A Keto or Ketogenic Diet has been on rooftop of popularity for the past few years. People have now been going on a Keto diet because of its promising result for weight loss. Many turn to this diet to reach their desired weight goal. There have been researches on this diet, showing results that this diet helps to shed off fat from the body.
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CAN KETO PROMOTE WEIGHT LOSS?
In this diet, we restrict ourselves in eating carbs and cut it down by 5 to 10% of the total calorie intake. However, consuming high fat and moderate protein intake is a must. This cutting down of carbs allows our body to enter a ketosis stage.
Ketosis is a stage in which our body burns fat to produce energy, as there are no carbs in the body. Our body produces Ketones from the liver, which helps to burn these fats to produce energy for the body. The reduced carb intake is usually by increasing about 70 to 90% of the fat in total calorie intake, which makes it about a 2000 calorie diet.
There have been a few studies regarding the ketogenic diet that how it affects weight loss mechanisms. Here are a few points which can help to study more about this diet.
REDUCE HUNGER:
Well, it is one of the cardinal weight loss mechanisms of the Keto diet that it has the ability to reduce hunger. When following a keto diet, one of our body’s hormones, Ghrelin, and its level are decreased in our body. Reduced level of Ghrelin in our body may reduce our appetite, and this result in a few intakes of calories.
Consuming a few calories might help in weight loss. One of the studies has shown that 20 people with obesity have followed this diet associated with less eating and have shown reduced food and alcohol cravings. This reduction in hunger can help in an increase in diet and can stop the craving of different food items.
Thus, the Keto diet might be effective for reducing hunger levels, but long-term safety is still under the process of researchers. There has been no study on its long term effect and safety.
LOSS OF WATER WEIGHT:
Another potential weight loss mechanism of the Keto diet is the loss of water weight that helps in a reduction in carbs intake. Carbs in the body are in stores form. This holds water in our bodies. Therefore, during the initial stage of the Keto diet, when we reduce the intake of carbs, stored carbs are released from the body along with some additional fluids. This loss of carbs by water helps in weight loss.
During the Keto diet, drinking water can help in weight loss by flushing out toxins from the body. Water can also make the stomach full, and this can help in reducing appetite and food craving. This way, water can help in the weight loss process and can remove extra carbs out of our bodies.
CALORIE BALANCE:
To know whether the Keto diet aids in weight loss, it is necessary to determine how weight loss is achieved. To help in weight loss, one must eat fewer calories than the body burns; this is also known as a calorie deficit.
Calculating calories per day will also help to change the diet plan for every day. The different menu can attract a person’s mind and can change different food varieties while counting the calories per day.
One study in 18 men with obesity or intense weight gain has shown that when on a Keto diet, these men have lost a few calories in their body. Although it did not assist in increased body fat loss as compared with a basic diet plan.
This results in that the ketogenic diet is not superior to a normal diet for weight loss in which calorie intake is matched. The Keto diets effect are much more likely to be the result of low-calorie intake due to changes in our diet by low carbs and high fat intake.
KETO SUPPLEMENTS:
Keto is the most popular kind of diet, which helps in weight loss. Numerous kinds of supplements to help Keto dieters have appeared in the market, which aids in weight loss. Some of those supplements are:
- MCT Oil: (Medium Chain Triglycerides): these medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) help Keto dieters to increase the intake of fat in their diet and help to stay in the ketosis stage. This oil is easy to digest and compared with other traditional fats. However, this oil has digestive side effects.
- Keto Protein Powders: these powders have got low carb content in them. They help people who are on a Keto diet and aids in weight loss during ketosis.
- Exogenous Ketones: these Ketones are available from outside sources, whether it be in the form of pills or in supplement form. These Ketones help to increase blood ketone levels, which aids in processing the ketosis stage faster, and this helps in rapid weight loss.
- Keto Electrolytes: depletion in electrolytes is common when on the Keto diet. It happens due to water weight loss as the consumption of water is increased in the Keto diet. These electrolyte supplements help in maintaining the common electrolytes in the body, such as potassium, magnesium, and sodium.
- Digestive Enzymes: due to high-fat content in the Keto diet, some people might have digestive issues. These digestive enzymes help to break down fats. One of the enzymes is lipase, which is helpful during digestion.
When it is about the Keto diet, there are limited researches on this diet. One study in mice showed that giving exogenous Ketones as weight loss supplement, it found that several exogenous Ketones including MCT oil, may help in weight loss and reduce in appetite by which naturally causing to eat fewer calories. Human research on the Keto diet is still lacking.
