Weight loss has been a hotly debated topic ever since people started talking about it. In recent times, the conversation shifted to macros for weight loss and what is the best combination of carbs, protein and fat. In this article, we’ll look at two low-carb alternative diets and try to decide which one is best: keto vs low carb diet?
Before we start, it’s important to note that going on an extreme diet in order to lose weight is almost never a long-term solution. Apart from the obvious psychological strains that comes with being hungry all the time, calorie restricted diets slow down metabolism and when eating less, people also often cut essential micronutrients out of their diet.
• Get fit for 2021: our best home workouts and diet tips to kick you into shape
A more gentle transition can help the body adjust efficiently. As opposed to switching from a high-carb diet to strict keto, dieters might want to consider gradually reducing their carb intake and increasing their dietary fat consumption. This way, they not only learn more about the food they eat but also leave time for the body to shift to the new energy source.
We asked to experts on the topic, Rami and Vicky Abrams, co-founders of So Nourished and low-carb experts, to shed some light on the keto vs low carb diet debate. They live and breathe all things keto and also published a number of books on the topic, including Keto Diet For Dummies and Keto Desserts For Dummies.
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What’s a keto diet?
When on keto, the body burns fat for fuel instead of carbs. This has a number of health benefits such as reduced ‘bad’ cholesterol and reduced blood sugar and insulin levels. Another ‘side-effect’ of keto is quick loss at the beginning: this is because “low-carb diets act to rid excess water from your body, lowering insulin levels and leading to rapid weight loss in the first week or two”, according to Healthline.
“Imagine your day full of high fat and low carb foods like meats and fish, cheeses, eggs, nuts, low starch veggies, low sugar fruits and tasty keto desserts”, the So Nourished team adds. As well as keeping carb levels low, moderate protein consumption is recommended when on keto. The actual amount depends on your activity levels and metabolism.
The So Nourished Keto Pancake Syrup is very low on carbs (only one net carb per serving) and calories (20 kcal per serving). It is also vegan and gluten-free and enables you to enjoy sweet pancakes without the guilt!View Deal
What are the pros/cons of keto diet?
As the So Nourished team explains, “Keto is not only a more efficient way of fueling your body, you can experience a range of benefits from weight loss, lowered inflammation, mood improvements, more stable blood sugar levels, to even reversing diseases like Type 2 diabetes and PCOS. Following a ketogenic diet can also help reduce risk factors for heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, and more.”
As for cons, some people may experience ‘keto flu’ when first going full keto. It is a result of the body getting used to the new type of fuel (carbs to fat). Symptoms may include headache and irritability, but in more severe cases constipation, nausea and even vomiting. All these side effects may pass soon after the body adjusts to using mainly fat for fuel.
As mentioned above, going keto will result in quick weight loss as the body releases some water but the initial quick weight loss might come to an abrupt end as the body gets used to the new diet. This might result in some people giving up the diet, going back on a high-carb diet and gaining the weight back shortly after.
Going keto is not all nausea and constipation though. “While the length of time it takes to adapt to a keto diet varies, the process begins after the first few days”, verywellhealth reports, “then, after about a week to 10 days, many low-carbers suddenly start to feel the positive effects of keto-adaptation. They report improved mental concentration and focus and more physical energy as well.”
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Gallery: How to burn belly fat and get in shape (T3)
HOW TO BURN BELLY FAR AND GET IN SHAPE
If you’re reading this, you are likely to be among the many people this year wanting to lose their lockdown weight and firmly say goodbye to 2020. But if you’re trying to lose weight fast, it can be easy to get caught up with fad diet or other “quick fixes” that promise a flat stomach in days. Don’t worry about it though, as there are ways to lose weight that are tried and trusted. Not easy and quick weight loss maybe, but doable.
If you’re serious about losing weight, you’ve come to the right place. We won’t promise a six pack in as many hours, but we can guarantee expert advice and key tips for losing weight quickly, but in a healthy and sustainable way. We’ve also got the lowdown on the best exercise for losing weight fast, and all the gear you’ll need to get started.
IS THERE A “BEST” WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT FAST?
The best way for you to lose weight fast will depend on your starting point, your end goal, and your lifestyle. In this article we lay out ten strategies that are applicable to everyone, whether you’re a fitness novice looking to shed several stone, or you simply require motivation to keep going.
Generally speaking the best way to lose weight quickly, and maintain that weight loss, is to follow a steady, manageable plan. Don’t try to take on more than you can reasonably fit into one day, unless you’re willing to make the sacrifice. Most likely sleep or your social life.
