal. I can weigh 210 lbs at 5'8'' and be overweight with 5% body fat.
Diet is calories as a function of macro nutrients. Anyone can lose weight just be reducing the number of calories over time. This can be done by eating nothing but big macs as long as it's around 1,500 - 1,300 calories per day. In a straight calorie reduction plan you will lose muscle first then fat. This is how the term "skinny fat" came into our lexicon.
In my opinion, fat loss can't be achieved without calorie reduction. Keto reduces calories, because for most people who go on it they move from chips, pasta, bread ..etc.. to keto. High carb foods have a lot of calories. Eating the equivalent in bacon is difficult (though not unattainable). By simply swapping out the foods and mindfulness you will start seeing weight reduction.
My issue with keto is there is not enough protein to maintain lean muscle mass. On keto like on calorie restriction you will still burn muscle first then fat. Sure, fat is being used as fuel, but if the body needs additional calories it's going to glycogen in muscle.
If your goal is preservation or development of lean muscle mass you need to properly supplement protein in either diet to ensure the mix of loss of fat to muscle preservation is accounted for. Throw in some resistance training as well.
4
You can eat sufficient protein on a keto diet to lose body fat and maintain muscle! Your macros would allow for more grams of protein and fewer fat grams together with weight training. Proven by dexa scans.
5
@Johnson
One can only shrinks fat cells. They will ALWAYS be the same number. Caloric expenditure does that. Caloric intake not burned off swells those cells all over again. I assume that you can create more fat cells that way also which is why you weigh more falling off the wagon later due to a slower metabolism.
@Johnson
I'm not sure your numbers add up. If you eat 15 slabs of bacon a day you'd exceed the protein requirements of the average person based on the numbers at the site below. Pretty darn tasty and it would certainly kill my appetite for the rest of the day, as well as provide the minimum calories you cite.
My question about keto, however, is the extent to which it's sustainable given personal behavior. People who are seriously overweight have a dis-regulated food intake/appetite function. For me (60ish, lifelong exerciser doing weights, cardio, never overweight), if I "eat too much" at a sitting I often lose the ability to taste additional food even if I try to eat it. Or my system uses some other mechanism to let me know in no uncertain terms that I screwed up. I will often use a "keto-like" technique of nibbling peanut butter prior to lunch to quell my appetite; otherwise I'll blow through what's on my plate and head back to the kitchen for more.
But I don't eat more than 1 TB of peanut butter, or whatever, is these situations. I can understand that high-fat foods help the overweight kill their appetite and lose weight. But the body is quite crafty and if it's developed a disregulated intake function for carbs (due to overeating), it wouldn't surprise me that eventually the same will happen with fats. The comments I see from folks (and MDs) about how you can eat "anything" on Keto make me wonder...
https://www.fitbit.com/foods/Thick+Slab+Bacon/17960792
1
I have been keto 3.5 yrs. It works because I am never hungry between my 2 meals a day, usually lunch and dinner and the food choices are delicious . No snacking necessary either. No wonder I lost 100lbs excess fat in my 1st year and KEPT IT OFF EASILY for 2.5 yrs so far. 40 years attempting low fat high carb diets just made me hungry, hangry, obese and depressed. I think ppl should have a go for themselves for a brief period, say 1 month like I did. If they don't get on with it, stop. For me, I effortlessly regulate my intake of foods and this has lead me to be weight-stable for the first time since a young teen (when I started dieting). I'm 55 now and very, very happy to keep doing this for ever. By the way, I take no medications and have not needed to attend doctor since starting this way of eating. Likewise at my 6 monthly dental appointments, I have not needed any repair work done. I save a fortune!
24
@AJ
People don't get that when you eat keto there are no cravings or blood sugar instability, therefore, no hunger. Eating white carbs causes hunger. And for those people who don't "feel full" when not eating bread, that is the point. "Feeling full" is bloat.
11
What has always confused me about the “mainstream” ketogenic diet is that it seems so different from the ketogenic diet that children with seizures follow (the population this diet has historically served). Why are the menus for children with epilepsy full of cream, butter, oil, etc. while the version that the general population follows contains a fair amount of vegetables and protein (which I only see in very small amounts on children’s menus)? I don’t care if people go on a low-carb diet, but if the mainstream ketogenic diet is hurting sick kids by confusing their parents then that would be very unfortunate.
3
I'm 50. I stepped on the scale 3 months ago and was shocked to see I weighed 302 pounds. I started a low carb diet and have since lost 36 pounds. And it's fairly easy. I eat all I want of anything that is low carb. I have been a type 2 diabetic for 15 years and for the first time, I am off insulin injections. I still monitor my blood sugar, but it is neither high nor low. Whatever problems I may have that eventually develop related to a high fat diet, if that even happens, will be minor compared to the benefits of my weight loss coupled with stable and healthy blood sugar levels. I can't speak for others, but this is my experience.
33
It's funny to think that the diet program at Duke University - in Durham, NC - years ago led to such dramatic weight loss. It was the 'Rice Diet' which was much like other crazy unbalanced diets. Substitute 'plain white rice' for 'fat and limited protein' - and just indulge, while avoiding everything else! Hilarious! It was the most carb-heavy diet ever and yet it was very effective. Duke had its own diet clinic just for that. Awesome!
We had a family friend when I was growing up who went on this diet - went to Durham, lost at least 50 pounds, probably more like 75! Looked great. Eventually went back to living her life as she liked to live it and gained back the weight. Even after she transitioned to a normal diet, which was part of the program.
I am surprised the author didn't mention this - because it was a phenomenon at the time. I had the book - a hard copy book that I eventually gave away.
5
I was surprised at the poor presentation of the ketogenic diet by the NYT in this article. It was the kind of breezy uninformed skepticism that relies on myths “fed” to us by the sugar industry and industrial farming,
The article failed to report on the rigorous science supporting the benefits of a ketogenic diet combined with intermittent fasting.
It also failed to explain autophagy - a type of cellular repair associated with fasting - that is linked to longevity, disease prevention and health. Dr Ohsumi won the 2016 Nobel prize for elucidating this process which is a key component of a serious ketogenic eating program.
It is within our power to alleviate Type 2 diabetes for many people who stop eating sugar and grains and who get their carbs only from nutrient dense vegetables. This is the big story.
Look at the research by Dr Eric Westman at Duke University and Dr Jason Fung at Toronto. It is compelling.
I’ve been eating keto for only 6 months. I’ve lost weight, feel mentally sharper, have improved digestion and more energy. I use a glucose and ketone monitor to keep myself on track.
The sugar industry conned us into the myth that “fat makes you fat.” And if the vaunted USDA food pyramid worked, why would we have the epidemic of obesity we are now suffering?
I challenge the Times to take another look at these critically important issues and to investigate and report on their findings when they dig deeper into the science and the politics of food.
46
@Alice In Wonderland
I went keto for six years. Cut out all breads, sugars, artificially sweetened drinks. Lived on vegetables, eggs, meat, nuts. Ate one-half of an apple or orange or banana a day. Cycled in an out of eating cheese. Went from 205 down to 182. Then my miniscus finally gave way after a lifetime of running and working out. Gained all 23 pounds back in a few short months. Couldn't look at food without gaining weight.
For the first time I understood what my brother had mentioned to me. He had called the diet a "slingshot diet".
Perhaps our bodies are used to an annual cycle, sort of like bears, where it looks for diet triggers to begin processes that generate massive internal motivational forces to go down certain paths.
7
@John Huppenthal
Of course I am not aware of your particular dietary intake, and I do believe in bioindividuality, but this could have happened for any number of reasons. Perhaps you were eating too much fat for your bodily needs after your injury and inability to continue your exercise plan. Perhaps you had inflammation from the injury that was causing the weight gain.
There seems to be a common misconception, even amongst many ketogentic dieters, that you can eat as much fat as you want on a keto diet, as long as you keep carbs low. This is just false. The ketogenic diet is moderate protein, low carb and fat to make food palatable. The high fat part of keto can be from the plate or from your body, depending on your goals (read Phinney and Volek).
I would not chalk the weight gain up to the keto diet, per se.
Bananas and apples, as you know, are very high in fructose,which is one of the most unhealthy forms of sugar available.
3
John Huppenthal: You raise some interesting questions and ones I have thought about on my keto journey. It seems that our biology evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to deal with exactly the kind of cyclical food conditions you discuss. When Neolithic people killed a wooly mammoth they could feast on the meat and fat for an extended period. Then they might have periods where no food could be found (fasting). In such circumstances they had to become sharper and more alert to find the next meal (the widely reported mental clarity from keto.). If nuts were in season they ate them and wild plants too but those were not available through a long winter. Pre-agriculture, grains were likely a very small part of our diet. Redundant mechanisms to store fat for lean times were built into our physiology through natural selection. And if neolithic people found a rare cache of honey they probably gorged on it the way we do with sweets. Problem in the modern world is that we don’t have to expend calories to find our food and, unlike our ancestors, we have unlimited access to grains and sugars and really all food. Our physiology was not made for three square carb and sugar rich meals each and every day. I think this is why keto and IF feel so good for the mind and body when you make the switch.
Thus the ultimate goal is metabolic flexibility not keto. But keto and IF may be the road back to a natural state of health.
Best of luck with your injury and overall health!
5
I'm no critic in this, but what works for me is no diet. I simply eat a well rounded, moderate, diet and stay away (for the most part) from the aisles in the grocery store that promote the sale of packaged goods and sweets. We all know the aisles I'm talking about here, don't we? But disclosure yes I'm one of those disgusting people who doesn't have a weight issue.
Forage the perimeter of the store, that's where the fresh stuff is sold. At least until the managers of the stores figure out what you're doing and start to put their sweet, enticing and bad for you, hooks into that perimeter (heh). Hey, Capitalism at work?
But I digress. For me it's as simple as eating the basics, in moderation. And above all else listen to your body. It talks to you, you know? If you'll listen to what it says you will find it tends to guide you towards a path that will make you, and it, happy. Excepting the occasional divergence into Oreo's and the like. And even if it occasionally happens that, too, is happiness?
John~
American Net'Zen
8
@John totally.
1
A rich man’s diet, and terrible for the planet! Fish! - unsustainable, (and probably high in heavy metals) Meat! - very heavy environmental burden - we should all, in good conscience be cutting back) And, yeah - avocados flown in from New Zealand to max out our carbon footprint! Ridiculous! So egotistical to think of no consideration other than one’s personal weight, with no concern for the environmental burden of our choices. Eat healthy carbs and exercise and you’ll lose weight.
46
@Jean In prehistoric times, particularly the Ice Age, veggies were not to be found. Meat and fish provided sustenance. In fact even when there was no Ice Age winters were harsh. The agricultural age was a long time coming if you know your history and yes, life spans were short from diseases (uncooked meat and fish notwithstanding). Water was not the best either for various reasons, mainly micro organisms.
3
@Jean In the US, there were more ruminants 100 years ago than today so cows are not the problem.
Food waste, mono-cropping, over-eating, sugar, processed foods, seed oils, these are the problems.
8
Why should lowering carbohydrates mean eating more fat? I eat a low carb diet that's low in fat, and high in lean protein.
Works fine for me.
13
@klm
Exactly!
3
With keto and intermittent fasting I lost 50 pounds over the past year and have gotten off of blood pressure medicine. And I feel great!
This is not a “diet”, it is a Way of Eating for life.
25
Labeling it Keto makes everyone cringe. Just cut out all sugars, processed foods, cut out grains and starchy foods, drink water and avoid juices, beers, cut out seed/vegetable oils and use fat and olive oil and eat whole foods, nutrient dense foods (meats) and you will be on the road to good health. Simple.
24
I was always in good shape but in the last few years since turning 50 my middle has been growing alarmingly. I recently cut out almost all sugar and refined flour, and keep my intake of whole carbs moderate, with good — almost magical seeming — results: flat stomach. As soon as I eat ice cream the bulge grows. I’m most interested in eating well to prevent high blood pressure and other health problems. I wonder what amounts of whole carbs (such as beans, lentils, fruits) is advisable.
3
I went Keto 5 months ago for blood sugar/Triglycerides. I coupled it with working out. I was slightly underweight actually. I since put on 20 lbs of which looks like solid muscle and I only work out with dumbbells 20 minutes 4 times a week (although heavy weights). I have not experienced the bad effects - (bad breath) but I also don't feel it has helped me much with energy. I do feel full. I keep my BM at 3.0-4.0 "Optimal Ketosis". I use a blood meter - breath and urin strips I find unreliable. It took 3 weeks for me to get into Ketosis (above 1.5). I'm sticking with it at least another 2 months to see its 6month affect on my Tris and HDL/LDL.
1
@Alan
My last visit to the doctor, a few months ago, I told him, 'I expect to have very high triglycerides, just warning you!' I have been eating a mostly vegetarian, sometimes vegan diet for a few years and the visit came during a particularly good vegan time (lots of vegan pizza and vegan burritos).
Results came in normal, even a bit low. My blood sugar - always dropping with the carb-heavy regimen. My fiber intake would send most people shooting across the room with gas. Maybe the fiber is the key!
3
@kathy Measure insulin levels. Your pancreas churns out insulin to keep blood sugar low. Because there is such a thing as hyperinsulimia. I don't know your age but after decades of eating a high carb diet, the pancrease buckles under all the high blood sugar which is caused by high carb ingestion. When people are young there is a tendency to believe that you are bullet proof to all foods. I thought the same thing until I got into my 50's. This is also what is spawning the non alcoholic fatty liver disease. Insulin is what stores fat and the liver is one of the first organs that is affected.
3
@Lezlee
Yep. Must be why diabetes and fatty liver disease was rampant among the billions of people around the world eating their traditional high-carb diets.
2
When I go on strict Atkins, which puts you into ketosis, I lose two pounds a week without hunger, fatigue, or calorie counting. Most recently, I've lost 25 pounds and will continue going until I'm at my ideal weight.
Yes, people go off the wagon after they've lost weight, but there's a big difference between this diet and high carb calorie restriction diets, which is that the weight loss isn't accompanied by hunger. That makes it sustainable, as long as you don't give in to temptation and load up on refined carbs for several days, in which case the process will be reversed.
I have found that once I've lost weight, I can move to a more moderate diet, at which point my weight remains stable. The issue isn't with that, but with starting to load up on refined carbs rather than eating the foods we were evolved to eat (including fruit).
And please, spare us the fat phobia. This diet won't work without fat, which isn't the villain it's been made out to be. If your LDL rises, you can go back to a more moderate diet once you've lost weight (and should). That said, while my LDL level did increase when I went back on Atkins, my triglycerides plummeted, giving me a triglyceride to HDL level of 1.19, lower than the 2.0 that's considered excellent. And that's a much better indicator of cardiovascular risk than LDL alone.
13
@Josh Hill
Josh Hill, sensible as usual, but let’s try a different perspective. Do more carbs mean a “moderate” diet, or do they mean a “usual” diet? Zero to very low carbs is the diet we evolved to eat - that’s moderate.
3
@Charlierf
Good question. The answer is that I don't really know. For me, it's just avoiding high carb junk food with added sugar. When I eat that, I gain weight. Whereas I don't gain weight on a Paleolithic diet, which is moderate carb -- I wouldn't say low carb because I'd characterize our current diet as ranging from high carb to absurdly high carb -- but Paleo it doesn't put you into Ketosis. What I'm not sure is the in-between, e.g., a diet that includes wheat -- I have a wheat sensitivity so I don't eat it regularly.
I suspect that ultimately the point at which we lose or gain weight depends on the individual. That's what the Atkins people say -- you have to experiment to find the point that works for you. All I really know is that I don't have to be in ketosis.
1
What works for me is exercise. I have whole grain toast with almond butter and tomatoes for breakfast and work out for 90 minutes. The rest of the day I can eat whatever I want and I won't overeat. I have a girdle of muscles around my stomach. I feel good and I look good and I am a senior! I never have high blood pressure, no headaches, no insomnia, no back aches, no vein problems ....
7
@Kay Sieverding
That’s excellent, very happy for you.
In addition to exercise, and good eating, I think you should give some credit to your genetics as well.
This same exercise + eating regimen doesn’t work for all of us...
But genuinely glad that it does for you.
23
@Kay Sieverding
It is hard for working people to work out 90 minutes a day.
I do but I am retired and love to work out (major in P.E.). I do agree, people have to find what works for them. Just 30 minutes a day can do a lot. But read, take other people's suggestions, experiement, try something, after all YOU are worth it. Put yourself first for at least 1 hour a day. Set a goal and you will see results-share.
2
Ok, now I'm jealous. Given my work schedule, I'd have to get up at 3 a.m. to be able to exercise for 90 minutes in the morning, but it does sound like you've found a good system.
Find out what works for you, certainly. But if you get tired mid-day, have constant cravings for snacks, and annoying energy highs-and-lows, i urge you to try this. Again... just for me... this diet has solved all that and more. I am 50 years old and have never felt or looked better in my life. I am significantly happier. generalized anxiety is a distant memory, and i have energy to work out every day. i have been doing this for 3 years and i am never going back. Do i miss fruit? sure. but the sacrifice is worth it ten times over.
15
@Jay
Love this post! I am also in Brooklyn. I started Keto 13 months ago at 265 lbs, wore an XL and had a 38" waist (6'2") I had a fatty liver, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and was generally depressed and also had general anxiety. Fast forward 13 months---> Now weigh 175 lbs, wear a M, and have a 30" waist! My cholesterol, triglycerides, and all health markers are now perfect. Most important of all, I no longer have a fatty liver! I miss a few things, but like you said, all worth it!
4
As an athlete and previously obese child and adolescent high fat, low carb never worked for me. As a matter of fact it’s what made me obese in the first place ie. meat at every dinner, full strength mayonnaise, salad dressings, sour cream, cream cheese, etc.
My diet now consists of high complex carbs, low fat everything, mostly chicken and fish. I have tons of energy, my weight is low, and I enjoy robust health. Keto and Atkins are gimmicks and should never be the cornerstone of a long term healthy diet.
