Why are ketogenic diets so effective for fat loss?
A ketogenic based diet will, in my opinion, help MOST individuals lose more weight & bodyfat than any other type of “diet”. Although changing a bit, a lot of people’s perception is that a high fat diet is “bad for them”. Most responsible for this belief is mainstream nutritional dogma. Several decades ago, the entire population was advised to eat a low-fat, high-carb diet. During that time, no studies had shownthat a LFHC diet could prevent disease. From an article written by Kris Gunnars
The Low-Fat Guidelines & The Obesity Epidemic
The low-fat guidelines were first published in the year 1977. Since then, the major health organizations and the government have not changed their position. Has this advice been effective against the obesity epidemic? A picture speaks more than a thousand words…
Of course, many things were changing in society at the time and this graph does not prove that the guidelines caused the obesity epidemic, just that it started at the same time the guidelines were published. However, I personally find it plausible that demonizing fat and giving refined carbs and sugar the green light may have had something to do with it.
Because everyone thought that fat was the root of all evil, all kinds of low-fat junk foods flooded the market. These foods were loaded with refined carbs, sugar and HFCS, which actually are associated with heart disease, diabetes, obesity and all those diseases that the low-fat diet was meant to treat.
Bottom Line
The low-fat guidelines were first published in the year 1977, around the exact same time the obesity epidemic started.
Since then, many high quality studies have been done, including the Women’s Health Initiative, which is the largest nutrition study in history. The results were clear… this diet does not cause weight loss, prevent cancer OR reduce the risk of heart disease.
After a carbohydrate rich meal, your pancreas secretes insulin to your blood stream. It pulls the sugar out of the blood and into your fat cells. While insulin is present in the bloodstream, your fat cells will not to release any fat to burn. One of insulin's jobs is to remove sugar from the blood, sugar in the blood is very damaging to the body. When you consume a high carb meal, especially one with a lot of sugar in it, the pancreas usually over reacts & releases too much insulin, removing all of the sugar out of your blood, causing your blood sugar level to fall too low, making you crave carbs, especially sugar. So, how many carbs should you be consuming per day? Well, there is no definite number that is best for everyone. 30 grams has always been the recognized amount, but some seem to do better with less, say 10 – 15 grams, while others ( especially intense strength trainers) may be better served at the 40 -50 gram count. In either case, your body is relying heavily on fat for energy, all day long!
Can you lose “WEIGHT”, by eating a high carb diet? Of course, if you are counting calories and exercising more to make sure that you are in a caloric deficit... the main stream weight loss groups espouse this approach, continuously lowering calories until the goal weight is achieved . But, how realistic is that? It only delivers fat loss as long
as you can maintain the willpower & the discipline.
A huge advantage of a high fat, low carb dietis the ability to satiate & suppress the appetite. After the body becomes fat adapted ( usually about a months time frame), your bodies natural appetite control mechanism kicks in, and you would not continue to eat after your body consumed enough calories. You wouldn't want to eat any more. This is how a normal metabolism should work, but we’ve screwed our system up so bad with processed foods, especially refined carbohydrate, that this natural regulatory system is completely out of whack.
Another advantage of a low carb/high fat diet is muscle retention, provided you're consuming enough protein,( approximately 1 gram per pound of lean body mass) you will not lose muscle, you’ll actually be gaining lean muscle. When you diet to lose weight
on a high carb, low fat diet, you will lose muscle along with fat…in extreme cases of low
calories on a high carb, low fat diet, you can actually lose the majority of weight from lean muscle mass, slowing the metabolism even further in the process.
What are the best foods to eat on a ketogenic diet?
Almost any vegetable is low in carbs except starchy ones, such as corn and potatoes. Here is a list of veggies that are unlimited in the amount you’re allowed to eat: literally
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Spinach
Celery
Asparagus
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Broccoli with cheddar cheese melted over it taste so good & it’s healthy.
Here is a basic list of “allowable” foods on a ketogenic based diet:
Eggs – whole, bacon, pepperoni, sausage
Ham, Chicken Wings ( no batter or breading)
Colby, Mozzarella & cheddar cheese
Macadamia, almonds & walnuts
Ground Beef, tuna, cod, salmon, chicken breast, steak, turkey
Diet coke, diet tea ( use sparingly)
Mustard, hot sauce, full fat mayo