Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.
How effective is the Ketogenic diet?
Options
Replies
-
sweetbug0130 wrote: »sweetbug0130 wrote: »I did it for months and it didn't work for me. I followed all the rules, tweaked it, counted calories and macros to a T, and nothing past the first week's loss. Everyone is different. I love eating that way though. It's easily sustainable for me but I just don't lose weight.
Weight loss is all about calories. I could eat a diet of 100% Twinkies & lose weight.......as long as I were eating fewer calories than my body burns throughout the day. That's not a healthy way to lose weight but it would happen.
Lack of weight loss comes from: incorrect food logging, incorrect activity level, water weight fluctuations, or incorrect exercise calorie burns. If you were doing all of the above correctly and still not able to lose weight.....see a medical doctor.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10179969/weight-loss-flow-chart-2-0/p1
That's an incorrect assumption. I did all the above exactly with keto and didn't lose. As soon as I add back in carbs, my weight drops. I logged everything perfect, weighed everything, had a heart rate monitor, and accounted for water weight... nothing. Don't assume everything works for everyone, that will give someone the wrong information and expectations.
so you ate in a calorie deficit and gained weight? you do realize that, that violates the universal laws of math and physics?4 -
I think you'll find very few people who maintain a keto diet for more than a few months. Any diet that restricts types of food is doomed to a high failure rate.
Cutting out carbs is not a magic formula that will make you thin all of the sudden. Stay in a healthy (not too low)calorie deficit, exercise, and have patience. The weight will come off, you can eat any type of food(as long as you stay in a deficit) and it will be much easier to maintain when you get to a weight you are comfortable with.
Head over to the low carb boards. Plenty of people who have being doing keto for years.
0 -
I tried keto because I read how great it was for people with PCOS. Unfortunately, it did not help me at all. Granted, it might have been because I don't have much to lose, or that I have a history of eating disorders (so my hormones are all kind of wacky anyway), but I just couldn't stay with it. I also couldn't get past the idea that eating nothing but meat and cheese is healthy but I have to regulate my fruit and veggies (which I LOVE). I managed it for a few months, but that was it, and can't say I felt an increase in my energy or any of the other great benefits commonly associated with keto.1
-
-
I think you'll find very few people who maintain a keto diet for more than a few months. Any diet that restricts types of food is doomed to a high failure rate.
Cutting out carbs is not a magic formula that will make you thin all of the sudden. Stay in a healthy (not too low)calorie deficit, exercise, and have patience. The weight will come off, you can eat any type of food(as long as you stay in a deficit) and it will be much easier to maintain when you get to a weight you are comfortable with.
Again, not true. What is sustainable is highly variable between different people. I believe there are quite a few people in the low carb group who have sustained keto far longer than a few months (more like years).
OP, if you're just looking for like minded ketoers, I'd check out the group linked above.
I highly recommend you to join the low carb group. The guys there are great and supportive. Some has been Keto for years. The success stories are insane. True, Keto does not work for everybody but for a lot of people it really is a game changer.
2 -
sweetbug0130 wrote: »sweetbug0130 wrote: »I did it for months and it didn't work for me. I followed all the rules, tweaked it, counted calories and macros to a T, and nothing past the first week's loss. Everyone is different. I love eating that way though. It's easily sustainable for me but I just don't lose weight.
Weight loss is all about calories. I could eat a diet of 100% Twinkies & lose weight.......as long as I were eating fewer calories than my body burns throughout the day. That's not a healthy way to lose weight but it would happen.
Lack of weight loss comes from: incorrect food logging, incorrect activity level, water weight fluctuations, or incorrect exercise calorie burns. If you were doing all of the above correctly and still not able to lose weight.....see a medical doctor.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10179969/weight-loss-flow-chart-2-0/p1
That's an incorrect assumption. I did all the above exactly with keto and didn't lose. As soon as I add back in carbs, my weight drops. I logged everything perfect, weighed everything, had a heart rate monitor, and accounted for water weight... nothing. Don't assume everything works for everyone, that will give someone the wrong information and expectations.
so you ate in a calorie deficit and gained weight? you do realize that, that violates the universal laws of math and physics?