16
@robert If you were eating high fat foods like mayo and butter coupled with carbs such as white bread, pasta, rice, potato chips it will lead to weight gain. If you do keto and eat protein, healthy fats, and NO sugar/carbs you will lose weight. As a child it was not the high fat foods that did you in it was the other foods you that accompanied with.
You should try again!
By the way complex carbs such as whole wheat bread are still carbs, they just leave the body a little slower.
11
From the fact that it didn't work for you it does not follow that it won't work for anyone. Anecdote isn't data.
5
@Oh My I agree. Plus, many processed foods in America, such as mayo, salad dressings, sour cream, cream cheese are full of unhealthy oils and sugars - just take a look at the labels. Additionally, we don't know the quality of the meat (corn fed = inflammation) and what was served alongside the meat.
This is the same problem we see with epidemiological studies - there's lots of information that's not accounted for, so we don't really have a complete picture for causality.
1
It's interesting that so many commenters have remarked that their keto diets have enabled them to gain energy and mental clarity. It's been the opposite for me—I have a fairly active lifestyle and do 99% of my commuting by bicycle, in addition to attending a 60 minute HIIT class five days a week (that I bike to), while indoor rock climbing on the other two days. All of that exercise is immaterial; the only thing that directly affects my weight is my diet. There have been times in which I've needed to "make weight" for certain events, and to do so, I switch to a keto or a Whole30 diet. And yes, while on those diets, the pounds then drop off FAST, but I am sluggish, slower, and significantly weaker while doing the same exact bike commutes and exercise routines. I don't seem to experience the "increased energy", "mental zen", and "subsided cravings" that other folks do. Because yes, while carbs and sugar are bad and the average diet contains too many grams of both, they're still necessary components to active lifestyles. I am better at exercise AND thinking when I have a well-rounded diet (neither of which I consider keto and Whole30 to be). I suspect that the mental benefits of these diets are greatly exaggerated. Is everybody just lying to make themselves feel better about their chosen diet? Or is everybody denying the fact that these diets are not necessarily about "health", but mostly about appearance?
17
@michellelo2009:
i believe that different body types require and feel better with different food + your activity level is NOT what most of the people would have, so you will need an increased quantity of carbs than other people do....
1
@michellelo2009 The mental clarity and performance doesn't happen overnight in keto. Your body has to become fat adapted first and that can take a few weeks. So while you lose weight quickly your body still relies on glucose for energy, stay on keto for longer than a few weeks and your energy will come from fat.
13
@michellelo2009
Which HIIT class is 60 minutes per session?
Curious, because that seems to go against the concept of
High intensity and interval.
Thanks.
1
My neighbor went Keto last year and dropped a hundred pounds. She went off and put some back on but she is still 50 lbs lighter than she was to begin with.
Now, its summer and she is back at it.
Until she told me about it, I had never heard of people doing this for weight loss. I was familiar with the Keto diet for epileptic children but was totally unaware that other groups of people were giving it a try.
What do doctors think or tell us about the health factors of this diet? Well, at my age I could care less what doctors think or say because they have a lousy track record. Remember when Bayer Pharmaceutical came up with heroin and told everyone it not addictive like morphine? The stuff was sold over the counter in this country in cough syrup that mothers gave to their fussy babies. ????
Around 1929, some chemist came up with amphetamine and some other fun ones like methamphetamine and when I was a kid, doctors routinely prescribed housewives "diet pills" that were just speed. Adderall for kids? My buddy was one of those kids and now he is a homeless meth addict.
When I was a kid, doctors thought smoking was cool.
Of course, we can include all of the doctors during the Vietnam war who for a price would write you a letter claiming you had bonespurs or something.
Today? Its Oxys.
If Keto is working for you great!! I'm sure its healthier than when doctors were handing out "rainbow" pills.
30
Studies have also shown that one of, if not the only, groups of persons on earth who traditionally have eaten a ketogenic diet have genes that prevent their bodies from entering a state of ketosis. Wonder why that is..?..
4
@Brian in FL what's the group
@Faye Blair the Inuit are the group that was studied in reference to their diet and its effects
1
@Brian in FL Please provide a citation for the studies. Thank you.
My teenage daughter's life was over until she went on the Keto diet. She was practically bedridden with ongoing migraines. Four days after going Keto, she was pain-free and has remained pain-free just by lowing her carbs. Americans don't understand the negative effects of sugar in our diet (carbs turn into sugar). For my daughter, it led to inflammation which caused her pain and extreme fatigue. We've changed nothing other than lowing her carbs. And this author is spouting a myth, that eating foods with cholesterol leads to high cholesterol. I would think that a healthy writer for the NYT wouldn't just repeat that debunked information.
31
@Jan
The reason complex carbohydrates or starches (all fruits vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains) break down to sugar or glucose is that cell function requires glucose. Without it, you are dead. Indigestible starches or fibre are found in whole plant foods and provide the digestive tract health that is missing if you are existing only on protein and fat.
Eat your fruits and veggies and make sure you have bacon and eggs with your whole grain toast. That glass of whole fat milk also contributes to bone strength, and well regulated heart function.
7
@Jan I have also found tremendous relief from migraines by going Keto. I really wish this information had been available when I was a teen!
6
@Jan
Yikes. High fat foods seem to be implicated in higher body cholesterol and the most recent research suggest that extra eggs (more than one a day- five a week -- also raises cholesterol in the body.. Control can be gained by adding an ezetimide to a statin regime plus dietary changes. However again we don't know!!
1
Anyone can take a good idea and do it badly. You cannot be "plant-based" or Vegan and not pay attention to what you eat and make sure you are getting all the macro and micro-nutrients.
Keto is the same.
My cardiac surgeon told me I would die if I did not do surgery and that diet would change nothing.
I went on Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's No-Oil Plant Based Eating Program and added Dr Linus Pauling and Dr. Mathis Rath's Protocol of 3g Vitamin C, 3g Lysine, 3g Proline and about 250mg of Niacin (and you want the flush so adjust to your needs which will change.)
I did that mixture 3 times per day for 4 months and cut back to 2 x for 3 months and now once a day along with a puppy which make me walk 6-7 km a day.
The whole to of my heart muscle that appeared dead and my first cardiac surgeon said would never come back is beating strong and the flow through my heart is 5.1 liters per minute which is perfect.
My LVEF (Left Ventricle Ejection Factor) went from 17% or almost dead to 52% with 55-65% ideal.
I have looked at Keto and even done it, but it does take more work or more accurately my attention.
Better for you than most doctors who say, "A normal American diet is fine."
Would you like to Super Size that?
15
@TheBackman
My doctor and his wife went on the Engine 2 Diet (Rip Esselstyn), a diet used by some Texas firefighters in, I believe, Austin. He recommended it to me because he and his wife both lost 25 pounds in a few months and liked the food. But he also said: any diet works if you stick with it. And you have to stick with it for life (loose translation of 'sticking with it.')
I love the vegan diet, BTW. Feel like a million bucks when I'm vegan!
2
@TheBackman
At last, someone who has also successfully used the Linus Pauling protocol!Happy for you!
I have been taking Vitamin C ( 6 gm/day) L-Lysine 2 g/day and L-Proline 1 g/day for over three years now. Before I started I had severe angina attacks and could not walk a block without distress. Not a single attack in the past three years.
I have shared this information with 3 different doctors --- none of whom showed ANY interest.
re Keto diet; I went on Atkins diet some years ago and had to stop because the weight loss was excessive --- I did not need to lose weight! Sad to say, I regained some weight, which was positive, but in an uneven belly-fat fashion, which was negative.
Can't win 'em all!
2
People forget or don't know that the ketogenic diet was introduced in the 1920s to help control seizures. It was popularized by Atkins in the 1970s. And if you do any research online at the various keto sites, you'll learn that people aren't advocating cutting carbs to the extreme low unless you want to jumpstart ketosis. Most sites advocate 50grams of carbs as a goal to stay in ketosis to continue to lose weight and to minimize the uncomfortable 'keto flu' symptoms.
4
I believe in the concept that refined carbs result in greater insulin production, resulting in fat production. But Atkins and the other carb-restricting diets are brutal for me. I get sick and tired of salads. While I enjoy butter and cheese like the next guy, even that "gets old" after a few weeks.
I can do keto/Atkins/low-carb for a couple weeks, but after that, I am ready to kill for some french fries.
3
@mark91345 You are limiting your food palette on keto. There a million things you can eat! Not just salad!
4
I'm sure that's technically true; however, french fries is not one of those "million" things. All kidding aside, the problem is that diets are restrictive by nature (otherwise, they wouldn't be a diet). I think another real issue is that keto foods have to "compete" with foods I like.
For example, I love sweets. Terrible! Horrible! I know. They're awful for me, but I enjoy them. With diets, keto or otherwise, the basic premise is "NO!". But to me, restriction just sets me up for failure. I wish I had a better solution, but I don't.
3
As usual with NYT diet/nutrition articles, there are lots of passionate comments, recommendations and criticisms and by many of us who really are not qualified to comment on the science. My sense is that anyone who had 30 or more pounds to lose would probably do so by adhering to almost any diet. Whether Keto is healthy or sustainable in the long run will to be determined by controlled studies over time, not by anecdotal reporting. Good luck and perseverance to all struggling with weight, diabetes and other health issues.
8
Nothing wrong with ketogenic diets.
A popular "diet" currently in the Keto diet, which is a ketogenic diet pushed to extremes to the point where the body goes into ketosis.
People actually argue that ketosis is good for you and there have been marketing efforts for "Keyto-Meters" to tell you if you are in ketosis (acetone is a volatile gas exhaled when in ketosis). Supposedly, being in ketosis makes you smarter, stronger, and you lose weight more quickly.
But it is dangerous and when the body goes into ketosis it works very hard to get OUT of ketosis.
The most famous ketogenic diet is the Atkins diet. It has been around for decades and has worked for decades.
Nothing wrong with the healthy individual eating mainly fats and protein. Or water-fasting for most of the day- people eat way too much as it is.
Recommend Dr. Hagan's "Breakfast" book for a clinical study and the basics of pertinent physiology.
@steve Atkins died of heart disease—‘nuff said!
@Olivia k Wrong answer, Olivia.
He died after slipping on ice and hitting head.
3
I lost 60lbs on this diet and have kept it off since 2016. My "bad cholesterol" is high but so is my "good". My take is—if you want to get life insurance (because of outdated policies from our scam insurance companies)—this diet is bad but—if you want to live a good life—this diet is good. I went from 230lbs as a 34 year old to 170 lbs as a 35 year old and I'm still there at 37. I lift weights 5 days a week and I do some intermittent fasting ranging from one to two meals a day even while still drinking a glass or three of wine many nights (know your wine carbs). I do sometimes do a 2-3 day fast as well. I do sometimes cheat and eat pizza. The moral of my story is 3 square meals every day full of carbs makes me obese but taking control of my carbs keeps me thin.
19
@Maddie
The calories in wine are primarily from alcohol, not carbohydrate. Alcohol logs in at 7 (k)calories per gram, carbohydrate at 4 (k)cal per gram
2
Ketosis is a state of illness. A diet high in fat that restricts carbohydrate is harmful. It elevates cholesterol and harms the lining of blood vessels. The primary source of fuel, especially for the brain, is glucose. End of discussion. The body can make due with ketone produced from fat metabolism for a while but that is a dirty inefficient fuel. People lose weight on this diet because they deplete the glycogen stores in their liver and muscles and all the water that is associated with their glycogen. In addition, they have reduced appetite because the ketosis makes them feel sick and they eat less. Remember, weight loss is not health. You can lose weight on a diet of bourbon and meth but no one writes books about it.
15
I believe you're thinking of ketoacidosis, a complication of diabetes where your body can't produce enough insulin.
Ketosis, on the other hand, is when your body burns fat instead of sugar (carbs). There is nothing bad about it; the body is simply burning a different fuel.
25
@arusso Ketosis is a normal state in humans; we are akin to cars that can run on two fuels. Your ancestors, if from Europe or North America or anywhere snowy, survived in long winters precisely because they were in a state of ketosis, using ketone bodies as a primary fuel when carbs were scarce. Pre-agriculture, there were no grains, certainly no vegetables in winter; it was hunting and gathering. A diet high in fat, low in carbohydrates improves cardiovascular risk factors more than other diets, in multiple studies. People on this diet have reduced appetite because carbohydrates drive insulin which drives hunger. I know I won't change your mind; posting this for others that read your post and maybe don't know. You might start here; https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1743-7075-5-9 or the seminal book, Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes.
19
@arusso - you couldnt be more wrong if you wanted to be. I'm a patient of one of the top cardiologists in the country and we've documented exactly the OPPOSITE in me. no longer is there the localized injury in the linings esp near my heart that there was three years ago and some of the coronary calcium buildup is even starting to go away. dosent that just poke a hole in your balloon? now I dont have to have one of those balloons stuck up my artery to reverse what you say is the bad effects caused by the diet you hate. and dont listen to that "brain fog" malarky. EVERYONE on keto will tell you once fat-adapted, they've got clearer heads than they had in years and think just fine if not better.
and its almost entirely due to weight loss in general and keto in particular.
16
But the ketogenic diet has no shortage of detractors. Some doctors and health experts say it can lead to quick weight loss but that it is no more effective than other diets in the long term.
-------------------------------
I see yer lips moving, but I kin only hear the wind blowing every time you move yer teeth... [patting medical doctors dismissively on their heads for having sent me down the garden path and into the briar patch for so many decades, during which you understood that your weight-loss paradigm was not working].
We'll all still be here when you catch up....
1
Seems like it is bad for the planet using a lot of water intensive ingredents. Avoacados, almonds etc.
Yup. Lets be super healthy ourserlves while trashing the planet.
Am i missing something here ?
11
@Luke Mansingh - yes. that producing meat is EASILY one of the most destructive industrial operations on the planet not just for water depletion but also for methane production. next question?
6
@Luke Mansingh see how many land is destroyed to create your crops. A keto diet does not mean eat more meat than on a regular diet. If everybody took to a ketogenic diet it would actually create the most sustainable environment.
4
@Luke Mansingh. Avocados are not water intensive. I live in a part of Australia that goes months at a time with no rain and avocado trees thrive here. Just right now, we have had very little rain for eons -- half the plants in my garden are dead -- and my neighbour's avocado tree is going gangbusters.
3
"promoted by celebrities and touted on social media "
What better warning do you need to tell you to stay away from something!
6
Yet another article referring to LDL without making any distinction as to particle size. No help here.
14
@James Symon LDL particle number is more strongly linked to cardiovascular risk than particle size.
8
@A.O.
I think he meant the failure in the article to distinguish between "total" LDL measurement (i.e. mass) and LDL particle count. Only the latter has relevance.
@A.O.
Which studies make that link without using meta-studies, are randomized and that have actual control subjects not funded by big pharma to sell statins?
Most, if not all of these comments, seem to be what are known as "anecdotal." Such and such approach worked for you, you lost xx pounds and feel great. Goodonya, mayte. Give yourself a big pat on the back, but remember, while that information may be really important for and to you, no one else really cares.
Apparently there are few, if any, athletes making these comments. Athletes are rarely fat. Find an aerobic activity you like and keep at it. Don't eat garbage disguised as food. That's really all that's necessary. Bon appetite.
8
If nature made it, eat it.
If man made it, leave it.
Follow those simple rules and simply your life.
14
All fad diets will result in weight loss if adhered to. This works because they get people off the now-normal poisonous American diet of Low Fiber/High Sugar processed foods and into eating real food. But then, when some weight comes off, almost everyone goes back to their usual obesity-producing menu until they need to try the next fad diet. And on it goes...
This cycle explains why the weight-loss industry is the only known growth industry with a totally dissatisfied customer base. That alone tells us volumes about the problem.
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
5
No, it's not. Again, yet another stupid diet fad simply because most people are too lazy to eat right and exercise regularly! A life without bread and pasta isn't a life worth living anyway. As The Specials said, "Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it's later than you think...."
4
@Sparky - "A life without bread and pasta isn't a life worth living anyway."
I could easily go the rest of my life without bread or pasta. Now, put me on a diet of no morning mocha breves and homegrown cannabis and I agree, no reason to even get out of bed. But I just can't relate to Oprah and her love of all things pasta/bread.
2
"While the ketogenic diet can seem like the latest in an endless stream of fad diets, it has a long history of therapeutic uses."
"and doctors at Johns Hopkins and other hospitals have used the diet for almost a century"
So it does have a long term record. If it was dangerous, wouldn't that have shown up by now? Also it raises HDL, the good cholesterol. Detractors never seem to mention that. Ketones have multiple beneficial roles in metabolism:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413116306556
14
@Craig Willison - Have they used it for therapeutic reasons for long periods of time? I'm aware of it being used with epileptic children but I have only come across one adult with epilepsy who uses this diet and they commented below. So, have any doctors put people on the diet for 10, 20, 30 or more years? I would find that interesting.
4
My brother went keto and after a few months, he developed a full blown egg allergy. He remains on a low carb diet, sadly eggfree.
Well, I’m a fan of the complete opposite approach, the high carb, high fiber, high phytonutrient, low oil way of eating as outlined in the book “How Not To Die.” The amount of carcinogens people are dumping into their bodies with low carb fad diets is astounding. Whole Foods, plant based. Plenty of carbs, and get your fat from avocados, nuts, seeds and traditional soy foods. You will lose weight slowly but steadily. If you want to lose it faster, go the McDougal route and lower the nuts and avocados and cut out all flour products, but keep carbs like potato’s. You’ll be surprised.
25
@John Krumm Hi - spent many days at my grandparents home in Duluth. They used to take me to the Glass Block and Bridgemans for Peppermint Bon Bon. Wonder if that’s ok on the Keto diet?
Many are piling up the anecdotes. Of course what "works" for you is "good" for you. As you perceive works and good for you. BUT - they are anecdotal and as such extremely personal. My diet and workouts work for me. Right now. When I was 30, what I do now at 55, would not have. Vice versa.
