Weight loss: The Keto diet combined with intermittent fasting is safe to follow

Keto diet with Intermittent fasting

The Ketogenic Diet and Intermittent fasting are two dietary methods that are popular for losing kilos at the current time. The former is all about adding more fat to the diet and restricting carbs, while the latter stresses the need to manage the eating pattern, without restricting any food group. Both are tried and tested methods to shed kilo, but both are based on different approaches. Two dieting methods are diverse from each other and there are no chances of overlapping. It is a reason why many follow both the eating patterns together to speed up the weight loss process. But scientifically, is it really alright to follow keto and intermittent together?

What is a Ketogenic diet?

The Keto or Ketogenic diet focuses on consuming fewer calories and increasing fat consumption. While following this diet one's daily meal must contain about 5-10 per cent carbs, 25-30 per cent protein and 70-75 per cent fat. Taking a diet high in fat content forces the body to go into a phase of ketosis where it starts producing ketones from fat deposited in the liver. It is used by the body as the chief source of energy in the absence of carbs. Over time, the body starts burning stored fat for energy, eventually leading to weight loss. The only thing that needs to be kept in mind is the quality of fat you are consuming when following this diet. There are basically two types of fat- good and bad. You need to include more good fat and exclude bad fat.

What is Intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is not a diet. It is rather an eating pattern that alternates between fasting and eating window. One does not have to restrict any food group while following Intermittent fasting, it is just about eating clean and consuming all the calories within a fixed period. Staying in a fasted state gives a chance to your body to focus on tasks other than digesting food. It helps to boost metabolism, cut down the risk of chronic diseases and eventually shed kilos. There are different methods of Intermittent fasting like the 5:2 method, 16:8 method, alternate-day fasting method and others. Which method to follow depends on your fitness goal, stamina and health.

Is it safe to follow both at the same time?

Since keto is all about restricting the food intake and intermittent about restricting time intervals, it might not seem harmful to combine them. But scientifically, combining the two can do more harm than good.

First of all, both diets have their shares of pros and cons. Combining the two means double risk, especially for beginners and those suffering from some health conditions.

Secondly, keto is a restrictive diet and following it for a long time may lead to nutrient deficiency and kidney problems. When you pair it with intermittent fasting, you may put excessive stress on your body. The overwhelming experience might lead to mood swings, constipation, irritability and fatigue.

Thirdly, there is no guarantee combining the two diets will work for everyone. We all have different metabolism and different bodies, so naturally, our journey to shed kilos would be unique from others. No two people have the same weight loss journey. What works for one may not work for the other. So, it is not necessary that combining intermittent fasting and keto will help your drop kilos.

The verdict

While one can safely follow Intermittent fasting for the long term, the keto diet is better for the short term. Overdoing the keto diet may invite several health problems like nutrient deficiency and kidney problems. The two weight-loss trends are complete in themselves and there is no need to combine them. Besides, there is no scientific evidence that proves that combining the two can speed up the weight loss process. So, it is better to follow one at a time after consulting your doctor or nutritionist.

Source: Indiatimes