Is there a difference between low-carb vs. keto? Is following a ketogenic diet and eating foods low in carbs the same thing? And is one eating plan better than the other? Here are the answers to all of your questions!
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Which Diet Is Better For You?
After years of being told dietary fat is bad, an ever-increasing number of people are now aware it isn’t harmful.
Growing research now show sources of carbohydrates—other than low-starch vegetables and low-sugar fruit—are responsible for many preventable chronic disease. This explains the surging popularity of the ketogenic diet.
The practice of eating ketogenic foods is approximately 100 years old. But, the original purpose of the diet was to treat neurological disorders such as epilepsy rather than losing body fat.
Over the years, it was discovered that keto diets have many other benefits too. Losing weight is just one of the advantages of strict carbohydrate restriction.
The Main Difference Between Keto and Low-Carb
The main difference between keto and low-carb diet is the macronutrients. When people follow the keto diet, they track how many grams of carbs, protein, and fat they eat so they stay in ketosis (more on that in a bit).
There are some people that slash carbs from their diet without being ketogenic (keto). This is the biggest difference when looking at low-carb vs keto.
But, how can this be?
Keto vs. Low-Carb: Ketosis
In order to follow a ketogenic diet, you need to be in a state of ketosis. This simply means that your body is burning fatty acids (ketones) for energy instead of carbohydrate stores (glycogen in the liver and glucose in the blood).
Now, it’s possible to have dangerously high levels of ketones in the blood. This is a condition known as ketoacidosis. However, unless you have type 1 diabetes, you shouldn't have to worry about ketoacidosis.
The levels of ketones produced can be varied depending on daily macros. And, the amount of carbohydrates consumed is one of the big differences when looking at low-carb vs keto.
When you have normal levels of ketones in your bloodstream, your brain and the rest of your body are fueled by stored body fat. But, the only way to know for sure if you’re in a state of ketosis is by confirming it through daily testing.
Ketosis Symptoms: How To Tell If You Are In Ketosis
There are blood, breath, and urine strips to help identify symptoms of being in ketosis. Some keto experts recommend testing breath over urine but, blood meters are the most accurate.
The reason many recommend breath testing is that the urine and blood strips can only be used only once, making them more expensive in the long run. A breath analyzer is reusable.
However, urine strips only represent the ketone levels that you pee out and anything you eliminate represents excess. Therefore, urine strips simply measure excess ketones whereas breathalyzers and blood meters show up-to-the-minute ketone levels.
Keep in mind that just because you reduce the amount of carbs you eat does not mean that you are now burning body fat for energy. In fact, you might be better off eating slightly more carbs than you are if you’re not in ketosis! This is particularly true when initially moving from high carb eating to low-carb.
If your body is still burning carbs for fuel rather than fat in the case of ketosis, and you drastically reduce the amount of carbs you eat, you can feel very lethargic. Some even get what's known as keto flu.
Low-Carb Eating Without Being In Ketosis
There's no need to be producing ketones to lose weight with low-carb. People who lower their daily intake to less than 150 grams a day have been successful in dropping pounds.
However, those who also reduce calories do better with a higher carb eating plan. That's because most of the carb intake should be from keto-friendly vegetables and fruits which are naturally low in calories.
Active people also tend to do better on a low-carb diet as fat is burned through exercise.
Need some examples of low-carb vs keto? I discuss different variations in ketosis in my guide on how to start a low-carb diet.
How To Eat Fewer Carbs
Say you used to eat several servings a day of high-starch and high-sugar carbs. We’re talking heaping bowls of pasta, rice or other grains; bread; anything with white or wheat flour; ice cream; pastries, etc.
But now, you’re only eating a couple of servings per day while following the low-carb diet tips. So now you’ve gone from eating 600 grams of carbs per day to only 150 grams.
The good news is that you’re consuming far less carbohydrates that spike your insulin levels and produce wild blood sugar fluctuations.
The bad news is two-fold.
- You still might be using your body’s supply of carbohydrates for energy. Unless you're definitely in a state of ketosis, you’re still not an efficient fat-burning machine.
- If you’re slashing carbs and not replacing those calories with mostly healthy dietary fat (avocados, fish oils, MCT oil, grass-fed butter, for example), you’re at risk for feeling run down.
Importance of Healthy Fats
If your body was used to being supplied with tons of carbs, it may seem like you're in starvation mode now.
But in time, even if you’re only eating 20 grams of net carbs a day, you will feel great and will burn fat. Of course, as long as you’re eating enough calories, primarily from dietary fat.
But, what about weight loss? Will being in ketosis result in losing pounds faster?
Low-Carb vs. Keto: Weight Loss
It’s possible to lose weight on both a low-carb diet and one of the ketogenic diets. But keep in mind that a ketogenic diet is a low-carb diet.
