Keto Diet or Mediterranean Diet. Which is best for weight loss?
Many people question if the Keto diet or Mediterranean diet is best for weight loss. Maybe a better question is which is best for you, as everyone has differing likes, dislikes, dedication to cooking, free time for meal planning, etc. Let us give you a quick overview so that you can determine the best choice for your weight loss diet.
The Keto Diet.
The Ketogenic diet is a born-again Adkin’s diet from the early 2000s. This high fat, low carb diet dates back to the 1950s but was popularized in 2003 when Dr. Adkin’s wrote a book. With this diet your carbs are restricted to around 50 grams per day, which is what the brain needs to survive. When your body is not getting carbs, it is forced to use fat for energy, a state called ketosis.
The upside is that you will lose a considerable amount of fat fairly quickly. For the knuckleheads, this is all they need to hear and will not read the rest of this article. The downside is that because this diet is unrealistic for most people to sustain for a long period of time, people will quit and gain back all the weight plus more. If you are using the Keto diet and not strength training to promote healthy muscle mass, you will actually diet away some of your muscle. This means when the weight comes back, you will actually be fatter than when you started.
You have to ask yourself if this is realistic for you. Can you live your life without eating a slice of birthday cake at a celebration? No chocolate, no wine, no beer, no pizza, no chips….the list is very long. It is not realistic for most. Another consideration is the health implications of a high fat diet, and on that pretty much eliminates the foods that contain nutrients for your health, like those seen in fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.
The Mediterranean diet. There really is no distinctly classified Mediterranean diet for weight loss, but it derives from countries along the Mediterranean Sea and the traditional foods that are a part of their lifestyle. Keep in mind that people in these countries also embrace being physically active.
This diet has a strong foundation of fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. While it is acceptable to enjoy red meat on occasion, most of your protein will come from fish, legumes, eggs, and some poultry. Fat is an important component of your nutrition and your fat will come from healthy sources such as olive oil and fatty fish. Dairy is not eliminated, but is limited. Low fat yogurts (plain or Greek) are acceptable, as well as small amounts of cheese.
The Mediterranean diet.
There really is no distinctly classified Mediterranean diet for weight loss, but it derives from countries along the Mediterranean Sea and the traditional foods that are a part of their lifestyle. Keep in mind that people in these countries also embrace being physically active.
This diet has a strong foundation of fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. While it is acceptable to enjoy red meat on occasion, most of your protein will come from fish, legumes, eggs, and some poultry. Fat is an important component of your nutrition and your fat will come from healthy sources such as olive oil and fatty fish. Dairy is not eliminated, but is limited. Low fat yogurts (plain or Greek) are acceptable, as well as small amounts of cheese.
FAT KNEES.
We can help.
This diet can be healthy and a great way to achieve weight loss. The foundation of this diet is solid, healthy foods, and ones that need to be cooked. Cooking your own food from scratch is one of the best habits you can have if you want life long weight control. The Mediterranean diet does not overly restrict, but rather says to “limit” or use in “moderation”. This is great advice. And it includes red wine!
Conclusion.
Keto diet or Mediterranean diet, which is better for weight loss? You will lose weight faster on the Keto diet, but you are a fool to believe that this is a good way to jump start your weight loss. “I will start with this to lose weight fast and then switch to a healthy lifestyle”. Uh…no you won’t. And you will just be fatter in the end. I recommend the Mediterranean diet because it revolves around a sustainable lifestyle. If you want permanent weight loss, you do not need a “diet”, you need a lifestyle change. People just don’t want to hear the truth. They want a magic diet, and they will try the latest diet book of the month, lose weight, then fall back into their poor lifestyle and gain it all back. Take the time to evaluate what is best for you personally and let this guide you to the right choice between the Keto diet or Mediterranean diet for weight loss.