FOOD & SUPPS
ASK THE REGISTERED DIETITIAN
BY JONATHAN VALDEZ
CARBS COUNT
STRICT ADHERENCE TO LOW-CARB DIETS COULD
DERAIL YOUR PROGRESS.
Will a low-carb
or keto diet keep me
from making gains?
The ketogenic diet was originally
devised to assist with controlling
epilepsy in children, but it isn’t
recommended for adults because
it’s very difficult to follow. You will
be eating about 30 to 40 grams
of carbohydrates a day, or eating
3 or 4 grams of fat for every 1 gram
of carbs and protein, which
means you’ll get about 60 to 80%
of your diet from fat sources, while
carbs may be 2 to 4% of the diet,
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whereas it’s normally 45 to 65%
of the diet.
Most research has shown that
a low-carb or keto diet will do
more to help you with maintaining
weight loss versus assisting in any
muscle gains. And in order to maintain
lean body mass during weight loss, a
higher protein intake is needed, around
0.5 to 0.8 gram for every pound you
weigh. In addition, more research
seems more promising in the endurance
arena versus muscle building, which is
not surprising since muscle is made out
of muscle glycogen, and muscle glycogen
is derived from carbohydrates, while fat
is stored in fat cells.
The bottom line is, if you’re consistently
doing strenuous exercise, you’re not
going to perform as well without some
carbohydrates. And remember that
keto diets cut out a bunch of food
groups like fruit, dairy, grains, and
many vegetables, so if you are on
it you may need to take supplements
so you aren’t missing out on key
vitamins and minerals.
Jonathan Valdez, R.D.N., A.C.E.-C.P.T.,
is the owner of Genki Nutrition, a
nutrition wellness and counseling
business in New York City.