EE 066: Why Low Carb Is Not A “Fad Diet” But A Lifestyle, Keto Too

Apr 28, 2021
You’ve undoubtedly heard of “going low carb” to lose weight.  You may have even tried it yourself.  Perhaps you took a dip in the Keto waters, if you’re the all-in type like me.

As a result of your efforts, you likely had some degree of success.  But in time, as with any “fad” diet, it became too hard to maintain.  Typically, this is what happens with most who approach eating low carb as “going on a diet”…it becomes faddish.

Fads fade fast.

NEWS FLASH… low carb is not a “fad,” but rather a lifestyle change.

While it can be adopted for a short period of time, you are merely scratching the surface of what can be achieved over the long haul.

Not sure if you can manage the low carb lifestyle?

Trust me, you can. And it is pretty simple, but that’s not to say it is effortless.

Keto is a variation of the low carb approach.  “Keto” is short for ketogenic.  Ketogenic refers to eating in a way that promotes using lipids (fats) as the primary fuel.  The body generates (genic) ketones (keto) in the process.

In my opinion, and that of other science-focused experts, “Keto” is any way of eating that supports ketone production.  Period.  There is no such thing as a “keto food”…food is food (unless it’s Frankenfood).  The “keto” part happens within your amazing body.

Despite the fact that most people over-complicate the process with all sorts of rules and regulations, you’re in luck because you’re reading this post…and I’ve got you covered.

Following the low carb lifestyle for the rest of your life can be achievable with the info below:

1/ Low Carb Has Been In Use For More Than A Hundred Years

Fad diets come and go, but low carb has been in use for many years.  And well before saturated fat was demonized, low carb was the choice to lose weight.

Tracing the low carb methodology all the way back to 1861, will lead you to a pair of Williams.  One, an English surgeon, Dr. William Harvey.  The other, a London undertaker, Mr. William Banting.  Harvey prescribed a low carb weight loss approach to Banting.  Banting got billing rights (and a smaller waistline) for this one.  The Banting Diet was the means to end the waistline war for quite some time to come.

In more recent times, Dr. Robert Atkins published his infamous low carb diet book in 1972, long before the low-fat craze took root.  He was way ahead of his time.  A true rebel…I love a rebel!

2/ Studies Support Low Carb Diet Many Times Over

There have been dozens of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in respected, peer-reviewed journals, most since 2002.  These studies show low carb diets to be effective for weight loss and completely safe without a single adverse effect.  This cannot be said about many of the fad diets.

Additionally, many studies show low carb eating to have better results in both weight lost and in support of heart disease prevention than the typical low fat plan.  Another key benefit is the weight lost was from body fat, not muscle.  That distinction is what gets health professional’s hearts to pitter-patter…losing fat while sparing lean tissue.

The inverse, losing weight in the form of body fat AND lean tissue, is doing you absolutely no good.  In fact, it is causing great detriment to your future self.

Low carb leads to more weight loss, especially visceral fat, and also helps to improve HDL cholesterol, insulin levels, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure.

Not too shabby a resumé, eh?

3/ No More Hunger!

Most fad diets are notorious for making you feel starved and desperate as you white-knuckle your way through them to lose a few pounds. Crashes in energy levels and mood fluctuations are also common with fad diets.

Hangry people are scary and unpredictable.  

With a low carb plan, you feel satisfied and eat to satiety.  This means you could not eat another bite.  Eating tasty healing fats does this to a body.  It is a beautiful thing.  Most people who go low carb find their appetite is naturally satisfied, because they have eliminated the carbs that cause erratic blood sugar spikes which cause out of control cravings and overeating.

There is no white-knuckling involved, as you get to eat an abundance of real whole food, including steaks, chicken, bacon, eggs, butter, non-starchy vegetables, nuts and seafood.

This makes low carb sustainable for the long term.  And as you reach your weight loss goals you can begin to re-introduce carb foods while you continue to monitor your weight.  This makes low carb a true lifestyle plan and not some useless temporary solution.

4/ Mistakes Are Ok

On a fad diet, a lapse of one day could ruin your overall goal, placing undue pressure on you. However, when adopting to a lifestyle of low carb, it is understood that lapses happen from time to time, and that is ok.

It will not wreck your metabolism, or cause you to gain weight lost back in the span of 24 hours. In fact, you will likely find that your cravings for carbs decrease significantly over time, making it less likely from the get-go that you will have major lapses.  When my clients reach goal, we build in ways to indulge without guilt!

Don’t think of it as a stringent diet, but forging a new relationship with the right foods.

5/ You Learn To Eat Healthy

Another reason that low carb is a lifestyle and not a fad is that you learn to make healthy choices in carbs, protein, and fats.  And it is this ability to choose that makes this a lifestyle over the often very rigid rules of the typical fad diet.

You have to know the differences between various carbs, and practice planning healthy meals, instead of just following some “one-size-fits-all” fad diet menu that offers little variation.

6/ You Can Eat Out

Eating out on low carb is easy once you learn to make the right choices, this allows you to maintain a social life and enjoy dining out without compromising your weight loss.  Nothing is more supportive of a lifestyle plan than that.

7/ Sustained Weight Loss

When you go on a fad diet, you typically see some weight loss, and then when you go off the diet you usually go back to eating what you ate before.

That’s when the lost weight is found along with some of her friends.

In other words, “Welcome to the Diet Rollercoaster”!  You go on yet another diet to lose the same pounds, yet again.  It’s a vicious cycle.

With low carb, there is no “end” or “getting of the diet,” it is intended for life.  As such, you can lose the weight and keep it off by continuing to make healthy choices and monitoring their effects on your weight.

This also means that you will be able to eat more carbs down the road, but you will continue to choose wisely based on your individual weight loss maintenance.

The Take Home

As you can see, eating low carb is far from a fad diet.  Keto has received a digital ton of front page attention.  Despite this frustrating fact, it too is no fad. I say “frustrating” because the obesity profiteers are bastardizing Keto in the name of making a buck, or a million.  [Avoiding a rant here…and if I may say so myself, I’ve done a great job!]

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