A few decades ago, low-carb diet crazes appeared in the mainstream media.

Although highly criticized by the medical community, the media frenzy won out and still does much of the time.

I believe this is due to the dazzling effects of herd mentality and our ever present wish to have all the rewards with little actual work.

Eating well and exercising regularly seems too “normal” and hard.

Quick fixes are much more exciting.

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WHAT ABOUT KETO? ISN’T IT BODY-HACK WIZARDRY THAT SUPER-SMART-GURU-DIET-GENIUSES CAN PROVE USING SCIENCE?

Yes and no.

Science is more art than science.

The keto diet is actually nothing new.

Ketogenic diets have been used for a long time for a variety of medical reasons.

— To treat epilepsy

— For treating some cancers

— In managing type II diabetes

Over the last decade, the KD (no, definitely not the carby, cheesy kind of your childhood) has become a more grown-up, sciencey-sounding, elitist version of a low-carb diet that your Aunt Susan might have been on when you were a kid.

You know the ones….

Of course, the keto-diet is not quite the same as a typical low-carb diet (to which there are many, many variations). It does produce a unique process in your body that other diets do not.

But does that translate into magical fat loss and health beyond your wildest dreams?

In short, no.

This is key: There’s a huge difference between being a “fat burner” and actually burning your body fat. If you are over-consuming calories, the most advanced diet in the world will not let you burn body fat. That’s all there is to it.

SO WHAT DO YOU DO INSTEAD?

Moderation.

Yes, really.

The reason people have success on low carb diets is because it is an efficient way to lower calories.

This is important because people DO in fact tend to eat far too many carbohydrates (and therefore calories) than they need to. They also eat too much fat, too much everything.

There is more to weight loss than calories in, calories out. I will not claim that it is that basic and straightforward, BUT, that is the main battle.

Highly palatable foods in large quantities and too little movement (calories out).

Not enough sleep is a huge factor. So is stress.

In essence, health and weight gain is a multifaceted beast and the answers are more complex than we’d like.

However, I truly believe that most reasonable people know what they should do and there are statistics to prove that.

A lot of what I’ve been saying is nothing new to you. I could probably get a lot further by promising a magical-keto-cookie-fat-bomb that will solve all of your problems but it would be disingenuous of me….

Continue reading here….

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