The ketogenic diet was initially recognized for its efficacy in aiding weight loss. A high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet encourages a state of nutritional ketosis, which is a typical metabolic condition demonstrated by reasonable degrees of ketones in the bloodstream.
The concept of reducing carbohydrates in order to shed pounds is that it can stimulate the breaking down of fat stores in the body to be burned off or changed into ketones to be used for energy (in addition to extra dietary fat, which helps generate ketones).
For many years, the main focus of following a diet was to keep track of how many calories were eaten. But not keto.
Are All Calories Created Equal
The question sparking hot debates in scientific circles! The initial law of thermodynamics (or the regulation of energy conservation) affirms that energy can neither be developed nor annihilated. In terms of managing body weight, this concept can be simplified to: weight gain = the number of calories consumed – the number of calories burned. According to this conventional view, it does not matter what type of food is eaten; any calories will do. To shed pounds, create an imbalance in calories by either consuming fewer or burning off more. To gain weight, increase calorie intake. The opposition believes that the amount of calories consumed still matters, but what kind of food is eaten will have a significant influence on energy levels required to be used and the kind of food the body desires.
It takes a lot more energy to digest and save protein than it does carbohydrate or fat, and this is referred to as the thermic effect of food.
Essentially, when dieting, more energy is expended due to the body having to expend more energy to process the protein. A research found that people on a high-protein eating regimen expend twice as much energy after eating in comparison to those on a high carbohydrate, low-fat diet. Another examination examined the impacts of three meal plans that had diverse macronutrient (carbohydrates, fat, and protein) proportions on energy expenditure while keeping up weight reduction. Reducing one’s weight can lead to a decrease in their resting energy expenditure (metabolism), which can make it more likely for them to regain the weight.
The results of the examination demonstrated that the diet that was extremely low in carbohydrates (and had the most protein) had the weakest impact on minimizing resting energy expenditure subsequent to slimming down. The second law of thermodynamics states that some energy is always dissipated in any chemical reaction, which is demonstrated by the heat that is produced from digestion, known as the thermic effect of food. The notion that the amount of calories in a food has no impact on the food’s effect on the body is contrary to the law of thermodynamics.
Different types of food are linked to changes in hormone levels. Consuming diets with a lot of carbs leads to a greater amount of insulin being released, leading to higher insulin levels and, ultimately, more fat being stored. Low insulin promotes fat burning. It is clear that the kind of food one eats can have an effect on their energy expenditure and the amount of fat they might burn.
Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, suggested that keeping to a diet that avoids pre-packaged meals and sugars is likely to lessen the problem of obesity in the US. Brain regions that deal with food rewards shaped much of the bodily reliance on processed food and refined carbohydrates. But the body can reverse it.
It has been proven that doing aerobic exercise for a short period of time can reduce a person’s desire to eat and their hunger levels, while simultaneously increasing the feeling of fullness.
Weightlifting can increase the body’s reactivity to insulin, thus resulting in lowered amounts of insulin being secreted. Insulin levels that are lower promote the body to burn fat instead of storing it. At the heart of it, shedding pounds comes from expending more energy than you take in. It is very important to consider what macro-nutrients make up the calories we are consuming. Eating different types of food can have drastically different impacts on metabolism and hormones in the body.
The ingestion (and the energy expenditure) of food has the ability to influence how much of the food you consume and if the energy from the food eaten is burned or stored. Not all calories are created equal.
Keto and Weight Loss
Does it seem odd that you can lose weight following a diet that is high in fat? Analysis of 13 randomized trials, involving 1,415 subjects, showed that those on a ketogenic diet lost more bodyweight in comparison to those who followed a low-fat diet. They were able to maintain their weight loss for 12 months or longer.
Though diets studied contained a maximum of 50 grams of carb in them (commonly seen in keto diets), a compilation of 17 controlled studies proved that having a more permissive approach of having 120 grams of carbs or more in a low-carb diet still amounted to greater weight loss than in a low-fat one. After one year on a diet that induced ketosis, people with type 2 diabetes were successful in losing 12% of their body weight.