Or, possibly, something about eating keto changed calories out just enough to mean she was eating maintenance, but maintenance was lower than expected. One can log perfectly, but if one's target is incorrect you get the same result as with incorrect logging. Especially if the target deficit is very small. Only way to know for sure would be to drop calories further.1 -
It can be as healthy as any other diet...Anicamarais wrote: »Is this diet healthy
With keto you eat more fat so you will be burning more fat from the food you eat. That said, if you don't maintain a deficit it will not be from stored body fat...Anicamarais wrote: »will your body really become a fat burning furnace?2 -
It works. If you're interested in it, just do some research over at /r/keto and the many other communities and try it out.0
-
The diet can be very healthy, especially if you focus on whole or minimally processed foods. Many in the Low Carber Daily group, linked above, had their cholesterol and CAD risk improve, insulin resistance reverse, and for most it was a great tool for losing weight.
It only takes a few day to get into ketosis but it takes a few weeks to months to become keto or fat adapted. At that time you do become a fat burning machine of sorts. Your body learns to prefer fats for most of it's fuel, and glucose needs will drop, from around 130g to as low as 40g per day, which the liver can readily provide even if you choose to eat no carbs at all.
Exercise is where you can see higher levels of fat oxidation the most. The FASTER study shows this well. http://www.metabolismjournal.com/article/S0026-0495(15)00334-0/abstract?cc=y=
Of course, to lose weight one must be in a caloric deficit. Some people (especially those with insulin resistance/metabolic syndrome) find eating in ketosis makes achieving that deficit much easier.
I lost 40lbs in under 5 months to hit the middle of my BMI range. I've been eating this way for around 15 months now, I guess.
That is largely true once you are fat adapted.Anicamarais wrote: »Apparently the brain prefers fat for fuel rather than glucose from sugar and carb!!!
Rat study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874681/Anicamarais wrote: »Apparently the brain prefers fat for fuel rather than glucose from sugar and carb!!!
No. The brain cannot utilize ketones at all; it must use glucose. However, people who are in ketosis can metabolize glucose from ketones (although it is an inefficient process). The body runs more efficiently on glucose and will always preferentially utilize glucose as opposed to synthesizing it.
That's incorrect. The brain can use ketones, and it is used daily in people who fast at night. When one becomes keto adapted, the brain begins to use less glucose even for it's base needs. True, it will always use some glucose, but the liver can always provide what the brain needs even without eating any carbs.
Ketones are thought to be theraputic for illness (epilepsy and Alzheimers) and brain injury (stroke and concussion). The longer one uses ketones the more the body seems to prefer it as a fuel.
A discussion in Scientific American on ketones brain benefits: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/mind-guest-blog/the-fat-fueled-brain-unnatural-or-advantageous/4 -
My view of Keto is it is the latest fad diet. It's so much cooler to go "Have you tried Keto?" I'm in the state of Ketosis right now" "It's science"
If I come across as dissing it..that's not my point. IF it works for you..GREAT! Whatever works for you ..Great.
My Opinion? Latest fad.
My view of weight loss is Keep It Simple.
YMMV1 -
I do a cyclical keto diet and I like it very much as I love high fat low carb unprocessed foods -- butter, steaks, eggs, hard cheeses, heavy cream; however, I only seem to lose weight if I'm in ketosis for longer than a week, which I rarely am as I have a one day carb load to boost my gym performance. The big advantage for keto for me is I can still eat a whole lot and not gain fat. I've been eating like this for a few years and my blood work is always good, energy levels high (unless I eat too many carbs on my load day-- then I want to nap). As you retain no water, it is good to salt your food well and take potassium and a fibre supplement.1
-
BiggDaddy58 wrote: »My view of Keto is it is the latest fad diet. It's so much cooler to go "Have you tried Keto?" I'm in the state of Ketosis right now" "It's science"
If I come across as dissing it..that's not my point. IF it works for you..GREAT! Whatever works for you ..Great.
My Opinion? Latest fad.
My view of weight loss is Keep It Simple.
YMMV
So you have never tried it then...
I agree that it has become popular but that doesn't mean it's wrong or not helping some people. Gluten free is a huge fad but that doesn't change the fact that it effectively saved my health.
I agree with keeping it as simple as possible, but the simplest thing doesn't work well for everybody.0 -
BiggDaddy58 wrote: »My view of Keto is it is the latest fad diet. It's so much cooler to go "Have you tried Keto?" I'm in the state of Ketosis right now" "It's science"
If I come across as dissing it..that's not my point. IF it works for you..GREAT! Whatever works for you ..Great.
My Opinion? Latest fad.
