Keto?

Isn't keto that new fad diet?

The keto diet, or ketogenic diet to give it its official title, has been around since the 1920s. So, it's not new at all, and it's been around all these years, helping kids with epilepsy keep their epilepsy under control. The only 'new' thing about the keto diet is that now it's also used to help those who need to lose weight.

Oh, okay! So, what is the keto diet, then?

It's a high-calorie diet that can help you lose weight and lose it very quickly.

How?

It does so by severely limiting your carbohydrate intake.

Low Carb Dieting

But isn't this just a low-carb diet?

Well, yes and then again, no.

Eh?

A low-carb diet is any diet of less than 150g of carbs per day.

Just eating healthy, unprocessed whole foods on the paleo diet, whole30, and the Mediterranean diet will also place you within this low-carb range and result in weight loss.

So, how is the keto diet different?

Keto takes this a bit further by putting your body into ketosis.

Ketosis

What's ketosis?

Ketosis is a natural metabolic state of the human body. Ketosis happens when your body does not have enough carbohydrates to power it. Without available carbs, your body will turn to another energy source – fat, and turn those fat molecules into ketones. Ketones are an alternative energy source to power your brain and body. When there are many ketones in your blood, you are in ketosis.

When eating 50g or less of carbohydrates, most people will enter ketosis.

The Difference Between Keto And Atkins

Isn't this the Atkins Diet by another name?

To give it the original title, the Atkins Diet Revolution, the Atkins Diet went mainstream in 1972. Since then, it has chopped and changed – a lot.

These days there is Atkins' New Diet Revolution and Atkins 20 and Atkins 40, and Atkins keto. There are so many permutations it's challenging to say.

The most constant difference between the Atkins and the keto diets is between protein and fat content. For Atkins dieters, protein takes precedence over fat; for keto, protein is moderate, while fat is substantially higher.

Another difference is with the allowed proportions. For keto, these remain constant, while the Atkins diet allows a continual increase in carbohydrates over time. In addition, you don't need to count protein accurately on Atkins.

The last difference between the diets is regarding total carbs versus net carbs. Carb counting has changed for the Atkins Diet in recent years. But, what still holds for the original 1972 version of Atkins Diet Revolution that this particular website follows, is that the original version of Atkins Diet worked with total carbs. Keto dieting has always used net carbs.

People often liken keto to the first phase of Atkins' diet, the Induction phase. However, the daily carb allowance of the original Atkins diet was far lower even than keto - Atkins' used the term 'biologically zero' carbs.

The Different Ways To Measure Carbs

What are net carbs as opposed to total carbs?

Total carbs are all carbohydrates in a portion of food; it includes starches, fibre and sugars. Net carbs are the total carbohydrates minus fibre.

Err… Why are we counting them differently?

Fibre is sugar. However, the human body does not digest fibre, which passes through your gut effectively unused. Because it is unabsorbed, unlike other sugars, it does not affect weight gain or loss. Taa-da! Free food!

Note: In the UK and the rest of Europe, the nutrition label gives the net carbs as carbs and the fibre as fibre. In the USA, carbs are total carbs and then fibre. You must subtract fibre from carbs in the USA to accurately record your net carbs consumed in a day. For Europe and the UK, record the number of carbs as written on the nutrition label.

How To Keto

So, what do I do for this keto diet thing?

The keto diet requires a ratio of 5-10% net carbs, 10-30% protein and 70-80% fat based on less than 20-30g a day of net carbs. The exact ratios and amounts differ depending on age, gender, exercise, weight loss, and current weight.

Note: The ratios of the ketogenic medical diet used for epileptic children are much more precise and considerably more rigid. Absolutely, and under no circumstances ever, should a medically-required ketogenic diet be done without medical supervision. This website is for generalised adult health and dieting only.

Getting Into Ketosis

How do I get into ketosis?

First, drastically cut your daily carb consumption to force your body to turn to its glycogen storage. When your glycogen store is finally empty, your body will raid your fat stores and break down the fat into ketones for energy.

Why don't I eat lots of protein instead of fat and carbs?

Eating more than your body needs, even if it is protein, is the enemy of weight loss. Your body will turn any excess protein into glucose. The solution? Reduce your protein intake to the amount your body needs – simples!

Should I go without protein?

Absolutely not! Protein is super important for your body to function. You need it; you just don't need more than you need.

Is the keto diet for me?

That all depends on you.

The keto diet is strict. If you waiver or deviate even a little, then you're sunk. You will not lose any weight, and you might well gain some.

Ask yourself some hard questions before starting, and be honest with yourself.

Do you need the odd cheat food as a reward? Best look at the paleo diet.

Are you dieting but have trouble with digestive problems? Look at whole30 or the carnivore diet.

Do you have digestive issues which impact your everyday life? Try the FODMAPS diet.

Do you tend to start strong on a diet but lose focus as time goes on? Then, look at the Atkins Diet.

Alternatively, however:

• Are you all or nothing?
• Can you dedicate yourself to your diet, including weighing, measuring and calculating, if you know you will see a good result?
• Have you previously only failed a diet because you got hungry?
• Do you want results and want them quickly?

If so, then keto is probably the diet for you.

Something to take away from all this - there is no right or wrong here.

Think carefully and be honest about what you can do.