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Was there any reason that keto diets became popular? In my personal experience a diet high in proteins with overall calorific deficit works the best. Carbs seem

Was there any reason that keto diets became popular? In my personal experience a diet high in proteins with overall calorific deficit works the best. Carbs seem to keep me more energetic, workouts are better and I have much more options on what I can eat. I have seen it being quoted that Keto's effectiveness has been proved but is it any better than a balanced high protein diet.

narag 6y ago
Keto, in any of its multiple incarnations, works. That's why it became popular. I just lost 20 kg if you like anecdotes. I first heard about it in the 70's when it became popular in Spain. That time it was called Atkins. It has always been controversial and there has been a lot of disinformation about it. If you want to see an example look in Wikipedia the difference in tone between articles about Atkins or ketogenic diets and ketosis itself. While ketosis seems like a regular metabolic process as any other, anything about the diets is pictured as controversial and pseudoscientific, even if it's just based on ketosis. I just stopped caring. The diet itself is much easier to follow now than it seems. There are tons of information in the web, a lot of products and carbs tables. In particular, what I do now different is using a lot more of vegetal food: avocados, broccoli, salads and less protein, but still some unprocessed beef, poultry or fish every day. Erytritol is nicer to my guts than other sweeteners, too. Oh, and don't forget vitamins supplements, specially B1 to accelerate metabolism, but the more complete the better. I exercise regularly with no problems, gaining some muscle at the same time that I lost fat. And my last blood analysis gave some superb numbers. Edit: protein shakes that I bought for the gym are also a nice trick.
- zwaps 6y ago
  I lost 40kg without Keto.
- meowzero 6y ago
  Keto “works” (which I assume you mean for weight loss) because it helps people get into a caloric deficit easier. High fat and moderate protein is highly satiating and helps people to eat fewer calories without needing to track calories closely. Of course, it’s also possible to gain weight if you eat at caloric surplus in Keto. Also, since carbs are virtually eliminated, most of the weight loss in the beginning is water and glycogen. Gaining muscle while losing fat is possible in a regular diet. That’s called newbie gains. And since you lost weight, your blood numbers improved. Since keto works for you, it’s great. But I wanted to clarify that your result is not specially because of the keto diet. It can be achieved with just about any diet.
  - narag 6y ago
    So you think that ketosis doesn't exist and that I've lost 20 kg of water and glycogen? Or are you trying to make a point out of things you didn't say?
    - meowzero 6y ago
      Ketosis exists. You didn’t just lose 20kg of water and glycogen. In the beginning you probably did though. My point is that everything you did is possible with a regular diet. You can lose weight, improve blood numbers, gain muscle/lose fat at same time, etc. with a regular diet.
      - nmfisher 6y ago
        > My point is that everything you did is possible with a regular diet. You can lose weight, improve blood numbers, gain muscle/lose fat at same time, etc. with a regular diet. True, but keto (or at least "low carb") makes it much, much easier to manage your hunger/appetite/satiety signals. You'd really have to go to a lot of effort to overeat on meat and vegetables.
  - 52-6F-62 6y ago
    This is a topic I find mildly entertaining. Most high-performance athletes don't follow these kinds of special diets [keto, or other fads] and instead focus on balance. Sure, some take to custom-tailored macro nutrient balances and all that, but for the most part the equation is pretty similar. And very often there's a major emphasis on lean proteins and vegetables. I don't know why there's an effort to look elsewhere for answers, beyond looking for shortcuts.
    - narag 6y ago
      Fad, something that's been around for half a century? It's also mildly entertaing that you think the high-performance athletes' diets are a model for regular people trying to lose weight.
- tiptoemicein 6y ago
  > I just lost 20 kg if you like anecdotes That sounds good but I think it's what you weigh in, say, 5 years time that really counts. Your brain will by then have fully learnt the new diet and it may not satisfy to the extent that it currently does. The glamour will have worn off and you'll have been tempted many times to rejoin the prevailing carbohydrate culture, if only to appease a cake-baking relative.
  - narag 6y ago
    No, that's not what happens. I have a long story fighting my metabolism. It's just not possible for me to eat like people around me and not get fat, except in periods where I've been very physically active, as in heavy exercise dayly. In my twenties I did the diet three times, alternating with sports, last time for two years. Later the problem was eating in restaurants for work. Eventually I regained control without the need of a diet... until a couple of years ago. Nothing worked and it seemed like I was going to lose the final battle. A relentless weight gain, even with very limited calories intake. So I decided to try again keto in March, that I had not done in a decade. For me it's not a problem to keep relatives or acquitances from tempting me. I did learn the key phrases to shut the allegedly well meaning people that offers sugar. It's funny how the most frequent question is: why a diet? You're not fat. People are used to diets that don't work. Now the only trick is to prepare meals at home. In any case, I don't plan to be doing a diet forever. Just some months more to lose a little more, then exercising more often to keep the weight.
    - tiptoemicein 6y ago
      OK. Good luck. I should check up on you in 5 years :-)
VLM 6y ago
keto usually results in appetite suppression which is where the "real" weight loss comes from. If I eat a cookie I'll feel hungry for another cookie in an hour or two even though biochemically I definitely do not need another cookie. Alternately a modest handful of pecans with virtually no carbs (like 2g) and I won't feel hunger.
- actuator 6y ago
  But aren't fats calorie dense as well. Just 10g of Pecan is about 7g of fat and 70 calories. So even though you are consuming less in weight, it is more calorie dense. Cookies are not even a good carb source and I doubt any diet will have it as a part. If you really want to not feel hungry, it is the fibre rich foods that seem to work best and don't even add to your caloric intake significantly.
meowzero 6y ago
I think there’s some research on Ketogenic diet’s effectiveness on epilepsy. But for general diet/health/weight loss, most of keto’s benefits sound like pseudoscience. That goes for many diet fads, not just keto.

