If you have been wondering the best way to burn more fat and get lean, you are also probably wondering about the keto diet which is all the rage. So does the Keto Diet burn more fat? According to a recent study, the proof is there that a low-carb, high fat diet can change your body.
Many people who follow the ketogenic diet (a.k.a. keto) are obsessed with its ability to help you lose weight quickly—and keep it off. Now, new research has found that the low-carb diet may have one especially huge perk going for it: It might burn 10 times more fat than other diets.
That’s the major finding from research published in the journal Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews. For the study, scientists took 30 adults who had been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, a group of health conditions that increase the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
They then randomly put them in three groups: One group ate a ketogenic diet but didn’t exercise, another ate a standard American diet and didn’t exercise, and a third that ate a standard American diet and exercised for 30 minutes a day for up to five days a week.
Here’s what they found: In 10 weeks, the group that was on the ketogenic diet had “significant” changes in their weight, body fat percentage, BMI, hemoglobin A1c (a test that measures a person’s blood sugar), and ketones (the result of your body burning fat for energy).
Their resting metabolic rate, which is the rate that your body body burns energy when you’re not doing anything, was more than 10 times that of people who ate a standard diet. “All variables for the ketogenic group out-performed those of the exercise and non-exercise groups,” the researchers wrote in the study.
Why Does the Keto Diet Burn More Fat?
In case you’re not familiar with it, the keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that encourages followers to get a moderate amount of protein. Carbs are generally replaced with fats, and it’s thought that this shifts your body into a metabolic state known as ketosis.
The keto diet generally shuns sugar, processed foods, low-fat foods, grains and gluten, high-carb fruit, and vegetable oils. Instead, followers are encouraged to eat plenty of non-starchy vegetables, lean meats and fish, full-fat dairy, and nuts and seeds.
It’s worth pointing out that this study is small and it focused on people with a health condition—not otherwise healthy people. Still, the findings are definitely worth thinking about if you’ve been mulling over going keto. There are definitely health benefits to Keto Diets.
How Does the Keto Diet Burn More Fat?
If you have been considering trying it, you first must educate yourself about what to eat and in what proportions. Also, what foods are low in carbs and what is the best way to make them. To make this simple, it is best to follow a great Keto Plan that will guide you and provide you with everything you need to succeed so you can melt the weight off fast.
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Read More: 8 Low Carb Diets That Really Work
Common Weight Loss Traps
We don’t have to tell you that trying to lose weight in your twenties is not the same as it is in your forties. But the reason why isn’t as simple as a slowing metabolism. “There are so many reasons we gain weight throughout our lives,” says Karen Ansel, R.D., author of Healing Superfoods for Anti-Aging. Our bodies and our lifestyles are constantly changing. “To keep up, you need to know how, exactly, your habits and your body change over the years so you can avoid falling into a few common weight-loss traps.”
The problem: Your twenties may be the first time in your life you have to buy and make your own food — which may mean you resort to eating out all the time. “At a restaurant, you’re not in charge of how much oil is used to grill your chicken, how much dressing is in your salad, or portion sizes,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D., creator of BetterThanDieting.com.
The solution: Take charge when you can. Order dressing on the side and ask the kitchen to dry-grill your chicken. Share dishes with friends, or set half of your meal aside in a takeout box for lunch the next day. For lunch, scout out a spot near your office that serves up big, filling salads. “All of these tweaks help you save money, time, and calories,” says Taub-Dix.
The problem: “I see a lot of women try to go vegetarian or vegan to lose weight, but they’re not doing it in the healthiest way,” says Ansel. If you’re not quite sure what a healthy veggie diet consists of — or you don’t have time to prepare meals — that can result in a diet of simple carbs and fats like vegetarian pizza, mac and cheese, and smoothies, all of which can add up to extra pounds.
The solution: One nutrient that’s often missing from a vegetarian diet is high-quality protein, which fills you up and builds calorie-torching muscle. Get more of it from beans, which offer filling fiber in addition to protein, a rare combo in plant-based foods. Sub them anywhere you’d usually eat meat, like salads or a healthy Acai bowl. “Just ease into eating beans to be kind to your digestive system,” says Ansel.
The problem: Between work and kids, you’re not catching enough sleep. And, just like being drunk, being tired leads to an IDGAF attitude about what’s going in your mouth, says Taub-Dix.
The solution: Make it a priority to clock at least seven hours a night when you can — and when that’s not happening, trick yourself into healthy eats. Shop and prepare the week’s meals on Sundays, so you can grab your lunch and go. Throw ingredients for an a.m. smoothie in a bag and stick it in your freezer at night, so it’s ready first thing when you wake up, and stash a jar of mixed nuts in your car for healthy snacks when hunger strikes. In addition, find out how sleeping more can help you lose weight!
The problem: “Not eating as much seems like a no-brainer for weight loss,” says Ansel. But your body requires a certain amount of calories to function, and if you don’t get them your hunger hormones go crazy. “People end up overcompensating for what they didn’t eat by snacking late at night,” says Ansel.
The solution: Aim for three meals and a snack every day so that by the time night rolls around you won’t stuff your face. Be sure each fueling session includes some healthy fat, like nuts, avocado, and full-fat hard cheese, to keep you full. Breakfast is usually the biggest challenge, so don’t make it a bigger deal than it has to be: A serving of plain Greek yogurt with nut butter stirred in and topped with your favorite fruit will do the trick, says Ansel. Find out the 5 foods you can eat without gaining a pound.
The problem: Work + kids = no time to work out.
The solution: Keep your fitness goals realistic by trying to hit 30 minutes of moderate to intense activity twice a week. In that time you can fit in at least two major strength moves (think squats, deadlifts, or pullups) and finish with interval training (30- to 60-second sprints on a treadmill or stationary bike, for example), says Erica Suter, C.S.C.S. The rest of the week, aim to go for a walk, swim, or bike ride at least twice.
The problem: All of us start losing muscle in our forties. And muscle burns calories while keeping our metabolisms stable, which means if you’re eating the same number of calories you’ll gain weight, says Ansel.
The solution: Unlike fat and carbs, protein gets stored in your muscles. Most of us don’t get enough protein at breakfast and lunch — at which point your body will take the protein it needs from your muscles, slowing down your metabolism, explains Ansel. So space your protein out throughout the day, aiming for 15 to 20 grams at every meal.
The problem: “Even if you had flat abs your whole life, that starts to change in your forties,” says Ansel. That’s because declining levels of estrogen and progesterone cause your body to store fat in your stomach.
The solution: A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition found that people who ate 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight weighed less and had smaller waists than people who ate less protein. But not all protein is created equally, says Ansel. So skip the fatty cheeseburgers and go for lean protein like chicken, sliced turkey, turkey burger, low-fat dairy, and eggs. Find out how to get more fish into your diet as well. If all else fails, just drink a glass of milk. “One eight-ouce glass of milk has eight grams of the high-quality protein,” says Ansel. via womenshealthmag.com
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