It’s a new year, but you have the same old resolution: lose weight. But this time, you’re going to take it more seriously. You’re not just going to eat less and exercise more—that never seemed to keep you motivated. Instead, you’ll give that hot new diet your friend told you about a try. It worked for her, so it will work for you, right? Not necessarily.

Diet Programs Are Not One-Size-Fits-All

Away from the swell of infomercials for cleanses, bestselling diet books, and trending tips in magazines, is the credibility of science. The most effective diets are backed by extensive scientific evidence, not only for weight loss, but also for health benefits like controlling blood pressure and preventing heart attacks. And while no diet is definitively best, some will work better for you than others based on your goals, medical conditions, and more.

So, that incredible diet your friend told you about…the one that helped her drop a bunch of pounds quickly and easily? The ketogenic (keto) diet did wonders for her, but can it do the same for you?

What is the Keto Diet?

It may seem like a fad, but the low-carb keto diet has been destroying body fat since the 1920s when scientific researchers found that fasting reduced the number of seizures suffered by epilepsy patients. They also realized it positively affected cholesterol, blood sugar, body fat, and hunger levels—and thus, a new diet plan was born. But since long-term fasting isn’t exactly feasible for most of us, the keto diet was adapted to trick the body into thinking it’s fasting by eliminating glucose (sugar) found in carbohydrates. Followers of this plan can be found scarfing down cheese, eggs, and olive oil while scoffing at just about every carb other than vegetables. This puts the body into a state of ketogenesis, where glucose levels plummet, you burn more fat, and ketone bodies (which can be measured in the urine, breath, or blood) are relied on as a primary energy source.

As you can imagine, when you’re burning nothing but fat, you can lose weight rapidly, even while consuming all those high-fat delights you avoided with other diets in the past. No more counting calories, feeling hungry, or racking up miles on the treadmill.

Is the Keto Diet Right for You? 

While the keto diet is highly effective for many people, it’s also one of the most difficult plans to stick to. Can you see yourself giving up that soft Italian bread with your pasta, that delicious slice of pizza, or those bagels with lox in the morning? It takes a lot of willpower to keep those yummy carbs at bay. If you think you’re up to the challenge, are eager to lose lots of pounds, and you’re in relatively good health otherwise, the keto diet may be exactly what you’ve been looking for. For others, however, it may be exactly what you should avoid.

The keto diet is not effective for everyone. (Photo by Goh Rhy Yan on Unsplash)

Skip Keto If…

• …you have hypothyroidism. You may feel good on the keto diet at first, but chances are, it won’t last. A severe carb restriction can decrease T3 levels up to 40%, which lowers your thyroid hormone levels even further, ultimately worsening your thyroid dysfunction.
• …you’re looking to gain/keep muscle mass. Research shows that sufficient protein, along with resistance training, is necessary to build muscle. While the amount needed is debated, the bottom line is that the keto diet doesn’t get close to the necessary levels, halting your progress, or worse, causing you to actually lose muscle mass.
• …you have hypoglycemia. If you have hypoglycemia, you know you need a steady supply of carbohydrates throughout the day to prevent symptoms like sweating, weakness, and fainting. Although some sufferers can become “keto adapted” and switch to running on fat for fuel instead of carbs, most who attempt the keto diet end up constantly battling those symptoms.

Testing is Key to Going Keto

Having trouble losing weight? Not sure if the keto diet is the way to go for you? Twin Cities Metabolism can help. With thorough testing, we can identify metabolism issues that may be standing in the way and customize a plan that may or may not include keto, so you can finally stop guessing with your health.

Ready to take charge of your health? We’re ready to help. Get in touch.