Keto supplements are not necessary as the Keto dieters can lose weight by not stopping themselves from the diet, which they wish to consume, and a little effort of exercise can help to aid weight loss in a much faster way. However, these supplements might not be used alone as there are not sufficient researches on the long-term side effects by using these supplements.
In fact, MCT oil and exogenous Ketones can help to get into the ketosis stage in a faster way and avoid any side effects which happen during ketosis. While they help in reducing appetite, these Ketones are not recommended to use them as weight loss supplements.
OTHER THINGS AFFECTING WEIGHT LOSS:
While you are on the Keto diet, other than the diet, a few things should be kept in mind to ensure the progress. These points might affect weight loss progress and can result in leaving this diet before getting the desired result. Some of the points which might affect the weight loss during the Keto diet are:
CARBS INTAKE:
When starting with a Keto diet, it is necessary to keep track of carbs intake, which is consumed on a daily basis. This helps to ensure that you are taking the right amount of carbs, and this will help to enter the ketosis stage much faster and avoid symptoms related to Keto diets such as Keto flu, headaches, and brain fog.
If you eat too many carbs or even a little more than required for the Keto diet, then instead of weight loss, you will gain weight. Above all, the body will enter the ketosis stage and, therefore, no weight loss.
Therefore, eating less than 50g of carbs on a daily basis might help the body to enter in ketosis stage easily. It is sufficient to stimulate the process of ketosis, which can aid in weight loss rapidly.
NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP:
Sleep is an ignored part of the diet. Studies have shown that lack of sleep and chronic stress can disturb the process of weight loss, and the outcome cannot be possible. Even when following the Keto diet, it is necessary to get a good sleep.
Sleep may help in reducing stress levels as well. In some people, an increase in stress level increases appetite. During stress, this increase in appetite might gain weight even on a Keto diet. Sleep can help to reduce this stress level, which might control the levels of stress resulting in weight loss during the Keto diet.
Studies also show that lack of sleep might affect hunger hormones such as ghrelin and leptin. This imbalance of hormones can cause an increase in hunger and, of course, appetite; this may affect the Keto diet and its process to enter ketosis, which helps in weight loss.
It is necessary to have a good sleep in order to balance the hormones. Make sure to sleep for about 7 hours per night to support the benefits of a ketogenic diet.
PHYSICALLY ACTIVE:
While on the Keto diet, there is no need for an intense workout as the body burns the fat on its own. However, doing a little bit of exercise might speed up the process of ketosis in the body, and the effect of it can be a little quicker.
When on a Keto diet, our body uses fat to produce energy, and when doing exercise, our body uses the fat to burn and produce energy. This might give the result of weight loss much faster than expected. Studies suggest that sports-based exercise is much more effective.
Physical activity is very important with or without any diet. It helps to burn fat, whether it is from a Keto diet or a normal diet. Exercise makes our body tired and lazy and can help to get a good sleep at night.
Before performing the exercise, it is necessary to know that you are adjusted to the Keto diet to avoid any negative side effects. When on a Keto diet for weight loss, some other factors must be in consideration, such as exercise routine, required carbs intake, and sleep timings.
SUSTAINABILITY OF THE DIET:
One of the major drawbacks of the Keto diet for weight loss is sustainability. Due to a restrictive diet plan, some people find the Keto diet very difficult to continue. As the food intake is limited and we have to be careful in what we eat, especially when it comes to food containing carbs.
It becomes quite challenging for people who are on a Keto diet, especially when they are out on family gatherings or meeting friends for the holidays or friends reunion. This way, for some people, it gets difficult to continue with their social circle and effects their friends’ interactions.
Furthermore, there has been studying research that people cannot continue this Keto diet for a longer period. Due to its restrictive diet plan, it gets difficult for people to continue the Keto diet for the long term. Eating out with friends and family out might take a lot of will power and preparation.
These points must be kept in mind before starting the Keto diet as these may affect in future when on Keto diet for weight loss purposes. Sustainability is important when on this diet. As continuing, this diet plan will not only help in weight loss but also in other health problems as well.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Keto diet is a low carb diet that helps not only weight loss but also other health problems. While the weight loss mechanism is associated with, control of food and eating the calculated amount of calories. Keto diet is all about calorie deficit, hunger control, and water weight loss.
Keto supplements help to shift the body in the ketosis stage in a much faster way; also, they help to reduce appetite, but they should not be used as a weight-loss supplement.
While weight loss on the Keto diet is promising, and the results are quite amazing, but it is important to know its side effects, downside, and lack of long-term research on the diet. This diet can be effective for those who follow the rules and diet plan of this diet and with that use supplements and other Ketones from an outside source to speed up the process of ketosis.
However, knowing all the facts and figures of the Keto diet, it is necessary to know all of it before starting the Keto diet.