Why Is Keto So Good For Weight Loss?

Summary

Dr. Mike discusses why the keto diet is effective for weight loss, highlighting four key reasons: it reduces junk food consumption, may suppress appetite in some individuals, simplifies food choices, and leads to rapid water weight loss initially. While keto can be a great option for certain people, it isn't for everyone. He also emphasizes the importance of transitioning out of keto gradually to avoid overeating when reintroducing carbs. Keto can work well if it fits your lifestyle, but a balanced diet might offer better long-term results for athletic performance and muscle retention.

Takeaways

• 🍕 **Reduced Junk Food Consumption**: The ketogenic diet works well for weight loss because it naturally limits junk food options, which are typically high in carbs.
• 🍽️ **Appetite Suppression**: Some individuals experience a decrease in appetite when on a keto diet, leading to fewer calories consumed.
• 🥗 **Simplicity and Consistency**: Keto's straightforward nature makes it easier to adhere to, which can result in consistent calorie intake and weight loss.
• 💧 **Initial Water Weight Loss**: The diet can lead to a significant initial weight loss due to reduced water retention, which can be motivating.
• 🏋️‍♂️ **Not Ideal for Muscle Growth**: For those seeking to build or retain muscle, a more balanced diet with sufficient carbs might be more effective than keto.
• 🥑 **Customization for Sustainability**: To make keto sustainable, it's important to have a variety of keto-friendly food choices that suit individual preferences.
• 🚫 **Not One-Size-Fits-All**: Keto may not work for everyone, especially those who struggle with hunger or find the food restrictions too limiting.
• 🍕 **Exiting Keto Strategically**: To avoid regaining weight after a keto diet, it's crucial to reintroduce carbs gradually, starting with fruits and vegetables.
• 🔄 **Cycling On and Off Keto**: For those who find success with keto, it can be a useful tool for weight loss cycles, with careful planning for entering and exiting the diet.
• 🌾 **Incorporate Healthy Carbs**: After a keto diet, integrating healthy carbs like whole grains and fruits can help maintain weight loss and provide necessary nutrients.

Q & A

Why does the keto diet seem to work well for weight loss?

Keto works well for weight loss primarily because it eliminates high-carb junk food from the diet, which is a major contributor to weight gain. When carbs are removed, it's harder to overeat junk food, leading to fewer calories consumed.

How does reducing carbohydrate intake affect hunger for some people on keto?

For some people, reducing carbohydrate intake leads to appetite suppression. These individuals may feel less hungry after a few days on keto, making it easier to consume fewer calories.

Why do people initially experience rapid weight loss on keto?

The initial rapid weight loss on keto is mainly due to the reduction of body water. Carbohydrates retain water in the body, so when carb intake drops, people lose water weight quickly, which can act as a motivational boost.

What is a common mistake people make when transitioning off a keto diet?

A common mistake is reintroducing carbs too quickly, which can lead to overeating and weight gain. The right approach is to gradually add in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to avoid bloating and excessive calorie intake.

Why is keto considered a simple and effective diet for some people?

Keto can be simple because it limits food choices, making it easier to stick to a consistent eating plan. This straightforwardness can lead to regular calorie consumption and ultimately, weight loss.

Does keto work for everyone?

No, keto doesn't work for everyone. Some people may experience increased hunger or low energy levels on keto, and if there's no appetite suppression, they may not achieve desired results.

What are the key factors to making keto work effectively?

The key factors for keto's success include appetite suppression, limiting junk food, maintaining a calorie deficit, and staying consistent with the diet plan. These help keep weight loss on track.

What challenges do people face when exiting the keto diet?

When exiting keto, the main challenges are managing cravings for high-carb foods and avoiding overeating. If not done strategically, returning to carbs can lead to rapid weight regain.

How can someone strategically transition out of a keto diet?

To transition out of keto, it's recommended to start with green vegetables, followed by fruits, and later, small portions of grains. This gradual process helps the body adjust without overeating.

What is a limitation of the keto diet compared to more balanced diets?

A limitation of keto is that it may not be ideal for optimal athletic performance or muscle growth. Diets with balanced carbohydrate intake can support higher energy levels and muscle retention better than keto.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ Why Keto Helps with Weight Loss

Dr. Mike begins by explaining why the keto diet is effective for weight loss. He highlights how cutting out carbs greatly reduces junk food options, which are high in calories and contribute to weight gain. Without junk food like pizza, chips, and sodas, people tend to eat fewer calories overall. This is one of the primary reasons keto leads to weight loss.

