Keto or low carb?

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BlessedMom70
BlessedMom70 Posts: 124 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I realize they are the same thing, but Keto is obviously a lot stricter. I lost some weight on low carb last summer, but I am wondering what the real advantages are of doing Keto over just simply eating less carbs.

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  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    edited September 2018
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    They are not the same thing really. Low carb is generally considered to be 150g or less a day. If you eat closer to 150 that amount is HUGE by Keto standards and far less restrictive.

    You don't need to eat low carbs at all to lose weight. If you are not eating that way when you gain weight it may not be the best plan to change for weight loss. You should consider continuing to eat in a style you normally eat just less of it. A calorie deficit is all you need to lose weight.

    After you get started losing you can and perhaps even should make small changes over time but there is no reason to make drastic changes.
  • BlessedMom70
    BlessedMom70 Posts: 124 Member
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    NovusDies wrote: »
    They are not the same thing really. Low carb is generally considered to be 150g or less a day. If you eat closer to 150 that amount is HUGE by Keto standards and far less restrictive.

    You don't need to eat low carbs at all to lose weight. If you are not eating that way when you gain weight it may not be the best plan to change for weight loss. You should consider continuing to eat in a style you normally eat just less of it. A calorie deficit is all you need to lose weight.

    After you get started losing you can and perhaps even should make small changes over time but there is no reason to make drastic changes.

    Thank you! :)
  • LiLee2018
    LiLee2018 Posts: 1,389 Member
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    IMO low carb would be under 100, but preferably under 50. Keto is under 25,20 carbs.
    Difference is pretty obvious when it comes to the amount of the carbs. You just gotta do whatever you're going to stick with. If it's just doing low carb and it's working for you, that's awesome. If you feel like keto would be a better fit, then go for it.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,395 MFP Moderator
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    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    The definitions for keto and low carb really do vary. :)

    Low carb seems to usually be under 100-150g total or net carbs a day. Keto is when you are in measurable ketosis for the vast majority of the day - for most that is under 50g but for those with insulin resistance it may be under 20-30g, and those who are very active may go higher if they time carbs around exercise.

    Keto can be advantageous for health reasons; it helps some neurological issues, IR, and possibly autoimmune issues or as a complimentary cancer treatment in some cases.

    Some prefer keto for weight loss because they find that the lower their carbs, the more control they have of their appetite. Those with IR may also benefit from lower insulin levels.

    If you have no need for ketones then ketosis is not , well... needed. It is possible your appetite or health could benefit, but it varies between poeple.

    Please don't even go there. There is no peer-reviewed evidence that a keto diet will slow down the growth of cancer and in some cases, a keto diet could actually be doing more harm than good. If you want to talk of the virtues of keto (which there are some) stick with fact rather than pseudoscience or studies which have been effective for mice but not people. Those issues you have mentioned can also be helped by reducing weight and increasing exercise. Is it keto that helps with symptoms, or merely the fact that you have reduced the amount of processed foods for more nutritional, unprocessed foods?

    Sorry for the small deviation, but there is some evidence that keto + theraputic treatment can help in the case of some cancers. But if you want, we can continue that discussion in the below thread.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10464276/nutritional-ketosis-and-alzheimers-cancer#latest


    OP, if you are going to have better compliance with low carb, than it's going to be much better for you to stick with that. There is no additional advantage (outside of compliance) by going keto over low carb or even high carb, especially if you are focusing on getting adequate protein and fiber.
  • BlessedMom70
    BlessedMom70 Posts: 124 Member
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    Thank you all! I appreciate the responses! :)

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