The NHS recommends that you aim to lose no more than 2 lbs (1kg) per week; anymore than that and you risk burning out and giving up. With that in mind, here are ten strategies to get you losing weight quickly.
1. ACHIEVE A CONSISTENT CALORIE DEFICIT
The short answer to the question of how to lose weight fast is to achieve a consistent calorie deficit. That is, burn more calories than you consume.
If you eat 2,500 calories a day – the recommended daily amount for a man, although of course this can vary wildly depending on your height, weight and frame – and burn 3,000, you are in a calorie deficit.
If, however, you burn 3,000 but have consumed 3,500, you’re not in a calorie deficit, even though you’ve almost certainly been working out a lot have burned that much energy.
What you need to do is ensure you’re eating the right food and doing the right exercise so that you’re sufficiently full and satisfied even when consuming fewer calories than you burn. Here’s how…
2. DECREASE CALORIE INPUT THROUGH DIET CHANGES
As we alluded to above, a common pitfall that many people experience when trying to lose weight is that as they start exercising more, they feel like they need to eat more to keep their energy levels up and consequently fail to see results. Instead, we recommend adapting your diet to get the most out of your calories.
All foods have different energy densities. Foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains have low energy density, which means you will get fuller faster when eating these than you would high energy density foods.
Nutritionist Jenna Hope explains: “Proteins and healthy fats promote more stable blood glucose levels, keeping you fuller across a time period and less likely to crave sugar or over eat,” and so these are the kinds of foods you should get the majority of your calories from.
Consuming the same amount of calories as you are now (or fewer if possible), but getting more nutritional value from them will help you feel fuller for longer and lose weight more quickly as a result.
3. DON’T CUT OUT ALL OF ANY SINGLE FOOD GROUP
We all know that some foods – and some food groups – are healthier than others, and that we need every type of food in our diet. The problem is that many of us aren’t getting the right balance.
Spoon Guru nutritionist Isabel Butler (MSc, ANutr) recommends that “the best way to reduce weight and maintain the weight loss is by simply eating a balanced and healthy diet, without refusing yourself particular foods… If you do cut out foods, you need to make sure your diet is still balanced and you are getting the nutrients your body needs from other sources.”
For example, unless you’re training to become a weightlifter, there’s nothing wrong with carbs per se, but the biggest food culprit when it comes to hindering weight loss is the simple carbohydrate.
Compared to complex carbs like beans, whole grains and vegetables, which break down and release energy slowly, thereby keeping you full and energised, simple carbs such as sugar and starchy foods which break down into sugars – such as pasta and spuds – give you a shorter boost of energy, then leave you wanting more.
The likelihood is that the more simple carbs you eat, the more you’ll end up eating overall, harming the balance of your calorie deficit.
One easy trick if you’re a carb fan is to swap out white pasta or rice for courgetti, or noodles made from other vegetables like butternut squash. This can make an arrabiata, curry or stir fry much lower in calories. You’ll hardly notice the difference when you’re eating it, but you’ll be fuller for longer despite consuming fewer calories.
4. TRY A FOOD SUBSTITUTE
Sometimes it’s a real struggle to reduce the calories you take in, or even just to track them. If you’re constantly on the move and don’t have the time to count calories, or you have the best intentions and are cooking fresh with ingredients that aren’t all labelled with their nutrition info broken down, then accurately tracking calories can be a nightmare.
To ensure you’re getting a good mix of nutrients, as well as all-important protein, you could try a food substitute such as Huel.
This is not marketed as a dietary aid, but it is highly nutritious, and makes calorie counting a lot easier. A word of caution though: Huel may replace meals from a nutritional standpoint, but slurping a cool, slightly slimy milkshake instead of getting your teeth into a warm, healthy paella isn’t for everyone.
5. TRY INTERMITTENT FASTING
Some people thrive on intermittent fasting, which means significantly cutting calories – or completely fasting – for a portion of the day or week, and then eating normally for the rest.
The most popular form of intermittent fasting is the 5:2 diet, where you eat normally for five days a week but then eating no more than 600 calories two days a week.
There’s also the 16:8 diet, which is a bit different. With this diet you can eat anything for 8 hours a day, but can only drink water during a 16 hour fast. The recommended time to eat is between 10am and 6pm, although this can be flexible depending on what time you’d prefer to start or end eating (as long as you stay within an eight hour window).