Not seeing results from the keto diet
You’re not alone. There is a lot of inaccurate information circulating in relation to the keto diet due to its recent popularity. Many believe they are in ketosis but in reality, they are not. HVMN investigates the latest research on when to eat meals, usage of dietary supplements, and the proportion of fat, protein and carbohydrates in a diet.
“People will contend that the majority of the weight loss that comes from low-carb diets is just loss of water weight.” At the start, there is most certainly a decrease in water because of glycogen depletion, but research has demonstrated that weight decrease from a ketogenic diet that goes on for several weeks or more is largely composed of fat. What makes the keto diet so successful in aiding large-scale weight loss? There are two theories.
Metabolic Advantage
It has been suggested that, when the amount of calories are equal, a low-carb diet presents a particular metabolic benefit as opposed to a diet that is high in carbohydrates.
The low-carb diet leads to an increase in the amount of energy that is being burned. The potential explanation for this higher rate of calorie burning could be: 1. The cost of energy is higher when the thermic effect of protein is high. Consuming more protein when following the keto diet requires much more energy. When dietary carbohydrates are not abundant, protein can be broken down to form glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis. This is predicted to expend around 400 to 600 calories a day if diet is altered.
2. Increased ability to burn fat. Using a ketogenic diet increases the rate of fat burning by over two times versus a high-carb diet. Furthermore, increased levels of insulin spur the burning of fat, lessen fat accumulation, and build up lean muscle mass.
Published studies established the metabolic advantage of low-carb diets. A recent pilot experiment, despite having a skewed outcome in favor of not following a low-carb diet, revealed an increase of energy expenditure (100-150 calories/day) when one follows a ketogenic diet.
If kept up, this could result in a weight loss of around 10 to 15 pounds of fat, or it could prevent fat from being gained, over a twelve-month period.
Appetite Suppression
One of the most frequent effects of the ketogenic diet is a reduction in hunger. It has been suggested that the satiety originating from being in a state of ketosis due to the increased consumption of protein and fat could be responsible for the feeling of being full. Ketosis lowers ghrelin which increases the feeling of being hungry, while the presence of a high amount of the ketone beta-hydroxybutyrate is thought to tell the body that it has been satiated. Consumption of HVMN Ketone, a ketone ester drink, causes a state of ketosis and reduces desire for food and expression of ghrelin. The weight loss resulting from a low-carb diet likely involves both appetite suppression and burning more energy, though these two phenomena do not always occur simultaneously.
One illustration of this is that the hike in body temperature from the additional energy needed for higher protein intake can create the feeling of being full.
Keto Calories
With a ketogenic diet, if you invite people to eat without restrictions, they will likely consume less than with other types of diets. If you are consuming sustenance that can make you feel more full, you will obviously consume less.
Vegetables will give you a greater sense of fullness, protein will make you feel satisfied, fat will keep you feeling full for an extended period, and unprocessed foods will cause a higher level of thermogenesis.
So what does that all mean? To put it shortly, you will consume less food, resulting in lower calorie intake. When you limit the amount of calories you take in, your body is able to burn through its fat reserves, causing you to reduce your weight.
Consuming a large quantity of high-carbohydrate foods – particularly those which are pre-prepared – will likely cause spikes and dips in your blood sugar levels.
It is simple for people to give up and give in to their desires, thus leading to the “carb addiction” caused by serotonin and dopamine. A ketogenic diet does not possess any special abilities to help speed up metabolism. Despite the minor advantages that make it simpler for us, that is precisely why it functions.
- Weight loss on a high carb diet: calories determine the fat loss.
- Weight loss on a normal carb diet: calories determine the fat loss.
- Weight loss on a ketogenic diet: calories determine the fat loss.
- Weight gain on a high carb diet: calories determine the fat gain.
- Weight gain on a normal carb diet: calories determine the fat gain.
- Weight gain on a ketogenic diet: there’s no scientific data.
If only there was some sort of pattern here. There is no evidence to suggest that the ketogenic diet is magical, regardless of what some may think. The general agreement among scientists is that consuming excessive amounts of food will lead to weight gain.