narag 6y ago

Keto, in any of its multiple incarnations, works. That's why it became popular. I just lost 20 kg if you like anecdotes. I first heard about it in the 70's when it became popular in Spain. That time it was called Atkins. It has always been controversial and there has been a lot of disinformation about it. If you want to see an example look in Wikipedia the difference in tone between articles about Atkins or ketogenic diets and ketosis itself. While ketosis seems like a regular metabolic process as any other, anything about the diets is pictured as controversial and pseudoscientific, even if it's just based on ketosis. I just stopped caring. The diet itself is much easier to follow now than it seems. There are tons of information in the web, a lot of products and carbs tables. In particular, what I do now different is using a lot more of vegetal food: avocados, broccoli, salads and less protein, but still some unprocessed beef, poultry or fish every day. Erytritol is nicer to my guts than other sweeteners, too. Oh, and don't forget vitamins supplements, specially B1 to accelerate metabolism, but the more complete the better. I exercise regularly with no problems, gaining some muscle at the same time that I lost fat. And my last blood analysis gave some superb numbers. Edit: protein shakes that I bought for the gym are also a nice trick.

zwaps 6y ago
I lost 40kg without Keto.
meowzero 6y ago
Keto “works” (which I assume you mean for weight loss) because it helps people get into a caloric deficit easier. High fat and moderate protein is highly satiating and helps people to eat fewer calories without needing to track calories closely. Of course, it’s also possible to gain weight if you eat at caloric surplus in Keto. Also, since carbs are virtually eliminated, most of the weight loss in the beginning is water and glycogen. Gaining muscle while losing fat is possible in a regular diet. That’s called newbie gains. And since you lost weight, your blood numbers improved. Since keto works for you, it’s great. But I wanted to clarify that your result is not specially because of the keto diet. It can be achieved with just about any diet.
- narag 6y ago
  So you think that ketosis doesn't exist and that I've lost 20 kg of water and glycogen? Or are you trying to make a point out of things you didn't say?
  - meowzero 6y ago
    Ketosis exists. You didn’t just lose 20kg of water and glycogen. In the beginning you probably did though. My point is that everything you did is possible with a regular diet. You can lose weight, improve blood numbers, gain muscle/lose fat at same time, etc. with a regular diet.
    - nmfisher 6y ago
      > My point is that everything you did is possible with a regular diet. You can lose weight, improve blood numbers, gain muscle/lose fat at same time, etc. with a regular diet. True, but keto (or at least "low carb") makes it much, much easier to manage your hunger/appetite/satiety signals. You'd really have to go to a lot of effort to overeat on meat and vegetables.
- 52-6F-62 6y ago
  This is a topic I find mildly entertaining. Most high-performance athletes don't follow these kinds of special diets [keto, or other fads] and instead focus on balance. Sure, some take to custom-tailored macro nutrient balances and all that, but for the most part the equation is pretty similar. And very often there's a major emphasis on lean proteins and vegetables. I don't know why there's an effort to look elsewhere for answers, beyond looking for shortcuts.
  - narag 6y ago
    Fad, something that's been around for half a century? It's also mildly entertaing that you think the high-performance athletes' diets are a model for regular people trying to lose weight.
tiptoemicein 6y ago
> I just lost 20 kg if you like anecdotes That sounds good but I think it's what you weigh in, say, 5 years time that really counts. Your brain will by then have fully learnt the new diet and it may not satisfy to the extent that it currently does. The glamour will have worn off and you'll have been tempted many times to rejoin the prevailing carbohydrate culture, if only to appease a cake-baking relative.
- narag 6y ago
  No, that's not what happens. I have a long story fighting my metabolism. It's just not possible for me to eat like people around me and not get fat, except in periods where I've been very physically active, as in heavy exercise dayly. In my twenties I did the diet three times, alternating with sports, last time for two years. Later the problem was eating in restaurants for work. Eventually I regained control without the need of a diet... until a couple of years ago. Nothing worked and it seemed like I was going to lose the final battle. A relentless weight gain, even with very limited calories intake. So I decided to try again keto in March, that I had not done in a decade. For me it's not a problem to keep relatives or acquitances from tempting me. I did learn the key phrases to shut the allegedly well meaning people that offers sugar. It's funny how the most frequent question is: why a diet? You're not fat. People are used to diets that don't work. Now the only trick is to prepare meals at home. In any case, I don't plan to be doing a diet forever. Just some months more to lose a little more, then exercising more often to keep the weight.
  - tiptoemicein 6y ago
    OK. Good luck. I should check up on you in 5 years :-)

VLM 6y ago

keto usually results in appetite suppression which is where the "real" weight loss comes from. If I eat a cookie I'll feel hungry for another cookie in an hour or two even though biochemically I definitely do not need another cookie. Alternately a modest handful of pecans with virtually no carbs (like 2g) and I won't feel hunger.

actuator 6y ago
But aren't fats calorie dense as well. Just 10g of Pecan is about 7g of fat and 70 calories. So even though you are consuming less in weight, it is more calorie dense. Cookies are not even a good carb source and I doubt any diet will have it as a part. If you really want to not feel hungry, it is the fibre rich foods that seem to work best and don't even add to your caloric intake significantly.

meowzero 6y ago

I think there’s some research on Ketogenic diet’s effectiveness on epilepsy. But for general diet/health/weight loss, most of keto’s benefits sound like pseudoscience. That goes for many diet fads, not just keto.