I see many people lost weight, lowered various indices, etc.. Is it the diet itself, or that you went from eating poorly to your version of Keto? (lets admit that everyone on this diet are on a personal version) Which mostly includes real foods.
Are you really surprised? You found a food plan, that is working for you right now. Doesn't mean it would have 10 years ago, or 10 from now.
What is not considered by most "keto dieters" is 1. unless you're getting your blood tested regularly, you are clueless as to your state of ketosis. So please, stop claiming its about the keto aspects of your diet. 2. You do not know what damage your past dieting did on a molecular level, and as such no idea what is to come. Nor do you know what you inherited. Even with that mail-order DNA test.
Fine, what works right now is good for you right now. But don't hold onto this "diet" like a religious belief when down the road - 1, 2, 5 years - things shift,and you double down on the good-now aspects of the diet, instead of doing what would be good for you then!
Many a healthy vegan found that after a good run, the diet was failing, and doubled down before they let go and ate what would work in their new now.
6
We really do obsess about food in this country; that's the actual sickness. From the breathless restaurant reviews in this paper, to the myriad food and cooking shows on TV, if you're not hungry when you start, you will soon be slavering for something to stuff in your mouth, even if its not from the hands of celebrity chef but more likely, a guy on a bike. It would be interesting to know if this stemmed from primate psychology; no monkey likes to feel left out. I would even class travel shows in the same category; they might more truly be titled "Watch me eat in exotic locales.".
3
Congratulations to the New York Times! Here's an article on human nutrition which is only about 25% false!
That's a big step forward for the Times which, for years, has perpetuated debunked theories about the perils of saturated fat, and counting calories as if they're all equal. It's gratifying to see that the T.C. Chan School of Public Health wasn't asked to weigh in here. Still, the advice from Dr. Heymsfield to avoid saturated fat is wrong-headed. I guess when billions of dollars are tied up in statin drugs and fat loss clinics, current scientific understanding is hard to accept.
The way this article is written, I get the impression that Anahad O'Connor is aware of the science, but also of the entrenched interests.
13
I went back to the weigh I was in college (lean) simply by ceasing to eat between meals and cutting out refined sugar most days. It's easy to maintain. Even before I made those changes, I tended to cook at home and eat fresh, whole foods. So that part didn't have to change.
5
@Syliva Your approach worked well for me in my twenties and thirties, and ok in my forties. Somewhere in my fifties, it completely ceased to work. What has begun to work again is very low carb, zero refined carb, plus total elimination of seed oils such as corn, soybean and canola. These days, it's all about inflammation and what does and does not cause it. I can tell when I have eaten something "wrong" because I get arthritis flare ups within the hour.
We need to stop thinking because something is simple for one person, it's simple for everyone. That is simply not true, and may not even always be true for you.
1
I'm surprised the article doesn't mention Dr Berg, Dr Fung, and Thomas Delauer. Been on Keto since last November. It's not a easy or fad diet. It's a lifestyle change. Was pre-diabetic and I get my blood checked and my cholesterol and everything is normal. Like any lifestyle change. There's a right way and a wrong way. Started at 287lbs and I'm currently at 228lbs.
19
@Vincent Jason Fung book Obesity Code was like a eureka moment! I couldn’t figure out why despite working out like a maniac and eating what I thought was a sensible diet, I could not lose the weight and control the blood sugar. He really explains it well and defines what you have to do to lose weight. I highly recommend reading or listening on YouTube his information.
12
This article caught my attention for the reason being that I am interested in doing a seven day challenge with my family. The challenge would consist of eats on fruits, nuts and raw vegetables. This challenge is for the purpose of not to lose weight but to create a more healthy and natural body. I am a very spiritual person who has a natural appearance but would also like to make my inner self more natural and that goes with eating healthy and staying active.
2
I started my Keto lifestyle a month ago. I have to cook more at home and go out shopping for food that I haven't eating in a long time. I lost 10 pound first time in my life as 51 year-old male losing weight with a diet was not in my agenda. I am going to visit my doctor after 90 days to check on my cholesterol because I was borderline on it.
One of the things that I found interesting is when you stop consuming carbohydrates I had withdrawals symptoms and went away after two weeks. After a month, I feel that sometimes is not as difficult to maintain because you see results without feelings weak.
3
@Hugo I predict your triglycerides will be lower. Be sure to take the Cleveland Lab test to test for cholesterol so you have meaningful data. It's fairly cheap if your insurance won't pay for it.
3
Following a daily schedule of eating between 12pm-9pm may be a healthy alternative to the Keto diet. In this case you can eat a healthy diet mostly of veggies, good fats (olive oil, omega-3's and avocados etc) and healthy carbs-containing foods including whole grains and fruits. You body will produce a low-level amount of ketone bodies during the 9pm-12pm fast, so you get the best of both worlds, the benefit of ketone bodies and a better balanced diet.
6
When I worked in pediatric neurology, some kids were starting to use the keto diet for seizure control. The main concern was its unsustainability, a general feeling of "who can eat like that long-term?"
That question remains. I haven't seen anyone maintain it for more than a month or two for weight loss purposes. I don't doubt there are some who can, but I suspect they are in the minority.
3
@Jen I've done it for 3 years now. Have kept 60lbs off. Test my blood nearly daily.
4
@Jen
Humans did as a species for most of their existence on the planet.
1
I began the ketogenic diet last year on the recommendation of my endocrinologist to treat severe reactive hypoglycaemia. Within a week, my heart rate variability shot up from an average of 18 to about 45, I was able to sleep through the night, and my heart palpitations and anxiety completely disappeared. My blood sugar hovers in the low normal range now, and I no longer have constant crashes, nor does food dictate my days anymore. It’s a relief not to have to eat every two hours, and I can exercise regularly again without the fear of passing out or getting sick! The ketogenic diet has been a lifesaver for me.
I wish more research would be done on its potential to treat an array of health conditions. For some of us, it’s not just a trend or a weight loss solution- it’s a matter of functioning and flourishing!
26
@A. Pestano it made my daughter's ongoing migraines completely disappear. Now she only has to avoid eating too many carbs and doesn't have to go full keto.
4
I started keto end of March, but switched to what I’d call a low carb diet for the past month. I no longer measure ketones, and allow some rare extra carb food on occasion. I’m a vegetarian and typically don’t eat breakfast, so those factors add on too. My LDL dropped from 185 to 125, body fat dropped from 18% to 12%, and waist size went down 2+ inches. HDL was unchanged, blood pressure and glucose levels are normal range. Lp(a) below lower detection limit. Triglycerides went up a little, bit still are in the lower half of the normal range. I’m a big believer in a vegetarian low carb diet now. I eat mostly salad, broccoli, avocado, tofu or beyond burgers (pea protein), some cheese, almonds, and a little dark chocolate. With those foods I get lots of fiber. Took a while to adjust to, but I don’t see this so much as a diet anymore and more of a lifestyle. It’s not for everyone, and people with metabolic disease should certainly check with a physician first or avoid it (ex: CPT2 disease patients would likely have health issues this diet). Anecdotal, but it’s worked exceptionally well for me, as I feel healthier and with more energy than I had before.
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@Max
You are aware that vegetables are carbohydrates. All plants consist of carbohydrates, cellulose or fibre, and some fat and protein if the seed parts are included.
2
@Alison Cartwright
Keto is low carb, not no carb.
2
There is no magic bullet for dieting. I switched to intermittent fasting a little over a year ago because I read reviews of several studies documenting improvements in cardiovascular health, reduced inflammation and reduced cancer risk, all presumably tied to bodily repair processes that scale up when we are not eating or digesting. The pleasant side effect is that my weight has dropped to 152 pounds, giving me a BMI of about 21. This way of eating works for me because it makes me feel energetic and the very clear rule that I don't eat each day before at least 18 hours of fasting is a nice, clear, easily observed line of demarcation. I realize that the research is not definitive and this isn't for everyone, but if you want to lose weight in a healthy way, this is one approach that might work for you.
22
It's really expensive (and kinda boring after a short while) to eat all protein.
I went on a similar 'Keto' diet as a prelude to going to my son's wedding, and it worked really, really well as long as I stuck to it completely. Lost about 24 lbs. in six weeks. I mean the weight just FELL off. I was very pleased.
I couldn't keep it up long term, started sneaking carbs in a little here and there, and then it was over. Two or three months later, right back to my previous weight.
The formula for most (but not all) relatively healthy people is brutally simple:
-Expend more calories than you consume, you'll lose weight.
-Consume more calories than you expend, and you won't.
9
@WeAreWeary. But the keto diet is not all protien. It's all fat, with just enough protein if you're doing it right.
6
all these diets are for people looking for short cuts to lose weight and/or stay healthy. There are no short cuts. Eat wisely and exercise. Make it a life style.
8
@Surya not true. The keto diet has been extremely helpful with serious medical conditions.
3
@Surya The Keto diet is not a short cut. It is a way of eating wisely.
1
All things in moderation
No junk food
Exercise
It’s that simple!
13
@Chicago Paul all things in moderation seems to disagree with your no junk food statement. Should we eat junk food in moderation or not?
2
Yikes, so many experts!
The Mediterranean diet is satisfying and wholesome and the most delicious meals are super easy to prepare. Forget the studies. Go to a country where people habitually eat and savor fresh, colorful meals, including meat and dairy. They are happy, they love food, and they are not obese.
31
I suspect they also walk a lot every day and live a life with less stress.
5
@Step2 Both of which any of us can implement in our own lives if we make different choices/decisions.
3
@Susan
I agree, I lived in Europe for a long while and people eat "real foods". Go into a grocery store in the US and there is little in the way of real food; it's all packaged and laden with corn syrup- and people eat constantly here with portions enough for two people.
7
If carbs were the problem, populations that eat lots of carbs would be fat and sick. But the opposite is the case. The Healthiest, leanest and longest living people on earth come from 'Blue Zone' regions such as the Mediterranean and Japan. Carb-rich foods such as rice, pasta, bread, beans and fruit are a staple part of these diets.
The real problem is the modern Western diet - high in calorie-rich processed foods, sugar and red meat.
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@foodluva
Thank you for your comment about the “blue zones” and how many cultures with different types of diets have been healthier than ours for thousands of years. Not because they tried to restrict their intake of certain foods, but because they ate seasonal foods prepared in the home and enjoyed them in a social setting.
What is wrong with everyone trying to eat different from one another , one is vegan and the other keto, is that the social part of eating goes out the window. That’s pretty unhealthy. Not to mention all the anxiety people have about food these days.
12
These ‘blue zones’ are adopting SAD poor nutrition and they’re no longer high-longevity regions. Processed carbs sugar ruined it.
3
Ironically, from what I've read I understand that type 2 diabetes has very little to do with sugar and carbohydrate intake and everything to do with fat intake. Below is an excerpt from an article on nutritionfacts.org:
"Free fatty acids (meaning fat circulating in the bloodstream not packaged into triglycerides) result in inflammation, toxic fat breakdown products, and oxidative stress, which can gum up the insulin receptor pathway and lead to insulin resistance in our muscles. Insulin resistance is what causes prediabetes and type 2 diabetes[...] As the level of fat in the blood rises, the body’s ability to clear sugar from the blood drops dramatically."
Without research on the long term health ramifications of a ketogenic diet in hand I believe it is highly irresponsible to recommend this diet to anyone aiming to cure a disease.
5
@Robyn
There's an important difference between physiological insulin resistance and pathological insulin resistance. On a proper ketogenic diet (with VERY low carb) you will get physiological insulin resistance, but this type of insulin resistance isn't dangerous at all and is in fact useful-- that is because the only part of your body that MUST use glucose is your brain (and only about 30-40% of it, the rest can run on ketones) so the rest of your body becomes physiologically insulin resistant and uses ketones instead, so that the glucose can be used by what truly needs it. Also, you don't need to eat carbs to get that glucose, your body can make the glucose it needs on demand from the fat or protein you eat through a process called gluconeogenesis. This does not lead to diabetes, pathological insulin resistance however (which happens when you don't restrict carbs enough) DOES lead to type 2 diabetes.
If you don't restrict carbs enough you will get problems on a high fat diet. But that doesn't mean that fat is the problem.
This video goes over this important naunce better than I can explain it (only need to watch for about 3 minutes): https://youtu.be/hpOP_HKeazU?t=499
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@Robyn Sure--that's why diabetes and obesity rates have plummeted since doctors started recommending low fat diets. Oh, wait...
Just who is this "nutritionfacts.org" and what statistics do they cite?
7
@Justin I'm not taking a position, but the fact that "doctors started recommending low fat diets" doesn't mean people do so, and therefore the recommendation may have nothing to do with obesity rates, especially if you replace one kind of calorie with another.
2
I've gone down 25 pounds and stayed in that weight for over a year, by lowering food consumption, plain and simple. I am now mostly vegetarian, but still have my bowl of pasta or rice 3-4 times a week, meat, cheese and bread sometimes, but eggs, bacon, butter, all are gone from my fridge. No sodas. I'm betting on my approach.
8
@jose - I bet when you have a bowl of pasta or rice it is sensible portion. My weakness with pasta is that I can easily consume 2 or 3 times the amount most people would find satisfying. It is easier for me to not have any pasta than to limit my portions.
2
@Step2 I recommend whole grains if you're wanting some carbs and stay away from flour products (and processed foods) such as pasta, pizza, and bread. They are concentrated carbs so brown rice and legumes would be a better moderate-carb choice.
1
@Step2 We now measure the dry pasta by weight before we cook the pasta (for us 100 grams for 2) - it makes a huge difference in the amount we consume!
1
What kind of headline is that? It's not even a question of whether or not it's good for you. The standard American diet (SAD) is horrible for us. Eating a diet that puts you in nutritional ketosis is the way humans ate for hundreds of thousands of years. The only "fad diet" is the SAD, which is about 50 years old.
15
NYT, please read Nina Teicholz’s book, “The Big Fat Surprise,” and “Why We Get Fat” by Gary Taubes. Saturated fat is not the villain we think it is and “calories in-calories out” has been disproven. Check out the latest research on the Diet Doctor website, which has all the reputable low-carb experts in one place. Look at the clinical research by Dr. Sarah Hallberg at Virta Health and Dr, Eric Westman at Duke, who have helped thousands of patients reverse their diabetes and get off of insulin with diet alone. With the skyrocketing costs of insulin and diabetes care, why aren’t we more enthusiastic about these physicians’ success treating the disease by just eating real food?
My own personal anecdote is that I have been keto for over two years, have lost 60 lbs and kept it off, have gotten my A1C from 7.7 (full-on diabetic) to 5.1 (normal) without any medications, my cholesterol numbers are great, I have MS and have not had any new lesions or exacerbations since starting keto, I think more clearly and feel great. Oh, and I’m never hangry or deprived, and this has required no starving or willpower on my part. Why do we think that deprivation should be a normal part of being healthy? Is there any animal on earth that has to use “willpower” to not eat when hungry?
People ask, “Don’t you miss fruit?” I do eat fruit, avocados, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, squash and eggplant are all biologically fruits. I don’t eat SUGARY fruits, but I do enjoy fermented grape juice.
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@Emily Martine Me too! I haven't had any new lesions or exacerbations since starting keto. I do not take any MS medication (I have no problems with them, I'm just not eligible). My two spine lesions are undetectable. And I'm pretty old! I wish the NY Times would do an article on the Wahls Protocol.
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@Susan R
My wife has MS (30 years worth). She too has had great results on the Wahls Protocol. She's on NO MS medications.
6
@Susan R my daughter's migraines completely went way after 4 days on the keto diet. Months later, she is still pain-free after just lowering her carbs and sugar.
7
Don't listen to anecdotes on diets.
Eat less, move more, cut out junk food.
18
Plenty of people I work with have gone on the keto diet, and every one of them has regained the weight they lost.
10
Did they regain the weight because they got BORED of the Keto diet?
@T SB while on the keto diet? Seems unlikely. Seems more likely they lost the weight and then went back to a standard American diet and gained it back.
2
Really, what I want to know, is the corndog diet that our leaders are now enjoying good for the country? Iowa is one step away from the snake oil salesman. Anything for a vote. Silly.
This is a silly argument, low carbing is the easiest diet for many to follow which makes it healthy. We get to eat a variety of food and more of it than watching calories and without thinking much about each thing we eat. Most of what Doctors know about low carb is myth. We do not consume massive quantities of fat, actually vegetarian low carb is quite popular and easy.
I have been on low carb for 20 years, off and on, my numbers are great and no meds.
7
The keto diet works for me. I lost 20 pounds, and my fasting blood sugars dropped from 130-135 to 95-98. My triglycerides also dropped by 100 points. Contrary to what people say, you don't need to count calories at all on a keto diet.
19
Eat food, not food products. And watch overall calories. Input/Output ratio. Simple.
9
It’s all about finding the right diet (as in what you eat for many years, not a crash diet) for yourself, not what the latest fad is. If you eat junk food now and switch to a keto diet, then you’ll feel healthier and lose weight. But you would also feel better and lose weight on any other diet that cuts out heavily processed foods, fats and sugars.
If you never exercise, perhaps you should eat a somewhat low carb diet, since your insulin may not function properly without moving around enough. If you exercise a lot, then eating some extra healthy carbs from vegetables, fruits and some whole grains will not make you unhealthy or gain weight. We are meant to be active, if we are not active, then we eventually get weaker and sicker and hormones such as insulin become less efficient.
It is important to remember that there are many healthy diets, as long as they are not the Standard American Diet (SAD). And exercise is crucial for staying healthy metabolically as well.
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When I was anorexic as a teenager, my doctor was always checking for ketones as a sign of poor health/nutrition. Since then I have always assumed that a diet like this would be harmful.
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@479 That would be an incorrect conclusion. He’s checking for ketones because being anorexic would initiate ketone production due to low calories (from a reduction of carbs - same reason as keto). The difference is that on keto, you’re still consuming enough calories but not carbs.
7
@479 That's ketoacidosis, which is different.
