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Last year the keto diet became the most searched for diet on google. Despite its widespread popularity, keto has come under a lot of criticism from many health care professionals.
One of the common arguments against the keto diet is that it’s not sustainable long term.
While my 7 months on this diet may not seem like a long time, there are many people who have been doing it for years and are still going.
I’ve now been doing the keto diet for 7 months, which is the longest I have ever stuck with a diet. So, when I read an article claiming that the keto diet was hard to stick to, I had to laugh.
The idea that someone could think keto is unsustainable inspired me to do a bit of research on the topic and see what reasons these experts had for thinking people couldn’t stick with keto long term.
Arguments for Keto Being Unsustainable (And Why I Disagree with Them)
It Eliminates an Entire Food Group
While it’s true that it’s hard to fit any grains into such a low carb diet, that’s not necessarily something that effects its sustainability.
With the use of almond flour or coconut flour, it’s easy to swap out your favorite gluten-filled foods with keto versions. Sure, the taste is a bit different and so is the texture (I just can’t seem to make those keto pancakes as fluffy as Aunt Jemima’s), but when you stick with keto you adjust to it.
Is it hard?
It can be at first. If your used to eating a diet high in these types of foods then it may be a big adjustment for you. But luckily with the popularity of keto, plus other grain free diets like paleo, it’s not so hard to find recipes online or recipe books to help you replace all your favorites.
I have yet to have any problems finding a recipe, or coming up with my own, for any grain-filled food I have had a craving for. With so many alternative’s, eliminating this food group has no effect on my ability to stay on the keto diet.
Nutrients
Another common reason the experts claim that keto isn’t sustainable is because you won’t get enough nutrients with it being so low carb.
Now, if your following a dirty version of keto and only focusing on eating less carbs and more fat, that may be true. But a bun-less burger with extra bacon and butter on top, isn’t what most ketoers are eating. Besides, if this is how someone eats while doing keto, how nutritious do you think their diet was before keto anyways?
I will admit, I do love a lettuce wrapped burger occasionally, but that’s not my everyday keto.
Going keto has greatly increased the amount of vegetables I eat, so if anything, I am likely getting more nutrients than I was before.
To test this theory out, I took a look at my history on my fitness pal to compare some of my nutrients on keto vs before keto. While my fitness pal doesn’t list all nutrients, I could at least compare my levels of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and iron.
On Keto I am close to or well over 100% for Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium nearly every day. Only my iron intake is low, at around 50% most days, but as low as 25% on some.
When I compared that to a year ago, when I was counting calories, everything but the iron was significantly lower. My Vitamin A and Vitamin C were often under 20%. While there were some days that my Calcium was around 100%, there were many that were under 50% and even some that were as low as 25%.
I think it’s safe to say that I am eating a far more nutrient rich diet on keto than I was before, so nutrients won’t have any effect on my ability to sustain the keto diet.
Convenience
Does the inconvenience of the keto diet make it hard to sustain long term?
Yes, it’s true, eating a clean keto diet isn’t exactly convenient. Making a keto pizza takes a bit more work than popping a pizza pocket in the microwave. But have we really become so reliant on processed junk that we consider not eating it to be unsustainable?
While keto does eliminate a lot of modern-day food conveniences, there are always ways to make eating healthy food more convenient.
Using a crock pot or pressure cooker (which you can find lots of keto recipes for online) can make cooking dinner easier. If you want some convenient and quick meal options, double up on your dinner recipes and freeze the extra’s.
Baking a batch of keto cookies isn’t as convenient as grabbing a box from the grocery store, but it only takes a couple of hours on the weekend or your day off to start stocking your freezer with keto treats. When your eating a clean version of keto you won’t be eating a lot of those treats anyways, but it’s nice to have a few options in the freezer.
I only spend two or three hours on Saturdays baking, and I have enough healthy snacks to send my kids a treat in their lunch everyday. Plus, there is always a good stash of keto treats in the freezer for me when I want something.
Holidays and Social Events
Holiday meals, social events and outings can make sticking to the keto diet a bit harder. But that can be said about any diet really. While it may be harder, it’s not impossible. It just takes a bit of planning.
