Should you try a diet or change your food choices?
Dr. Thompson’s algorithm for whether you need to work on weight loss
- Are you free from health problems? (Diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, arthritis, chronic pain etc.)
- Can you do what you want/need to with your body? (Physical activities, playing with kids, work duties, get pregnant etc.)
- Can you afford the clothing you want/need?
If you answer NO to any of these questions, you should develop a long-term plan to decrease weight
What is the Keto diet?
The keto (or ketogenic) diet is a low carb diet, where the body produces ketones in the liver to be used as energy. It is considered a low carb, high fat diet. By drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat, your body enters a metabolic state called ketosis. When you eat something high in carbs, your body produces glucose and insulin. The body uses glucose as energy and stores the fat. By removing the carbs as an energy source, the body searches for energy elsewhere, thus the movement into a ketosis state. Forcing your body into a ketosis state is the goal of the keto diet.
There are several versions of the keto diet:
- Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet. It typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs.
- Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involves periods of higher-carb refeeds (think carb overload), such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days.
- Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.
- High-protein ketogenic diet: This is similar to a standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs.
Isn’t a keto diet like other diets?
A ketogenic diet is similar to other strict low-carb diets, like the Atkins diet or LCHF (low carb, high fat). The main difference is that protein is restricted in the keto diet.
Are there side effects?
Hypoglycemia is a common side effect in this instance, and noticeable signs may include:
- Excessive thirst
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Hunger
- Confusion, anxiety and/or irritability
- Tachycardia (a common type of heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia) in which the heart beats faster than normal while at rest)
- Lightheadedness and shakiness
- Sweating and chills
Additionally, patients may also experience some constipation, low-grade acidosis and increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Women may also experience amenorrhea or other disruptions to the menstrual cycle.
The “Keto Flu”
This “keto flu” is a condition that can happen in the beginning stages of the diet and can last a few days. The keto flu includes poor energy and mental function, increased hunger, sleep issues, nausea, digestive discomfort and decreased exercise performance. To minimize the effects of the keto flu, try a regular low-carb diet for the first few weeks. This may teach your body to burn more fat before you completely eliminate carbs.
What you should know
- Adopt a long-term approach to weight management and avoid quick fixes
- Eat for nutrition. Cut out sugary drinks (Americans get up to 30% of calories from sugary drinks)
- Eat mostly vegetables and some fruit (half your plate should be vegetables)
- Choose whole foods (eat mostly things that ‘feed and grow’)
- Avoid packaged and processed foods
- All fast food and sweetened foods are occasional treats
- Move your body everyday
- Add activity that raises your heart rate most days of the week
- Choose activities you like and can stick to for the long term
- Talk to your healthcare provider about your specific health risks and get individual advice