However, a carb restricted diet might not necessarily put you in ketosis. Which again, is why it’s important to monitor daily if your goal is to use your own body fat for energy.
If you’re simply eating low-carb but your goal is not to be in ketosis, you can still lose weight. This is especially true if most of the carbs you’re eating are vegetables. And, you’re exercising daily and your hormones are balanced.
Why It's Possible You Don't Lose Weight in Ketosis
As you can see, the differences between low-carb vs. keto has other factors besides the number of carbohydrates consumed.
If you are in a state of ketosis, it really is the best mechanism for weight loss. However, it is possible, theoretically, to be in ketosis but not lose weight.
For example, if your exercise routine involves weight lifting, you might weigh the same even after a couple of months of being in ketosis.
But one thing is for sure with ketosis: you will lose body fat.
As long as you remain in a state of ketosis, your body will be burning fatty acids for energy. So although your scale might read the same number after several days or weeks of being in ketosis, it’s likely your pants will fit much looser.
Other Weight Loss Benefits Of The Keto Diet
There are several studies that suggest ketogenic diets are highly beneficial for obesity. It seems that when looking at low carb vs. keto for weight loss, being in a state of ketosis is an added benefit of keto.
This study concludes a ketogenic diet offers “physiological and biochemical basis and is able to induce effective weight loss along with improvement in several cardiovascular risk parameters.”
In other words, a ketogenic diet isn’t only great for weight loss but it also protects your heart.
Protein and Gluconeogenesis While In Ketosis
Suddenly eating way less carbs? And now you're eating more protein to replace carbs? Well, if you have too much protein, the protein can convert into glucose (carbohydrate).
This process is called gluconeogenesis. If you're in ketosis, it means that the protein you eat is not being converted into glucose. Another win for the ketogenic diet compared to standard low-carb!
And it doesn't matter, just in case you're wondering if the protein is from healthy sources such as grass-fed beef. When you're eating too much protein, some of it may convert into carbohydrate.
Low Carb vs. Keto: Final Thoughts
When it comes to assessing low-carb vs. keto for overall health, both eating plans can be sensible. However, in terms of weight loss, or more specifically fat-loss, keto is more of a guarantee than low-carb.
And even if you're eating 100 net grams of carbs per day, that amount might actually shift you out of ketosis. For this reason, if you really want to get leaner, you may as well take the extra step and get into ketosis.
However, many do well on a standard low-carb eating plan where the majority of carbs come from vegetables and fruit.
So really, the best plan is the one that works the best for you.
Easy Low-Carb And Keto Diet Recipes
As you continue on your low-carb diet, here are some really easy recipes that will make it easier to cut out those carbs.
- Keto Instant Pot Lasagna only has 6 grams of net carbs per serving with a scrumptious sauce.
- Keto Butter Chicken tastes just like your favorite Indian food takeout - serve it on cauliflower rice.
- Low-Carb Stuffed Peppers taste amazing on Taco Tuesday.
- Salmon Loaf with Dill White Sauce has a fresh bright taste and is a very filling way to enjoy this healthy fish.
- Fried Cabbage and Sausage Recipe is a dish you can make on busy weeknights.
Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!
James Schovajsa
My wife has lost 20 pounds on keto diet but not the "commercial" program. Friends have tried to help us on what to eat and not to eat. It is working but...we can't seem to find many good alternative recipes to sweet food. She started at 215 pounds and is 5 ft. 10 in. tall. Now weighs 195 after 9 weeks!! All we find is jello and sugar free popcicles. Please help with some good recipes for KETO SWEETS. I know, those 2 words don't look like they should go together. Thanks, James in Texas
Lisa MarcAurele
You'll find all my keto sweet recipes in the dessert category.
Jessica Thomas
This was Awesome to read! I started keto 3 weeks ago and I haven’t s en the scale change in a week so I started considering low carb. However I joined a boxing club Monday and after reading the article, I believe I building muscle and that’s why the scale hasn’t gone up or down because my clothes do fit better. Thank you. I will be sticking to keto. Btw I have been testing for a week and I’ve been in ketosis at 2.3-2.4 all week.
Shirley Phillips
I’m trying to do plant paradox, cutting out many of the things in your recipes, like nightshades, and grains, and other things that cause inflammation in me. It’s not always easy, but 40 pounds down, already.
Lisa MarcAurele
Avoiding inflammatory foods makes a big difference!
Aida
I’m willing to loose no more than 20 pounds. And I started Keto 3 days ago. I know I have stumble a little bit because one of the days I consumed about 45 grams of carbs. ¿Has this affected my effort of reaching ketosis state? ¿Am I still in Ketosis, and should I keep the diet?
Lisa MarcAurele
You can still lose weight on low carb without being in ketosis.
