Keto/LC the Only Way to Lose Visceral Fat?

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ladyhusker39
ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I had lunch with my sister today and she's just started a Keto diet. I asked her what she hoped to accomplish from it because she doesn't need to lose weight. Among other interesting comments, she mentioned that it's the only way to lose visceral fat or fat around the organs is what she called it.

Now I'm certain this isn't the case, but I've not heard it mentioned before as a reason for doing Keto.

I'm not interested in arguing her position with her. I know how pointless that would be, but I'd like to understand it better if for no other reason than so I can pretend to have an open conversation about it lol.

I tried googling it but when the first several posts came up Dr. Axe I had to bail on the attempt. He's just too frustrating for me to deal with.

Does anyone know why she's been lead to believe this? What's the explanation behind it? There must be something that's quasi plausible. She's not an unintelligent person yet the nonsense she was spewing made it difficult to smile and nod without commenting.

Any insight?

Replies

  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    What cwolfman said. You typically mostly burn visceral fat first eating in a caloric deficit, no matter what macro mix you're eating.
  • staraly
    staraly Posts: 54 Member
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    I've heard the same thing from some keto friends and just get the WTF look on my face. I agree with AnvilHead. Also strict keto diets are used as therapy for certain kinds of medical conditions, just as a gluten-free diet is therapy for Celiac disease. Just because a therapy diet helps certain people, doesn't mean it's good for someone who doesn't actually need it.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    I've been keto for most of the past few years. Keto is not the only way to lose fat, visceral or otherwise. It can be a good tool to use for weight loss if it improves health and reduces appetite, but a calorie deficit is how you lose weight.

    I do think it is a very effective diet for helping reduce NAFLD which is linked with visceral fat and high refined carb consumption... but a caloric deficit helps too.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 MFP Moderator
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    ladyhusker39 wrote: »
    I had lunch with my sister today and she's just started a Keto diet. I asked her what she hoped to accomplish from it because she doesn't need to lose weight. Among other interesting comments, she mentioned that it's the only way to lose visceral fat or fat around the organs is what she called it.

    Now I'm certain this isn't the case, but I've not heard it mentioned before as a reason for doing Keto.

    I'm not interested in arguing her position with her. I know how pointless that would be, but I'd like to understand it better if for no other reason than so I can pretend to have an open conversation about it lol.

    I tried googling it but when the first several posts came up Dr. Axe I had to bail on the attempt. He's just too frustrating for me to deal with.

    Does anyone know why she's been lead to believe this? What's the explanation behind it? There must be something that's quasi plausible. She's not an unintelligent person yet the nonsense she was spewing made it difficult to smile and nod without commenting.

    Any insight?

    Sometimes, it's just best to listen, nod and ignore. I used to work with a women who swore weight loss was driven by eliminating "chemicals", so she moved to a bunch of organic. Ironically, I ran into her a few months ago after not seeing her for 5 years. She was still the same size.. I was 50lbs lighter.

    I kept telling her about calories.. but she just didn't want to hear it. And I suspect since your friend formed a belief, they won't either.

    But if you want, you could always ask your friend about the blue zones and see why a high carb society is the healthiest and longest living people in the world. And then ask why vegetarians are often regarded as one of the healthiest and leanest groups of people.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    ladyhusker39 wrote: »
    Does anyone know why she's been lead to believe this? What's the explanation behind it? There must be something that's quasi plausible. She's not an unintelligent person yet the nonsense she was spewing made it difficult to smile and nod without commenting.

    Any insight?
    No, there's nothing quasi plausible. In fact, it flies in the face of basic physiology/human biology. It's just more of the BS keto magic and wizardry propaganda such as you don't have to be in a caloric deficit to lose weight, you just have to eat less carbs. Or that eating fat will melt the fat off your body. Or that eating carbs makes you fat because insulin. Or that swilling a greasy, oily cup of coffee-like sludge in the morning will magically make you skinny. Or that it cures diseases, heals the blind and raises the dead.

    Keto can be a viable diet, and a viable method of weight loss (albeit no more effective than any other diet). But it's a huge fad right now and there are all kinds of charlatans cashing in on the mystical magical claims about it, selling their books and products and "supplements" by distorting (or outright misstating) the science around it. The "True Believers" unconditionally accept and parrot it as gospel and it takes on a life all its own, becoming almost a religion to some.

    For the record, as cwolfman and GottaBurnEm said, visceral fat is typically the first to go and the easiest to get rid of - regardless of whether you're eating low-carb or not.

    I've heard this before as well. That's part of why it threw me as one of her reasons for doing Keto. Then I wondered what's made her decide she has all this extra visceral fat in the first place. She's never been overweight. She's not big on doctors or tests or meds. She's more the "natural" homeopathic type and I'm almost certain she hasn't had any kind of testing done to determine the need to specifically reduce that fat.

    Sometimes I think certain people are drawn to the attention seeking drama this type of thing creates and that maybe that's what this is. I think it's kind of sad especially because she has 3 teenage daughters getting into now.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
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    psuLemon wrote: »
    ladyhusker39 wrote: »
    I had lunch with my sister today and she's just started a Keto diet. I asked her what she hoped to accomplish from it because she doesn't need to lose weight. Among other interesting comments, she mentioned that it's the only way to lose visceral fat or fat around the organs is what she called it.

    Now I'm certain this isn't the case, but I've not heard it mentioned before as a reason for doing Keto.

    I'm not interested in arguing her position with her. I know how pointless that would be, but I'd like to understand it better if for no other reason than so I can pretend to have an open conversation about it lol.

    I tried googling it but when the first several posts came up Dr. Axe I had to bail on the attempt. He's just too frustrating for me to deal with.

    Does anyone know why she's been lead to believe this? What's the explanation behind it? There must be something that's quasi plausible. She's not an unintelligent person yet the nonsense she was spewing made it difficult to smile and nod without commenting.

    Any insight?

    Sometimes, it's just best to listen, nod and ignore. I used to work with a women who swore weight loss was driven by eliminating "chemicals", so she moved to a bunch of organic. Ironically, I ran into her a few months ago after not seeing her for 5 years. She was still the same size.. I was 50lbs lighter.

    I kept telling her about calories.. but she just didn't want to hear it. And I suspect since your friend formed a belief, they won't either.

    But if you want, you could always ask your friend about the blue zones and see why a high carb society is the healthiest and longest living people in the world. And then ask why vegetarians are often regarded as one of the healthiest and leanest groups of people.

    Ironically, she was all gung ho with organic and eating vegetarian a few years ago. It feels like she's swinging back in the other direction now.
  • jdwils14
    jdwils14 Posts: 154 Member
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    Just out of curiosity....did she have a scan or test done to see what her levels of visceral fat are?
  • flitabout38
    flitabout38 Posts: 48 Member
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    I do keto and no it doesn't "target" fat lose in any one place. It does have benefits for people like me for better blood sugar control, and appetite suppression. But like any plan it comes down to eating a calorie deficit.

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