05:00

🥩 Appetite Suppression on Keto

Keto can lead to appetite suppression for some people, helping them eat less and lose weight. This effect isn't universal, but for those who experience it, it can be a key factor in success. Dr. Mike suggests giving keto a week or two to see if it reduces hunger. If it does, sticking to the diet can lead to sustainable weight loss; if not, keto may not be the right choice.

10:01

📋 Simplicity of Keto Diet

The keto diet offers simplicity and consistency, making it easier for people to stick to. The limited food choices help people develop a routine, often leading to a calorie deficit. Without the temptation of carb-heavy foods, keto dieters tend to follow a predictable meal plan, which contributes to their weight loss success.

💧 Rapid Initial Weight Loss: Water Weight

One of the immediate effects of keto is the loss of body water, which can lead to rapid weight loss in the first week or two. This is due to reduced carbohydrate and salt intake, which both cause the body to hold onto less water. While this weight loss is not fat, it can provide a motivational boost for those starting the diet.

⚖️ Keto for Fat Loss vs. Balanced Diets for Performance

Dr. Mike contrasts keto with balanced diets, noting that while keto can be great for fat loss, a more balanced diet with adequate carbs is better for muscle growth, energy, and athletic performance. Keto can be effective for many people, but it's not the best choice for those aiming for peak physical performance or muscle retention.

🍕 Challenges with Exiting Keto

Exiting the keto diet can be challenging, especially when reintroducing carbs. Dr. Mike warns that after keto, indulging in carb-heavy foods can lead to overeating and rapid weight gain. To avoid this, he suggests a gradual reintroduction of healthy carbs like fruits, veggies, and whole grains, to stabilize weight and prevent cravings.

🛤️ Transitioning from Keto Back to Normal Eating

The key to successfully transitioning out of keto is to do it gradually. Dr. Mike recommends reintroducing carbs slowly, starting with low-glycemic foods like fruits and vegetables, and then adding grains. This process can take one to four weeks, allowing the body to adjust without sudden weight gain or negative side effects. Easing out of keto helps maintain weight loss while incorporating a more balanced diet.

💡 Keto's Flexibility and Strategic Use

For those who find keto effective, Dr. Mike encourages its strategic use in cycles—switching between keto and a balanced diet based on weight goals. He highlights that keto can be a powerful tool for losing weight, as long as it's approached with proper off-ramping and reintroduction of healthy carbs. Keto, when done correctly, can be both sustainable and effective.

Keywords

💡Keto

Keto, short for the ketogenic diet, refers to a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates for energy. In the video, Dr. Mike explains how keto works effectively for weight loss by reducing junk food intake and offering fewer calorie-dense options. The diet's simplicity and reduced variety of food choices help many people adhere to it more easily.

💡Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a macronutrient found in foods like pasta, bread, and sweets, which provide energy to the body. In keto, carbs are drastically reduced or eliminated, which is a major factor in the diet's effectiveness. Dr. Mike emphasizes that eliminating carbs forces people to avoid junk foods and that some individuals experience appetite suppression as a result of lower carbohydrate intake.

💡Appetite suppression

Appetite suppression refers to the reduction of hunger or the desire to eat. In the video, Dr. Mike mentions that some people experience appetite suppression when they switch to a keto diet, which helps them naturally eat fewer calories, leading to weight loss. However, this effect is not universal, and some people may feel hungrier on keto.

💡Junk food

Junk food is characterized by its high calorie, sugar, and fat content, often lacking in nutritional value. Dr. Mike explains that one of the main reasons keto is effective is that it eliminates most junk food from the diet, as junk food tends to be high in carbs. By avoiding calorie-dense junk foods like pizza, cookies, and soda, individuals on keto consume fewer calories overall.

💡Caloric deficit

A caloric deficit occurs when the number of calories consumed is less than the number of calories burned by the body. This is essential for weight loss. Dr. Mike explains that on keto, many people inadvertently end up in a caloric deficit because the high-fat, low-carb foods allowed on the diet are more filling, and fewer calories are consumed overall.