2
I have just started a keto diet. I have chosen not to weigh myself. Right from the start, I did not feel too hungry AND I have been able to stop snacking. I feel really good eating like this. I can move around much easier and my knees are a lot less painful. I feel more alert. I have only been at this for a little more than one week, but I feel extremely good.
13
Best wishes you’ll be great.
2
This is inconsistent
"In a typical day he skips breakfast and eats mostly salads, nuts, cheese, roasted vegetables and grilled chicken, fish or tofu, as well as dark chocolate for dessert. "
then the complaint
Then the criticism is "The greatest risk, however, of the ketogenic diet may be the one most overlooked: the opportunity cost of not eating high-fiber, unrefined carbohydrates,”
If you are eating "mostly salads" you are eating "high-fiber, unrefined carbohydrates". Where is the problem?
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@psi That study is riddled with problems, including being written by a team of vegans. Not only are there numerous inaccuracies, if they don’t understand that green, leafy vegetables and green above-ground plants are staples on a keto diet, then they didn’t do their research on what the diet actually is.
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What frustrates me is all of these discussions concentrate on blood sugar like its only a bad thing, and don't talk about why your body puts sugar into your blood--fuel for energy. If you are athletic, sugars provide the highest concentration of energy (per my reading), and your muscles prefer them as their energy source. Endurance athletes "load" on on carbs to have them available. So it would seem that while you can do a lot on a Keto diet, it would have to limit athletic performance. Is it a diet for couch potatoes?
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@Doug
I've been on a ketogenic diet for 8 months. I'm not an athlete so I can't speak to that, but I do work out, sometimes rigorously. I've never felt better during and after a workout than on keto. In fact, I've really impressed myself with my performance even while in a fasted state for longer than 16 hours.
I've heard countless similar anecdotes.
I do not believe that a ketogenic diet hinders most athletic performance.
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@Doug I know multiple people who are high caliber athletes who are keto. They do sometimes fuel with carbs for endurance races, but otherwise have no problem at all with performance. I don't know a single 'couch potato' on the keto diet.
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@Doug
Persistently high blood sugar is a bad thing and is ruinous to health over the long term. The condition is called diabetes. I've also got news for you and the endurance athletes who load up on carbs: they would do much better if they conditioned their bodies to rely on ketones for fuel rather than on carbohydrates exclusively. Carbohydrates are the quick fuel source that the body goes to first for energy, it is like kindling, to use a fire making analogy. A much better fuel source that the body will use are ketone bodies (ketones). Liken these to the hardwood in the fire making analogy. But first the body must be conditioned to make these ketone bodies from it stored fat. That is the ketogenic way of eating - low carbs, high fat, moderate protein.
10
Enough already!
If you eat less than 50 grams of cards a day, your body eventually runs out of fuel, i.e. blood sugar, it can use quickly.
This typically takes 3-4 days. At that point you start to break down protein & fat for energy, which can make you lose weight. Ketosis.
The ketogenic diet should be a short term diet that focusses on weight loss, NOT the pursuit of health benefits.
Shop the perimeter of the grocery store -- produce, protein, bulk grains and beans. Stay away from the center aisles that are filled with unhealthy foods.
To your health! Oh, and don't forget the red wine and dark chocolate!
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@Micki
"The ketogenic diet should be a short term diet that focusses on weight loss, NOT the pursuit of health benefits."
Why not, exactly?
7
@L
You ask why keto may not be healthy in the long run and people who study disease prevention can give you a long list of reasons. It is really necessary to read some scientific peer reviewed articles in which various diets are discussed in relation to disease prevention. You will find that the overwhelming majority of those studies conclude that diets high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, as well as small amounts of animal proteins, are the ones that prevent heart disease and some forms of cancer. Not diets that limit the vitamins, micronutrients and anti-oxidants.
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@Kara
Thanks, Kara, for succinctly responding to L's query!
1
I enjoy a good scientific debate, but one way I think this debate may be missing the point is that Keto, and the other diets mentioned in this article, are all healthier than the SAD (standard American Diet). Maybe keto isn't as good for you as the Mediterranean diet, but you are able to stick with it and lose weight, ultimately this will help improve most health metrics.
What do all these diets have in common? No or little processed food. To me that's the ultimate lesson.
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Thank goodness most of thee to regime woks for me. I am a fanatic about food but have a fried ( not)sweet) tooth. I was always having problems with my digestion. I decided to try a Keto regime and have had no digestive problems since. Yes I have had to make some major changes in my diet. I love bread and pasta. But I am lucky to have the time to make Keto substitutes. And the regime is not set in stone. You have one two days or carb splurge it's ok (unless you're diabetic) but it's so easy to go back to the regime. I've lost 1 pound a week since I started 5 weeks ago - so not stressing too much - cheating a bit, but not much, and my tryglcyeride and cholesterol levels have gone down
9
Thank goodness most of thee to regime woks for me. I am a fanatic about food but have a fried ( not)sweet) tooth. I was always having problems with my digestion. I decided to try a Keto regime and have had no digestive problems since. Yes I have had to make some major changes in my diet. I love bread and pasta. But I am lucky to have the time to make Keto substitutes. And the regime is not set in stone. You have one two days or carb splurge it's ok (unless you're diabetic) but it's so easy to go back to the regime. I've lost 1 pound a week since I started 5 weeks ago - so not stressing too much - cheating a bit, but not much, and my tryglcyeride and cholesterol levels have gone down
2
I lost 120 pounds 20 years ago and never gained it back. I did not take any medication or binge or exclude any food group. I did it by eating everything in moderation, no snacking after dinner and working out in the gym 4 to 5 days a week. I refused to give up any foods I truly enjoyed like bagels but learned to eat less of them and more healthy foods. I do not eat red meat but I do eat chicken and turkey. I don’t worry about whether the chicken was free range. As long as it wasn’t deranged, I’m good with it. I eat moderate amounts of non red meats but I eat a ton of fruits and vegetables every day. I like going to the gym and working up a sweat. I take my I Pad and catch up on my reading (digital NY Times and ebooks). I still love food. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Sometimes I eat way more than I should. But I always go back to the basics - eating everything in moderation, no snacking after dinner. Any diet will work for a while. Talk to me in 20 years.
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@Mickey Topol
I'd love to see where I am in 20 years, but at the moment all I can say is I've been on a ketogenic diet for 8 months. I lost 18% of my body weight in the first 3-4 months-- and I've kept it ALL off so far. Any other diet I've gone on has lasted 30 days, 60 if I'm lucky, and all the weight comes back within a few short months.
After the initial 2-3 weeks of adaptation, I find keto to be a remarkably easy lifestyle to maintain. I eat truly delicious food at every meal, I'm never hungry, and I feel great.
9
I've had success using Virta, a medical supervised program that promotes the ketogenic diet as a way to heal my carbohydrate intolerant metabolism. I am not a diabetic but just seeking to lose weight and feel better but the Virta program helps folks in coordination with their own MDs to reduce or eliminate their need for injected insulin and meds.
11
I am on MD supervised Keto and have lost 50 lbs this year. My blood test numbers are fantastic. No medications. I never had Keto flu and have more energy than most 30 year olds. I am never hungry and normally eat 14-1600 calories a day of good organic food. Chicken, pork, beef, fish, lots of leafy greens, non starchy veggies, eggs, olives and avocado make up most of my diet. Small amounts of cheese, fruit, and nuts. How is that not healthy for a 65 year old?
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@C WOlson You poor thing - you are allowing a doctor to tell you what it OK to eat. Do you not realize he/she has ZERO training in nutrition? Telling you to eat “KETO” is like Coca Cola telling you their product is OK in moderation, or milk is OK for non-calfs. Come on - wake up!
@C WOlson
You have more energy than "most 30-year-olds"? It's claims like that that make me mistrust diet testimonials. How do you know what the energy level of "most" 30-year-olds even is? That's a whole lot of 30-year-olds. Hundreds of thousands, no doubt. Do you mean to say more energy than the 30-year-olds that you happen to know? If so, say what you mean.
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@C WOlson I salute you!
The article doesn't address long term success.
It's easier to lose weight than keep it off. Is one diet more likely to produce long term improvements in weight and health than another?
8
With minimal carb and liberal fat, I’m down 65 lbs at 3 years. From 246 at start to 181 this morning. Weighed 185 a year ago. I am having no trouble with maintenance.
4
I've been on a ketogenic style lifestyle since February, and I've lost 34 lbs. My blood pressure is now within normal range with no drugs. I sleep better at night, feel far more "ready to go" in the morning and I don't doze off in front of the TV after dinner. I don't count calories, or even any macros. I just eat good food that's low in carbs and no sugar. I eat real, unrefined food, and no factory created foods. No potatoe chips out of a can. No soda out of a bottle. No "frozen dessert product". None of it.
The reality is that humans have eaten KETO for ever, and it was only the introduction of the food factory that changed it.
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@Makenna
"The reality is that humans have eaten KETO for ever, and it was only the introduction of the food factory that changed it."
The reality is that the KETO diet has nothing to do with the food humans have eaten in the past. Avocados and greek yogurt..cheese...chocolate...coconut oil etc..were not on the menu during the hunter gatherer stage of human development--which was most of human existence.
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@glennmr Of course they were. Not all of the foods you cited were but then again, Greek yogurt and chocolate aren't keto.
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@Makenna
"In a typical day he skips breakfast and eats mostly salads, nuts, cheese, roasted vegetables and grilled chicken, fish or tofu, as well as dark chocolate for dessert. "
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-foods#section8
They are on this and other websites.
The Keto diet is just another fad.
I've been on the Keto diet for 2 years to treat epilepsy. It works well, although it is not a complete cure. The biggest issue that I see with the diet is how difficult it is to stick with it. Going out to eat is very challenging, you never know what has added sugar or carbs. Sticking with this diet is basically impossible unless you cook everything at home. My carb limit is 20 grams per day (total not net) and some added flour or sugar would take away the therapeutic benefits.
11
@Dave
Way back in the day when I did another diet very close to this, I stuck to grilled meat, fish or chicken, no glazes, steamed low starch veggies and greens, and asked for olive oil and vinegar as a dressing if needed. ( at one time I carried a vial of good olive oil). That and ( depending on who I was eating with) requesting that they not put bread on the table ( my largest temptation) When I got into it, it became second nature. It pretty much ruled out any fast food place.
6
@Dave - I have pretty severe epilepsy and I'm glad that anything is helping you. The first thing my neurologists all told me was no more cooking, microwave only. And to use a LOT more cannabis than I already was:)
Picture me, a gourmet cook, with serious munchies staring at my stove thinking how yummy a mint-chocolate souffle with a coffee creme-anglaise sauce would taste and have to settle for microwave popcorn:)
2
@Dave A salad that doesn’t have sugary dressing and buffalo chicken wings are available at almost every restaurant.
Are these the same scientists promoting the diet that has made us one of the fattest nations on earth? They wrecked their own credibility. Why believe them now? Wolf! Wolf!
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@SW
Believe me. Those aren't the ones promoting keto; they are opposing it!
2
Too much fat and too little fiber seriously aggravated diverticulosis.
7
@Am Brown This is false. In fact, all studies of diets high in fiber (the ones that are supposed to help you stay regular) have proven that practitioners of those diets are LESS regular.
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@Am Brown
You must have skipped your veggies, a serious part of low carb.
Nobody said to cut fibre!
Eat more veg
Know how to tell if someone is on a keto diet? Just wait 10 seconds, they’ll tell you.
A food fundamentalist is just as irritating as any other kind of zealot.
Disordered, unconscious eating and a sedentary lifestyle plus stress and a lack of sleep- those are what causes weight gain and disease.
I stay in shape by keeping a food diary and exercising 5-7 times a week.
Stop vilifying food!
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@Bridget you make some sweeping generalizations about people on the keto diet. I talk about how a typical carb diet led my daughter to have persistent migraines and how going on the keto diet and then just lowering crabs have led her to be pain-free. This isn't ideology though; it's biology. Americans eat much too much sugar/carbs and have no idea how it leads to preventable diseases. There's a good reason to talk about it, just as you have done with our post.
3
OMG I need 4 refridgerators. A household 4 adults with different eating patterns requires a lot of storage, fortunately not too much fat is stored in our bellies or blood vessels. 🤣
5
Want to keep your insulin low, reduce inflammation, and manage your weight? Try intermittent fasting. No diet needed. Read The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung, a kidney doctor. Or check out his YouTube videos.
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@Deidre YES. Thank you! I mix IF with a mostly low carb diet. I lost 35 pounds and am holding nice and steady at my goal weight.
10
This fad too shall pass...its adherents will remain as obnoxious as those people we know who now eschew gluten in all of its forms, those who comfort us with the knowledge that salt is a gluten-free substance...let the wisdom of Darwin sort it all out.
14
Personally, the only fad I’m seeing is my baby-boomer relatives getting ill from Type 2 Diabetes and dying slowly and painfully. They all refuse to admit weight, food and alcohol are a bad combo.
Some of these Keto success stories may be from eliminating gluten. Some be suffering from undiagnosed Celiac disease. Celiac used to kill you as a kid but now it seems to be kicking in later years. I was diagnosed in my forties and it changed my life. Ironically, you may want to get checked for CD as one of Celiac’s symptoms is irritability.
2
@Tournachonadar The only fad diet is the standard American diet that has been promoted for 50 years. That's the one that has led to ballooning obesity rates and huge spikes in type 2 diabetes. Diets that help you stay in a state of nutritional ketosis are not a fad. It's the way humans are for hundreds of thousands of years. You clearly have not looked at any research.
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@Brian Absurd to posit that in a country of 320 million people there is a "standard diet." Show me where this condition or these norms obtain.
1
Seriously - what is wrong with eating a balanced diet of moderation? It seems like common sense, no?
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The NYT should stop doling out milquetoast diet and training advice. There are so many other outlets that cover this material with real expertise and experience. When a writer cites too many scientific articles, its a tell that they haven't actually trained anyone or programmed a diet for someone looking to lose weight.
“Whole grains, fruits and legumes are some of the most health-promoting foods on the planet. They are not responsible for the epidemics of Type 2 diabetes or obesity, and their avoidance may do harm.”
This statement is incredibly vague. I can take from this that there is some definition of health, but I don't know what it is, and that I can achieve it, but I will never really know how. This kind of advice is not useful. It might make me choose whole grain pasta or something, but that will have no dramatic effect.
If anyone who is unhealthy is really serious about getting it shape, it will take months and years of trial and error. Be serious.
8
Ah yes, here it is again, the old 'fat is bad' argument trotted out again.
Please do post the studies that link fat, including animal fat to heart disease. You quite literally cannot. But it is just entirely ingrained in our brains from the indoctrination starting mid-last-century.
As to "The greatest risk, however, of the ketogenic diet may be the one most overlooked: the opportunity cost of not eating high-fiber, unrefined carbohydrates,” the authors wrote. “Whole grains, fruits and legumes are some of the most health-promoting foods on the planet." No one is saying that a ketogenic diet cannot include tons of fiber. Probably lots more that the average American diet. Go look at any list of high fiber foods and, yeah, you can eat LOTS of them: Raspberries, strawberries, broccoli, turnip greens, brussel sprouts, oatmeal, lentils, beans, almonds, pistachios, just looking down the Mayo Clinic list.
This is yet another ridiculous dietary article in the times, maybe not quite as bad as Brody's were.
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@Matthew
Good luck staying in ketosis while eating oatmeal and beans. These are not usually foods included in a ketogenic diet. I get the feeling that many people refer to a keto diet when in fact they just are adhering to a low carbohydrate diet, perhaps 100 grams per day, but not really a diet that puts you in ketosis, with less than 50 grams of carbs per day, maybe even only 20 grams. With true ketosis there is no way you are eating enough fiber.
3
Before anyone panics about higher LDL levels on a ketogenic diet, they need to understand that there are two types of LDL particles. If you eat more fat, particularly saturated fat, you'll end up with more large fluffy LDL particles which aren't a problem. If you eat more carbs, you'll end up with small dense LDL particles which are a problem. Your triglycerides will be a better guide to your health. A high triglyceride count correlates with small dense particles, the dangerous kind. Keep the triglyceride count down on a low carb diet and don't worry about the LDL.
20
@susan
interesting. Thanks for this. I had no idea.
1
@susan I wish more people were educated about this. I have a great cardiologist who only orders the Cleveland Lab test (better than NMR).
@susan
Triglycerides are the free fatty acids in your blood and are useful for measuring metabolic health. My triglycerides are always around 50 (healthy), while I eat lots of vegetables and fruit, as well as some whole grains, and healthy fats from nuts, fish, olive oil and so on. I am not on a ketogenic diet, never have been. My whole life (I’m 50 now) I’ve loved fruit and eat as much as I like. I’ve always exercised and never been overweight. Why? I just don’t eat more calories than I need and I keep moving.
Primates eat loads of fruit, I’ve always thought we are pretty darn close physiologically. Triglycerides do not go high unless your insulin is not doing what it should or you are overweight or just eating too much.
1
Key point is the intake of water soluble fiber. Yes, this is so important since our gut bacteria are a big part of our metabolism. Even eating lots of carbs it is hard to get the 30 grams needed each day. I add a supplement of 20 grams to a meal as well as vegs.
See letswakeupfolks. blogspot .com- our gut bacteria are so important
4
Eighty-eight percent of Americans are metabolically dysfunctional and for those over age sixty-five ninety-eight percent are metabolically dysfunctional. I consider myself fortunate, at age 70 to be one of those rare two percent metabolically healthy individuals. Paradoxically I was able to become metabolically healthy by adopting a very low carb, high fat way of eating that includes plenty of meat, liver, fish and saturated fat.
8
I have not read any expert opinion on the long term effect of all these ketone bodies on kidney function. I learned somewhere in my education that it was the ketone bodies in uncontrolled diabetes that caused renal failure.
@gmhorn
You are referring to ketoacidosis (sp?) which is potentially life threatening. It has absolutely nothing to do with a ketogenic diet. Even uneducated nutritionists make that mistake.
2
No I wasn't. I remember being told ketone bodies passing through the kidneys and being present in the urine is hard on the kidneys.
