I feel like this is a pretty sensationalist article. In particular, it seems to assume that people on keto aren't doing quantitative checks to see if they're in ketosis.
I know that back when I did keto, I was checking my urine ketone levels twice daily for weeks before I was able to 'feel' if I was in ketosis. Maintaining ketosis was difficult and I had to closely monitor my food but I honestly found it to not be that bad a diet once I got used to it. Your milage may vary.
I guess I should just acknowledge that the article isn't actually addressing me personally, but I can't help but feel there are many people out there doing keto who are actually measuring their ketones and know whether or not they're in ketosis.
That's also the standard advice you'll get from almost anyone who gives advice on doing keto.
It looks like a pretty typical keto/low carb hit job piece.
You get a couple quotes from nutritionists who are ignorant of the current science, add a couple turns-out facts, and you have a great click bait article.
I recently started a keto-style (high fat low carb) diet after reading a book on fasting [0]. I also picked up a ketone/glucose meter out of curiosity. Much as the book describes, fast for about 24-36+ hours and there's a good chance you'll be in ketosis.
After about 36 hours I've consistently measured 1.3-6 mmol/L. Between 48-60 hours I've measured around 4.4-4.6. As I understand it, anything above 0.5 is essentially ketosis. I agree with you in that, at least to me, there is a feeling of when you are in ketosis.
Ketosis is the generation of ketone bodies in the absence of glucose, ketoacidosis it the generation of ketone bodies despite the fact that the bloodstream is flush with glucose. Ketoacidosis is clearly a real concern, however as I understand it it's primarily an issue for type-1 diabetics.
This article feels awfully superficial, but I find the final statement, "maybe not being in ketosis isn’t so bad after all—now just cut back on the saturated fats", to be very reasonable.
It really isn't as difficult to get into ketosis and safely maintain it for a reasonable duration as that article suggests.
Plenty of green leafy veg (The more the merrier for most), moderate to slightly higher protein, extra fibre from low carb sources, slightly increased water intake, high-fat, and low-carb (<20 g/day from veg if possible). Unsweetened, low-suger high-fat Yoghurt for breakfast with a few nuts or seeds (+ erythritol and stevia if you want a bit of sweetness). Salads with olive oil and a bit of cheese or meat for lunch. A variety of green-veg-heavy, keto-suitable recipes for a pleasant evening meal (Things like creamy or cheesy sauces are great plus curries can be readily adapted with cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza is another favourite, and a lot of pasta sauces don't taste too bad with lettuce once you get past the initial disappointment).
It isn't that hard if you are determined and plan your meals/diet whilst considering the sources of your essential nutrients.
Personally I experienced some mild keto-cramps after about two weeks and upped my magnesium intake which cured those quite quickly. Then I started losing weight; I've literally just lost 2 stone (And counting) by following a keto diet.
It isn't as easy as some people make it sound but that doesn't make that article accurate. All of the advice I know about for how to have a healthy keto-diet addresses the exact things that they imply are common problems/dangers of keto.
My advice to anyone considering keto would be to read the studies for yourself (If I remember right several good-quality studies are freely available through google scholar) and follow some of the well-known keto-blogs' advice on having a balanced keto diet so that your general nutrition is kept well balanced.
Keto does work for weightloss but it does still take moderation, thought, and will-power. It isn't magic but it is far from impossible.
I did keto and had a ketone strip tester based on blood drop tests. Not urine becuase it's not as accurate. It's definitely possible if you're disciplined and follow it properly.
Sure blood is much more accurate than urine, but it's my understanding that the urine strips will at least tell you reliably if you're in ketosis or not. The ketone concentrations just might not have a simple mapping onto your blood ketone concentrations.
So what's a good alternative for burning fat that you already have?
