The Ketogenic Weight Loss Diet

With so many diets going around it is difficult to keep the facts straight.  The keto diet or ketogenic weight loss diet is a high fat low carb diet that is gaining a lot of popularity.  In this article I don't intend to go to in depth, but I will give you the general pro's and cons of such a diet.

In a nutshell the idea behind the keto diet is that if you eat mostly fat and little to no carbs, your body will use fat as its main source of energy instead of carbohydrates.  When this happens there is an excess amount of ketones in the blood, thus being called ketosis.

The pro's of keto

• Main source of energy comes from fat.  So the fat is easily lost
• It is safe.  It is even used to treat seizures in children
• It is filling.  As opposed to other calorie deficient diets that are low in fat, fatty foods are extremely filling
• It is muscle sparing

Sound's great right!  In the ketogenic weight loss diet your muscles are spared as long as you have adequate protein (about 1 gram for every pound of lean body mass).  Also eating the foods on keto (eggs, meat, cheese, etc. ) is extremely filling, and you have no problems losing weight.  However, there are some downsides to keto.

Cons

• Being tired.  Fat is a really bad way for the body to produce energy.  The result is feeling lethargic.
• Bad breath.  There is mainly only anecdotal evidence that it causes bad breath, but eating lots of meat and cheese can't be too great for the kisser.
• Not getting enough nutrients.  The sad fact that there just isn't as many micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in meat and cheese as there is in vegetables and fruit, which are strictly banned.

So while the ketogenic weight loss diet definitely has its benefits, the decrease in energy really makes the diet not as fun as one would think.  It is really only fun the first couple of days when you get to eat ton's of fatty foods, but it quickly turns into a difficult diet.  But it is really up to you.  The fact is that this diet works.  You can work around the con's by taking vitamins, brushing your teeth, and taking caffeine or sleeping.  I would suggest that you try the ketogenic weight loss diet if you want to lose fat and preserve muscle.  If it fails you can always try another diet.  

Posted in: Nutrition