1
Every single one of these articles fails to mention the Seven Nations Study lead by Ancel Keys. It’s where the “saturated fat is bad for you” argument comes from. Problem is, the study (and Ancel Keys) we’re flawed, and not much has been questioned until recently.
14
@Colin more people are learning about the eating cholesterol raises cholesterol myth. Sadly, the author of this article isn't one of them.
2
Whatever happened to the old adage, "Fat burns in the flame of carbohydrate?"
@Jay Amberg It's gone because it was never true.
2
Exercise on a regular basis. Eat real foods, and not processed foods. Don't overindulge. Balance proteins, carbs (fruits and vegetables), and healthy fats. No need to go to extremes.
15
@Steven
Indeed. And enjoy life. No one lives forever.
2
What works for one person does not necessarily work for another, which is found repeatedly in all the research, whether it's about diet, disease, education, leadership, sleep, etc. So there is no one perfect solution for everyone. Listen to your body, and try not to be delusional.
11
My impression is that the most successful folks on the Keto (and other similar diets) is that they used to fill up on fast and junk food.
Not everyone have been doing this, so there is no reason for them to give up brown rice and beans.....
12
@Kati sorry but I followed a very balanced cooked from scratch and even baked my own sourdough bread but being insulin resistant with high triglycerides and type 2 diabetic as well as hypothyroidism, I was aging weight in my midsection and blood Glucose was rising. With Keto everything is better. Losing weight, feeling fantastic, not hungry and best of all off all meds except for thyroid meds. I’ll take that!
Life changing!!!
25
Please remember that all carbs are NOT created equal! What you want to watch out for is the ultra-refined carbs (white flour, white sugar, corn syrup, you know the culprits). WHOLE grains and carbs -- legumes, rye berries, fresh fruits -- contain actual fiber and nutrients, which slow down the digestive process so the sugars are released more slowly. And you're not as hungry, because your body is being nourished as well as your taste buds are being satisfied.
Put down your device; go to the grocers or farmers' market; get a whole foods cookbook from your community library; take the food home and play around! Have a friend over; listen to the ball game on the radio; practice mindfulness. There is a lot of zen in chopping vegetables. You DO have time for this; if you have time to read the NY Times, you have time to cook a few meals at home every week.
Peace and healthy eating to all!
18
@Miss Dovey Pretty much what Keto is all about.
I've been dealing with a lot of gut-related health issues, and some of my practitioners put me on a form of this diet, and it's helped my conditions tremendously. The angle of this piece is from the perspective of a healthy person trying to lose weight and seems to look down on the idea of losing weight since diet fads and eating disorders have made people wary of dieting and losing weight.
But as for the question of whether or not it's healthy for you, the fact that I, a sick person, was told by several doctors and nutritionists to eat this way, says to me that this was the healthiest way to eat. Even once I get better, I plan to probably continue eating this way for the vast majority of my meals.
8
I do more of a plant based diet but eat chicken and fish on occasion. I've never been a diabetic, my A1C is 4.5. Drs have told me it is on the low side though. Keep in mind I eat plenty of carbs, and it lowered by 2 pts compared to last year too. No need to do keto to lower your A1C. Simply lose weight if you are overweight, keep active, exercise and eat mostly whole plant based foods.
4
@Rose
If, however, you have an elevated A1C, then you are very probably insulin resistant and it’s much more difficult to lose weight, let alone lower your blood sugar on a high carb diet. A low carb keto diet lowers blood sugar and thus blood insulin, allowing insulin resistance to gradually reverse. Since so many Americans suffer from insulin resistance/metabolic disorders, lowering carb intake is key to regaining health for a large segment of the population.
I have been on a modified Keto diet for over a year, and along with intermittent fasting I have reversed my type 2 Diabetes.
I avoid all refined carbs, eat a lot of veggies, berries, Avocados, olive oil, ghee, grass fed butter, coconut oil, quality eggs, and organic chicken.
I had been a type 2 diabetic for 18 years taking 4 medications with A1C of 6.5. With Keto diet my A1C is 5.7 without medications. My cholesterol has been fine with increased HDL
I have also been able to save thousands of dollars on copays.
Along with Diet I do 7 days of cardio, 2 days weight training, 2 days of yoga and meditation.
I call it a lifestyle change with diet being one of the key components.
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@Raju
I pretty much follow my own modified Keto diet as well, with very low carbs and almost zero sugar. I'm considered pre-diabetic, but that's not why i chose the quasi keto regime.My goal is fat loss and increased muscle mass to counteract the aging process. What I did not expect was a significant decreases in my cholesterol, 206 to 168 and triglyserides of 91 dropping to 65. Starting to focus on reducing the A1C from 5.9 to 5.6
7
I’ve been utilizing Keto with Intermittent fasting on and off for years and when I stick to a plan I feel amazing. I’ve never needed to lose a lot of weight but this is always a nice benefit.
The main benefit for me is watching my chronic pain with spinal stenosis absolutely disappearing and it won’t return even when I do the things that would normally exacerbate it. I find myself not needing medications and don’t have to do yoga or acupuncture as much to alleviate it.
10
@C +1 to this. I have absolutely ZERO Crohn’s symptoms (unless I pick up refined grains again) after about 6 months on the diet. Blood work is perfect and I feel great.
8
Various studies teach us that owing to genetics, different humans have different metabolic tendencies. Among us, the metabolic use of calories is not the same in all our bodies. We may have different patterns of weight gain and loss as well as feelings of health and wellbeing following either balanced, high carbohydrate or low carbohydrate diets. The variable of stress in life appears to play a role too. My family genetics tended to produce people who gained size throughout life, and I participated in the battle of cycling up and down in 5-10 year cycles of great effort reducing calories. For me and others, I have learned that my own harmony is best suited to a low carbohydrate diet. If I push it into ketosis, I will lose weight. But with a low carb, high protein, high fat diet my BMI is normal and I feel well. I achieve satiety with my meals and do not any longer overeat. Tendencies toward heartburn from acid reflux have greatly diminished, but I do not sense a difference in age related arthritic aches. After watching all the expert recommendations on diet over decades, I have come to believe that DNA rules this game. Good genetics is hard to beat even with a “bad” diet, while those with less fortunate genetics will have to work hard and find ways to mitigate the adverse health tendencies of their genes.
19
The physiologic equation is axiomatic and immutable: if you expend more energy than you consume you will lose weight.
You can lose weight very easily by eating only 4 Snickers bars a day: you'll eventually get ill and vitamin deficient, but you WILL lose weight.
You can eat absolutely anything you want (unless medically contraindicated) - in moderation.
4
@Bob
Counting consumed calories is fairly easy. Counting expended calories is the difficult part.
Per the article, our bodies metabolize carbs differently than fats and proteins, which directly affects how many calories are expended by our body.
5
@Bob
Except that a calories is not a calorie - 1000 calories of sugar are far obesogenic than 1000 calories of fat
3
@SS
The equation is axiomatic.
1
This article neglects to include the established fact that the KETO diet is anti-inflammatory. I know of two people who have experienced almost instant relief of inflammatory pain (one had stomach problems, the other spinal stenosis) and both have maintained a KETO diet, deviating from it for holiday eating, for instance, with no unpleasant side effects.
23
@Kitty Meredith Crohn’s patient here. Nothing changed until I removed refined grains from my diet. Even lower GI grains bother me. Nobody needs carbs. It’s a myth.
7
@Kitty Meredith
The placebo effect has never ceased to amaze physicians and researchers!
1
@Kitty Meredith my teenage daughter's migraines went away after going on the. keto diet and then just lowing carbs. Our doctor explained that it lowers inflammation in the brain, thus causing less pain. As it turned out, this physical (a pediatric neurologist) is a migraine sufferer and she is on the keto diet for the same reason. Unfortunately, she isn't telling her migraine patients about lowering their carbs but I think now she will after seeing my daughter's recovery (and experiencing it herself.)
1
A frew evidence-based clarifications: (1) meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials for more than 50,000 patients showed no mortality benefit (all-cuase, CVD, cancer) by reducing or replacing saturated fat (see Cochrane review), (2) randomized controlled trials of low versus high fiber diets have not shown reduction in mortality, cancer incidence, or cardiovascular disease, and (3) LDL compared to HDL is a worse predictor of heart disease incidence, in which diets higher in saturated fat and lower in refined carbohydrates increase HDL (and yes, also increase LDL total quantity while reducing atherogenicity and oxidation potential of those LDL particles).
11
@Kevin MD MBA
Fibre is an essential ingredient in healthy diets:
Eating more fibre linked to reduced risk of non-communicable diseases and death, review finds
BMJ 2019; 364 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l159 (Published 10 January 2019)
https://www.bmj.com/content/364/bmj.l159
Dietary fibre intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis
BMJ 2013; 347 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f6879 (Published 19 December 2013)
https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f6879
Dietary fibre, whole grains, and risk of colorectal cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies
BMJ 2011; 343 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d6617 (Published 10 November 2011)
https://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d6617
5
I'm in the camp of those that woke one day and changed their relationship to food, entirely. The keto diet has worked very well for me. My weight is down 50 pounds since January and I have no cravings for my previous food lifestyle. I will say I do not see Keto as "low carb" or "high in protein". Instead I use a portion control ( I keep seeing it said that Keto is a "ton of Protein and a ton of fat"..a misunderstanding of the diet..portion control is key). Between 4 and 6 oz. of protein a meal ( no more) and I choose my carbs by the glycemic index rating. A meal for me includes plenty of dark greens (carbs) which barely affect my blood sugar, a small portion healthy fat such as some avocado, and a portion of protein. Eating 2 meals a day has been a revelation for me. My blood sugar is far more balanced, and I am more alert and full of energy throughout the day. Dropping 50 lbs. of my goal of 65 has normalized my blood pressure, relieved my sleep apnea and given me far more vigor. I know everyone is individual when it comes to their relationship to food..for me the Keto diet has proved wonderful. Once I am at me desired weight I will introduce other carbs with low glycemic index,such as a portion of berries etc. But personally I'll stay away from foods that spike blood sugar.
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@Mark this sounds wonderful. Can you recommend any reading material (books or websites) which helped you?
2
@GinNYC I don't mean to speak for @Mark but I would recommend that you look up Dr. Eric Berg, Dr. Sten Ekberg, Dr. Ken D. Berry or Dr. Jason Fung on YouTube. There are other good channels covering the same.
I've been a two meals-per-day (no breakfast) person for several years. I never feel hungry in the morning. I focus on leafy green, cruciferous vegetables, a few other vegetables, a variety of proteins (e.g. eggs, beef, fowl, fatty fish) and good fats (e.g. olive oil, butter, occasionally tallow and suet). This diet is very satiating. I never snack. I really don't have any desire toe eat sweet things. I find exercising easier (I swim several times weekly). I might skip eating for one or two days monthly without any loss of energy and mental clarity. Most people assume that I am twenty years older than I appear. There are a lot of benefits for a ketogenic or low-carbohydrate, moderate-protein and moderate-fat diet.
Good luck!
1
@Arif Correction to the above: "Most people assume that I am twenty years YOUNGER than I appear."
This is a not uncommon feature of the ketogenic diet. I'm near retirement age but many guess that I am in my late 30s or early 40s.
1
I have struggled with losing weight my entire life. At 67 I started a Keto diet in mid-March. I have lost 36 lbs., no longer suffer from
Joint inflammation and feel better than I have in decades. Nothing else has worked for me diet wise. And I have tried them all. So I am sticking with Keto 4 life.
31
I lost 20 pounds this year. Not from a Keto--or any other type of-- diet. I simply ate smaller portions.
I normally eat a Mediterranean-ish type diet (100% whole grains mostly, wild fish, organic poultry, beans, tofu, fruits, nuts and tons of veggies). I eat fruit for dessert. And, occassionally some chocolate. I drink coffee about 2 times a week, with whole organic milk. And drink tons of water. Very little alcohol.
To lose weight, just ate less.
I feel great. Never feel deprived. And my meals are delicious.
I don't think keto or any low-carb diets are healthy. I don't think it's healthy to eat a ton of meat and don't think it's healthy to eat a ton of fat. Balance and moderation are key, as far as I'm concerned.
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@nerdgirl Sorry dear but what you think is healthy for you was poison for me. Doing Keto for a month and a half and no longer taking any meds! Not everyone’s system works the same way.
10
@nerdgirl
With what you describe, you never WILL feel deprived. I had dinner with a French woman in France at her favorite restaurant (ironically, for this discussion, the restaurant was all about cooking every bit of a pig!) She said that she had lost 30 pounds in the past years, which interested me - her secret, what was it? Her doctor: he told her to eat less, and she did that! I don't think that is easy. And the portions of pork we had at that restaurant? Small. The bread, on the other hand - plentiful, and delicious!
1
I recently started what I would call a "Self-Styled Modified Keto Diet". Modified because I'm also on a low- oxylate/high water diet to minimize the formation of oxylate kidney stones.
In approximately 6 months, I have lost 53 lbs. Now the challenge will be to maintain this healthy lifestyle. The positive feedback that I'm getting from people helps motivate me.
Inevitably everyone asks me what I did, as if I have found a silver-bullet for weight loss. I tell them how I had to change my ENTIRE relationship to food, starting with the way I shop for food in the supermarket (always go with a list and never go shopping when you're hungry)and my acceptance of a sparsely stocked kitchen pantry and refrigerator (we're conditioned to make sure there's plenty of food in the house at all times!!!) I explain how I measure and limit portion size, and pack my lunch the night before. And how I always keep water bottles nearby. I forgo ALL processed foods- and I mean everything. And I feel great. At the beginning, I had cravings for carbs, and had some hunger pains. But all of that eventually subsided.
And ultimately when I tell people this, they are all disappointed, because while they want to or need to lose weight, they are not willing to make the changes needed. It goes back to the old adage, "Nothing changes if nothing changes".
59
Great. Thanks for the advice.
4
I follow this diet not for weight loss but for pain relief from Peripheral Neuropathy. I resisted for a long time because I’d already given up gluten, eat only chicken and fish so wondered what I would eat following Keto. I can’t deny that it helps significantly to reduce pain. Eating carbs results in a flare that takes days to subside. I eat the maximum carbs allowed in low carb vegetables to avoid constipation and a lot of nuts, seeds, etc. I get my fat mostly from avocados and olive oil. If you’ve ever lived with chronic pain and do t want to take medication (which doesn’t help neuropathy anyway) you’ll try anything. Changing my diet was a small price to pay. Weight loss is an unexpected bonus.
40
KETO diet may work for short-term weight loss, but it is impossible to do if you are a serious athlete, especially in endurance sports.
If you do too much training in a state of ketosis, your body will adapt to the loss of glycogen (the muscle "fuel" that is made from calories) by breaking-down muscle instead. You'll survive, but your performance will substantially decrease. This is not sustainable for weeks on end.
7
@Peter Lemonjello
Couldn't agree more. I'm continually amazed/fascinated by people's fixation on the latest fad diet while completely ignoring activity and exercise. Why not put your body in charge of decision-making by engaging in exercise? Activation of muscle (and controlling food intake to appropriate levels) is what should drive nutrition. Your muscles and body will tell you what you should and shouldn't eat to engage in healthy activity.
I was reading some comments below about the wonders of keto and someone recommended reading stuff by Gary Taubes.
I can believe that keto helps people who have been seriously abusing their body through decades over over-eating and who are now overweight/obese. But one look at the guns on Taubes is proof-positive that the biggest component of his personal healthcare is exercise and a substantial amount is weight-lifting, presumably with a good dose of cardio thrown in.
Video of Gary Taubes talking to some CrossFitters:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JGtQb-qcos
3
@Peter Lemonjello that is simply not true. Your body will not burn muscle before stored fat. The human race never would have survived states without food (fasting/low glycogen) and then had the necessary fuel to hunt.
3
@Peter Lemonjello that is simply not true. Your body will not burn muscle before stored fat. The human race never would have survived states without food (fasting/low glycogen) and then had the necessary fuel to hunt.
I don’t do a Keto diet, btw. Vegan athlete.
Haven’t gone full bore (in every sense of the word) keto, but cut carb intake, except for a few liquid items in the evening. No pasta, bread, rice, pastries, cakes etc., other than making an occasional dessert light on the carbs like black bean brownies or fruit cobblers with almond flour biscuits & non-sugar sweeteners. Gotten used to cauliflower rice. 25 lbs. down over 4 mos., (with a 70 year old metabolism) without feeling much sacrifice and think this will be easy to maintain. I think the most sensible thing is not to be an absolutist about any particular diet and play the long game.
21
One diet that will never go out of fashion and will maintain your set weight is eat whole food, drink pure water, avoid added sugars, processed meats, and packaged foods. Fresh is best, frozen and can without additives is good.
25
Actually, I've been eating whole grains and legumes since the 60's. I do virtually all my own cooking. Eat lots of vegies, most of my food is organic. Very little sugar passes through my mouth. OK, I do blow it sometimes with a bag of chips, some dark chocolate or organic ice cream. Net result? 40 pounds overweight, almost all in my belly. A few months ago my blood sugar veered into the diabetes range (I reversed that ASAP) - i was drinking juice - which I normally don't, and eating some delicious artisanal breads, not all whole wheat.
I have been in a pre-diabetic/metabolic syndrome state for oh, maybe 10 years. Whole grains may be an improvement for people who eat white bread, commercial baked goods and lots of sugar, but they are no panacea.
I am trying keto and find life without carbs very challenging. I mean, who wants to live without noodles?
12
@Miriam If you get a good cookbook with Keto recipes, you will find there are lots of delicious things to eat, many of which don't require a lot of preparation. I loved bread and pasta, but no bread or pasta tastes as good as losing 27 lbs feels. Average weight loss is 1.25 to 2.5 lbs/week. A1c now 5.3 (once 5.9, borderline for prediabetes). All other markers are excellent. And I'm never hungry!