Wendy Bohulano
Thank you Lisa for this very informative article. I am a diet controlled diabetic, no meds (as of 2 years ago, yay) and have been on a keto diet for weight loss, approx 3 weeks, feeling awesome, not yet losing a whole lot of pounds, but seeing a difference in my clothes. I am a very demanding, creative cook and look forward to viewing your website for interesting recipes and articles to keep me enthusiastic about meal planning for myself in a keto style.
FYI - My knowledge has mostly come from Thomas DeLauer's YouTube videos and his podcasts.
Lisa MarcAurele
Thomas DeLauer is one of my faves on YouTube too.
Rusanne
Me too! Love the facts
Lisa
I eat low carb but can't eat Keto. I have Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction and can't eat a high fat diet. Frustrating at times when you look for low carb recipes and EVERYTHING is Keto now. Glad you have good info and a mix of these recipes in here.
Pam
I've been on a low carb lifestyle since 2013 and by the end of 2014 I had lost 80 pounds. As of December 2019 I'm still down 75 pounds and feel like a new person. I've learned to cook low carb and now have a file drawer full of recipes (at least 200) that I've gotten from the Internet. I definitely do not feel deprived. Thank you for your receipes.
Mary
Hi there:
Can you share a few of your low carb recipes with me? I'm trying to lower blood pressure naturally, but at the same time, I don't want to do the typical DASH diet because , frankly, it has too many grains & carbs in it. The Keto diet has too much fat. & I got tired of the South Beach Diet (which did help me lose 20 pounds a few years ago, I have to admit).
Lisa MarcAurele
You can look at the macros for the recipes and either cut back on fat or choose ones with less fat and possibly more protein. It really depends on the low carb eating plan you wish to follow as there are several.
Vickie Mroski
I am afraid to go into ketosis because I have 3rd stage kidney disease and cardiac issues. I have had mini strokes as well and im 68yrs old.
Lisa MarcAurele
You may want to try a more standard low-carb eating plan. I just turned 50 and I've been combining low-carb with WW SmartPoints to make sure I'm not overeating.
Helen
My son started a keto diet, he works hard all day sometimes he uses a jackhammer to break concrete, he does twelve-hour shifts, at times with no food break, I am trying to cook keto food for the whole family, but all of a sudden my son has no energy, to work and is feeding flat, as he says.
Lisa MarcAurele
His work sounds very stressful which could be part of it. But there are a number of things it could be so it's best to talk to a medical professional to figure out why. A ketogenic diet should help improve energy.
. johnnie
sleep and water! a pinch of hymilayan salt in a glass of water for electrolytes.
Patricia Francis
Great explanation of Keto vs low-carb. Thank you.
Chuck
Love watching your videos, just getting into cooking so the kitchen is not well set for all I see on some of the videos I watch. But I’m a serious Keto lifer. You have great recipes and I look forward to getting to try them in my kitchen. Thank you for all the work you put into helping humanity lose the weight and get healthy.
Bobo
I love your site and your keto recipes. I always watch your youtube channel for new recipes
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks for watching. I really appreciate your support!
Mari
I too love your site. Your keto recipes are the best! ....I've been on Keto for over a year now and have lost 100 pounds. I still have another 100 to go, but I'm still losing....... Another thing to look at is the influence that the sugar industry has had on today's high carb diets. When food went low-fat, they added extra sugar. The sugar industry has a lot of money and lobbyist tied up in the way Americans eat. They really don't want us to know that doing without sugar and eating more fat is the healthy way to go.
Lisa MarcAurele
The sugar industry does seem to have some power. But the no sugar movement is gaining momentum.
Betty
I’m interested in a low carb diet but not Keto. A diet that allows for pre- diabetic’s because diabetes runs in my family and I want to prevent it. I like your website.
Lisa MarcAurele
I've been watching carbs since diabetes runs in my family too. So far, I haven't shown any signs of type 2 diabetes like my mother and grandmother did later in life.
Cathy
You can reverse T2D or pre diabetics by following the Keto lifestyle. I know, because I did it! No more insulin, metformin or glypizide for me.
Diane Smith
I love your site!! I don't know what I would do without it. Well, yes I do. I would go back to my usual high carb diet. I would go nuts not having desserts here and there. Just knowing that I can make something that will satisfy that urge makes me feel better.
So THANK YOU!!!
Lisa MarcAurele
You're very welcome Diane! I'm so glad the recipes have been helpful for you! I still need my desserts too.
Mawunya okai
Great insight. Thanks for the education.
Valerie Rios
So, how many carbs and calories should be eaten each day? I 69 years old and work a sitting all day job. Very little activity.
Also, how do you check ketosis levels by blood and breath?
Lisa MarcAurele
Look for a breathalyzer or blood meter that tests ketone levels.
Linda NJ
Totally disagree!! I NOW eat a low carb diet (approximately 45-50 grams of carbs a day), which includes 1 slice of Ezekiel bread, 1 oz. cashews and veggies (non starchy) that have carbs.
