Is cutting carbs the key to losing weight? A detailed look at why is the ketogenic diet so popular. Is it the best diet, and is it sustainable for the long-term results?

Many of us have heard of the Low Carb diet or have a friend who avoids carbs like the biblical plague. This intense avoidance of carbs may have some positive and negative effects. I’ll try and list some of the pro’s and con’s of low carb and you can decide if this dietary style is right for you

Pros:

1. Your glycogen stores reduce quickly and you drop some weight FAST – but this is a poor measure of success
2. Higher protein creates higher satiety making you feel full
3. Higher protein intake can help preserve lean body mass
4. Protein has a higher thermogenic effect – you burn 20-30% of the calories you consume
5. Ketones spare muscle helping us retain lean body mass
6. Lower carbs promote lower insulin spikes, allowing for less “STORE ENERGY” signal being sent to the cells, which can assist in repairing damaged insulin sensitivity
7. Restricting carb foods usually assist with calorie control because you are restricting a whole food group and making better food choices
8. The lower carb intake can promote higher ketone levels may promote cognitive boosting effects as ketones are favorable for the brain
9. The ketogenic diet may help ‘bypass’ insulin sensitivity issues present in the individual which may be hindering weight loss
10. People with epilepsy may benefit from the ketogenic diet

Cons:

1. Intense food restrictions as many foods have carbohydrates which can make sustainability hard
2. The majority of clinically controlled studies do not show greater fat loss using the ketogenic diet if calories and macro-nutrients are controlled. (this means there is very minimal to no fat-burning benefit)
3. The majority of research suggests that low carb is not as good for performance-based sports as glycogen is the primary fuel for easy to access energy – fats take more effort for the body to convert into useable fuel
4. There is slightly less muscle gaining potential on a low carb diet due to this lack of performance energy and also the lowering of repetitive spikes of insulin to drive growth and repair in the muscles.
5. Many people on low carb diets choose poor quality foods – such as bacon, fatty meats, processed meats, some kinds of butter, and oils – thus resulting in poor health effects
6. It is easy to get roped into a low carb ‘nutrition camp’ as there are many advocates for this diet who are not properly informed on the science – see why dieting is difficult 

Essence:

Unless you have health conditions – you would be better off following a moderate carbohydrate diet

If there is no performance benefit, no fat-burning benefit, and no muscle gaining benefit to having low carb, and you are limiting a large group of foods, then why do it? 

In my opinion, it’s a short term fix unless you have a specific health condition that would deem it worthwhile (such as epilepsy or perhaps extreme insulin-sensitive issues)

You can achieve the majority of the PRO’s list of benefits from doing moderate carbohydrate intake and throwing in intermittent fasting into the mix. Everyone has a certain amount of carbs that they require for adequate energy, and you can calculate how much that is and trial it out for a while to see the results.

What diet should I do?

I always tell my clients that the best eating plan is the plan you can adhere to for the longest possible time.  Since weight loss difference between keto (low carb) and low-fat diets are minimal as shown in long term studies, it really depends on the individual.

Take home message: Eat less, Move more!

Calories count and good food composition both count. You will lose weight regardless of the macro-nutrient ratio if you are consuming lower calories than you are burning. Eating nutrient-dense foods is also important, especially with fiber and essential fats such as omega-3’s and nutrients for your gut health. 

Stay Frosty!
Trainer Simon

Are carbs good or evil? 

Check out the recent Instagram post that explains why so many people think carbs are bad!