💡Water weight

Water weight refers to the temporary loss of body weight due to the reduction of water retention in the body. Dr. Mike discusses how keto leads to a significant loss of water weight in the initial weeks, as the body's glycogen (stored carbohydrates) is depleted. This rapid initial weight loss can be motivating for individuals starting the keto diet.

💡Simplicity of keto

The simplicity of keto refers to the limited food options available on the diet, which makes meal planning straightforward. Dr. Mike notes that because the keto diet restricts carbs, many people stick to a few staple foods, such as eggs, chicken, and vegetables, making it easier to follow. This simplicity can enhance adherence and contribute to successful weight loss.

💡Transitioning off keto

Transitioning off keto involves gradually reintroducing carbohydrates into the diet after a period of following keto. Dr. Mike explains the importance of doing this strategically to avoid rapid weight gain or feeling unwell. He advises adding fruits and vegetables first, followed by whole grains, to ease back into a balanced diet without overwhelming the body.

💡Calorie-dense foods

Calorie-dense foods are those that provide a high number of calories in a small volume, often leading to overeating. Dr. Mike mentions that keto limits calorie-dense junk foods like ice cream, pizza, and candy, which helps people naturally reduce their caloric intake and achieve weight loss.

💡Balanced diet

A balanced diet includes a mix of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) in appropriate proportions to support overall health. While keto can be effective for weight loss, Dr. Mike notes that a balanced diet with moderate carbs is better for long-term health, athletic performance, and muscle retention. He suggests that people should consider transitioning to a balanced diet after reaching their weight loss goals on keto.

Highlights

Keto works well for weight loss due to significantly reducing junk food options, which are typically high in carbs.

Junk food like pizza, ice cream, and soda, all have high amounts of carbs, and removing them from your diet helps people lose weight.

Some people experience appetite suppression on keto, making it easier to eat less and sustain calorie deficits.

For those who experience appetite reduction on keto, it's crucial to leverage this effect to sustain lower calorie intake.

Keto simplifies meal choices, limiting food options and leading to more consistency, making it easier to stick to a daily calorie deficit.

Initial rapid weight loss on keto is often due to water loss, as carbohydrate and salt intake are reduced.

The significant early weight loss in keto provides strong psychological motivation to continue with the diet.

Keto may not be optimal for muscle retention, athletic performance, or muscle growth compared to more balanced diets with carbs.

Keto is a great option for fat loss if appetite suppression and food restriction work well for an individual.

For those who don't respond well to keto, it’s suggested to try other balanced diets with controlled calories and increased activity.

Exiting keto should be done strategically, slowly reintroducing carbs through low-glycemic options like fruits and whole grains.

People often overeat when transitioning out of keto, especially if they reintroduce carb-heavy foods too quickly, leading to weight gain.

The key to transitioning out of keto successfully is to gradually add carbs back into the diet while monitoring how the body responds.

Keto can be a repeated process: after losing weight, one can reintroduce carbs, and if desired, go back to keto for further fat loss.

If keto works for an individual, it can be a powerful tool for weight loss when combined with a structured transition plan to maintain results.

Transcripts

hey folks Dr Mike here for Anan

periodization I have a question for you

why does keto seem to work so well for

weight loss in fact it does and I can

think of a few reasons and I can think

of a few ways to make keto better for

yourself that if you're into it for

weight loss you can get even better

results with fewer downsides fewer

inconveniences so why does keto work so

well there are four good reasons one is

that if you switch to keto which means

cutting out almost or pretty much all

carbs your junk food options become very

reduced and the way that most people get

fatter and stay fatter is they eat a lot

of junk let's go through a quick list of

junk pizza ice cream cookies cakes

candies cheeseburgers pastas Chinese

food soda need I go on potato chips

which one of those food or food groups

or food types did not have a ton of

carbs in

it all of them have a ton of carbs in

there so if you say I'm keto and you're

a regular person most people who do keto

are just regular folks not super into

lifting or anything like that they look

around the food they're allowed to eat

and it turns out that none of it's very

junky and junk food isn't somehow toxic

or kills you in some weird way some of

it is some preservatives which aren't

ideal for your health but it's a really

small thing the real kicker with junk

food is that it's so delicious and so

packed with calories you're going to end

up eating a lot of it and that's going

to confer so many calories you're going

to gain weight you're going to eat more

calories than you actually burn but when

you switch to keto I mean what you

eating them calories with dog what you

cheating on chicken breast and olive oil

and nuts and fatty meats and how much of

that can you eat until you're like n I'm

full because junk food is almost

entirely off limits for keto that is one

of the number one reasons why people who

do keto often get a lot of weight loss

because they're able to excise junk food

essentially completely from their diet

or almost completely for months on end

because it's cause number one of weight

gain and failure to lose weight when it

leaves you just lose weight like crazy

number two some people not all get an

appetite lowering effect from reducing

the carbohydrates and switching to a

mostly protein and fat diet that's not

dependably true for most people but some

people have a really awesome response

where after a few days of eating very

few carbs they're actually just not that

hungry combine that lack of hunger with

the fact that keto doesn't exactly offer

the tastiest junk food choices and

you're just eating less food and eating

less food is absolutely the number one

key ingredient to almost every fat loss

diet that's ever successful so if you

are one of these people you can have

great success with keto and almost

everyone that has great success with

keto and don't worry they'll be in the

comment section telling us about how

great keto is and they're not wrong

those are the people who have the

genetics that take their appetite and

reduce it when they switch to keto some

people it just makes them extra fucking

hungry they'll never see them espousing

keto cuz they failed every time they

tried it so so if that is an effect for

you my recommendation is give it a week

or two in the first week you could be

kind of recovering from your carb

withdrawal and you just want more cars

but after a week or two you might get a

very lowered appetite sensation and

that's really awesome use that to keep

your calories low and constrainted eat

keto and you lose a bunch of weight if

after a few weeks you're still ravenous

uh maybe it's not for you next keto can

be really straightforward that because

it constrains your choices you end up

having just Dependable choices

throughout the day that you can lean

into and eat and that regularity that

consistency prescribes a similar amount

of calories over each day and if you're

at a deficit which you probably are on

keto cuz it's really hard to eat enough

calories when you take out carbs

entirely you end up being successful so

you might have a keto bar or two you eat

for breakfast you might have some eggs

and chicken you eat for lunch you might

have some lean steak and some veggies

and some mushrooms or something you eat

for dinner and that's kind of like what

you stick to you're not apt to go and

try to find all kinds of tasty crazy

foods with pasta this and macaroni that

because that's all off limits and

because keto can be really simple to

stick to and if you want a snack you

know you eat some nuts or something like

that because keto is so straightforward

and the food choices are so limited you

can make a Keto Plan for yourself that's

actually really just not complicated and

because it's not complicated you can

adhere to it better because you adhere

to it better you get the results for the

entire time that you're doing it lastly

Point number four there is a sense in

which keto works well to lose weight

which is really fat but keto also has

this magical effect of getting right

into a diet because it lowers your body

water tremendously carbohydrates plus

the salt intake that is occurring

anytime you eat junk food those two

things together bring in tons of water

with them carbs and salt and when you

start doing keto you lose your

intramuscular carbohydrate stores they

get severely reduced severely

substantially it's not a bad thing and

your salt intake generally also falls

considerably what ends up happening is

you lose 5 10 sometimes 15 lbs in the

first week or two mostly off of body

water reducing that obviously is going

to come back when you start eating carbs

and salt and regular food again but that

initial huge loss of weight can act as a

mega inspiration and potentiator for you

mentally to keep going because if you

start a diet you lose like a pound in

the first week and then you gain half a

pound in a second you could be like man

fuck this I'm out but if you start a

diet and after 8 days you've lost N9

pounds you're like

bro what I'm in and then the next 8

weeks you might not lose 9 lbs every

week you'll probably lose more like one

or two but because you started off big