My view of weight loss is Keep It Simple.
YMMV
So you have never tried it then...
I agree that it has become popular but that doesn't mean it's wrong or not helping some people. Gluten free is a huge fad but that doesn't change the fact that it effectively saved my health.
I agree with keeping it as simple as possible, but the simplest thing doesn't work well for everybody.
Did I say I tried it? No..I didn't. I also didn't say it's wrong? I'm sorry, I missed your point entirely?
What is your point? The OP asked for "opinions" . I gave mine. I never stated I tried it. I stated if it comes across as a diss, that's not my point. I said IF it works for you ..great.
I then reiterated MY opinion which was what the OP asked for.
I fail to see your opinion anywhere in your response. I only see an attempted critique by you..of my opinion?2 -
BiggDaddy58 wrote: »BiggDaddy58 wrote: »My view of Keto is it is the latest fad diet. It's so much cooler to go "Have you tried Keto?" I'm in the state of Ketosis right now" "It's science"
If I come across as dissing it..that's not my point. IF it works for you..GREAT! Whatever works for you ..Great.
My Opinion? Latest fad.
My view of weight loss is Keep It Simple.
YMMV
So you have never tried it then...
I agree that it has become popular but that doesn't mean it's wrong or not helping some people. Gluten free is a huge fad but that doesn't change the fact that it effectively saved my health.
I agree with keeping it as simple as possible, but the simplest thing doesn't work well for everybody.
Did I say I tried it? No..I didn't. I also didn't say it's wrong? I'm sorry, I missed your point entirely?
What is your point? The OP asked for "opinions" . I gave mine. I never stated I tried it. I stated if it comes across as a diss, that's not my point. I said IF it works for you ..great.
I then reiterated MY opinion which was what the OP asked for.
I fail to see your opinion anywhere in your response. I only see an attempted critique by you..of my opinion?
My opinion, based on my research and experience, is on page 1. I was merely trying to establish what your opinion was based upon. Not experience.2 -
Hey folks - Just a note that this discussion was cleaned up a little to remove some posts that were potential violations of a couple of community guidelines. This is the debate section - debating the contents of a post is perfectly acceptable. Attacking other users and causing drama is not... nor is bringing drama in from another discussion acceptable.
If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please feel free to send me a PM.
Cheers,
Em0 -
Lots of useful information on Keto on here, in Keto facebook groups, and Reddit. Do lots of research but DON'T SKIMP ON SALT, and don't forget to drink lots of water.You should search. This has been covered 20 times in the last week probably and hundreds of times on this board. You can find your answers there.
Yes, you burn more fat when you eat keto. You also consume more dietary fat as well so it's a wash.
My view on keto is that it is too restrictive for the average person and pointless for those without a medical condition where keto may help. It is a fad diet at this point in the sense that so many people have some preconceived notion that it is magical.
I do Keto and still see too much from other Keto people talking it up as some magical diet. It isn't that it's magical, it's that it is high protein (there are different camps for Keto- higher protein for the average person if building muscle vs higher fat for medical/epilepsy).
The higher protein content compared to higher carbs means I don't have my blood sugar going up and down like crazy. I get hypoglycemic after eating what most people would consider "healthy" (apples, whole grain pasta, etc), and it becomes unsafe for me to even drive. Im not diabetic but the diet helps me. I would consider morbidly obese to be a "medical condition" which Keto can significantly help- it won't help in the long term if people don't stick to the diet or at least change their eating habits enough to keep the weight off of course.
On Keto, it is only as restrictive as your creativity. It forces me to make more of my food at home rather than eating out, and pay close attention to what I'm eating. It also means that the limited amount of carbs I eat MUST come from leafy greens and other nutrient rich vegetables.
As far as being magical... It feels like magic only because I feel fuller longer, unlike a higher carb diet. I don't feel famished 3 hours after eating a healthy carb-packed meal, which means I don't over-eat. Nothing magical about it when you break down why it works. It's absolutely not for everyone of course, but it certainly isn't a waste of time if done right. Too many people think "oh... I can have 20g carbs?! I'll fill it up with beer/cake/snickers!" But forget they still need vitamins and now can't get them.
Similarly people go vegetarian or vegan and eat ramen or rice without a proper source of protein (or nutrients you often get from meat sources)... Not a fault of the diet, just people who don't research properly, or have the motivation/willpower to make it work.
3
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.5K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 392 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 926 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions