Could A High-Fat Diet Help You Lose Weight?

Fad diets are everywhere. And if you’re already done trying to be a caveman—ahem, if you’re done trying out paleo—it’s time for you to see if the next fad is right for you.

It’s called the ketogenic diet, and it’s based around high-fat, low-protein, and low-carb principles.

Sound questionable? Maybe, but for some people, it may work.

So what’s the science? It’s based around “ketosis,” or the process in which your body becomes so depleted of carbohydrates that it turns your fat into fuel. This fat-based fuel, or ketones, replace your carbohydrates as your main energy source. 

If you’re old enough to remember the Atkins diet, you know that ketosis is a part of that as well. But instead of Ketosis being a stage, for ketogenic adherers, ketosis is the end goal.

What can you eat? 80-90 percent of your food should come from fats on this diet. You’re only allowed 10-35 grams of carbs, which is about an apple’s worth. Eating fruit on this diet is near impossible. Your fats don’t even need to be healthy. It can be beef and bacon, or oils and nuts. Most people who are “keto” tend to be less hardcore about it, but the meal plan requires mostly for that.

So does it actually work? Ketosis may help you lose weight, since you’re taking in dramatically less carbs. Fats are more filling, so you won’t be eating as much, and you’ll stop craving carbs. You’ll probably lose a lot of water weight, since you don’t have the carbs to hold onto them.

What are the risks? Good question. Full ketosis is hard to bear for most people. The diet was originally created for children with epilepsy, since a high-fat diet seems to quiet seizures for reasons unknown. But ketosis comes with bad B.O., bad breath, and weakness. It’s almost impossible to strength train in full ketosis, and your metabolism will eventually slow—a lot.

Most people who have lost weight on it—most famously Kim Kardashian West and Lebron James, have done an adjusted ketogenic diet that still allows for healthy carbs and proteins. This can help you stave off the franky terrible effects of a high-fat diet on your system, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol. vitamin deficiency, and dehydration.

So maybe you’re better off skipping this one. Oh well, we all knew it was too good to be true.

What do you think of the high-fat diet? Would you give it a try?