I was on keto for 4 months and felt like CRAP. I ate 1500 cals a day, ate plenty of fat - kept it "clean keto" and could not for the life of me maintain enough energy to workout by the end of the day. It sucked. Yeah, I lost close to 70 lbs, but I felt lousy all the time (and yes, my electrolytes were fine; I took mag and potassium supplements, drank salted bone broth daily - I did it all).
Now that I'm eating lower carb, I feelt SO much better. I truly believe that keto is good for SHORT TERM ONLY, not for a lifetime. Our bodies NEED carbs. They supply different nutrients for our cells that our body needs.
I now eat a lower carb, moderate protein and moderate fat diet. I even eat whole wheat pasta (only 1/3 cup when I do eat it), I eat Ezekiel bread (1 slice) and on occassion, I eat potatoes (white) and even rice. I just keep the amounts around 10 grams of carbs. My breakfast is about 4 grams of carbs (its a protein shake and I put avacado in it as well). Lunch is 4 oz. protein, steamed veggies and/or a salad, slice of my bread with 1/2 tbsp. grass fed butter, snacks are 1.5 oz. nuts (1 oz. macadamian and 1/2 oz. cashews). Dinner has carbs from green veggies. And that's it. And I drink a protein shake once a day because I lift weights along with doing cardio. In that shake I put 1/2 tbsp. nut butter and mix the shake with water. Sometimes I'll add 1 to 2 oz. banana (yes, I weigh all of my food). And guess what?? I lose as much weight per week as if I was doing keto. I truly believe that eating a minimal amount of carbs per day makes a huge impact with weight loss. You don't have to go into full blown keto to lose weight.
Lisa MarcAurele
Keto is basically any eating plan that restricts carbs to < 50 grams a day so what you are calling low carb is actually keto. Some people just need more carbs depending on their activity level and metabolic rate.
Roger Ibarra
I like a number of your recipes. I am cooking for my wife who is overweight. Not going into details. Although I have her on a keto diet, I don't believe it is totally a keto diet. I can say that I am making her some keto recipes and low carb recipes. We were successful in having her lose weight twice, but she fought continuing. This time, she is on it no matter what, after a Dr visit. My wife was always a meat and potatoes girl, meaning she fights vegetables especially. But I am being successful in other ways to see that she eats her fruits and vegetables. Some of your recipes she will not eat. Me, I eat almost anything. So she is a challenge. I want to find or make through recipes foods that are close to what she was use to eating. I am making her tortillas for example. I found an acceptable recipe.
Lisa MarcAurele
It is tough when people are picky. My husband is the same way, but luckily he stays active and doesn't eat much. He's also a meat and potatoes guy. I make him plenty of meat but skip the potatoes. He won't even touch a faux potato dish.
Sai
I am on keto for a month I have lost around 10 kgs of body weight but what makes me worry is I had a blood test for lipids my total cholesterol is elevated to 244 ,ldl 166, triglycerides is gone Dow to 86 and Hdl gone up to56 is to a thing to worry or this is how it will be on keto is it healthy to have elevated cholesterol
Lisa MarcAurele
HDL is good cholesterol so I wouldn't worry about it. If the LDL went up, I'd be concerned.
Marylou Hopkins
I am a registered nurse health coach that works with a cardiologist in Northern Virginia and we have a health program that recommends Dr Westmans page 4 foods. Here is a link for a talk he gave that might help with the misconception about lipids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxUD8fEHpTk&t=788s
Lisa your website is a highly recommended one for recipes great job!
Diana Gladen
Hi, I need some help. I am in my 60's, about 230 lbs, diabetic with too high A1C, high blood pressure. I have been on Keto for almost 3 months. I lost 15 lbs right away but then none and this week, gained back 3 lbs. I don't think I have been in Ketosis at all, at least not when I checked my urine. I have only cheated 3 times with some extra carbs but no sugar at all. What I'm really worried about is the fats I'm consuming. Whenever I dieted before, it's always been low fat and now I am eating a lot full fat butter, heavy cream, full fat cheese, fattier cuts of meat etc. My question is since I'm not in Ketosis, but am on low carb should I also do low fat? I am really worried about the saturated fats. Thanks for any help you can give me
Lisa MarcAurele
Rather than worry only about fats, you might want to watch calories as well. As we age, we need fewer and fewer calories each day. Because of this, I don't eat as much fat as recommended on keto because it's so calorie dense. The thing is that if you consume too much fat, your body might use it instead of the fat stores already in your body. I recommend using a keto diet app to keep track of all macros and see how adjustments affect your weight loss. Good luck!
Tootie
I have lost 130 pounds following a low carb diet
Lisa MarcAurele
That's amazing! Congrats on your success!
Steve
that's exactly how much I want to lose. Just started, down 13 lbs in 2 weeks