and then you kept going kept going kept

going kept going that initial

inspiration just leads you all the way

through then you get the mini gains on

the way and it's just more than enough

so it's a cool situation it's not a bad

thing you just have to understand that

it's not all fat at first don't expect

it to continue to lose 5 pounds every

week or something like now if you want

the optimum results for muscle growth

for muscle retention for your best lean

physique for energy for athletic

performance doing a more balanced diet

that has enough carbs to do what you

need to do with your body at the highest

level a diet like the RP diet coach app

can prescribe to you you will get better

results than with keto but if you

respond well to keto if you get that

appetite suppression effect if you

actually can do keto in a way that's

sustainable which means you have good

food choices around that you can make

around keto you can do keto and it works

absolutely great it's not ideal by a

small few percentage points but as long

as you're not trying to compete and

bodybuilding or something or be the best

athlete you can be or have the ripped

most chiseled physique keto is a great

option if it works for you but if it

doesn't work for you remember it's not

magical if you trying to cut the carbs

and it never works you get crazy hungry

you get crazy low energy there's no

appetite suppression ever and the the

food Choice restrictions are really

limiting and you hate your life

stop trying keto at least for a bit try

something like the RP diet coach app try

something just regular eating good

highquality healthy food lower your

calories increase your activity and

you're going to get amazing results

because keto isn't for everyone but for

the people it works it works

great what do you get when PhD sport

scientists collaborate with Pro

bodybuilders the most effective muscle

growth training app ever

made get yours now one last thing if

you're going to try keto there are two

stumbling blocks in keto one is the

people who don't do the diet properly or

who it's not for and they fail at the

very beginning first two weeks the next

stumbling block and the last one with

keto is when people exit out the other

end unless you're saying to yourself

you're never going to eat pizza and

pasta and rice and cookies ever again

which in that case like good job you

joined a cult and they don't let you

have any fun cuz only God is fun now and

God's just a nickname for the leader who

odley has a lot of female companions

that are underage typical cult shit my

man no wait wait that's bad if you're

not an ult you probably plan on after

your keto diet returning back to a more

normal yet maybe lower carb yet maybe

more healthy but some normal Foods the

problem is is if you have a slice of

pizza after a keto diet the carbs taste

so good you end up having 10 slices you

get bloated you get a headache you gain

10 lbs you're pissed and you're like

what the fuck and you go back to keto

but then you're hungry again and you're

like there's a transition phase and am I

really just going to live the rest of my

life in keto it's a bad deal the way to

exit keto is strategic here's how you

would do it first when you do keto make

sure you have plenty of lean proteins

plenty of healthy fats and I recommend

always or almost always in every meal a

good serving of green veggies they don't

have a lot of calories they have barely

any carbohydrate at all the fiber and

the micronutrients are awesome if you

don't have those in there you should but

if you don't layer them in first for a

week or two after the end of your keto

diet when you lost as much weight as you

think you can lose for that period it's

really getting annoying and tiring and

hard the next few weeks layer fruits in

just fresh fruit they have very few

carbs the carbs are almost always

insanely low glycemic so they don't

crazy spike your blood sugar you're not

going to get this insane like lack of

energy and lethargy that you get to have

when carbs re-enter the system you're

going to be buzzing everything's going

to be feeling great if that feels good

for a week or two or three try to

reintroduce small amounts of grains some

whole grain pasta some brown rice some

quinoa some shit like that some beans

once you got veggies in there and you

got fruit in there in most meals of the

day and some grains man you're not keto

anymore you're eating plenty of

carbohydrate raise the amounts of those

as you see fit to fit your lifestyle

choices your preferences and make sure

your body weight is stable and all of a

sudden you're successfully out you're

off- ramped from keto and everything's

going just fine and now you're eating

carbs but they're healthy carbs that

right there should form the core of your

diet from there on out and then if you

want to eat some BS on the weekend some

pizza some chips great but now because

you're used to carv it's not going to

cause you to gain a ton of pounds just a

few pounds and then after a few days of

the next week when you're eating clean

again it goes back to normal and

everything's great and then if you ever

want to try keto again to lose some more

weight well you take out the grains you

take out the fruits you leave in the

veggies you start keto a few weeks later

you feel amazing again keto low appetite

you do that for another 8 to 10 weeks

you get all your results and then you

ease back out with veggies fruits whole

grains and then normal foods and that

ease out period in total can be a week

and it can be four weeks long only

continue to add in carbs as the carbs

you have in make you feel good and

energetic and calm and at peace and your

digestion feels good don't just like add

in veggies one day next day add in

fruits next day add in whole grains the

day after have a whole pizza that's too

fast ease in take your time and you can

ease into keto and ease out of keto and

then keto works really well and if it

works for you it's super recommended

it's super healthy it's super awesome

and I encourage your best results folks

thank you so much for tuning in see you

next time

oh

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