FROM Kim Kardashian to Tyson Fury – droves of celebrities have credited the keto diet for keeping them in shape. They claim that swapping out the carbs for fats and proteins has helped them to target stubborn areas of fat without having to cut out lots of calories. However, dietitian Robbie Clark has revealed that […]
FROM Kim Kardashian to Tyson Fury – droves of celebrities have credited the keto diet for keeping them in shape.
They claim that swapping out the carbs for fats and proteins has helped them to target stubborn areas of fat without having to cut out lots of calories.
However, dietitian Robbie Clark has revealed that going keto could actually make you GAIN weight – if you’re not following the right steps.
And he says that many dieters make some big mistakes which mean their body doesn’t get into a state of “ketosis” and “burn fat for energy instead of glucose”.
Here, Robbie explains common mistakes people make on a keto diet that could be making you fatter…and how to avoid them.
Robbie says one of the most common mistakes he finds in terms of clinical practice is that people are reducing their carbohydrate intake “cold turkey.”
“They’ve gone from a diet that is probably consumed moderate or high amounts of carbs to an extremely low amount, and this is a drastic change for the body,” he told news.com.au.
“This is when they’re at risk of the keto flu.
Going from a diet that is probably consumed moderate or high amounts of carbs to an extremely low amount is a drastic change for the body
Robbie Clark
“The keto flu is the body adapting to the whole process in a large depletion in glucose.
“And the symptoms can include nausea, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, constipation and reduced exercise tolerance.”
Robbie recommends tapering down carb intake instead of reducing the level at an extreme rate.
An important thing to do on a keto diet is to keep drinking enough water.
The drastic decrease in carbs can cause shifts in fluids and electrolyte balance.
“The body is washed-out of a lot of fluid especially when losing fat mass as well,” Robbie says.
“The body flushes out the ketones in the urine which also depletes not just water but sodium, an important electrolyte, from the body.”
According to Robbie, this is something that needs to be replaced.
Vegetables have carbohydrates and for a lot of people, this means watching how much is actually consumed.
If you’re not careful of the types of carbs on the keto diet, the affect is that people won’t stay in that ketosis state.
Robbie says: “On the other hand, the ketogenic diet is a ‘low carbohydrate diet’ and not a ‘no carbohydrate diet’.
The keto diet involves eating lots of “good” fat, to curb hunger pangs, while cutting out carbs and eating moderate amounts of protein.
It’s said to boost energy levels and help speed up weight loss.
The diet relies on a normal metabolic process called ketosis – that helps the body keep working.
It’s where the body, starved of carbs for energy, starts to burn fat reserves instead.
For healthy people, who don’t have diabetes and aren’t pregnant, ketosis usually kicks in after three or four days of following the plan and eating less than 50g of carbs a day.
That’s about three slices of bread, two small bananas or a low-fat fruit yog.
So if you’re cutting out all those carbs, what can you eat?
Fat is the answer! It should make up about 60 to 80 per cent of total daily calories, while protein makes up 10 to 15 per cent and carbs are less than 10 per cent.
And it’s not just a calorie free-for-all. Keto enthusiasts should cap their daily intake at 1,800 calories a day.
If it sounds like Atkins, it’s not far off – the main difference being limiting protein on a daily basis.
“In order to meet all of our individual nutrient requirements, particularly with vitamins, minerals and fibre, the vegetable play a pivotal role in meeting these requirements.
“The goal is to educate yourself or get an education from a health professional, like myself, who can guide you for the best types of lower carbohydrate based vegetables so you’re not at risk of malnutrition.”
It’s important to check with a local doctor or a dietitian when thinking about undergoing the keto diet for the first time.
There’s a protocol that determines whether a person is suitable for the keto diet, particularly for healthy people to follow.
Robbie says that there are population groups who should avoid the keto diet.
People who are pregnant and breastfeeding should not undergo the keto diet because the risk follows in becoming insufficient in nutrients – not only for yourself but for the infant.
It follows a risk of the production of the milk as well.
Understanding the ketogenic diet is the most important thing to do in accordance with a health professional in using it the right way.