13
@Miriam After about 2 years of mostly Keto I do cycle in and out of ketosis now. Many feel that is a better approach as you maintain the metabolic flexibility you have gained. Also, look into resistant starches which are both good for your microbiome and also allow you to have more carbs you may enjoy. Cooled rice is one example, and yes you can reheat it. In the initial stages (first several months) I think it is important to be strict keto as you will become fat adapted much faster. Once fat adapted, then you can cycle if you so choose. Use bone broth or stocks to help minimize the Keto "flu" symptoms. Best of luck! I did Keto for cognitive benefits which has worked.
4
@Miriam I love making zucchini noodles (zoodles) instead of pasta! You can buy a veggie noodler for pretty cheap online. You don't have to give up your favorite Italian dishes!
I eat a hybrid of both Keto and Paleo. I found that my body gained weight when I went full keto because for some women's bodies (not all) who are in their reproductive years, going strict keto can shock the system which can raise cortisol. The raise in cortisol causes the "progesterone steal" because the precursor hormone, pregnenolone, makes both cortisol and progesterone, but under times of stress will make cortisol over making progesterone. Progesterone and estrogen need to be balanced for the female hormones to be in harmony. For me, my estrogen went up and when estrogen is higher than progesterone weight gain is a side effect.
Once I added a little bit more healthy carbs in my diet and ate more paleo I lost all weight I had gained and then lost some more! Every body is unique so experiment with what works best for you. I eliminated all grains and instead eat fruits and veggies for my carbs. I eat a very minimal amount of fruit however. I rarely eat sugar. Going out to eat can be hard so I rarely eat out but I have saved soooo much money cooking all my meals. I usually batch cook - meaning I make a huge batch of food in one evening that I can pack for lunches. If I have food prepped then I won't make a bad decision to eat food out or buy food at the store I shouldn't eat when hungry.
1
I love bread. I am not going to give up eating whole grain organic grain products. I am not going to start eating butter and red meat, which I never eat. I stick mostly with the Mediterranean diet and generally eat very little sugar. My blood sugar, weight, and BMI are all in the normal range. Maybe this diet is helpful for people who have enormous amounts of weight to lose - and I considered 20 + to be in this category - but you have not persuaded me!
8
@pegjac If you can use a Mediterranean diet to achieve your goals, including maintenance of good health, I'm all for it. There is no one plan for everyone.
I loved bread and pasta, but no bread or pasta tastes as good as losing 27 lbs feels. I have 50 to go. I'm consistently losing 1.25 to 2.5lbs/wk.
On a Mediterranean diet, I was losing 1 lb/month. The slow pace was unbearable and I couldn't stick to the diet. Always easy to overeat bread and pasta, and fruit too, which has a lot of sugar in it.
7
I don’t think it matters because no one can stay on the Atkins for a year. I always felt I lost weight because of calorie reduction not what I ate. At least I was always hungry.
4
Americans consume 77 pounds of sugar per year in addition to too much processed carbs and too sugary fruits, leading to 100 million of you who are diabetic, pre-diabetic and/or obese. It’s killing us and bankrupting our healthcare system. I lost body fat on a Keto diet, intermittent fasting and am now experiencing the curative effects of “AUTOPHAGY” which is your innate fountain of youth — that is anti-aging processes that consume all manner of diseases, bacteria, infections, inflammation, and old broken cells - discarding or converting them. It is your internal cleaning crew. Forget juice and broth cleanses, your body is designed to cleanse itself. But to work, you need to FAST, which used to be a common and necessary part of pre-abundant cultures. The process was validated by a scientist from Japan who proved it, winning him the Nobel in Physiology/Medicine in 2016. KETOSIS, FASTING and AUTOPHAGY are your internal superheroes. Nothing you buy or do will be as effective. Oncologists see remission of cancers under chemo and fasting. It also reverses diabetes. Do the research. Dr. Jason Fung is one reputable source. Listen to him online. Good luck and good health.
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@Jake
Well said. And why this sugar consumption? Because of the over-representation of farm states in congress, particularly the Senate. The treasury is plundered in order to produce all of this (plus white flour and corn syrup) which makes for artificially cheap ingredients in manufactured food products.
I guess some socialisms are more equal than others.
42
@Jake Yes! And people please don't be intimidated by fasting. I do intermittent fasting daily, usually 16/8 and sometimes 18/6. It is actually liberating and as Jake points out enhances the effects of a Keto or LCHF diet. I would even suggest that everyone should practice IF regardless of whether they are Keto. It is just easier to do if you are fat adapted and not metabolically impaired.
8
Roger that. 10-4.
2
The New York Times has published this same article, in various stripes, since about 1973. Around that time, the Times’s self-appointed expert on nutrition and health (Jane Brody) had a book to flog subtitled “Living the High Carbohydrate Way.” Since then, the food department writers of the Times, including Frank Bruni and Mark Bittman, have also published book promoting a high-carbohydrate way of eating. None of these writers have any nutritional expertise whatsoever - they have simply used the bullhorn of the Times to hawk books which promote the way they prefer to eat. The Times continues to back the professional endeavors of these writers, and its own corporate cafeteria choices, by its continual questioning the wisdom of a different way of eating. Until a prominent New York Times writer decides to write a bestseller on the low-sugar lifestyle or the ketogenic diet, the Times is going to keep churning out articles full of question marks on the topic of low-sugar eating right next to recipes for mint chocolate chip cake. No thanks, food editor, for shaping yet again, the same article which serves the purposes of both your journalists and big food corporations.
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@Catherine Hooper
That you for this comment! You are spot on!
7
Watch your blood lipids go thru the roof. Dumb idea.
5
@LawyerTom Lipids do not go through the roof. I know from my own experience, and that of many others in my FB Keto group. HDL rises and LDL stays the same. And my triglycerides are very low and going lower.
10
@LawyerTom My A1C is 5.1 and Triglycerides are very low. My HDL(good cholesterol) is high. My blood pressure and pulse are low. Some people get increases in LDL and often they go lower over time. Additionally, the evidence on cholesterol is seriously in question.
6
It is okay. Some LDL is good for us.
2
Keto is not good for us? After all the inaccurate advice we've been given by food experts over my lifetime, I can just say, "We're not liisssstennnning!"
16
Judge the sound scientific evidence. It is here in the comments.
"it has a long history of therapeutic uses. "
By now, I have done enough podcasting, reading, and researching and one day Peter Attia say he met up with you in France. So, it's good that you know him. I realize, because of that, that you are not (hopefully) going to be reactionary in your opposition to the typical carb-based diet.
Thank you.
Fortunately, there are by now many doctors, PhDs, researchers, nurses who are not hesitating and are full on with the low carb theories and lifestyles, pursuing it strongly. They don't care what Jane Brody or the NY Times thinks. And this is good. We will make progress. Now, who's going to educate the mass non-readers of the NY Times? Hmmm?
11
What kills Americans is inactivity.
Americans will try any food, any diet regime, expensive or ridiculous as it may be, as long as they don't have to raise a sweat.
Regular exercisers, on the other hand, have wider food choices limited only by cosmetic considerations dictated by culture.
This, probably, is not a popular opinion.
30
eat real food
not too much
mostly plants
everything else is to sell books
525
Hey that's my mantra too! You saved me from having to post it ;-)
Speaking of books, have you seen the new "Mostly Plants" cookbook by the Pollan women? Got some great recipes, which we are working are way through.
12
That line came from Mark Bittman and even if it's correct, it was also to sell books.
23
@Zenster Agreed, but give (ironic) credit to your words where credit is due--book author Michael Pollen!
40
Are you kidding? “Talk to a doctor...” about diet? They know nothing and this article evidences that. A doctor starts a diet app promoting KETO - Dubois hubris defined!
It’s a good thing he can stay a doctor so when the app’s profits run out he can treat all those to whom he sold the app!
8
Even though we are an obese nation, we sure are experts at knowing what’s wrong with someone else’s diet.
381
@HO
There is a gulf of separation between where we stand and where we want to go, knowing how and doing. I happen to be lucky. I recognize bad luck when I see it. I know we all tend to credit ourselves for smarts beyond our test scores and blame others for not studying when they fail. It may be they were up all night making pizzas for the rich but stoner fraternity.
1
Again NYtimes gets it wrong. A keto diet does not mean you eat a half a cow. Keto diet is a diet without sugar / carbs or sugarfree diet. You eat protein which can be meat, chicken, fish, eggs with vegetables. You skip fruit, though some people will eat blueberries.
I went on a keto diet because my blood sugar was high and I gained 20 pounds from stress eating bad food in the form of carbs.
When I first went on the diet, my husband thought I might die from this new tangled diet. When I lost the weight, started sleeping like a rock at night, and had increased energy and stamina, and 4 points off my A1c (whoa eating Fat!) then he hopped on the keto train.
I have written about this before in the NYTimes my HDL is 127, my LDL is 100. My fluffy LDL was tested and shows that I have no threat to my health by eating fats, and health saturated fats like coconut oil and butter. My doctor didn’t even know about fluffy ldl test and had to look it up to order it.
People are so uninformed and given the wrong knowledge about keto diets when this diet could help many weight loss and other illnesses. Remove the sugar get your life back.
And can I tell you that it’s the food industries like General Mills and all the health gym clubs don’t want to let you know the key to weight loss is as simple as sugar removal! Heck yes you don’t even need to exercise!
59
@Oh My Agree 100%!I have had the same experience. And Keto done properly should be a clean foods, primarily plant based eating lifestyle. Protein should be kept to 20% to 30%.
6
You are right. Congrats!
3
Dr. Atkins was spot on.
2
Still the echos of “limit your saturated fat” because it will “clog your arteries” . Actually eat more saturated fat, and throw the whole grains in the trash.
25
Within this article, it would be helpful to state where each of these researchers gets their funding from. It may be telling on why they promote certain diets (and meds) over another.
10
Cut your carbs, defy Big Sugar which funded many of those studies showing protein and fat are bad for you.
Carbs should be no more than 10% of your calories.
So says a T1 diabetic for more than 40 years with an A1c of less than 6.
31
This isn't new. Neither are the unmentioned legacies of kidney stones and gout.
11
@Robert L Smalser Water - lots of it - will help flush out your kidneys that lead to stones.
This is a positively ignorant article. first of all higher cholesterol is not linked with heart attacks. Even the dietary guidelines now admit that cholesterol is not a concern for heart health.
High carbs and sugar produce a much higher risk of heart problems and assorted other health issues including diabetes and obesity.
And to refer to beans, legumes Etc as high density nutrient Foods is misleading. The highest density foods for nutrients are Meats.
As for type 2 diabetes it has been proven conclusively that low-carb diets can reverse the condition. This was not thought possible previously. Verta Health has proved this.
and finally it is clear that saturated fat poses no risk to Health. In fact there are multiple positive effects from eating a diet high in animal fats.
I would suggest anybody in doubt to read Big Fat Surprise by Nina teicholz which was a New York Times bestseller a few years back.
22
@steve Prior to the discovery of insulin (by a hard working persistent individual researcher -- I think there is a documentary film about it) the only treatment used for diabetes was cutting off most
carbs. So it's not a new thing but it didn't work in the long run (remember that a number of diabetics have had defective pancreas from birth or childhood)
We're so lucky we now have insulin.....
As for our constant discussion of diets, well we live in a world where so many go hungry (even many children in the US--check out the stats :-( ). How about figuring out how to feed all of them? (things are going to get worse even in the US with the Trump regime planning on cutting down free lunches for school kids...)
And then there's the issue of global warming and raising cattle (oh and the horrors suffered by pigs and chicken and in some countries by rabbits..... etc)
So I dont know what to say, except that things are always much more complex than they appear to be.... (oh and how is it that we discuss all those choices many of us but not all, have without any compassion for children and adults who dont have enough to eat and end up with stunted growth and shortened lives?)
The "essay" in Jama has been widely criticized. The central point that there is no research proving the effectiveness of Keto is laughable. There is research done well. There are thousands of people online praising their personal results. All one has to do is read the comments to the essay from practicing physicians actually successfully using keto and seeing the results with their patients. Jason Fung has published an article outlining 3 case studies of long term Type 2 diabetics whom he was able to take of off their meds in a very short period of time. Simply put. it works.
28
Blood sugar spikes are directly related to the glycemic index of the food ingested. Lower glycemic index foods will keep blood sugar levels steady which is what you want to avoid diabetes. Also, there is zero fiber in animal products which is one of many good reasons to avoid them.
6
I encourage folks to read the science. Keto is not a diet. It is a pattern of eating that makes it easy to stay and be heart healthy. There are people that have done it for years. Also, just striving for low carb living without fussing will get you 90% of what you need. And for those afraid of red meat, please read or watch presentations like this one from Nina Teicholz, author of The Big Fat Surprise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rz-8H_i1wA&t=116s
13
No one is mentioning INFLAMMATION...the silent killer. One week on Keto and lifelong inflammation is gone.
73
@Ida's BFF ah, the cult's adherents wax enthusiastic about the unlimited devotion they feel toward the Leader and its Goal...
3
@Ida's BFF that is how my daughter's persistent migraines disappeaerd in 4 days
1
@Ida's BFF Inflammation can also be reduced on a whole foods plant based diet. A positive result of a ketogenic diet may not be exclusive to the diet and thus isn't proof that the diet is healthy. Do the benefits, which can also be found in other diets, outweigh the detractors? In the case of keto - no.
1
I wondered if there could be a connection to the keto diet when a young woman I know, who had been on the diet for over a year, suffered cardiac arrest and almost died. I'm not a doctor, but my Internet research quickly revealed similar cases among children who had been on the keto diet for extended periods as treatment for epilepsy. The main takeaway -- the diet can cause selenium deficiency, which can lead to serious heart problems. So, if you choose to stay on the diet long-term, make sure to supplement with selenium. https://symptomsexplored.blogspot.com/2019/06/cardiac-arrest-and-ketogenic-diet.html
8
@Barbara thank you for sharing that. I personally see great benefit from just lowing carbs without going full keto. Not introducing so much sugar in our diets makes a big difference in maintaining good health. And that shouldn't lead to any kind of deficiency.
1
Fats are not all the same. Saturated fat should be avoided, or at least reduced. The whole idea that we need to eat grains is garbage. The food pyramid was built to support American grain farmers. Another industry over people initiative by our sold out government. Fiber exists in vegetables, fruits and beans. Vitamin E in nuts and avocados. Eat less red meat, more fish and chicken (skinless and fat removed) and low fat dairy.
Also, learn to cook and avoid restaurants.
4
@Chris thank you. Big Sugar is also to blame.
I hate to burst the bubble of those people who jump on the latest diet fad and then proclaim "I lost 20 pounds!" What were you eating before you started your diet? Junk food, fast food, food that came from a box or a can? In most cases, these people lose their weight not because of the fad diet but because they replaced their Big Mac, large fried and large Coke lunch with a salad with grilled chicken, vegetables, some olive oil and nuts. It doesn't take years of schooling to realize that swapping out pepperoni pizza for grilled chicken, regardless of the "diet", will result in weight loss.
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@Jen sorry dear but you are wrong! I ate well. No processed foods. Cooked from scratch and even made my own sourdough bread which I ate in moderation and I had very unhealthy results. Keto has reversed all my health consents and no longer on any medications.
9
@Jen If you actually bothered to read some of these replies, you would have noticed that some of these people HAVE tried the other diets to no avail. The main reason why keto works is because you don't get crazy rises and dips in blood sugar with it so your hunger is much more manageable, and the fat helps with satiety even as you lose weight. Insulin is also reduced greatly which is THE primary fat storing hormone in your body. You can watch this snippit from Dr. Jason Fung for more details relating to insulin and weight loss: https://youtu.be/3d7KkyXnyB4
2
@Jen
I think the truth in what you say is that they were eating differently before they changed their diet. This is why all diets work - and you have to stick to them. That's the hard part!
1
The Keto diet or whatever non-starch version you use is the most intelligent approach to eating...the only part of the body that properly deals with starch is saliva containing the enzyme amylase...past the mouth it just becomes a wad in the digestive system. Starch, bread, is food for agricultural slaves, the very people needed to farm animals which can eat starch. Once you realize the king and the priests of yore never had to eat starch to survive, you begin to get the picture. We all have been duped into thinking Bread is religion when the fact is that is just food for slaves. There IS life after bread, and don't try to replace it with some other starchy concoction! You intestines will thank you.
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@Victoria Jenssen
What an interesting take!
3
This article demonstrates the double-standard when it comes to public discussions of ketogenic diets.
Proponents are expected to provide clinical evidence of efficacy, opponents voice demonstrably false objections that go unchallenged.
Neither saturated fat consumption nor LDL cholesterol are risk factors for heart disease, no plant food is “nutrient-dense” when compared to animal sourced foods, and fiber isn’t a necessary part of any human diet.
11
Several people as well as a few celebrities have commented that they are/should/will be going back on keto since they felt so much better, less hungry, more energetic, lost weight, better blood glucose levels etc. suggesting the possibility that keto is not sustainable in the long term.
And there's a good reason for this- ketosis is the body's adaptation to starvation. Ketones are oxidized in the mitochondria via a process that requires oxygen. The red blood cells that deliver the oxygen themselves cannot use ketones for energy since they lack mitochondria and thus absolutely need glucose.
If the glucose is not supplied by dietary carbs, then it is derived from the breakdown of muscle tissue initially. Obviously this is not desirable. Fat cannot be converted to glucose ( except for the glycerol backbone which supplies a very small amount ).
Muscle breakdown is just one example of the physiological response to starvation that ketosis represents. The effect on RBC functioning would also be interesting to study.
Perhaps this explains why there's always a new Banting Diet, The Doctor's Quick Weight Loss Diet, Atkins, South Beach,Keto, Dirty Keto, Lazy Keto etc etc.
And perhaps this is the best way to evaluate the effectiveness of diets. If any diet really works there would be no need for constant re-incarnations.
Concluded with a big Caveat- since we are all so different a low carb diet may work very well for some people long term.