The benefits of intermittent fasting is that during the fast period the body will run out of carbohydrates to run on, and so start to take energy from the body’s fat stores, thus starting to burn that belly fat once and for all.
6. DRINK MORE WATER AND LESS ALCOHOL
Drinking more water – especially before a meal – can help us to feel fuller, thereby helping us to stop eating sooner and consume fewer calories than we otherwise would have.
What’s more, few of us consider what we drink when we total up our daily calorie count and so potentially hundreds of extra calories can sneak into our bodies. Replacing fruit juices, fizzy drinks and even tea and coffee with water means we can save up our calorie allowance for the good stuff: the food that fills us up.
Top tip: keep a reusable water bottle with you at all times and restrict what else you drink. This can feel like a hard habit to break at first, but is surprisingly easy to maintain once you have a zero calorie drink to hand 24/7.
Reducing the amount of alcohol we drink also comes with benefits. Most obviously, alcoholic drinks are often very calorific, so drinking less alcohol means consuming fewer calories. Simple.
Secondly, drinking alcohol increases our appetite, so we’re more likely to eat more than usual – and more of the bad stuff – when we’ve been drinking. Cheesy chips, I’m looking at you.
Lastly, we all know how we feel after a night of heavy drinking. Ready for a session and the gym and a day eating fruit, veg and simple carbohydrates? We didn’t think so. Drinking alcohol not only means we take in more calories at the time, but can affect our ability to function well and make healthy choices the next day.
7. INCREASE CALORIE OUTPUT THROUGH EXERCISE
Now we’ve tackled diet and nutrition (calories in), it’s time to look at exercise (calories out).
Even if you’re eating healthily and are reasonably active in your daily life, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to lose weight quickly without additional exercise, whether that’s running, gym, crossfit, team sports, cycling or any of the other myriad activities available.
What’s more, working out will make you look and feel better and in our view, once you start looking and feeling better, it gets a lot easier to find the will power needed to improve your diet.
When it comes to choosing what type of exercise you do, the most important thing is that it’s something you enjoy and will stick to. Don’t force yourself to run if chances are you’ll be walking ten minutes in.
8. FOCUS ON WEIGHT TRAINING IN ADDITION TO CARDIO
There are two main types of exercise: cardio training and weight – or resistance –training.
Both burn calories, the difference is that whilst cardio burns a lot of calories upfront, weight training continues to to burn calories post workout.
This is because weight training builds muscle, and muscle burns more than fat as you carry out day-to-day tasks. In short, the greater your muscle:fat ratio, the more calories you burn even when you are standing still.
Weight training may seem daunting, but you don’t have to join a gym and face up to the squat rack right away. There are so many weight exercises you can do at home with simple bits of equipment from dumbbells to kettlebells, and balls to ropes.
All of this aside, don’t neglect cardio, as cardio workouts are important for fitness and stamina, and will still burn calories.
9. VARY THE INTENSITY OF YOUR WORKOUTS
As well doing both cardio and weight training, if you want to lose weight it’s also important to vary the intensity with which you exercise.
In any given week, and within any given workout, you should exercise both aerobically (a little out of breath but not gasping) and anaerobically (going flat out, like when running for a bus).
Aerobic exercise needs oxygen to give muscles energy and generally requires moderate exertion. Examples include gentler running, cycling and swimming.
It’s a crucial part of losing weight quickly because it uses both sugar and fat as its energy source, but to burn fat you need to do it for long enough that you’ve burned through your sugar stores first.
Anaerobic exercise, on the other hand, primarily uses sugar as its fuel. This doesn’t mean that it’s not good for weight loss, though. Anaerobic exercise helps build muscle, and as we explained above, this will help you burn calories even when you’re resting. Anaerobic exercises are generally high intensity, for example sprinting and weight lifting.
A running watch or fitness tracker will help you to know what intensity exercise you’re doing. As they either have built-in heart-rate trackers or pair with ones you strap to your chest, they can show you how hard you’re working out and let you know when you need to push it harder.
10. TRACK YOUR INPUT VS. OUTPUT (THAT ALL IMPORTANT CALORIE DEFICIT)
It’s important to decide how you want to measure your success and keep track consistently, understanding that you will see daily fluctuations due to things like digestive contents and water retention.
Running watches are the easiest way to track your progress, remain motivated and keep weight off. Depending how fancy you go, you can track pretty much any metric that works for you, certainly way beyond whether you’ve achieved your 10,000 steps. Whether it’s weight, BMI, resting heart rate, calories burned or activity level, the best running watch will track it all.
