I was asked by a patient of mine who has had really amazing success with this lifestyle modification to do a post that has a bit more information about keto and my stance.
I had previously posted a very broad statement. As I told her, it’s hard when you’re doing a public blog to get across how open you are to whatever your patients are willing to do to get on the road to a healthier version of them.
So, she gave me permission to give you a glimpse of her story.
She approached me, wanting to lose weight, and wondering if I would oppose to her trying Keto. So many doctors immediately rebuke patients for wanting to try this lifestyle modification for differing reasons.
Some simply don’t know the data: keto has been shown to reduce insulin resistance, and if done appropriately can improve fatty liver disease, and lipid panels (cholesterol) over time. What we have seen with different diet modifications for weight loss is whatever you feel you can do consistently is something that will work for you.
Some have huge reservations about the amounts of meat: again, I say that we don’t have enough data. I do council my patient about the risk, but I also say that a patient that is going to continue to worsen their insulin resistance by continuing to eat meat AND high carb diet is likely harming themselves worse. I am willing to get behind a behavior that is an improvement in any direction. Additionally, there are ways to enter ketosis that would not necessarily be high in the animal products—in fact, you can be vegetarian or vegan, and be keto.
So, anyway, I was completely supportive of her decision. I counseled her on the risks of eating too much bacon/butter—we know that studies show that these things are tied to heart disease, but there will also be some offset risk with significantly decreasing her intake of unhealthy carbohydrates—her body will process these fats differently, but she shouldn’t overdo it.
And SHE ROCKED IT!
She went, and she researched, and she became so much more knowledgeable than me about the lifestyle. She didn’t cheat. At 6 months, her cholesterol looked just as I expected, and it’s the other reason some docs freak out about this lifestyle—it was WAYYYY up. But guys, this happens in weight loss outside of keto. Your body is breaking down fat, and it’s floating around, and I’m catching it before your body has had a chance to get balanced. In keto, we do see things go higher—because you’re eating way more fat than most, and your body is mobilizing fats like crazy. I expected that by 1 year, we were going to see things normalize.
And that’s exactly what happened. Her labs made my month! And her weight was down tremendously. And, of course, she was happier than I was—it was her life, her choice, her way! She hadn’t really cheated in the year, and I really do credit this to why I was seeing this level of success.
The safety of living in ketosis isn’t studied in trials long term (past 1 year) in mainstream medicine, so I always give my patients this information. However, if a patient is willing to accept the risk for themselves, I am willing to engage in their journey in a non-judgmental way, and I get so much joy as I remove medications from medication profiles!
It has been 18 months, and she’s going strong. She’s added more unhealthy fats than I’m generally comfortable with (HELLO LARD!!), but she feels better and has more energy. Again, she’s drawing energy from fats, so this is new territory for me. And guess what!! Her cholesterol still looks amazing. Her weight is still decreasing. Her A1c looks great. She’s happy, and I’m happy.
She introduced me to a Houston Keto group on Facebook that has support and information for anyone interested in keto. Like any lifestyle modification, it requires LOTS of research. The more you know and prepare, the more likely you are to succeed. Like any lifestyle modification, it won’t be for everyone. But if you know you aren’t going to do vegan or vegetarian, moderation isn’t something you do well, and you are continuing to see your health decline, you need to do something. Keto is a reasonable option that I have seen work. Consider it!
Resources for Keto
(Disclaimer: I may or may not necessarily agree with everything that is written in these blogs or said on the videos, but these resources were recommended as helpful by people I know successful with keto)
