How long to stay on keto diet?

[highaltitudebc]

Just wondering how long a person should stay on a keto diet for? Would it be when they have reached their desired bodyfat percentage? Also will a person gain back weight if he stops keto diet? Are bodyfat calipers an accurate way to check for bodyfat percentage? Thanks :)

[steve_d]

Just wondering how long a person should stay on a keto diet for? Would it be when they have reached their desired bodyfat percentage? Also will a person gain back weight if he stops keto diet? Are bodyfat calipers an accurate way to check for bodyfat percentage? Thanks :)

Your bodyfat levels stay at the level you're eating at. Eat like someone with 5% and you'll stay 5%. There is no such thing as hitting a goal bodyfat then stopping to diet and staying that lean. If you're losing 1 pound of fat per week and you ease up a little then yes, you may stay at that percent. IE - instead of losing 1 more per week, you simply maintain. Eat the way you used to and look the way you used to. This will in all likelihood be amplified going from keto to non-keto. If you've been away from carbs for a while, it takes time to get used to processing it.

It's surprising how many people believe in this type of approach - I'll just diet until I hit a goal then go back to my old ways. Think of dieting as a rubber band. You begin dieting, its like stretching that rubber band. You can probably hold it for a while, but stop the tension on the band and what happens? Well, the elastic goes back to normal, or worse, flings off your fingers into the other direction.

[Praetorian]

LOL and that other direction can get pretty nasty!

Technically you can run keto indefinitely as long as you have a higher carb refeed minimum once per week for thyroid support. Although as Steve says this is not practical nor is it attainable for most people. As your BF drops remember your appetite will increase in relation...if you've ever been down below 6-7 % which most people never get close to you would understand just how ravenous you can get. Lets put it this way...once you drop to seriously low BF levels food becomes MUCH MUCH MUCH more enticing than sex...and Im talking sex with Mila Kunis as an example.

Once you go off any diet..keto or not you will gain weight back...keto has nothing to do with it. Calipers are useless...use the mirror or take pics weekly and then compare them.

P

[highaltitudebc]

Its hard to figure out whats fact or fiction these days. There are so much misinformation out there.Thanks for clearing some of that up.Thanks Steve and Prae. much appreciated.