Candid About Keto
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Okay you guys, I'm doing it, I'm biting the bullet. I'm going to put myself in the line of fire and talk about Keto. I have delayed writing this post because I know there will be backlash; but honestly your health and your safety are my top priority, so I have to speak up as the Keto cult seems to be getting louder and louder.
Spoiler alert: I'm going to tell you why it is imperative for your health and your long term weight loss goals to GET OFF KETO NOW. Unless otherwise SPECIFIED by your doctor to treat a certain condition (i.e. what it was intended for to begin with).
But before I dive into why it's so important that you get OFF Keto, I'm going to explain what it is and why I get that everyone is on it.
What is the Keto Diet?
Keto is an extremely low or no-carb diet that sends your body into ketosis.
What is ketosis?
It's when your body produces ketones because there is not enough glucose to be used as fuel, so your body is forced to use fat as fuel instead.
Why does Keto work?
On a Keto diet you are forcing your body to use fat as fuel, causing the extreme weight loss you see people praising the diet for. Though to be clear, ketones and burning fat as fuel are not the only reasons Keto works.
- It works because it is creating a calorie deficit by eliminating an entire macronutrient (carbohydrates). Which you can do without Keto.
- It works because it forces you to eliminate processed sugars (a staple in the SAD or Standard American Diet). Which you can do without Keto.
- It works because it stops blood sugar spikes which signal your body to hold onto weight. Which you can do without Keto.
- And it works because carb molecules bind with water molecules in a ratio of 3:1 so when you drop carbs you also drop a ton of water weight. Which, you guessed it, you can also do without Keto!
Now I could write an entire book on why Keto is a bad idea, but I'm going to try and keep things simple here with :
My top 5 reasons Keto should not be part of your diet plan.
- Ketosis is literally a state of emergency in your body. It is a built-in survival mechanism for when you aren't getting a massively important macronutrient (carbs). By the way, our body views fat as more important than muscle for survival. So your body may catabolize it's own muscle for fuel, in addition to fat. And in case you didn't make the connection... Your heart is a muscle.
- Ketosis is a dangerous diet, especially for anyone with an underlying kidney or liver disorder. I even had a client develop gallstones because of going Keto before she met with me. She also had some kidney issues that were exacerbated, and possibly caused by, her high fat, low carb diet.
- There are certain parts of your brain that cannot work properly without glucose. Which, if you remember, you are not getting enough of if you are in a state of ketosis.
- If you are eliminating carbs, that means fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes are the babies being thrown out with the bath water. I believe deep in my bones, we are going to see a huge influx in colon cancer, and cancer in general, because we are missing the fiber, phytochemicals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants that come with the aforementioned HEALTHY but carb rich superfoods.
- Going on a Keto diet is setting you up for future weight gain! Chances of you maintaining ketosis for the rest of your life are slim to none. So the second you introduce carbs back into your life, especially if you had a carb or sugar addiction prior to Keto, you are going to find yourself right back at square one, if not even worse off when your body has a carb backlash.
So what is the take away with all of this, besides "Kat clearly does not like Keto."?
The take away is to stop looking for the short cut and take the upfront time to change your lifestyle by bringing it all back to the basics. The only successful diet is the one you can do for the rest of your life.
What does a lifestyle diet look like?
Eat a wide variety of whole, unprocessed foods 80-90% of the time (yes, you are allowed to have "naughty foods" when you are in it for the long haul), control your portions, drink water, get sleep, and move your body. Period.
How to get the Keto effects, without the Keto dangers?
Earlier I explained the reasons Keto worked, but always with the caveat, "Which you can do without Keto." So if you want to know how to
- create the proper calorie deficit to lose weight, without turning on your survival mechanism and download your free Calculate Your Ideal Calorie Guide... click here.
- stabilize your blood sugar and get your free Balanced Blood Sugar for Weight Loss Cheat Sheet... click here.
- drop water weight for important events and receive your free Beat the Bloat Slimming Foods Download... click here.
And as a little bonus for downloading any of the above cheat sheets, you'll get my free Nutrition-On-The-Go Guide to help you eat for your goals no matter how crazy your day gets.
