If you cut back on dietary fat on the keto diet , will you get enough calories?
Timestamps:
0:00 Does cutting back on fat while on the keto diet lower my calories too much?
0:55 This is what happens if you lower your dietary fat intake
2:08 Yes, 3 to 6 ounces of protein and a big salad is enough
Once you’ve adapted to the keto diet, you may find that your weight loss plateaus. If this happens, I recommend cutting back on your dietary fat to force your body to use its own fat stores for fuel.
In response, someone asked me if reducing their fat intake would mean they weren’t getting enough calories. Let me explain.
You were running on sugar for fuel. Then you went on keto and are doing intermittent fasting. You’re one or two months in, and your body has adapted to using fat for fuel. Your hunger is down and your cravings have disappeared. But let’s say your metabolism is slow, and you’re not losing as much weight as you’d like.
So you lower your dietary fat intake to 75 grams or maybe a little less. This forces your body to use its own stored fat. Now consider this: the average skinny person has an average of 80-100,000 calories of stored fat! That’s a lot to run your body on.
When you’re doing keto and intermittent fasting, and cutting way down on your carb intake, you’re forcing your body to burn fat. This is good. If you’re eating just one or two meals per day, and you reduce your fat intake, what does that leave you with? 3 to 6 ounces of protein and vegetables for each meal.
Is this going to be enough? Well, hopefully you’re increasing your vegetable intake. And here’s the missing piece of the puzzle. Yes, your calorie intake will be low. But the main thing is to get your nutrients, so you want to consume high quality fats including those in wild-caught salmon and grass-fed beef. Also, make sure your fish oil supplements are high quality; so too should your vegetables be. Then yes, 3 to 6 ounces of protein and a big salad for your one meal a day isn’t going to add up to that many calories, maybe 900. But realize a good portion of the calories you’re getting are from your body’s own stores of fat. This is why you can go from meal to meal without feeling hungry.
If you plateau on the keto diet, and you’re at one or two meals a day, focus on eating nutrient-dense foods and don’t worry about your calorie intake.
Dr Eric Berg DC Bio:
Dr. Berg, age 56, is a chiropractor who specializes in Healthy Ketosis & Intermittent Fasting. He is the author of the best-selling book The Healthy Keto Plan, and is the Director of Dr. Berg Nutritionals. He no longer practices, but focuses on health education through social media.
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Disclaimer: Dr. Eric Berg received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1988. His use of “doctor” or “Dr.” in relation to himself solely refers to that degree. Dr. Berg is a licensed chiropractor in Virginia, California, and Louisiana, but he no longer practices chiropractic in any state and does not see patients so he can focus on educating people as a full-time activity, yet he maintains an active license. This video is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, and prescription or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Berg and you. You should not make any change in your health regimen or diet before first consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam, diagnosis, and recommendation. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The Health & Wellness, Dr. Berg Nutritionals and Dr. Eric Berg, D.C. are not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or product you obtain through this video or site.
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Cutting back your fat intake on the keto diet is fine!