Many wearables branded as fitness trackers also have a stab at these more advanced metrics nowadays, but we’d always recommend a watch over a band.
Another way to keep track of your progress is the old fashioned method of weighing yourself. The great thing about modern bathroom scales is they don’t just tell you your weight; they also let you know your body fat percentage.
This is a much, much better metric to track than weight alone. If you’re working out while dieting you can easily put on weight, even when running a calorie deficit, just because muscle is heavier than fat.
Now, although the calculations of body fat percentage scales produce are based on sound science, accuracy can vary. The key thing to note is that if the overall trend is going down, you’re doing well.
We can’t stress enough the importance of giving your body time to lose weight. You can lose weight faster by using the right gear and having the right knowledge and attitude, but you’ll likely need to redefine what ‘fast’ means to you.
12/12 SLIDES
What’s a low carb diet
Keto is a type of low carb diet: “the main difference is the amount of carbs you allow in your daily diet”, So Nourished explains, “keto dieters stay around 25-50 grams of carbs per day while low carb diet is broader and could be anything lower than the Standard American Diet (SAD) which is around 225-325 grams of carbs.”
Notice the difference between the SAD and keto carb levels. Following a strict keto diet, either for medical reasons or otherwise, means a reduction in carb intake to one-tenth of you might otherwise eat a day.
How low is 25 grams of carbohydrate? To put in in perspective, 100 grams of banana contains around 23 grams of carbs. If you had a banana in the morning and wanted to make sure you stay within the low carb levels required by strict keto, you wouldn’t be able to eat anything else that contains carbs for the rest of the day.
What are the pros/cons of a low carb diet
Low carb diet might not have the same effect on your body as keto as just by reducing carbs will not necessarily send your body into ketosis, a state when it uses mainly fat for fuel. On the other hand, low carb diet might be a healthier option if your primary aim is to reduce blood sugar levels and improve gut microbiome, as long as you supply your body with healthy carbs sourced from fibre-rich vegetables, pulses and nuts.
“It’s a handy way of adding more veggies to your diet since you’d probably replace your carb-filled favorites with low starch veggie sides (think mashed cauliflower or spaghetti squash noodles)”, So Nourished adds.
Which one is better for long term weight loss?
So Nourished vouches for keto: “Keto is hands down a better way to lose weight. People who eat keto full-time consider it a lifestyle, not a diet, which makes it easier to stick to.”
“By cutting carbs slightly on a low carb diet, you won’t be changing your lifestyle enough to rewire your body to burn fat for fuel. You’ll still be dependent on carbs for energy; and when you don’t give your body enough energy, the diet becomes unsustainable. Keto encourages fat consumption for energy – you’ll never run out of delicious and healthy foods to eat and fuel your body”, So Nourished adds.
That said, low carb diet has its benefits but the scale of changes depends on the body’s reaction to both carbs and fat. Some DNA tests, such as the NGX DNA test, can tell you how well your body utilises carbs and fat. Most usually, the body (genetically speaking) prefers one over the other but in some cases, it might be able to switch from carbs to fat easier.
If that’s the case, going low carb ‘only’ could have similar effects as going full keto. In general, cutting back on carbs (and sugar) can help reduce blood sugar levels and put you on a more sustainable diet overall.
Which one is recommended for muscle building/endurance training?
As So Nourished explains, “since fat is a more stable and long lasting source of energy than carbs, it’s great for endurance training. It can sustain muscle building as well. However, a standard diet may help more explosive movements and muscle building.”
Chris Froome famously attributes his success in cycling to a low carb diet (among hard work and other factors), and he’s won three Tour de France titles which seems to underline the benefits of low carb diet – and therefore keto – in endurance training.
However, resistance training in particular requires carbohydrates to speed up recovery and aid the muscle building process. Strict keto doesn’t supply your body with enough carbohydrates to aid ‘bulking up’.
Some devices, such as Lumen, can help you determine and recommend the correct amount of carbs and fat to eat in order to lose weight or build muscle. According to its website, “Lumen uses a CO2 sensor and flow meter to determine the CO2 concentration in a single breath. This indicates the type of fuel your body is using to produce energy.”
This is part of T3’s Fit for 2021 programme, which will be running throughout January. We aim to bring you tips on diet, lifestyle and exercise that will help you shape up for what is certain to be a difficult year. One thing we can guarantee: it WILL be better than last year. And hopefully we’ll help you get the most out of it.
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