I am in a caloric deficit and do long exercises to burn fat but I'm not sure if it actually works - my weight is down a bit but it usually is in the spring anyway
Fasting is the best way to burn fat. Either intermittently or for extended periods of time. I've done 7 day water fasts with minimal muscle loss. Caloric deficits don't work longterm since you're decreasing your basal metabolic rate, so your body needs less calories to maintain your weight. Whereas when you fast, the opposite occurs. Your basal metabolic rate goes up. This makes sense from an evolutionary perspective, since if you're going long periods without food, you want to make sure you have sufficient energy to actually chase down some prey. This is why your noradrenaline and VO2 max increase during a fast.
You should also note that type of calories is more important than overall calorie count. Make sure that lean meats and vegetables are a large portion of your diet. Minimize processed food intake. Use carbs as side dishes, not main courses.
I'm sure you're doing fine. If your weight's down, how aren't you burning fat? Concerns about burning too much muscle IMO are extremely overblown for most people. I would recommend the eye test (look in the mirror) or feel test (poke at your flabs). Progress pics might help. I think there's calipers and other measurement tools too.
Keep in mind your fat deposits will get smaller, but they don't go away. You'll likely still have some flab, even if you're pretty lean. The process is also very gradual. I'm 6'2" male and had a gut/tits @185lb, and even in high school @155lb. In either case, it was still quite noticeable, unfortunately.
If you haven't put on enough muscle already, that could seriously effect your results. There's still benefits to maintaining strength / muscle even during weight loss, but progress will be slow. Generally, you just want to get a balance of nutrients, and be at caloric deficit. You'll lose fat, that's it.
> I am in a caloric deficit and do long exercises but I'm not sure if it actually works
Being in caloric deficit while exercising must work by definition. All advice that I've seen for exercising though is that, modulo specific advice from your doctor[0], you should do high intensity heavy lifting exercise (like squats) for shorter periods for maximum effect. It's both more gratifying (and therefore sustainable) and more efficient.
[0] - a person who suffers from lumbar disc degeneration, for instance, could carry only half or less of the weight but do their squats one leg at a time with a balance assist for the same overall muscle building with significantly less back strain.
Use exercises that burn a lot of energy. High intensity is most effective. Energy will be taken from all deposits, trying to target only fat deposits is very inefficient when it comes weight loss. If you want to keep as much muscle mass as possible use muscle building exercises.
I was 240 went on antibiotics.. cipro was the last. Completely changed my gut bacteria. Lost 70 pounds in a month..over a hundred a year later. Wish I could weigh more.
Keto is great. I've been in ketosis for a year now and can even eat a moderate amount of fruit. The only complex carbs I eat is fibre. I also eat quite a bit of protein including shakes. I combine this with endurance exercise. I didn't need to lose any weight and still lost 10kg. I have to add ~1000 calories of virgin coconut/olive oil to my diet daily to maintain my weight. Pretty sure the article is factually incorrect.
It happens a LOT ... many people "try" keto, but they wind up just eating low calorie, cutting the carbs, but not adding fattier foods in. You still want a calorie deficit and it isn't magic. Calories and Hormones (insulin, etc) are both huge, overriding factors.
The truth is somewhere in between as always. Some people find it really hard to follow a Keto diet.
What has worked for me is to cut out sugars and refined carbs completely from my diet. This paired with Intermittent Fasting (IF) works wonders for burning fat. You can do 16:8, 20:4, OMAD and/or extended fasting.
When you're fasting your body will break down fat as it really has no choice.
I run anywhere from 30 to 70 miles per week and I just couldn't follow a keto diet. I have a hard time even just picturing it. Just the other day I was reading about a recent study showing that low-carb diets affect your running. That already made intuitive sense if you had been in a marathon and hit the proverbial wall at mile 20, roughly when you have depleted the glycogen stores in your legs and start burning fat. Of course the general population is different and doesn't obsess over their 10K times.
There are other factors that play a major role. I don't like meat much. I'm lactose intolerant. I've always had a sugar tooth. Thanks to lucky genes, a very active thyroid and the running, though, my body fat stays around 8-9%. Over the years, I learned to crave carbs less and to pay more attention to protein. I do some form of intermittent fasting, by accident, in the sense that I have early dinner, mostly for sleep hygiene, and rarely eat again until after my morning run, about 14 hours later.
