As the First Lady of Nutrition, I have more than 4 decades of experience with diets and weight loss, and the associated trends that come and go. One thing I’ve observed is that when we go to drastic extremes with diets, whether it’s extremely low fat or, in the case of keto, extremely high fat and low carb, it can put too much stress on the body and serious problems arise. Bottom line: When a diet like keto sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Originally developed in the 1920s as a medical treatment for children with seizures, the ketogenic diet has taken the weight loss world by storm for the past few years. With its goal of 75% fat, 20% protein and a mere 5% carbs, it’s a huge change from the standard American diet of more than 50% carbs.
This way of eating switches your body from burning sugar and carbs as fuel to using fats as its primary energy source, and this can be a total game changer for your health – when it’s done properly. But, with huge changes comes huge challenges for those whose genetics and fat metabolism just aren’t geared for it.
First of all, I need you to know: if keto failed you – you didn’t lose weight and you felt awful – it’s NOT your fault! One diet truly does not fit all, and keto may not be the right fit for you.
The high amount of fats required for your body to go into ketosis and extreme fat-burning are not right for everyone. Check out these articles to learn more about who shouldn’t do keto, how to fix your fat metabolism and how to know when a diet is the right diet for you: