Disadvantages of Keto diet

megan_h26

Are there any disadvantages of Keto diet? Please be honest. I am really interested but I would like to make sure everything is safe before a change of lifestyle.

abadvat

Adaptation period can be harsh on some (headaches, light headed, weak...) - might have an initial drop in strength, vile breath.

megan_h26

How long is the adaptation period?

abadvat

varies on individuals - some the time your body needs to reach ketosis some longer, some just don't.
Up to 2 weeks can be considered a norm - trial and error is your best bet, you will see it for yourself and also realise if kept is for you or not.

ninerbuff

If you like to eat carbs and enjoy things like ice cream, cake, etc., then keto is a disadvantage.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

TavistockToad

ninerbuff wrote: »

If you like to eat carbs and enjoy things like ice cream, cake, etc., then keto is a disadvantage.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

That was exactly what I was going to say!!

megan_h26

abadvat wrote: »

varies on individuals - some the time your body needs to reach ketosis some longer, some just don't.
Up to 2 weeks can be considered a norm - trial and error is your best bet, you will see it for yourself and also realise if kept is for you or not.

So if I still get headaches or other adaptation symptoms after two weeks then I should stop it right?

abadvat

probably your body is telling you - stop that crap, eat ice cream it's so much better!

amusedmonkey

Note these are based on my personal experience so they may or may not apply to you:

If you are a volume eater like me or if you tend to eat more vegetables than keto allows, you may find it very hard to adapt your portions and as a result may overeat and gain weight like I did.

If your food preferences are very far removed from what is allowed on keto, you may find it boring and even stressful.

If you are prone to chronic depression, stress, anxiety, cortisol issues, hormonal issues related to menstrual cycle or certain GI issues keto may be a very bad idea for you.

If you don't take very careful care to keep your electrolytes balanced and you are prone to imbalances you may experience bad side effects.

If your social food choices are often high in carbs it may be a bit hard to adapt to social situations.

You may still need to count calories if a ketogenic diet does not produce the desired spontaneous calorie reduction, making it unnecessary.

However, you may not experience any of the above and may find it easier to eat a ketogenic diet like some. The only way to find out if this diet is easier for you than good old moderation is to try it out for a couple of months and see how you feel. If it feels easy and pleasant, continue, if not, you can simply go back to what feels easier to you. It's not like you are signing a contract.

megan_h26

So, is there any scientific argument about disadvantages of Keto diet?

megan_h26

Here is what I found:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/487944-symptoms-of-ketosis-on-diet/

amusedmonkey

megan_h26 wrote: »

So, is there any scientific argument about disadvantages of Keto diet?

There are, but just like many arguments they are not specifically designed to apply on an individual basis and in practice it depends how your own body reacts. As for the cases that are known to react, if you have gallbladder issues, have fat absorption issues (like from weight loss surgery or other reasons), kidney problems, very low blood pressure it's best to stay away or to carefully monitor your symptoms if you attempt it. There are other side effects as mentioned above but they are pretty individual, so just see how it goes and judge for yourself.

Riche120

I've been on a keto diet for about a month, I'm also a vegetarian. The first week I felt more tired and weak than usual (I have fibromyalgia, so I am usually tired.) I also had a mild headache for 2 days. Now I feel better than I have in a long time, I'm not craving carbs and don't get as cranky when I am hungry. Make sure that you are counting net carbs and not total carbs, that's what makes it possible to still eat a lot of vegetables and keep the diet healthy. Remember too that your protein intake should be moderate and not too high. I don't believe there is one perfect diet that works for everyone; some bodies respond better to some diets and other do better on other ones. Good luck!

Asher_Ethan

I got bad breath, the keto flu and i was an emotional wreak when i tried it.

Christine_72

I never got the keto flu. My experience was totally positive, except I got the dreaded keto breath. I put up with it for 4mths hoping it would go away, but it never did. So eventually I upped my carbs and breath is back to fresh and normal again.
If it wasn't for that I'd still be low carbing.

amanda_the_mom

I ended up in the hospital with ketoacidosis... They couldn't find any reason for it except for me eating low carb. They checked for diabetes, gall bladder etc, everything was normal. Could I have some underlying condition that's otherwise asymptomatic but doesn't allow me to go keto? Maybe, I suppose... Or maybe keto walks a closer line to ketoacidosis than most people are willing to admit. I did lose a good amount of weight doing it though

yarwell

megan_h26 wrote: »

So, is there any scientific argument about disadvantages of Keto diet?

Lots of vested interests have failed to come up with anything robust.

An adaptation period where the body changes fuel sources and shifts chemistry is a fact of life and salt supplementation staves off many of the symptoms, as does including full fat dairy. "starvation ketoacidosis" is a thing but keto diets are usually not low calorie or anywhere near starvation, "diabetic ketoacidosis" requires elevated blood glucose >11 mmol/l (200 mg/dl) which you won't expect to see on a keto diet.

