Today we’re talking about the secret to losing weight correctly. Or the reasons why people tend to fail on what they think of as a ketogenic diet.

The popular (mis)perception of keto

We hear a lot about keto currently, and the popular perception is that there are many experts out there who can tell us what to do. The truth, however, is that there is no accountability to the definition of what keto is. About 90% of all the information comes from marketers who have never done keto before, and what they think they know about it is probably wrong.  

The definition of keto

Ketosis gets gauged by measuring your ketones with a keto meter. So the definition of what keto is can only be determined by whether or not you are in ketosis while you are on it.

The start of the ketogenic diet

The ketogenic diet started in 1925. The term ketogenic diet was coined in around 1921 by William Wilder in response to the previous decades of fasting for diabetes and other conditions. 

The term ‘ketogenic diet’

The ketogenic diet was used strictly for epilepsy, mostly for pediatric epilepsy. The term ‘ketogenic diet’ came about because it is a diet that causes people to produce ketones that occur when people are fasting.

A new application

In the past, the ketogenic diet was only about epilepsy, so the application of keto to diabetes or weight loss is very new. Certain things need to be put in place for you to achieve success with it, and for your body to make the necessary changes.

No studies 

Using keto for weight loss is very new, and there are no studies to prove that keto is effective for weight loss.

The common-sense approach

The common-sense approach to keto and weight loss lies in gaining a deeper understanding of how various foods affect the body.

Losing weight

To effectively lose weight, you have to move away from carbs. And you have to be kind to your body while doing that, so you cannot do it quickly. It has to be a gradual process.

The secret

The secret of losing weight on the ketogenic diet is tracking. Education is also vital.

The 1800s

If you look at menus from the 1800s, you will see that they are 90% protein, with very few vegetables.

Misinformation about what you should be eating

There is not much data available currently to inform people about what they should be eating. And a lot of the available information is misinforming people. 

Facebook groups 

Within Facebook groups, there is migration and an evolution towards a low carbohydrate (and eventually no carbohydrates) and a higher protein diet. 

Protein

You cannot overeat protein, in the whole food sense, by itself as you could with carbohydrates, because you would get too full.

Macros

When dealing with the categories of the macros of fat, carbohydrate, and protein as whole food areas, you have to remove the grains and root vegetables from the carbohydrate category. Not because they are unhealthy, but rather because they have very high sugar content.

Changing your diet in stages

If you want to lose weight, your body needs to adapt to a high protein and a low or no carbohydrate diet. That means that you have to change your diet slowly, in various stages.

Structure

The secret to losing weight with a keto diet lies in tracking your diet, educating yourself, being prepared to make changes, and having a structure. 

Links and resources:

Join our Keto Naturopath Facebook group

The Charlie Foundation