Calories In vs. Calories Out
Remember that the simple calories in/calories out equation is only that – elementary. If you are talking in a realistic perspective, the formula stays true but you have to adjust the calorie expenditure for metabolic rates, activity levels, effectiveness of ones endocrine system, etc. The basic formula is:
Energy stored = energy in – energy out
If you need your body to consume 1800 calories, yet you are only ingesting 1300 calories. Weight loss will occur because your body uses roughly 500 calories of body fat to cover the missing 500 calories from your diet:
The difference between the amount of energy put in and the amount of energy taken out is 500, which is equal to 1300 – 1800.
This produces a theoretic decrease in weight of 1lb each week, which is equivalent to 3500 kcal for every pound of fat. If you consumed 1300 calories on a ketogenic diet and dropped two pounds within the course of 7 days, you would have utilized 1000 calories of fat stored in your body. This signifies that an extra 1000 calories are burned on a daily basis for a week apart from what you consume. In the event that is not true, the equation won’t be effective.
The stored energy would be equal to 1300 minus 1800, minus 1000.
This fails basic mathematics.
It is ineffective in mathematics and physics alike. To lose more weight on the keto diet (or any diet), your calorie expenditure must be higher. This entails boosting your metabolic rate, being extra active, etc.
The amount of energy stored is equal to the energy taken in minus the energy that is put out, which in this case is negative one thousand (-1000). That is derived from subtracting the energy output (2800) from the energy input (1800).
So, how many calories should you actually eat? Everyone’s response to a weight-loss plan will be different, depending on how much they weigh and the condition of their hormones. In a nutshell, you should never reduce your calorie intake lower than your existing fat reserves are able to sustain.
How many calories are covered by your fat stores? There is a potential to get roughly 31.4 calories for every pound of fat each day. This implies that if you have a weight of 220 pounds, of which 162 pounds would be considered lean muscle mass and 58 pounds is fat, you can consume up to 1821 calories from the fat reserves.
How to Use Calorie Counting as a Tool for Keto Success
Once you comprehend the scientific principles of energy balance and macronutrients, you might fall into the trap of believing that you have to log each and every bite of food you eat for the duration of your existence. In fact, this overly stringent approach to dropping pounds often raises the odds that it will come back on.
It is more effective to view calorie tracking as a temporary aid to be able to adjust the foods you eat. Put differently, if you don’t find the outcomes you want, measure your caloric and macronutrient intake over the course of two to three weeks.
This trial period will help you become conscious of the amount of fat, protein, and carbohydrates you are consuming. Through this action, you can adjust your instinct based on what your body requires at every meal.
To get started with your calorie-tracking experiment, you’ll need the following tools:
- A food scale — This helps take the guesswork out of how much you are eating.
- Our keto calculator — By plugging your info into the calculator, you’ll get science-based estimates of how much you should eat to get the results you want.
- A keto-friendly tracking app — With the help of the right tracking app, you can use the numbers from the food scale and keto calculator to personalize your keto meals.
Calorie Counting, Keto, and Weight Loss
Although creating a calorie deficit is essential when trying to lose weight, it is not necessary to monitor every single food item you consume to experience the best results.
In truth, one of the most effective approaches for long-term accomplishments is consuming foods with a high level of satiety that keep you content while you shed pounds.
Can you consume an unlimited amount of food on a keto diet and still not put on pounds? Of course not. No matter what diet you are on, if you eat more calories than your body needs, you will end up gaining weight.
If reducing your carbohydrate consumption does not have the results you were hoping for, it is possible that the total amount of calories you are consuming is the root of the issue. Monitoring your diet for a period of 2-3 weeks can be beneficial.
To get started, follow these three steps:
- Order and use a food scale to measure what you eat.
- Download and configure a keto-friendly tracking app.
- Personalize your macro targets and meals using our keto calculator.
If you find it too hard to keep track of a ketogenic diet, we provide an app that will create a customized meal plan for you, simplifying the process.
