Keto diet -pros and cons

allysasmith105

Hi,
I’m looking to lose around 40-50 pounds. Currently , I am watching my caloric intake. Meaning, I eat foods that I like, just count my Calories and stick to my daily allowance. I’ve heard mixed reviews on the Keto diet. What are the long term effects? For those have done Keto, is it hard to stay consistent? Those who aren’t on the Keto diet, what works for you? Any pros vs cons on this diet would be greatly appreciated

janejellyroll

I have never done keto. I did use calorie counting to lose 40+ pounds and have been maintaining that loss since mid-2015.

What I like about calorie counting is that it is flexible and free. It fits very well into my daily life and I still get to eat the foods that I enjoy.

I don't think there is yet a lot of solid information about the long-term effects of the ketogenic diet as a method of weight control (there is some evidence that other forms of ketogenic dieting, like for control of epilepsy, can lead to some health issues -- but there are some differences between the two ways of eating). This doesn't mean that it's necessarily harmful, it's just that people who decide to adopt it as a long-term eating style may be in the position of helping create the data we'll eventually have for the long-term results.

Panini911

I just don't care for hard core fad diets. i don't get it. (caveat: I do understand for very specific health issues this diet is beneficial but many of people trying it are not in that camp; and yes for some people this WOE may fit their personal preference anyway so it's not a huge change).

i eat normal food i like in moderation in an eating pattern i can maintain (hopefully) for life and follow CICO (logging daily).

I have lost 42lbs and will be tackling maintenance very soon. I previously lost 100lbs twice this way with no issues. I only gained it back because i stopped logging and ate more calories than i burned daily over time.

magnusthenerd

Not sure if I could find the study, but I have heard of bad long term effect for ketosis I heard of was from Lyle McDonald. He said that some long term effects are habitual sleep disturbance and amenorrhea. Even when maintaining a healthy weight, the some of the typical starvation responses seem to happen for people on long term ketosis.

I'd say much of the success of ketogenic diets comes from the psychology it builds in people that lends itself to limiting themselves in how much they'll eat. By putting a mental red light on foods with carbohydrates, a lot of the foods that are easy to eat past satiety end up as something one won't even consider. It also helps that people tend to eat higher protein on it.

Is there a particular reason you're looking to be on a ketogenic diet that you feel you won't get from a different calorie restriction diet?

psuLemon

I absolutely hated it. I always felt tired, it was impossible to get adequate fiber (I aim for 30g+ a day) and it limits a ton of healthy foods (oats, sweet potatos, whole grains, fruits, etc...)

GottaBurnEmAll

I successfully lost all of my weight eating first a moderate carb, and then as I got more active, a high carb diet.

I tried keto to see if it would help with my migraines. It was a dismal failure. I had to cut back my vegetable intake, my migraines got worse, my psoriatic arthritis got worse, and my exercise performance suffered. Since, after six weeks of a good faith effort I was utterly miserable and not getting any migraine relief, I went back to my regular way of eating, which is pretty standard healthy ovo/lacto vegetarian fare - eggs, dairy, legumes, beans, vegetables, fruits, some whole grains, and tubers.

lemurcat2

psuLemon wrote: »

I absolutely hated it. I always felt tired, it was impossible to get adequate fiber (I aim for 30g+ a day) and it limits a ton of healthy foods (oats, sweet potatos, whole grains, fruits, etc...)

I felt fine and didn't mind it. It controlled hunger for sure, but so do many other ways of eating for me, hunger isn't my particular problem. But I didn't feel better, fiber was indeed much harder to get (I'm currently aiming for pretty high levels of fiber, but aimed for 25 g on keto), and I missed some foods I thought were healthy and that it was pointless not to eat (mostly fruit, but also beans -- I ate more meat doing keto -- and potatoes/sweet potatoes). I also find it easy to make a delicious and low cal pasta with, say, a sauce made with shrimp, olives, and lots of veg, and it was silly to me that I didn't have options like that. And for me it was a struggle to get in all the veg I prefer to eat even at a 35 g net goal (which is higher than many do), and it seemed annoying to have to think "brussels have too many carbs, must do cucumber" or the like.

