What Is the Keto Diet All About? How Is It Different?

Have you ever asked the question, What is the keto diet all about?

Let’s compare a few different diet plans and see why Keto is so different. Most diets have the same basis and similar results, they just go about the process a little differently.

These three diet plans all encourage you to increase your water intake, limit your sugar intake, and stop counting calories. Eat whole foods, stay away from prepackaged foods with added sugars and salts, and increase your fiber intake.

Most diets agree on these few fundamentals, yet they’re all different and each person’s results and experiences will vary. One person will sing the praises of keto while another will say it “didn’t work”.

The Mediterranean Diet

Inspired by the traditional diets of people who live around the Mediterranean sea, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and fresh fish.

How is keto different? Avoid grains, limit or eliminate legumes.

Keto Versus Paleo

The Paleo diet focuses on following how our hunter and gatherer ancestors ate as closely as possible, using the foods we have available today. Paleo is similar to keto in many ways because it also focuses on whole foods, limiting carb and sugar intake, and cooking with healthy fats.

How is keto different? Keto counts macros and is generally higher in fat.

Weight Watchers Diet Plan

Weight Watchers is a basic program that relies on a point counting system now called Freestyle that gives followers a point budget based on their current weight and goals. I absolutely love Weight Watchers and have had great success with this program! 

Different foods count for different point amounts based on their nutritional makeup. Weight Watchers is mostly low fat, fat-free, and allows pre-packaged foods. You will need to calculate your daily points on Weight Watchers. 

In fact, many folks that follow WW rely heavily on fake sugars, pre-packaged (high sodium) meals, and they avoid healthy fats. You also don’t have to count carbs with Weight Watchers.

The program works, but I feel like counting carbs and introducing healthy fats is vital for healthy, long term weight loss. I do love that Weight Watchers has a zero points food list and this could be used alongside the Keto diet. 

How is keto different? Much higher in fat than Weight Watchers allows.

Keto Diet Plan

Why is keto so different? Why does it work? Keto is a unique way to eat and live. And yes, it’s a lifestyle not just a diet. With Keto, you eat a high amount of fats and a low amount of net carbs.

Most other diets are mostly designed around balancing your intake and with keto it is no different, but with keto you are watching and reducing your carb intake and increasing your good fat intake.

You are trying to achieve state of ketosis in your body where your body burns fat for fuel instead of burning sugar. You have to remember to supplement your dietary intake with the appropriate amount of vitamins and minerals.

This dietary plan cuts out almost all carbs. This can be a struggle at first but once you and your body get used to it it is fairly easy to maintain.

The Keto diet plan definitely isn’t for everyone but you can modify it and still see some amazing results. There are a few different ways to do keto.

You can do it intermittently which means you are keeping your body in ketosis for a period of time (for example, a month) and then eating some carbs for a month, not all you want just more than when you are in ketosis (moderation is the key here so you continue to lose weight).

This is just one example of how you can use this diet, one of the best things about this diet is you can modify it to fit your particular dietary needs, and still lose unwanted pounds and live healthier lifestyle.