Chewing the Fat with the Keto Diet
We’ve been getting a lot of questions about diets. With CrossFit Holland’s 8 Week Transformation going full-tilt soon, there have been lots of questions about nutrition.
“What’s a macronutrient? How do I count macros?”
“How many calories is too many?”
“What is a “keto?” I heard you get to eat all the bacon you want.”
“What is Dogecoin?”
Hold!
While I’m going to leave the nuances of cryptocurrency alone for now (it’s made-up money, but all money is made up), let’s tackle that question about the ever-popular, ever-divisive diet known as Keto.
Keto is a form of dietary restriction that leans into the extremes of macronutrient manipulation. It’s not a simple fix for being overweight, and in fact it’s a bit complicated and controversial amongst health and fitness professionals. Let’s explore just what the heck Keto really is and why it seems like such an inviting method of fat loss and weight control.
“Your butt is wide, well mine is too/Just watch your mouth or I'll sit on you.” -Fat, Weird Al Yankovic
The Ketogenic Diet (“Keto” for short) is in reference to ketosis, the state of metabolism where you burn your body’s fat store to fuel your... well, your everything. Instead of using carbohydrates as your primary energy source your body shifts gears to metabolize fats instead.
Sounds cool, eh? Who wouldn’t want to burn off your love handles with deadlifts and cardio?
It has just occurred to me that Eddie Hall is wearing his knee sleeves around his calves. He truly is The Beast.
Here’s the thing though, fat is not the first choice of a fuel source for your body. The gas that powers your engine, so to speak, is usually supplied by carbohydrates (more specifically, glucose).
“So, wait, how do I make my body burn fat instead of carbs?”
Well, your body will always burn carbs first before ever touching your fat stores. The way the Keto Diet works is simple: you dramatically reduce your carb intake to negligible levels (at most ingesting 50 grams of carbohydrates each day) and replace your intake with fat (for example, a cup of rice would have over 50 grams of carbs. Or a hamburger bun. Or a large potato. Or a single bottle of Coca-Cola).
Theoretically, you stimulate your body to go into a perpetual state of ketosis, which is when your body is burning fat instead of carbs to power every facet of metabolism. “Ketosis” refers to breaking down ketones to fuel your mitochondria, produced when glycogen stores have been depleted.
I hope Mr. Lake, my high school biology teacher, is proud of me now!
Your fat is your backup battery when you run out of gas in your Prius (surprise! Your body is a Toyota. Mine is definitely an 88 Corolla that hasn’t had an oil change since the Clinton administration).
The science is pretty simple and straight-forward: if you don’t consume carbs, your body can’t use that for fuel and will resort to its next source- your body fat.
Sounds pretty sweet. And it is! There are thousands of people who have gotten amazing results from adhering to a ketogenic diet. But that’s the thing... they are absolutely strict on their diet. They hardly- if ever- deviate from that diet.
The moment you go off diet and consume carbohydrates above your threshold, your body is going to put that away like a squirrel putting away acorns for the winter. ‘
“Watch out boy she'll chew you up (Oh, here she comes) She's a maneater.” - Maneater, Hall & Oates
“Ok, I think I get it. This is a very extreme version of “eat this, not that.” Got it.”
... Sort of. On the Keto diet, it’s highly recommended that you eat foods like:
Meat
Fish
Fats (nuts, seeds, the Millennial favorite avocado...)
Oils (olive, coconut)
Eggs
Dairy
Veggies (Yes, veggies! But not the fun ones. Broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale... ugh)
Vegetarian options are hard to come by, but things like seitan can help replace meat and other options.
What shouldn’t you eat?
Sugar. Hard no on this. Even small amounts of sugar intake can wreck your insulin-spiking, making you spiral out of ketosis.
Fruit (yes, the natural sugars in fruit will do the same thing with your blood sugar as a candy bar)
Starchy foods (potatoes, rice, bread)
Beans (no more Taco Bell for you)
Beer (this immediately disqualifies me)
I mean, I can’t give up going to a bar like this one.
“Mouth is alive, with juices like wine/And I'm hungry like the wolf” -Hungry Like the Wolf, Duran Duran.
“This seems pretty strict to me”
You’re darn right it is. You eliminate pretty much all the foods your body associates with ready-to-use fuel and solely eat harder-to-digest fats and proteins. And this makes sense! On a physiological level, there’s a perfect logic to it: don’t give your body the chance to convert fuel to body fat.
However...
Let’s set aside that even though we talked about falling out of ketosis, there is a danger to Keto. Without proper research and planning, it’s far too easy to overeat with Keto-friendly foods. Yes, protein and fat will satiate your hunger more so than simple carbs would, but the portion sizes (specifically with fats) will be MUCH smaller.
A single gram of carbohydrates carries 4 calories of energy.
One gram of protein also is worth 4 calories of energy.
An equivalent amount of fat racks up to 9 calories of energy. That is over TWICE the amount of carbs and protein.
With that knowledge, understanding that measuring out foods and absolutely scouring the nutrient facts of all your groceries is critical to proper planning. Because it doesn’t matter what your diet consists of if you are constantly overeating. There is one basic science to any sort of weight-loss diet:
Calories eaten must be less than your calories burned.
While some studies show that long-term use of the keto diet can be just fine and dandy, other studies show that extended diets consisting of mostly fats (specifically saturated fats) can result in a range of health issues including Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and insulin resistance. Then again... long-term obesity which is endemic of high sugar intake and lack of exercise has its own range of health issues that has plagued the United States for decades.
“You made me cry when you said goodbye.” -Ain’t That a Shame, Fats Domino
“So, should I NOT do keto? Or should I? I’m so confused.”
The answer isn’t something I can just tell you. Nobody can just say, “Yeah, don’t eat candy and only eat meat and you’ll get ripped.” Anyone looking at making a change in their life has to do the research and consult with a licensed physician and a nutrition expert before embarking on any fitness journeys.
Diets are great to experiment with. Everyone’s body reacts differently to different foods. I can eat all the ice cream I want, but as soon as my sister touches a McFlurry she’s locked in the bathroom for the next four episodes of WandaVision.
So about two hours.
“Now a whole lot of woman needs a whole lot more.” -Big Girl (You Are Beautiful), Mika
In conclusion, here are my completely biased, unscientific observations on the Keto diet:
I think it’s great for people who are severely overweight to shed some pounds.
I think the science behind the metabolic pathway manipulation is pretty genius.
I think in order to successfully adhere to this diet safely and nutritiously it takes a certain dedication that is non-conducive to a well-rounded lifestyle and isn’t sustainable nor healthy for the long term. I think the Keto Diet neglects the fact that the brain needs sugar from healthy carbs to function properly and low-carb diets can cause neurological effects that have not been studied extensively.
I think that an improperly planned keto diet can lead to issues common in the average American diet such as high amounts of saturated fats, leading to heart disease and cholesterol issues.
I think that eating such a restrictive diet is difficult to sustain and any sort of failure will likely lead to weight gain as your body recovers. I’d rather see someone add more activity and keep a well-balanced diet than go to such an über-restrictive eating pattern, especially without proper exercise or research.
Once again! Before jumping into an extreme diet, I implore you to consult a nutrition specialist and your physician. There are hundreds of crazy ways to eat. Find one that works for you for the long haul.
I mean, or don’t. I’m a blogger, not a cop.
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Dennis is a fitness writer and coach for CrossFit Holland in Holland, Michigan. If you’re interested in the programming, consultation, or activities of CFH check us out right here and sign up for a free workout. We’d love to have you join our growing community of health and fitness!