drtbear1967
Musclechemistry Board Certified Member
Is a keto diet better for fat loss than
other diets?
One of the reasons why ketogenic diet a diet that usually restricts carbohydrates to less than 50 g per day - is supposed to be better for fat loss is because a higher level of fat burning is observed during ketogenic diet.
But fat oxidation does not equal body fat loss. Your body can be burning tons of fat all day, but if you're still eating more fat than you're burning, you may still get fat.
For example, in a study by Hall et al. (2015) the keto diet had a higher fat burning rate, but the high carb diet led to more fat loss.
In another highly-controlled study by Hall et al. (2016) the subjects in both the keto and high carb group consumed exactly the same amount of calories. Fat loss was the same in both groups, with a trend in acute measurements for fat loss to even slow down during
keto adaptation
.
While some other research points to greater fat loss during ketogenic dieting, in the end the literature as a whole suggests ketogenic and non-ketogenic diets are equally effective for fat loss.
Conclusion: A ketogenic diet is not inherently better for fat loss.
Why keto diet works well for some people
1. Ketogenic diet may suppress appetite more (at least for certain individuals) than a higher carbohydrate diet. As such, a ketogenic diet may be better for some people because they therefore can eat less more easily.
2. Ketogenic diets restrict food choices. This automatically excludes most of the junk foods (as they usually contains carbs) and foods people are likely to overeat on. Food choice restriction can not only lead to eating less, which is the major point of a diet, but also reduce the chance of overeating by eliminating the food that is tempting for most people.
other diets?
One of the reasons why ketogenic diet a diet that usually restricts carbohydrates to less than 50 g per day - is supposed to be better for fat loss is because a higher level of fat burning is observed during ketogenic diet.
But fat oxidation does not equal body fat loss. Your body can be burning tons of fat all day, but if you're still eating more fat than you're burning, you may still get fat.
For example, in a study by Hall et al. (2015) the keto diet had a higher fat burning rate, but the high carb diet led to more fat loss.
In another highly-controlled study by Hall et al. (2016) the subjects in both the keto and high carb group consumed exactly the same amount of calories. Fat loss was the same in both groups, with a trend in acute measurements for fat loss to even slow down during
keto adaptation
.
While some other research points to greater fat loss during ketogenic dieting, in the end the literature as a whole suggests ketogenic and non-ketogenic diets are equally effective for fat loss.
Conclusion: A ketogenic diet is not inherently better for fat loss.
Why keto diet works well for some people
1. Ketogenic diet may suppress appetite more (at least for certain individuals) than a higher carbohydrate diet. As such, a ketogenic diet may be better for some people because they therefore can eat less more easily.
2. Ketogenic diets restrict food choices. This automatically excludes most of the junk foods (as they usually contains carbs) and foods people are likely to overeat on. Food choice restriction can not only lead to eating less, which is the major point of a diet, but also reduce the chance of overeating by eliminating the food that is tempting for most people.