There's no single approach that works for everyone, of course. Worse than that, though, is that even if you find the motivation to try a variety of them, you probably want to spend at the very least several weeks on each before you can start extrapolating useful observations.
I've tried all sort of diets, keto included, the best diet i found is to eat nutritious and balanced diet in moderate quantity (i.e change your relationship with food). Keto in my opinion is too extreme, and is mostly done by people with poor relationship towards food (myself included). This recent diet trend is mainly because modern society made eating a hobby and escape along with forcing most of humanity to live sedentary lives.
While I agree with you... Keto is best for people who are type 2 diabetic or borderline. And with that I would say Paleo + Keto macro profile. If you are closer to a healthy weight, then Paleo and good habits goes a long way. One Meal a Day also helps a lot simply because it's harder to overeat in a single meal.
IMHO grains/refined carbs (bread/starch/pasta) etc should be limited to a couple meals a week... and refined sugars should be limited to one or two treats a month.
Is food as a hobby and an escape anything new? There have been feasts since the beginning of time. You can find plenty of stories of people enjoying making and eating food before the modern time. I do agree it's much more widespread now. Also, food has become extremely affordable. Totally agree about our sedentary lives though.
100% agreed, the issue I have with Keto and other related fashionable diets is that for the majority of people who attempt they aren't necessary to what they are trying to achieve and like you say, born out of poor relationship to food and health.
As someone who has also tried a lot of different diets and training plans to me the most sane approach to weight loss is still moderation with calorie/macro tracking which is far simpler to implement, not restrictive and personally, more enjoyable.
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[+] [-] eigenspace|6 years ago|reply
I know that back when I did keto, I was checking my urine ketone levels twice daily for weeks before I was able to 'feel' if I was in ketosis. Maintaining ketosis was difficult and I had to closely monitor my food but I honestly found it to not be that bad a diet once I got used to it. Your milage may vary.
I guess I should just acknowledge that the article isn't actually addressing me personally, but I can't help but feel there are many people out there doing keto who are actually measuring their ketones and know whether or not they're in ketosis.
That's also the standard advice you'll get from almost anyone who gives advice on doing keto.
[+] [-] rhinoceraptor|6 years ago|reply
You get a couple quotes from nutritionists who are ignorant of the current science, add a couple turns-out facts, and you have a great click bait article.
[+] [-] agarren|6 years ago|reply
After about 36 hours I've consistently measured 1.3-6 mmol/L. Between 48-60 hours I've measured around 4.4-4.6. As I understand it, anything above 0.5 is essentially ketosis. I agree with you in that, at least to me, there is a feeling of when you are in ketosis.
Ketosis is the generation of ketone bodies in the absence of glucose, ketoacidosis it the generation of ketone bodies despite the fact that the bloodstream is flush with glucose. Ketoacidosis is clearly a real concern, however as I understand it it's primarily an issue for type-1 diabetics.
This article feels awfully superficial, but I find the final statement, "maybe not being in ketosis isn’t so bad after all—now just cut back on the saturated fats", to be very reasonable.
[0] https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Fasting-Intermittent-A...
[+] [-] darn2heck|6 years ago|reply
Plenty of green leafy veg (The more the merrier for most), moderate to slightly higher protein, extra fibre from low carb sources, slightly increased water intake, high-fat, and low-carb (<20 g/day from veg if possible). Unsweetened, low-suger high-fat Yoghurt for breakfast with a few nuts or seeds (+ erythritol and stevia if you want a bit of sweetness). Salads with olive oil and a bit of cheese or meat for lunch. A variety of green-veg-heavy, keto-suitable recipes for a pleasant evening meal (Things like creamy or cheesy sauces are great plus curries can be readily adapted with cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza is another favourite, and a lot of pasta sauces don't taste too bad with lettuce once you get past the initial disappointment).
It isn't that hard if you are determined and plan your meals/diet whilst considering the sources of your essential nutrients.
Personally I experienced some mild keto-cramps after about two weeks and upped my magnesium intake which cured those quite quickly. Then I started losing weight; I've literally just lost 2 stone (And counting) by following a keto diet.