3
@Lady Dieter Keto does not result in starvation and the body can produce the limited glucose necessary while in ketosis with ease. This is well established by research. Muscle loss is not a result of ketosis. In fact, many many comment on non-scale victories - where one's weight doesn't decline while fat stores are falling off your body requiring constant purchase of smaller waist sizes. Why? Because ketosis results in consuming your body fat while muscle, which weighs more, is built from increase saturated animal fats and proteins.
4
@Mark
The article states that the Keto diet is not a high protein diet. Hard to see how it builds muscle on its own. Without, you know, exercise, such as lifting weights. Weight loss, yes.
1
I guess it depends how long you do it and why. A friend recently did keto to lose weight for her sister's wedding. She lost about 15 pounds in a couple months but she was pretty eating badly - hotdogs and stuff like that. She probably eats healthier now in terms of nutrients than during keto. On the other hand she did lose the weight and it probably didn't affect her health to do it for a couple months.
I personally could never do this diet because I love dessert and carby foods on the weekends. I just eat very little until dinner during the week to make up for it.
Unfortunately, even if you exercise, the reality for most people is that if you want to stay the same weight as you were in high school into your 30s and 40s and beyond, you just can't eat a lot. Every woman I know who is still trim into middle age doesn't eat a lot on most days.
14
My two cents on eating what works without doing all these fad diets. Yes, they do work to lose only weight, But then, the 'Catch 22.'' in long term balance, health & well being comes into question. And after reading many surveys & studies of 10, 20,30 years of groups of people; the downside[health] was much greater than the gain to only lose the weight.
3
What others, dieting for weight loss, call 'keto,' I call the first stage of SCD. I started SCD 10 years ago but found I could never move out of the first stage--which is similar to keto, close to no carbs at all. I have controlled Crohn's and diabetes for the last 10 years by maintaining this. It allows me to have a normal life with no medication. I'm a lot healthier than before. Be sure you shore up your nutrition. I take a basic daily vitamin plus a B supplement 3x/week (too much B can cause depression), daily calcium/phosphorus/magnesium with vitamin D. If you're really low in some B's, you need to bump it up temporarily with higher amounts. I had significant improvements after bumping up B12, then later with thiamin and niacin--my energy greatly improved. I think keto is perfectly healthy. People who say it doesn't work or isn't healthy longer term haven't tried it or haven't stayed on it. Of course you shouldn't eat tons of meat. I stay mostly with eggs, fish, and soy. I don't eat as much fat as I did previously--but FYI, I ate a whole stick of butter every day for five years (literally, I'm not kidding; this is 1000 calories of butter and I'm 5'O" and weight 90 lbs.) and my cholesterol was NORMAL.
5
Michael Pollan said it best: "Eat food, not too much, mostly vegetables." And by food he means avoid processed and packaged food items as much as possible. There is no single correct or healthiest diet for everyone. It is common sense not to overeat and not to eat too much sugar, in all its forms.
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@MEM
Michael Pollan is a journalist--not a nutritionist, not a scientist, not a dietician. He's great at writing a compelling story or formulating a pithy aphorism, but it would be good to remember that he's not actually a subject matter expert.
5
@AK
It’s good advice. The people commenting on here aren’t experts either. But they think they are.
2
@nickdastardly sounds like you only see the worst in these comments. I turn to doctors for some things but they have also steered me down the wrong path. It's actually beneficial for people to do their own research and learn and, yes, sometimes offer advice.
Its not easy to cut back on carbs, when you realize about 90% of the grocery store is high carb products. Maybe that's why more than 80% of Americans in my age range of 65-69 fall into the overweight or higher category, where joint failure and insulin resistance become serious issues. (The usual BMI statistics cited for the US population are pulled down by younger age groups).
But its worth the effort to replace staples like bread, pasta, potatoes, rice and high sugar products as the foundation of a diet, especially if body weight and insulin resistance are issues.
As an example, I puree a lightly cooked mix of carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and brussel sprouts to use as a thickener for soups and stews, as well as beans and hummus, in place of potatoes, rice or pasta.
Nutritional labels are a big help, but only if we bother to read and interpret them in the context of a daily diet.
9
@Look Ahead,
Try to eat whole food, and avoid processed food. That will go a long way toward improving health and weight.
I eat plant based whole food, which means no animal products and minimal to no processed food — and only lightly processed food, such as rolled oats, spices, etc. Veggies and fruits, legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc) and whole grains, and some nuts and seeds. It’s worked for my brother, my husband, and me, and many other people.
It’s also sustainable, good for the environment, less cruel to animals and workers, and contributes far less to antibiotic resistance. In fact, eating plant based is the single biggest step an individual can take to cut down their greenhouse gas emissions. I’d say, it’s a great first step.
13
Keto is ultimately very easy to stay on (once your body transitions to fat burning) and you lose the crabbiness, because you are not hungry. So Keto can really kick start weight loss. Then you can transition to nutrient dense whole foods (including nutrient-dense carbs) when weight loss has been achieved, for a more long-term healthy diet.
I was on a modified/vegan-ish keto (mostly vegetables, nuts, some berries, and vegetable fats w/ fish) and I lost 20 lbs doing that. Then, I moved to eating during a limited a window of time (12-9) and adding back "nutrient dense" carbs like quinoa and lentils. And I've kept on losing weight doing that. I am a total of 25 lbs down and might have another 5 to go.
I'm back in my old size Levis from college days. I am 58! That 25 lbs crept on little by little as I aged and it truly felt permanent. I took a health scare to get me to change my eating (and honestly it wasn't that bad to begin with). But the nightly drink, the bread, and the sugar had to GO.
Intermittent fasting has been very easy too. I am still off empty carbs. I exercise on an empty stomach, get a few things done in the am, and the begin my eating window w lunch.
Western diets have WAY too many empty carbs. If the carbs you eat are natural and nutrient-dense, and if you give your digestive tract a chance to rest more than it works, lots of healthy diets can work.
40
I am a 58 year old post menopausal woman. I was always relatively slim, but menopause gifed me with 25 extra pounds, and for the first time in my life my upper arms and face were getting fat. I hated the way I began to look, and couldn’t fit into many of my clothes anymore. I exercised on a regular basis but still struggled to lose weight.
I finally realized that I needed to change my eating habits and stick with it no matter what. I eat no more than 1200 calories per day and track my food and exercise with myfitnesspal. I keep my carbs to 50 grams per day maximum.
The first 2 weeks were hard but after that the cravings stopped. My energy and mental clarity increased. I am rarely “crazy hungry.”
Sometimes I’m in keto and sometimes not. Atkins says not to worry about calories, but I found that I absolutely must control my calories AND carbs to lose weight!
Breakfast is 2 eggs, a little cheese, some meat like chicken breakfast sausage, and one slice of dave’s thin sliced powerseed bread with butter. This provides equal amounts of protein and fat, with some whole grain carbs and fiber.
Dinner includes plenty of non-starchy veggies, lots of protein and moderate amounts of fat.
Lunch and snacks include nuts in moderation (they are high in calories), dark chocolate, blackberries, cheese, fish, or an Atkins protein shake if I’m busy.
I have lost 12 lbs in 2.5 months. My goal is to try to get as close to my old normal weight as is reasonably possible, and sustain it.
5
Low-processed carbs = good.
Highly processed carbs = bad.
21
The best diet is the one that works for you. At the end of the day the one needs to decrease the calorie intake and try and get more active so that the resulting decrease in metabolic rate (due to diet) can be offset by exercise. For a diet to work, you have to stick to it. We also need to address our culture that glorifies exotic foods, eating out, advertisements for juice and he super unhealthy breakfasts hat are loaded with calories.
6
Many of the comments I've read are from people determined to be seen as right about their approach to eating. Outside of our basic need to be validated, I'm not sure why; there's no one best way for all people to get to a healthy weight.
Bunches of us respond well to a keto diet: great! Others find a Mediterranean one good, or a Paleo one, or a Weight Watchers one, or a vegan one...lots of paths to healthy eating.
When I tried a carb-restricted program I felt awful, and my digestive system didn't respond well. A good friend thrived. Mediterranean works for me, she found it too carby. These bodies we're going through life in just aren't all the same.
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@Aileen
If the dietary regime you are on works for you that is terrific. However, when you post that keto didn't work for you, you are potentially leading many away from what may be the best diet for them. Keto is powerful and should be started under a knowledgeable doctor's guidance or with knowledgeable advice.
Feeling lousy when starting Keto is NORMAL!!! It has a name: Keto Flu (but has nothing to do with the flu).
It takes time often 4 to 6 weeks for the body to relearn how to use fat for energy. I say relearn since most infants are on a ketogenic diet. The "treatment" for keto flu is electrolyte supplementation. So bottom line is keto may not have been good for you but others should not be dissuaded b/c some may have difficulty with it because of ignorance.
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@Aileen
I think people might seem overly eager to promote the Keto diet because it IS emotional for them. This is the one and only way many people find that they can lose lots of fat, cravings, and the ups and downs of eating the carbs that lace every single processed food item out there.
There is also a misconception that this is a bacon and eggs diet....it is not - it is whole foods. I've been doing this for a month and I've never eaten so good. Mostly refined sugars and high glycemic index fruits and some HGI veggies are limited. Yet if you plan carefully, you can eat everything.
7
@HJL I didn't mean to dissuade anyone, but rather to share my belief that there isn't any one diet that's best. I'm not a dietitian so can't be held up as an expert. But my tiny bit of personal experience helped me point to why I feel the way I do through this short post.
And, since it came up, I'll expand a bit to say I don't have the time, because of some past digestive system issues, to wait for my body to get used to keto.
My stats are good, and my weight healthy, on my chosen diet. It's sustainable for me. If someone else can get there on keto or something else, that's their way to go.
15
I've lost 35 pounds over the last 9 months on this diet, and I feel healthier than ever. I'll re-introduce a bit of grain in my diet once I hit my goal weight, but I'll never be convinced that my decreased sugar intake is anything but good for me.
37
I've been on the Keto diet for 3 months now; so far I've lost 15lbs. Not great results as I'm doing "lazy keto." But some things I HAVE noticed:
- I eat out less and cook at home more and thus saving a lot of money
- I'm more conscious about how much food I buy
- Actually wanting to exercise and move more
- Feeling less groggy and gross in the morning
Keto isn't for everyone. That's for sure. BUT I think we can all agree that eating too much bread and sugar is just not good for us. Whether it's low carb or low fat diet, the key to success is moderation and self-control.
20
@JZMe to been on this diet for 3 months and only lost 15 pounds haven’t eaten anything white pasta rice sugar just a glass of whine even been exercising for 30 minutes getting kind of discouraged but on the positive note I don’t take my blood pressure medication anymore bf has been normal
1
@Annette that's good! Progress does come slowly. I'm going to start tracking my meals to keep myself on track. Maybe that will help you too? But congrats on the normal blood pressure. That's incredible!
@Annette
Weight loss does affect blood pressure. Testimonials at WW meetings can be very motivating, as people are taken off of or reduce their medications. My husband has been reading a book about blood pressure and now has been dieting as a result!
One of the most popular healthy eating plans is "WIN AT THIN: FAT ME SKINNY ME: What Works What Doesn't. Eat the Foods You Love That Love You Back! Every person needs a unique plan to meet a special need.
2
I've lost 60 pounds on South Beach/keto diet in the last 6 months. The best part is unlike low fat diets I am not hungry and don't have cravings. Now I found a balance of low carbs but not the high fat the keto recommend. I miss sweets and carbs but I don't crave them which makes it much more sustainable. And I'm the fittest I've been in years. It's feeling like a lifestyle I can stay with.
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@Todd
I do this same kind of modified keto, not pushing the fat. Low meat. "Nutrient Dense Pescatarian" works too and is more environmental and sustainable than "3 cheeseburgers a day"-style Atkins.
2
The only remarkable thing is how slowly the whole world of dietary "experts" has accepted the evidence about low-carb -- Robert Atkins was showing great results in 1974!
The low-carb opponents have clearly lost this debate and seem to be grasping for straws and red herrings out of sheer stubbornness. It's an illustration of what Thomas Kuhn observed about science -- scientists never actually change their minds, so the paradigm only shifts when a generation of scientists dies off.
In fact Keto/low-carb is very vegetable friendly and doesn't discourage the eating of plant fiber at all. Fiber is great because it doesn's raise blood sugar.
The only vegetables that really have to be avoided aren't high fiber, they're high starch, like potatoes -- because they raise your blood sugar. But lower-carb high-fiber veggies -- spinach, broccoli and cauliflower and lower-starch roots like radishes and turnips are absolutely encouraged.
It is true, if everybody goes low-carb that is bad news for some very big American agribusinesses -- wheat, soybeans, corn, sugar. Probably hundreds of billions of dollars is at stake.
But you have to weigh the health of Americans against the agribusiness interests. This is really an answer to the American obesity and diabetes epidemic, if doctors would only get behind it.
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@Tom B.
Low carb opponents have lost the debate?
I don't think so.
What you're saying is that whole plant foods are healthful. So why can't we all just get along? Whole plant foods - with or without flesh food added - are healthful. They are carbs.
I am on a vegan whole foods diet. It works for me.
19
You're confusing refined carbs with high fiber vegetables. Low carb diets allow for plenty of green leafy veg and cruciferous vegetables.
9
@AJ
I'm not confusing anything. I'm saying the high carb diet is what I find most healthful, as long as the carbs are whole foods.
whole grains
beans
nuts and seeds
vegetables
But let's not argue. I have tried both. I am finally eating enough and feeling great. That's all anyone can know: what is right for them.
6
I've lost almost 80 pounds on using keto, with intermittent fasting and no exercise, so it definitely works! I also did a lot of research on it before starting so I knew what I was getting into.
I opt for healthier fats such as salmon and avocado, drink lots of water and eat lots of green veggies. Pink salt keeps the keto flu away and MCT oil combats constipation. :)
28
If God made it, eat it; if man made it, leave it. That includes all processed carbs and refined sugar.
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@Liz
What's magical about pink salt? I'm asking.
What that $99.00 device detects is commonly known as Keto breath, a smell similar to nail polish remover. There have also been reports of odors emanating from other parts of the body, all a byproduct of ketosis.
6
@Mr. B. Yep. I went through a period where I wasn't eating much due to emotional distress following a breakup in high school (stress/depression cause me to eat less, for some reason, not more). My dad, a doctor, quickly put a stop to that when he told me my breath smelled terrible and that I was entering a state of ketosis, which was unhealthy for me as I did not have an excess of body fat. The things about these diets is that they might work well for people who really need them - who have weight or blood sugar problems - but they can be very unhealthy for people who are already a healthy weight and really don't need their body to be burning fat and building up acids in the body. I guess that's the "long-run implications" part I was wanting to see addressed in the article.
8
Save money on the ketosis breath analyzer. Buy the cheapest alcohol breathalyzer ($20) from Amazon. It cannot tell the difference between alcohol and acetone on your breath. In ketosis the breathalyzer tells me I’ve had a highball or glass of wine. I do not drink alcohol. None. That means I am producing ketones. Forget the urine test strips. They are ineffective indicators.
3
1) Keto + Regular fasting works and
2) saved much $ in groceries, toothpaste, co-pays and disposable bathroom supplies.
2
I’ve tried Keto for a few weeks and lost fat, for sure. The trade off was the Keto flu which made me lethargic. I didn’t find the diet sustainable for me but would go to it if I were in need of some quick body fat loss. Fruits and whole grains work for me and I gain weight when I eat more calories than I expend.... and that right there is the simple formula.
6
You just have to push through the Keto flu which is temporary - easy to do if you take electrolyte supplements (that are pretty cheap).
11
@BrianG
Hey Brian! You can avoid the keto flu by taking ketones in a supplement for the first week to 10 days. After that, your body will be used to making the ketones and the lethargy will be gone. You still need to have a net calorie deficit to lose weight on a ketogenic diet, as you point out. But the thing is its easier to keep calories low on a ketogenic diet, because you feel satiated faster when eating and you don't get hungry between meals. Also, its not really meant to be a diet that you are "on" to lose weight with, its an alternate way to eat and fuel your life. I'm on year 4.
2
@BrianG Keto flu was temporary well worth enduring. Adding bone broth and/or electrolytes will help a lot through the transition.
1
Many people, including those most vulnerable to obesity, simply cannot afford to eat a low carb diet. The reason agriculture was developed to begin with was to respond to growing population density and dwindling wild game. As has been mentioned before, the skeletons of the first farmers were less robust and shorter than those of the hunter-gatherers that preceded them. That's the price we paid for "civilization".
3
@stan continople But how much of that is government farm policy which subsidies grains instead of fruits and green vegetables? This is why going to McDonalds is cheaper than making a salad.
18
The US government (that’s us) gives $4 billion/yr. to the sugar industry and that sugar makes us chronically diseased and fat - then we die. Might as well buy OxyContin and get it over with.
3
I've never seen an assessment of calorie consumption on keto vs regular eating.
I've done low carb keto, and after a while, it simply ran me down into a fog. I got to the point where I dreaded eating and had zero energy to work out. I did lose weight, but no better results than with a more rounded diet.
I've seen people succeed with keto, and they are generally pretty sedentary. And they really aren't eating all that much food. It may seem like a lot, but 3 eggs and 2 pieces of bacon is still fewer calories than a bagel and a coffee drink.
I've managed to lose and maintain a 100lb weight loss, and what it has taken for me is a dedication to fitness and avoiding the high fat, high carb foods that are easy to overeat. Most of us didn't get fat because we ate fruit or plain potatoes or meat or any of the other demonized whole foods. We got fat because we ate processed junk food, which is designed to make us eat even more processed junk food. Any diet we create that helps us avoid processed junk food is probably going to work, provided we give it time and don't expect overnight results.
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@MC "Most of us didn't get fat because we ate fruit or plain potatoes or meat or any of the other demonized whole foods. We got fat because we ate processed junk food, which is designed to make us eat even more processed junk food."
This. Very well said, MC. So many of these comments are along the lines of "You're either doing keto or scarfing fast food." Also lumping all carbs together, as if there's no nutritional difference between refined white flour and organic brown rice.