Anyway, OP, what I did to lose weight was eat to a calorie goal, a protein goal, a fiber goal, eat lots of veg, and generally eat a healthy diet based on home cooked whole foods, and stick to 3 meals, no snacking. That's what worked for me. I'd recommend everyone eat to a calorie goal if they try logging, and a healthy diet (which includes adequate protein and vegetables), but otherwise figure out what pattern of meals, snacks, fats, carbs, whatever works for them. I also became much more active, which I also recommend if possible as good for health.

My personal preference is more moderate carb, but more like 40-30-30 or 35-40-25 [that's C-F-P] rather than keto macros. I lost most of my weight at 40-30-30, but was not strict about anything but trying to hit 90+g protein.

Fflpnari

I like carbs waaaaayyyy toooooo much to do keto.

punky_umi

I've had some success on keto. I found it good when I'm in a rut and feel like I need a bit of a shake up.

But the reality is this: Am I going to live the rest of my life without eating doughnuts? Hell no.

Fatty_Nuff

punky_umi wrote: »

I've had some success on keto. I found it good when I'm in a rut and feel like I need a bit of a shake up.

But the reality is this: Am I going to live the rest of my life without eating doughnuts? Hell no.

I once saw a recipe for keto doughnuts. Ground up pork rinds mixed with egg white and deep fried. sprinkled with Splenda. The thought of it almost made me upchuck.

Gisel2015

I never did keto (I don’t think that it was around 9 years go), and I am not planning to follow that diet anytime soon either. Not only because I am already in maintenance, but because I don’t like the food limitations that the diet requires.

I don’t feel good with too much fat (Keto) just like I don’t feel good with too many carbs. I need to keep a balance, and I do better when my carbs and protein are around the 35% level for both, and fat is about 30%.

I like fruits and vegetables (fiber), and I enjoy yogurt and cheese; and even when I don’t eat pasta or a lot of deserts, and I eat potatoes, beans and rice on occasion, I still want to have the flexibility to enjoy them if I want to. I don’t care for any diet that restricts foods and nutrients, unless it is for medical reasons.

dillianavramov

Well, it depends why you are considering keto...

In my case (insulin resistance -history of diabetes in the family too, obesity, sedentary lifestyle) keto lends itself nicely. Be warned though that if you have an eating disorder keto is not for you and you should look at Paleo instead. Also to regulate weight you can use Intermittent fasting instead of keto, if you find the food choices not to your liking.

Many make the mistake of taking keto for a high protein diet, which is wrong, as higher protein in the body will lead to gluconeogenesys instead of burning body fat.

I use keto to regulate insulin levels and to control appetite more than anything. I do like the fact that I have no afternoon crashes and can focus better on my work if I don't snack. I was a notorious snacker before keto. Now a cup of coffee or tea is enough.

Pjay70

I suggest intermittent fasting or time restricted eating. Both can be done with eating what you are eating now. It focuses on when you eat (such as skipping breakfast, only eating in a certain window of time, and/or ending earlier in the day) and why these things work. It may or may not be for you. Only one way to find out.

Running2Fit

Keto doesn’t work for me. It’s far too restrictive, I feel hungry all the time on it, and for some reason my anxiety really spikes. Basically, the couple times I tried it I was completely miserable.

It works great for some people but I prefer a less restrictive approach.

sijomial

The pros and cons are very individual based on factors like food preferences, health issues, exercise choices, whether you do better as a restrictor or a moderator.....

My personal cons:

• I dislike long term restrictions, they weaken my resolve.
• I dislike food restrictions, I enjoy a really wide variety of foods.
• A high volume diet suits me better, fat being calorically dense works against that. Will make an exception for nuts and cheese but can then eat a huge amount of calories in a short time.
• A high fat diet can upset my stomach.
• Starchy carbs, fruits and grains are delicious and nutitious
• My high exercise routine is fuelled best by carbs.
• I'm not a dedicated follower of fashion.
• No-one in my family has suffered any of the diseases where a ketogenic diet might be a sensible choice, not even my morbidly obese sister.

My personal pros:

• Sorry can't think of one single thing.

