Have you joined the keto band-wagon only to see your friends lose weight while you are…um…gaining weight? You are not alone. We have seen a definite spike in clients (mostly women) saying the same over the last few months. As we work with them, we are finding that some parallels that help us connect the dots.
First, many people are simply over-doing dairy – at levels they never have consumed before. For some, testing reveals a silent food sensitivity which becomes triggered by the excessive intake of cream, cheese and yogurt. Also, if dairy products are not organic, they can have an impact on hormones which can also affect weight – as well as skin and periods.
Any extreme diet – keto, low calorie, fasting, juice cleaning – can be perceived by the body as stress. Our metabolism (still hardwired to think like caveman/woman) assumes that the absence of food means the possibility of starvation – and so it works extra hard to slow down the metabolism “to save up for a rainy day”. Now imagine a person who is already stressed – and isn’t coping well with that stress. Or is vulnerable to any number of factors that can throw stress hormones off balance. You can see how keto + fasting can backfire.
At TNC, we like parts of keto – especially its impact on cravings and blood sugar. But before embarking on any extreme eating plan it is important to get a reading of where you are at – and first fix any underlying issues.
That’s why we start most of our clients on a carefully designed low carb plan that considers food sensitivities, stress, hormones and gut health. Once we get more information from assessments, we can then tailor that plan to be more specific.