On the surface, keto appears to be the ultimate fad diet. It’s on the cover of every magazine, celebrities seem to be endorsing it left and right, and every health food store boasts some new keto protein powder. Even more spectacular than the hype are the results. People seem to be losing massive amounts of weight that they attribute directly to a ketogenic diet. There’s a lot of buzz surrounding keto, but the results are real.
1. Fat Loss
Diets are designed to target a wide array of things. It goes without saying that most people choose a diet to help them lose weight, but some diets have other areas of focus (like heart health, managing water retention, muscle building, reducing inflammation, etc) they’re targeting with food. Keto is designed to help people use fat to lose fat.
So how does keto work? Keto is known for its remarkable ability to push the body to become fat adapted, where its primary fuel source is fat. People with a lot of fat to use find that the keto diet leaves them with a lot of fuel. Those who never saw themselves getting up off the couch suddenly have an athlete’s level of energy, and they’re rapidly burning up their stores.
2. Cognitive Benefits
Many people don’t know that the ketogenic diet was originally designed to help patients living with Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease. The theory that inflammation in the brain was tied to carbohydrates and that fat helped to repair the body came from research conducted many years ago. People still use low carb diets and plans similar to keto to manage chronic conditions that impact cognitive function.
Now, people without these conditions utilize keto for the same benefits. If you’re dealing with chronic fatigue, brain fog, or overwhelming stress, keto can help improve memory and brain function in ways that other diets can’t.
3. The Food is Delicious
Fat is flavor. That’s why cheese, bacon, and fried foods are so delicious. Fat adds richness and depth to everything we eat. Many diets revolve around eliminating fats, resulting in bland meals that people feel as though they have to force themselves to eat. That’s why so many people don’t stick to diets.
Since keto is fat dominant, it’s also flavor dominant. Many dieters find keto food to be easier to eat. Keto dieters aren’t really suffering. Bacon cheeseburgers without the bun aren’t exactly a chore to eat.
4. A Faster Form of Weight Loss
Most ketogenic dieters will begin to see results immediately. Many other diets take time, and calorie counting diets leave a lot of room for error as people adjust to new portion sizes and determine what foods they need to cut out of their lives to make room for their caloric budget.
Keto tells you what to cut out and what to eat right away. You only need to look at the carb and fat contents of your food to adhere to a ketogenic diet. It’s a lot easier than strategically planning meals to cut down the number of calories you’re consuming. While you do still need to manage your calories on keto, there are so many recipes and menu options virtually everywhere. Many keto dieters find that most of the work is already done for them.
5. It’s Adaptable
There are so many variations of a ketogenic diet – including the so called “lazy keto” for people who don’t want to go crazy transitioning into an entirely new way of eating. Some people do a higher carb version of keto (as traditional keto involves almost no carbs) and supplement it with a few little workouts, and others mix it with a water fasting program. Keto can easily be made to suit different lifestyles.
Conclusion
People are making the switch to keto because the results are in. So many people have been eager to share their success with the diet, and the amount of free information about it on the internet is astounding. It’s easy to stick to, it’s easy to find community in, and the food is delicious. Keto is the anti-dieter’s diet, and it’s only growing in popularity.