It isn't as easy as some people make it sound but that doesn't make that article accurate. All of the advice I know about for how to have a healthy keto-diet addresses the exact things that they imply are common problems/dangers of keto.
My advice to anyone considering keto would be to read the studies for yourself (If I remember right several good-quality studies are freely available through google scholar) and follow some of the well-known keto-blogs' advice on having a balanced keto diet so that your general nutrition is kept well balanced.
Keto does work for weightloss but it does still take moderation, thought, and will-power. It isn't magic but it is far from impossible.
[+] [-] unstatusthequo|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] eigenspace|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] xchaotic|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] magnamerc|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dkoston|6 years ago|reply
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/26817506/
You should also note that type of calories is more important than overall calorie count. Make sure that lean meats and vegetables are a large portion of your diet. Minimize processed food intake. Use carbs as side dishes, not main courses.
[+] [-] P_I_Staker|6 years ago|reply
Keep in mind your fat deposits will get smaller, but they don't go away. You'll likely still have some flab, even if you're pretty lean. The process is also very gradual. I'm 6'2" male and had a gut/tits @185lb, and even in high school @155lb. In either case, it was still quite noticeable, unfortunately.
If you haven't put on enough muscle already, that could seriously effect your results. There's still benefits to maintaining strength / muscle even during weight loss, but progress will be slow. Generally, you just want to get a balance of nutrients, and be at caloric deficit. You'll lose fat, that's it.
[+] [-] ebg13|6 years ago|reply
Being in caloric deficit while exercising must work by definition. All advice that I've seen for exercising though is that, modulo specific advice from your doctor[0], you should do high intensity heavy lifting exercise (like squats) for shorter periods for maximum effect. It's both more gratifying (and therefore sustainable) and more efficient.
[0] - a person who suffers from lumbar disc degeneration, for instance, could carry only half or less of the weight but do their squats one leg at a time with a balance assist for the same overall muscle building with significantly less back strain.
[+] [-] z3t4|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wolco|6 years ago|reply
Gut bacteria is the key.
[+] [-] unknown|6 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] rorykoehler|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jeremywho|6 years ago|reply
I guess this is geared towards people who read a blog and decide they want to try it without educating themselves?
[+] [-] tracker1|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mirceal|6 years ago|reply
The truth is somewhere in between as always. Some people find it really hard to follow a Keto diet. What has worked for me is to cut out sugars and refined carbs completely from my diet. This paired with Intermittent Fasting (IF) works wonders for burning fat. You can do 16:8, 20:4, OMAD and/or extended fasting.
When you're fasting your body will break down fat as it really has no choice.
[+] [-] the-rc|6 years ago|reply
There are other factors that play a major role. I don't like meat much. I'm lactose intolerant. I've always had a sugar tooth. Thanks to lucky genes, a very active thyroid and the running, though, my body fat stays around 8-9%. Over the years, I learned to crave carbs less and to pay more attention to protein. I do some form of intermittent fasting, by accident, in the sense that I have early dinner, mostly for sleep hygiene, and rarely eat again until after my morning run, about 14 hours later.
There's no single approach that works for everyone, of course. Worse than that, though, is that even if you find the motivation to try a variety of them, you probably want to spend at the very least several weeks on each before you can start extrapolating useful observations.
[+] [-] strikelaserclaw|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tracker1|6 years ago|reply
IMHO grains/refined carbs (bread/starch/pasta) etc should be limited to a couple meals a week... and refined sugars should be limited to one or two treats a month.
[+] [-] P_I_Staker|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Matty1992|6 years ago|reply
As someone who has also tried a lot of different diets and training plans to me the most sane approach to weight loss is still moderation with calorie/macro tracking which is far simpler to implement, not restrictive and personally, more enjoyable.
[+] [-] rorykoehler|6 years ago|reply
[+] [-] HNLurker2|6 years ago|reply
God I love being a kid. Iget ez in ketosis
[+] [-] NullPrefix|6 years ago|reply
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