Obesity affects nearly four out of every ten adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With so many in search of a healthier way of eating, it’s no wonder that diet trends like the ketogenic (or keto) diet have a way of capturing the public’s imagination.
While typical diets are about restricting calories, the keto diet is more concerned with carefully controlling the types of calories that you consume.
Here’s how it works. Carbohydrates (or carbs) are usually our most common source of calories, partly because of how readily our body converts them into energy. They’re found in foods like bread, starchy vegetables and pasta. On the keto diet, you limit carbs and replace them with mostly fats and some proteins. Meat, nuts, butter, eggs, avocados and non-starchy vegetables are prominent in many keto plans. This forces your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. In this state, your body converts fat into energy that results in weight loss.
On paper it might sound like a good idea, but not so fast says Jackie Enlund, MPH, RD, LD, a Registered Dietitian with the Diabetes and Nutrition Teaching Center. “We don’t know the long-term effects of ketosis on the body,” she says.
Another concern is the inability to maintain a keto diet over time. “With weight loss, you want to find a healthy way of eating that you can commit to long term,” Enlund says. “Because the keto diet is limiting, people tend to go on and off of it. This leads to yo-yo dieting, which makes it even harder to lose weight in the future.”
Enlund cautions against any approach that promises a quick fix. “Choose foods from all of the food groups that you actually enjoy and eat them in the right amounts,” she says. “That’s the key to maintaining a healthy weight over time.”
More tips for maintaining a healthy weight
- Set realistic goals. While slow progress can be frustrating, changes that take time are the ones that are likely to last.
- Don’t skip meals. If you let yourself get too hungry, you’re likely to overcompensate with more calories later on.
- Avoid overeating “traps.” Plan ahead and keep smart snacks on hand for the times you know you may be tempted to overeat.
- Eat a balanced diet. Find foods that you enjoy from every food group. Healthy eating isn’t about deprivation, it’s about treating your body to the nutrients it needs.