ketogenic diets

Ketogenic diets aren't much different from other diets. The key is, if you switch, you have to maintain it forever, because the vast majority of initial weight loss is water weight, and if you go back to eating a more balanced diet the water weight will come right back. As far as fat loss, it offers no real advantage, it just seems like it does because dropping 10-12 pounds of water weight tricks most people into thinking they are losing fat, and also, a ketogenic diet has you eating a lot more fat in your diet, leading to a seemingly higher amount of fat being burned, when really, it's just the extra fat you eat.

Now, all that being said, if you want to cut out most carbs, and are comfortable doing that for the rest of your life, go for it. It's 100% personal preference. Just know the initial weight loss is only water weight due to the carb reduction, and if your plan is just to do it to start losing weight, and then switch back, the water weight will go right back on. That's why people who do a low carb diet just looking to drop 5-10 pounds always gain those 5-10 pounds back as soon as they go back to their old habits.

Also, another misconception about keto diets that I want to set straight: Your body does not "switch from burning glucose to burning fat." The human body is burning both glucose and fat at the same time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When you eat low carb, the body uses gluconeogenesis to convert amino acids and fatty acids to glucose, and uses that converted glucose in exactly the same way as if the glucose had come from eating carbs. Gluconeogenesis is the process that leads to elevated ketones (ketosis.)

But isn't ketoacidosis only an issue if you're diabetic and NOT monitoring yourself? It's the first thing people throw out there, but from what I understand it's pretty avoidable. Correct me if I'm wrong, of course.

I'm not allergic to carbs. I don't have diabetes or insulin resistance of any kind, but my dad has Type II and I was headed down that path as I have inherited his thyroid issues as well. My doc even gave me a blood sugar monitor since I was having dizzy spells. Maybe hypoglycemia? The symptoms stopped once on keto, so we never really figured that one out.

As far as reintroducing them, if you're raising your carb intake for maintenance, you need to do it slowly to get your body used to it. No one in their right mind would think "Cool. Lost the weight. Where's the cake?" and be surprised that they gained the weight back. (once again, as you can see, I'm not at maintenance right now, so feel free to correct me on this as well)

If it works for you, great. If it doesn't, great. I don't care, as long as you're losing weight healthily. It kinda irks me that everyone thinks (not pointing you out, dan, but those I know personally) I'll gain the weight back if I revert to my old habits. DUH! That goes for ANY dietary change, not just keto/paleo/low-carb. It works for counting calories, those shakes, juice fast, cookie diet, Nutrisystem, WW, Jenny Craig (is that even still around?), quitting a weight building regimen, and anything else out there, fad diet or not.

The ONLY way to change who you are is to change (in some form) what you eat, whether it be portion size, food groups, carbs, more fat, less fat, more protein, less protein and KEEPING those changes.