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@MC
Going low carb -- especially if your previous diet was heavy in sugar and starch -- can be a BIG adjustment. People really shouldn't do it without a coach, or reading to understand what is going on inside their body when they switch to low carb.
The first week of low-carb for a lot of people means a lot of weird feelings, maybe fog, maybe faintness (in many people blood pressure drops, which is not a bad thing but it is something to be aware of).
It can help to add extra salt to your diet during the adjustment period (such as broth) to maintain blood pressure. Later on, your body's blood pressure mechanism corrects itself. If you lose enough weight, many people no longer need blood pressure meds.
Unfortunately after that first week a lot of people just give up and never experience having their body fully transition into ketosis -- which is usually a very nice feeling.
I wouldn't dispute that some people just don't do well on low-carb. But a lot of people who might do well don't do it correctly and give up before they really give it a chance. For just about anybody who's overweight it's worth a try.
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@Tom B.
During the first week I tried going very low carb I had an onset of hypoglycemia and felt terrible. I didn't know what it was, but was drawn to our hospital cafeteria for some Coca-Cola (I was at work). I figured it out when the Coke brought me back to normal. I've
stuck it out with success for 11 months now.
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The best diet advice I every got was eat everything in moderation. in the last 6 months I have lost 90 lbs, 14 inches off my waist without any fancy dieting. I did three things.
1. Stopped eating sugar - any food with greater than 1% sugar was off the plate.
2. Portion control. No plate bigger than my fist.
3. Exercise. Walk 2 miles daily and strength training for 30-45 minuets.
Lossing weight is not rocket science, it is all about will power.
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This article focuses on the effect of carbohydrates on insulin production. But it dramatically can effect your cholesterol levels. I just lost 40 pounds in 4 months on the Atkins diet. My cholesterol had been an astounding 749 when I began the diet, undoubtedly due to the high amount of carbohydrates I was consuming. When I returned to the doctor in 4 months after the diet, my cholesterol was 129. The doctor was astounded. So was I. This diet worked for me.
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If it works for me it works for everyone. Especially if I can make money with it!
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Through years of experience, I sadly came to the (unsurprising) conclusion that if I really wanted to lose weight, I simply had to get used to EATING LESS FOOD. It's not rocket science, but it's also not the answer I ever wanted to hear; I would greatly prefer to continue to seek out some exotic, magical solution. However, after reluctantly concluding that it was true, I found that the biggest help has been to switch to eating every meal from a smaller plate, or a smaller bowl. Just as important, I learned to eat with my strongest reading glasses on, because it makes that smaller dinner plate look huge. :D
After several years of this, now a filled, normal-sized dinner plate looks truly bizarre.
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@Plain Jane
True. Americans serve way too large portions. I almost always come away from restaurants with a doggie bag filled with half my dinner, unless it's a really high-end restaurant which tend to serve European-style portions. And we wonder why Americans are so fat. Maybe they should choose quality over quantity.
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@Plain Jane
Eating less food is basically a low-carb regimen because you're eating fewer grams of carbs,so your blood sugar is lower and you're helping your pancreas stay healthy. Calorie-restriction diets and fasting regimens work for the same reason that low-carb diets work -- by helping you maintain low levels of blood sugar and insulin.
This is assuming "less" means less of a decently healthy diet. People can eat as little as 1000 calories a day can gain weight and have terrible blood markers if that 1000 calories is a lot of sugar and grain. I.e. 1000 calories a day of juice and banana nut muffins might still keep a person fat.
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@Plain Jane I agree, and if you generally eat less, you can keep eating the foods you want, just not so much, or not as often.
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The definitive 'answer' is hard because the sugar and wheat lobbies are so powerful, with doctors in their pockets both in research and in practice. One only needs to go into any convenience store for a snack and look around at the sea of wheat-ful or sugar-ful things available for easy consumption of empty calories. Fortunately, eating and cooking in the keto way means you are rarely in panic mode 'hunger' in need of a fix. I would also suggest that keto is not a diet per se but a way of eating, like being a vegetarian.
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The sugar industry gets $4 billion/year in federal subsidies. It is killing more Americans than OxyContin. It is bankrupting our healthcare system. We are addicted to sugar.
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@VH
Hmmm... I'm a doctor, and can't remember the last time I got a kickback from "Big Wheat." The checks probably got lost in the pile of payments I get from Big Pharma.
I have changed my advice to my diabetic patients based on carbohydrate research. I don't advise calorie counting or low fat diet. I advise them to eat lean meat, fish, chicken, and eggs. Their carbs should be from fruits and vegetables. Minimize starches like rice, bread, potatoes, etc. Sweets are an occasional treat. Exercise three times a week, even if it's just walking.
Gotta go wax my Mercedes (actually it's a Prius).
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You need to correct the folllowing statement:
"A typical ketogenic diet restricts carbs to less than 10 percent of calories and limits protein to 20 percent, while fat makes up the rest."
Percentages are not used by people on ketogenic diets. The correct unit is grams. Carbs are restricted to about 20 g (but may go up to as much as 50 g, depending on the individual). protein is an individualized macro and recommendations range from 1g/kg lean body mass to 2 g/kg lean body mass. Caloric upper limits are generally not established, but are generally "until satiated." Because it is not dietary fat that makes someone fat (contrary to the bad science sold as 'facts' over the years), but the activity of insulin (which is triggered by carbohydrate ingestion and, to a lesser degree, protein) that makes us fat.
Check your facts and understanding before perpetuating myths sold to us by big food.
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You are correct.
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@The Raven This is a good point that grams matters more than percentages. With a keto/low-carb philosophy, calories are not important per se -- though overeating is still overeating.
But it should be added that the grams allowed varies by person. Some people will lose weight and do very well on 100 grams of carbs a day, while other people's weight won't budge until they get under 20 grams.
Really the contribution Robert Atkins made was a method for determining (basically through trial and error) how many grams was the right level for each person. For a doctor who was vilified by the scientific mainstream, Atkins' work really holds up quite well. He wasn't a lab scientist, he was a practitioner so all his methods were refined by decades of experience with patients.
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@Tom B.
I had a spectacular example of that a few weeks ago. I'd been limiting my carb intake to 20 grams a day and losing two pounds a week, for a total loss of 25 pounds. So I tried adding in some unsweetened yogurt, at 6 grams per portion. My weight loss immediately ceased! When I realized at the end of the week that I wasn't losing weight, I dropped the yogurt, and sure enough, my weight loss resumed.
When I'm down to my ideal weight, I'll up the carbs. I've found that as long as I don't eat junk food -- basically added sugars -- my weight stays stable.
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My whole life I had never been able to lose weight on any diet until I went on a modified keto plan. I lost the weight and have been able,to keep it off and feel terrific. I am never hungry and have lost the habit of bingeing carbs, especially at night. One benefit nobody so far has talked about is a marked increase in mental clarity and focus. I don’t know if it’s due to less sugar in my system or overall insulin stability but it’s a welcome side effect.
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@Ellen G THIS exactly! I've similarly felt as though my ever-present anxiety simply shut off and overcame an intolerable addiction to peanut M&Ms.
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@LK
I decided to try keto because I was noticing I was feeling "blue" for no apparent reason - cutting out refined sugar and maintaining a low carb diet - cleared that up immediately. The other thing - I have not read one respected writer on Keto who suggests eating tons of meat, cheese, butter, bacon - I am eating more leafy greens than ever before - large salads for lunch and for dinner eat veggies - broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peppers, eggplant, Brussels sprouts, summer squash - pan roasted with avocado oil with salmon, tuna, chicken - all those greens - lettuce, spinach, arugula - that is the fiber rather than grains - and I have learned how to make many wonderful treats with no grains or refined sugar -
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@Ellen G
I agree with you about the increase in mental clarity and focus. I have only been using this eating plan for a little more than a week, and I am so pleased with this aspect of the keto eating plan.
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The results are in and the most validated, large scale studies consistently demonstrate that a whole food, plant based diet is the absolute best option for longevity, weight loss and elimination of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Look into the following books, ‘The China Study’, ‘Eat to Live’ and ‘How not to die’, if you seek truth in nutrition.
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Agreed. Colin Campbell did great work, but the science continued and points to Keto, fasting and autophagy as effective solutions.
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@Broadspectrum
Agreed. And the food is amazing. The variety! I eat SO much. Sometimes, it's exhausting! (LOL - I'm lying!)
I would add the website Nutritionfacts.org Dr. Greger's site.
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You are spot on. However, people don’t want to believe the meta studies you mention, because their beliefs are so ingrained and focused on weight rather than health. It’s like those folks who go around trying to prove the earth is flat by laying out one-foot levels and saying “See? I told ya so.”
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The world can not possible feed all its population without wheat, rice and other complex carbohydrates. What are the ethical implications of recommending a diet based on avoiding them?
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@Kathy Gordon
There's nothing wrong with natural whole carbs with protein and other benefits. Quinoa, lentils, beans. Weight loss diets avoiding carbs can transition into closer to "vegan whole foods w a little fish" -- a very healthy diet and cheap to produce.
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@Kathy Gordon Rice is very destructive of the environment. It requires a high level of water, for one thing. Wheat and corn aren't all that great, either, because they require clearing huge tracts of land and the use of massive amounts of herbicides and insecticides. They need a lot of water, too, although not as much as rice. Then there's agricultural runoff of nitrogen based fertilizer, which is horribly destructive to reefs and fish.
There's nothing benign about agriculture. The ugly truth is that no matter what we eat, there are too many of us, and it's destroying life as we know it.
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@Kaleberg
I've read that the US and Western Europe use at least or more than one half of the world's resources (do some research on line, the figures vary but they all tell the same story).
The birth rate in rich countries is dropping drastically, this in spite of the Trumpists efforts, often successful, to close Planned Parenthood clinics (also in cutting any help for providing contraceptives in poor countries.)
Most of the worlds's population is made of children and young people who wont reach adulthood. It is now a well known fact that as soon as women get control over their own bodies, they cut down on the number of their children (I mean few women want to be pregnant 22 times!). The children they do have will then get better fed and a chance to go to school and a better chance to reach adulthood.
I hope that by "there are too many of us" you dont mean there are "too many of them"? If your concern for overpopulation is honest, then you should be at the forefront of the struggle for saving access to contraception in the US and other countries. (and dont forget to use condoms!)
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The food industry is a trillion dollar business, and they make that money largely by selling us all carbohydrates. You can't walk into any store without being bombarded with junk food at the checkout line. The food industry is not going to relinquish their market share without a fight, and part of that is sowing seeds of doubt regarding caloric intake. A calorie is not just a calorie, our bodies interpret and process different foods differently, the calories from a nut are not the same as calories from a lollipop.
I strongly recommend watching Fed Up! (available on Netflix) and reading "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes. There is clear independent research not funded by the food industry showing unquestionably that a diet lower in carbohydrates is exponentially healthier for humans.
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@Birbal
Well, points well taken, and sorry to burst your bubble, however a calorie is a calorie is a calorie:
- the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water through 1 °C -
Whether from a nut or a lollipop.
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@Birbal
The food industry also makes lots of money by industrially raising cattle, and pigs, and chicken and fish....... Look into it if you were no aware of it....
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@Matthew So let me get this straight: if I eat ten calories of sugar water it is the same as eating ten calories of spinach? Of course not. And taking a physics approach to this does not help as physics has a problem tackling issues of complex biology.
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After a somewhat disastrous visit to my endocrinologist on July 10, I vowed to get my blood sugar and weight back on track. I went cold turkey on all fast food and most processed food, it was rough only the first week. I eat low carb and read very label of the food I buy. I love to cook so it has been an easy transition. I a on a new medication as well and I have lost 18 lbs with new diet and exercise. My blood sugar A1C is trending down . Im am not strictly keto just watch my carbs. Bread is my Kryptonite.
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Here we go again, obsessing about a diet and not seeing the goal, losing weight.
Eat less calories than you need to maintain weight. Period.
You can get some help with weight watchers, support groups etc. but the bottom line is simple.
Also get a physical and blood test every year and make sure you are getting all the nutritional value that you need and tweak the diet accordingly if not.
It is not rocket science. If you really want to lose weight you will, if not you won't.
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@Paul That is a disproven and oversimplified paradigm based a faulty equivalency of calories-in versus calories-out.
It entirely ignores the effects of homeostasis and the push-pull relationship of two powerful hormones, insulin and glycerol.
In short, it isn't a conservation of mass problem, but a complex series of reactions within the body which require a deeper undrestanding than , "eh, eat less."
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@Paul - too simple and it doesn’t work for bodies who are “long” on losing weight and keeping it off.
I’ve managed to keep off 80 pounds over the last 20 years.
However, I noticed 8 pounds creep up on me this past year. I pretty much eat the same foods and I workouts and walk a lot. I’ve scaled back my eating a bit but maybe a pound or two of water weight ones off...
My bloodwork came back normal.
Calories in / calories out only works for bodies who have been in a calorie surplus for years!
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@Paul So So Sad. Anyone who has seriously used the Keto diet will tell you that you lose weight and are not hungry. The article refers to Ludwig who makes clear why you are hungry eating the standard American diet.
Paul is blaming the eater for not having self-control. Please stop it. Simplistic platitudes aren't helpful.
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My God, the research and work studying low carb eating has already been done! And is outlined in Gary Taubes' (a well respected science journalist) book "Why We Get Fat".
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First, "one size doesn't fit all" so we all need to experiment to learn what works best for us.
2nd, I've been a participant in a wellness program run by my PCP focusing on lifestyle changes re nutrition, activity and exercise for 9 years. Initially, lost 30 lbs. and 8 in. in my waist over 10 months and kept it off. Recently I've been doing a riff on intermittent fasting in which I don't eat if I'm not hungry. The result is I've lowered my weight set point another 5 lbs. BTW, I do all the cooking -- from scratch -- all of which I try to make nutritionally dense per calorie.
Yes, the changes I've made are "for the rest of my life" -- nothing crazy and no absolutes and I can have whatever I want when I want it but I just don't want a lot of the stuff I used to eat regularly.
Finally, weight is merely a convenient measure. The benefits (reduced BP, cholesterol, tryglicerides, A1C levels, etc) go way beyond lbs.
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@Haudi
I can personally confirm every statement you make.
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Yes. And the long term effects on the environment.
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I have had great success on a keto way of eating; lost weight, reduced cholesterol, lowered pre-diabetes numbers, and felt overall better.
The enemy isn't really carbohydrates; it is sugar. But in order to undo the effects of sugar, the reduction of carbs is necessary.
This is a way of life for me; why would I go back to eating sugary foods?
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@Anastasia Walsh's
Carbs are an uneccesary macronutrient. It causes much metabolic harm. It is converted to sugar in your body. Cutting out carbs (below 20 grams) and eliminating dietary sugar has many health benefits. If we want to control our health, we know what needs to be done. Just do it.
11
If you aren't a biochemist, hearing that something is "converted to sugar in your body" can be a bit misleading. In the absence of dietary sugar, the body will find something to convert to sugar. The brain runs on glucose, a simple sugar, and we die without it.
All plant foods--refined oils excepted--contain significant carbohydrates as does milk. An attempt to avoid carbohydrates altogether will result in an extremely limited diet.
Still, it's true that one kind of carbohydrate, starch, is converted to sugars. The other two kinds of carbohydrates are sugars, which need no conversion, and fiber, which can't be converted and which is important for gut health.
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@Anastasia Walsh's The enemy is sugar. But keep in mind that any starch you eat is converted to sugar by your body very quickly.
I lost 25 lbs easily with a low carb diet and never had to go hungry. My joints are less inflamed. Like Dr. Weiss, I feel so much better on this diet, and I think it has to do with the need for lower insulin production and blood sugar levels. Other people may not have the same results, because people are different. Many Americans need to find their own answer, because obesity is epidemic in our country, and it results in all kinds of health issues.
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@Carol
Congrats on your weight loss Carol.
When I was on the Atkins diet years ago, I recall never feeling better, almost as if on an even keel finally. I felt a real consistency in my mood, I wasn't hungry and I did not physically crave sweets, but mentally, it will always be a battle.
The pain from arthritis in my hands seemed to lessen as well.
I appreciate your comment and this article.
Perhaps it's time to revisit this life style for myself. My body always seemed to react and respond more favorably to protein than anything else. While carbs ARE necessary, a lower amount of the right carbs seems to be the answer for me and my metabolism.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Carol!!
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@Marge Keller
Bromides put in flour seem to cause some people problems. I cannot eat flour or pasta.
3
1. Eat less; exercise more.
2. If you can, cook (simply, and from scratch, as close as you can) at home. If you can't, avoid processed foods.
3. And if you have a disease (e.g., diabetes), do what your doctor tells you to, observe what works for you, and follow those two lines of guidance.
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@Judy Karasik
But I think doing what the doctors tell us is what has gotten so many (doctors and patients) into a bit of trouble. (Chasing sugar with insulin does not equal recipe for success in T2D)
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Eating less always results in hunger, and hunger always wins. More exercise also increases hunger. You can't outrun a bad diet. When you change what you eat by reducing carbs and increasing healthy fats, hunger goes away. Processed foods, which includes whole grain flours and industrial seed oils, are deadly. Unless your doctor is up on the latest research demonstrating how keto diets reverse diabetes, ignore their advice.
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@Judy Karasik
Dear Judy, It’s not just ‘eat less move more’ because each pound of fat stores 3,500 calories which older people cannot possibly burn off at a day in the gym. A practicable method is to eat far less carbs and sugar, eat wisely only during a limited window of time every day, and exercise moderately. Keto plus intermittent fasting works.
14
Millions of people eat in all kinds of different ways. I find it frustrating that scientists who crunch the data cannot offer us any definitive advice.
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@Elise I agree! After reading this article I'm left as confused about this as I was before reading the article.
The advice in these comments are based on good science. Read ‘em and believe. They have no vested interest in deceiving you.
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@Elise
You're absolutely right. And the reason is that most nutrition advice is not at all evidence-based.
It seems one or two influential people make something up based on a hunch (look up Ancel Keys), it catches fire, and enters the public consciousness as well as infiltrates the medical field.
2