OP - it might be worth giving serious thought about your personal pros & cons. Some of the worst reasons seen on these boards for people choosing diets or strategies are "diet X has been great for my friend" or "everybody seems to be doing it".

psuLemon

dillianavramov wrote: »

Well, it depends why you are considering keto...

In my case (insulin resistance -history of diabetes in the family too, obesity, sedentary lifestyle) keto lends itself nicely. Be warned though that if you have an eating disorder keto is not for you and you should look at Paleo instead. Also to regulate weight you can use Intermittent fasting instead of keto, if you find the food choices not to your liking.

Many make the mistake of taking keto for a high protein diet, which is wrong, as higher protein in the body will lead to gluconeogenesys instead of burning body fat.

I use keto to regulate insulin levels and to control appetite more than anything. I do like the fact that I have no afternoon crashes and can focus better on my work if I don't snack. I was a notorious snacker before keto. Now a cup of coffee or tea is enough.

You do realize that glucenogenesis happens with fat and protein right?

dillianavramov

In the abundance of protein it will be favored to be broken down to glucose. The metabolic process is simpler and faster.

I have no issue with my body breaking down fats. I just don't want it to go into muscles and other protein sources.

Also on keto I can easily go 16-24 hours without food (longevity and autophagy are high on my personal list). With carbs I was hungry couple hours later, so fasting was a lot more difficult.

Next on the list is reduced inflammation. High levels of protein increase inflammation in the body. On keto I just don't need so much protein, esp with my sedentary lifestyle.

psuLemon

dillianavramov wrote: »

In the abundance of protein it will be favored to be broken down to glucose. The metabolic process is simpler and faster.

I have no issue with my body breaking down fats. I just don't want it to go into muscles and other protein sources.

Also on keto I can easily go 16-24 hours without food (longevity and autophagy are high on my personal list). With carbs I was hungry couple hours later, so fasting was a lot more difficult.

GNG occurs at roughly a 60/40 split (protein to fats). And if you short change proteins it will utilize more fats. This doesn't even get into the fact that no studies have been published showing an adverse effect from higher levels of protein.

Trying the mitigate GNG at the expense of adequate protein is only going to hurt you long term. Protein has much more of a positive impact your fat loss over carbs and fats. More muscle = stronger body, faster metabolism, and more muscle.

dillianavramov

High protein makes it an Atkins diet whose goal is not to put you in a state of ketosis. Nutritional ketosis actually aims to put you in ketosis, which requires protein moderation.

psuLemon

dillianavramov wrote: »

Keto does not slow down metabolism and it has muscle sparing effect. Studies actually show a slight increase in metabolism and no muscle mass loss when on keto. Gym bunnies may swear by their protein, but we are not all gym bunnies...

The studies by Vokey and Phinney where done at increased levels of protein, which put them in the range of .8-1g/lb of lean body mass. Also, most were done on obese individuals which have different effects as compared to leaner people. So the leaner one gets, the more protein one needs. Its why recommended levels of protein tends to shift higher as you get leaner or the older you are. It also depends on resistance training. If you aren't providing a stimulus for your muscles, it won't work to maintain lean body mass. Its no different than muscle gains. Diet doesn't drive the gains, training does.

Also, if you want to know more on GnG, I'd recommend the below blog.

http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2017/07/gluconeogenesis.html?m=1

ETA: one of the recent protein meta analyses
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/apnm-2015-0549

TeaBea

Gisel2015 wrote: »

I never did keto (I don’t think that it was around 9 years go), and I am not planning to follow that diet anytime soon either. Not only because I am already in maintenance, but because I don’t like the food limitations that the diet requires.

I don’t feel good with too much fat (Keto) just like I don’t feel good with too many carbs. I need to keep a balance, and I do better when my carbs and protein are around the 35% level for both, and fat is about 30%.

I like fruits and vegetables (fiber), and I enjoy yogurt and cheese; and even when I don’t eat pasta or a lot of deserts, and I eat potatoes, beans and rice on occasion, I still want to have the flexibility to enjoy them if I want to. I don’t care for any diet that restricts foods and nutrients, unless it is for medical reasons.

Keto has been around since the 1920's. Initially a diet for people with epilepsy. Medicines at that time were less effective than now.

Not for me. Basically if I won't do it forever, I won't do it to lose weight.