The biggest argument against keto is that you don't need to achieve ketosis for most purposes, barring a few therapeutic medical applications.

My keto muffins were well recieved by colleagues who asked for the recipe, I didn't disclose they were low carb. Similarly there are keto ice cream recipes - cream and egg being the fundamentals.

Francl27

Having a hard time eating out. That's probably the big one for me...

queenliz99

I love carbs and fueling my workouts. When I dabbled in Keto, it made me stabby.

ninerbuff

megan_h26 wrote: »

So, is there any scientific argument about disadvantages of Keto diet?

If you're trying to add lean muscle, keto isn't conducive to trying to attain it. Certain hormones and signal pathways aren't activated the same way when compared with a diet containing more carbs.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Annahbananas

I've tried the Keto diet and I certainly lost weight but it never worked for me long term. I hate restricting foods to the point where i cannot have them.

And a more important issue: my kidneys are only 40% effective after the dieting on Keto . Before the dieting on Keto my kidney functions were 100% because I had an intensive physical before I went into the Police Academy. My endocrinologists are saying it was from me yo yo I got on the Keto diet. Take it for what it's worth, but the Keto diet almost destroyed my kidneys

Plus, I enjoy eating a bowl of spaghetti with parmesan cheese and still lost .6 of a pound that day

zoeysasha37

I tried Keto before finding mfp. It wasn't for me because I really like eating carbs. But I stuck with it for a while until I realized that there was no greater advantage to eating Keto then just using moderation and portion control.

Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit. Even if your on a Keto diet you still must be in a caloric deficit to lose weight. Just because one does low carb or Keto doesn't mean that they'll automatically lose weight. A calorie deficit must still exist for one to lose weight .

I realized that if either way a calorie deficit is needed, why torture myself with Keto if all i needed was a calorie deficit for weight loss?

Instead a well balanced wide variety diet worked better for me. For long term success, it's important that you find a way of eating that you can stick to for the long run. Could you see yourself eating low carb forever? If not, then it might be best to find a way of eating that will best suite you for the long run.

For me, I needed to learn moderation and portion control to be successful. I lost all my weight and have kept it off for three years so far. I did better with moderation rather then deprivation.
Any diet that deprived me of the food I loved just made me crave those foods even more. It was like the forbidden fruit. I learned how to properly Incorporate foods that I love by using moderation and portion control so no foods where off limits. I learned how to enjoy the foods that I love but within the correct portion sizes.

If you think that you can keep to a low carb or Keto diet forever then go for it! Some people like it a lot!
But i don't see a greater advantage so for me it wasn't worth all the restrictions.

Traveler120

Thyroid problems (esp in women), increased cholesterol, low energy, slowed digestion. I don't recommend it.

shariyahinton

I itched all over. Especially when trying to workout. It was so bad I had to eventually stop and eat carbs

MissusMoon

zoeysasha37 wrote: »

I tried Keto before finding mfp. It wasn't for me because I really like eating carbs. But I stuck with it for a while until I realized that there was no greater advantage to eating Keto then just using moderation and portion control.

Weight loss comes from a calorie deficit. Even if your on a Keto diet you still must be in a caloric deficit to lose weight. Just because one does low carb or Keto doesn't mean that they'll automatically lose weight. A calorie deficit must still exist for one to lose weight .

I realized that if either way a calorie deficit is needed, why torture myself with Keto if all i needed was a calorie deficit for weight loss?

Instead a well balanced wide variety diet worked better for me. For long term success, it's important that you find a way of eating that you can stick to for the long run. Could you see yourself eating low carb forever? If not, then it might be best to find a way of eating that will best suite you for the long run.

For me, I needed to learn moderation and portion control to be successful. I lost all my weight and have kept it off for three years so far. I did better with moderation rather then deprivation.
Any diet that deprived me of the food I loved just made me crave those foods even more. It was like the forbidden fruit. I learned how to properly Incorporate foods that I love by using moderation and portion control so no foods where off limits. I learned how to enjoy the foods that I love but within the correct portion sizes.

If you think that you can keep to a low carb or Keto diet forever then go for it! Some people like it a lot!
But i don't see a greater advantage so for me it wasn't worth all the restrictions.

This.

yarwell

Traveler120 wrote: »

Thyroid problems (esp in women), increased cholesterol, low energy, slowed digestion. I don't recommend it.

Presumably n=1 anecdote ?

gonetothedogs19

Highly recommended if you are pre-diabetic. It should stop diabetes in its tracks. Your blood sugars won't spike if you are not eating grains and sugar.

MelaniaTrump

I like lentils, barley, quinoa, and beans too much.
Fiber makes me happy.

Unknown

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trigden1991

NO CARBS

WBB55

Getting my electrolytes figured out has been the biggest drawback so far. We'll see what the doctors say at my next check up...