People Are Trying a 'Lazy Keto' Diet. A new version of the keto diet promises to be easy to follow, but experts aren’t so sure. The concept of the keto diet seems easy enough. Eat very few carbs and more fat than protein. The reality, at least for some keto dieters, is that the "simple" diet actually involves a great deal of calculating, strategizing, and negotiating. To simply call the keto diet a low-carb diet entirely misses the emphasis on fat. That fat focus is what sets keto apart from other low-carb diets, including the Atkins diet. The keto diet calls on you to eat under 5 percent of your daily calories from carbs. That comes out to about 20-50 grams of carbohydrates for most people. The remaining amount of your calories should be 60 to 90 percent fat and 10 to 3 0 percent protein. But what if you could skip micromanaging your macronutrients and instead focus solely on the carb number?
That’s the concept behind "lazy keto," an approach to the keto diet that’s gaining attention from the keto curious and even some devout keto dieters. What is lazy keto? "The most common definition of lazy keto is to eat no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day without counting calories or tracking the other macronutrients, protein and fat," said Allison Knott, MS, RDN, CSSD, a registered dietitian based in New York City. "In theory, this sounds great for those who don’t enjoy tracking every bite of food going into their mouth, but it’s unlikely to result in the metabolic state known as ketosis," she said. Ketosis is the process that occurs when the body stops using glycogen (carbohydrate) stores for energy and starts burning fat instead. In ketosis, the body burns the fat you eat plus the fat you have stored. Ketosis is vital to the keto diet and its highly touted weight loss benefits.
But ketosis isn’t as easy as ditching carbs almost entirely to force fat burning. Yes, carbs are the direct source of glucose for energy. Without them, slim down support your body will need another energy source. Protein, if you aren’t watchful, slim down support can become that source of glucose in a process called gluconeogenesis. It could be the death knell for the lazy keto concept. "Protein has an insulinogenic response, which means that eating too much protein on a ketogenic diet can actually cause the body to use glucose for fuel instead of ketones, thus taking the person out of ketosis," said Michelle Shapiro, MS, RD, a registered dietitian in New York City. "If macronutrients are not balanced and nutrient timing, i.e., when eating meals, is not tightly regulated, it is very probable that the ketogenic diet will not be done properly, and will leave the person feeling very hungry," she added. Fat is very filling.
It’s also more calorie dense and digests more slowly than other macronutrients. But if you don’t get enough fat and aren’t in ketosis because you eat too much protein, you could leave the body in a state of energy limbo. "If protein and carbohydrate intake is not managed, the person on a ketogenic diet may not go into ketosis and may just feel completely deprived and hungry," Shapiro said. "If the body isn’t burning fat or carbs for fuel, it may be burning nothing. The transition of fat burning is the most important component in a keto diet and is impaired if it is not done perfectly," she said. "The new keto diet focuses on fat quality," Shapiro said. "The foods advertised in older keto diets were high in vegetable oils laden with inflammatory omega-6 fats and processed meats," she explained. That, Supraketo Fat Burner Shapiro says, is a distinction worth its difference.
Low-quality fats are often considered pro-inflammatory. Inflammation is seen by some as "the root cause of every disease," Shapiro says. "Fat can either mitigate it or promote it, so the food quality is highly important. Eating a bunch of processed meats and vegetable oils will certainly take people away from health instead of towards it," she added. Almost all diets rely on the dieter eating fewer calories to lose weight. But eating too few calories could make the number on the scale stick. "Calories are extremely important on this diet and any other diet for that matter," Knott said. Knott added, "Second, going too low on total calories can present risks, no matter the macronutrient ratio. Many carb-rich plant foods aren’t allowed on the keto diet. That leaves very low-carb fruits and vegetables, like asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, as the primary sources of polyphenols and antioxidants. Sure, supplements can help.