It seems at times that there are more diets than people out there. Everyone has heard of many diets over the years like the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet. So, what are these new ones taking the world by storm? What is the Ideal Protein Diet, the Keto Diet and the Ketogenic Diet? Here, we will explore what these diets are and some of their pros and cons.
Take a Breath and Relax
Don’t know the difference between the Ideal Protein, Keto, and Ketogenic Diet? Well, relax, they’re all the different names for the same thing and they all have the same goal: to help people lose weight.
What Is It All About?
Understand, first, that most diets set their sights on targeting the number of calories that a person consumes in a day. On average, everyone needs about 2,000 calories per day to function properly. What the typical calorie-monitoring diet does is to cut those calories to a thousand or so a day. The body, noticing that it has fewer calories than it needs is supposed to turn to fat stores in order to make up the shortfall of calories, thereby resulting in a person losing weight.
This hasn’t been an overly successful approach, however, as many people end up having their cravings overpower their desire to lose weight. For those who do experience some success, they lose the weight and go off their diet, only to gain the weight back and in some cases, end up heavier than they were before.
The Keto Diet takes the approach of reprogramming a person’s body to lose weight. Interestingly enough, the idea behind the Ketogenic Diet originated with children who suffer from epilepsy. Yes, you heard that right! Doctors discovered that the diet of epileptic seizure sufferers could be controlled by lowering their carbohydrate intake. The Ideal Protein Plan was then adapted into use by mainstream culture for the added benefit of weight loss which the diet provides.
It’s All About the Carbs
The basis behind this new approach to dieting is that people in North America typically get an about equal mix of meats, fruits and vegetables. There does tend, in this culture, however for there to be an emphasis on breads.
Let’s face it, from hamburgers to pizza, North Americans eat a great deal from the bread aisle, even if they don’t realize it. Breads and flour are major sources of carbohydrates which the body converts into glucose. It’s this conversion and usage of the glucose that was leading to seizures in children. The solution? Put them on a low-carb diet. This resulted in the body being forced to burn fat rather than carbs.
This approach had the beneficial side effect of burning fat in the regular population as well. This works by taking carbohydrates away from the body and is a central component of the Ideal Protein or Ketogenic Diet. The body wants to use up carbs first. By reducing the amount of breads, for instance, in our diets, the body can no longer resort to going to that carb mountain, first.
It takes time for the body to be reprogrammed, but by actually giving the body fats (yes fats!) and starving it of carbohydrates, our systems eventually start to just go after the fat. This is what triggers weight loss in people on the Keto Diet.
The Cons
Like any other diet, it’s important to follow the rules and this one hinges on a major reduction in carbohydrates. As a result, followers of the diet need to do their research and know which foods are high in carbs. Not only that, people need to realizethat deciding their body won’t notice if they sneak in the occasional croissant or breadstick may be disappointed with the results.
The Pros
The pros to the Keto Diet are that it is not only a popular diet, it’s also scientifically proven to work. There are also many celebrities, actors, and singers who swear that it did help them to lose weight.
There are a lot of choices for weight loss programs out there, but many have garnered negative press over the years due to people experiencing negative health effects. Others claim that “X” diet didn’t work for them and still others try a diet only to lose weight, but gain it back within a few months to a year. The Keto Diet is viewed by professionals as a healthy alternative to other, more extreme weight-loss diets that can have profound effects on people’s minds and bodies.
In the End
In the end, the Keto Diet promises real-world results for the waistline and the scale, but sticking to it and not trying to bend the rules are key to its success.
Follow Us