Some people may find it easiest to stick to their keto meal plan if they eat first, and just snack on the veggie tray at the social event. For something like a family potluck (or an informal dinner where you can bring a side dish without offending the host), it’s easy to just bring a keto friendly dish that you can fill up on.
Sometimes the easiest way to stick to your diet is to just bring your own meal to the event.
Since I have a child who has been gluten, dairy, soy and corn free for most of her life, I’m already used to bringing our own food to any social event or holiday meals. Now I just add in a few more things for myself if I’m not sure there will be much that I can eat.
I’ve already made it through Thanksgiving dinner and two Christmas dinners without going over my carb limit, so social gathering won’t have any effect on my ability to stick with keto.
Vacations
Even vacations don’t have to interfere with your ability to maintain ketosis.
The easiest way to stick with keto on your trip is to book a hotel room (or an Airbnb) with a full kitchen. Then you can just bring your own food (freezer meals are a great option), and stop at a grocery store to pick up some fresh produce to snack on.
If that’s not an option for you, it is still possible to stick to keto while living off of fast food for a few days. Yes, this will mean that you are eating “dirty keto”, but at least you can do it without kicking yourself out of ketosis.
I have managed to stick with keto on three vacations so far.
In the summer we went to Kalahari waterpark resort for 3 days, with me on keto and the whole family following the Full Gaps diet, we got a room with a full kitchen, and packed some frozen meals and snacks. A quick stop at a grocery store to grab some eggs and fresh fruit and we had more than enough to last us.
Even when me and Lil Sis went to Toronto for the night, I was able to stick to keto while surviving on fast food. My diet didn’t stop us from eating where we wanted, and eating away from home didn’t stop me from sticking to keto.
It Doesn’t Teach Healthy Eating Habits That Will Last
Health professionals agree that the best “diet” is one that you can maintain for life.
Well that makes sense, right?
It’s pretty obvious that you’re just going to gain weight again if you go back to eating the way you were before your diet.
But what about keto? Does this mean you have to eat keto forever to keep the weight off?
In my opinion, if you are eating a clean keto diet, it’s a great way to reset the way you eat. Even if you don’t stick to keto long term, once your used to filling up on vegetables, healthy fats and protein, you should be able to make lasting changes to the way you eat.
While I don’t know how long I will stick with keto, I do know that I will never go back to eating the way I did before. Keto has taught me how to enjoy more vegetables, and after 9 months I still haven’t gotten sick of my vegetable-based lunches. Keto or not, I won’t be going back to those low-calorie microwave pastas for my lunch in the future.
Willpower
The biggest reason many experts believe keto is not easy to stick with is willpower.
Wait. Is this exclusive to keto? Doesn’t it take willpower to maintain any diet?
Even if you aren’t following a strict diet, just trying to eat healthy food takes willpower.
We are constantly surrounded by sugar-filled junk. Your co-workers bring in cupcakes, the neighbours’ daughter is selling chocolate bars for her school fundraiser, all those donuts on display when you grab your morning coffee. Our willpower is constantly being tested.
Back when I was counting calories, I had no willpower. Someone offered me a piece of cake and I just couldn’t say no thanks. I would just declare the day a cheat day, regardless of how many I cheat days I’d already had that week.
With keto it isn’t that simple.
There are no cheat days on keto, I mean unless you want to go through that keto flu again. Fear of knocking yourself out of ketosis, and then suffering from the brain fog and all the other keto flu symptoms to get back into to ketosis, is what makes keto easy to stick with.
Just like someone with a food allergy can easily pass up on the delicious treats at the work potluck, I have no problem turning down a piece of cake with 50 grams of carbs. In 9 months, I have yet to kick myself out of ketosis and I haven’t come across a treat yet that would tempt me to do so.
Actual Reasons Some People Can’t Stick with Keto
Now that I have debunked the most common reasons people think the keto diets is hard to sustain, let’s look at some of the real reasons people give up on the keto diet.
Short Term Side Effects (That Some People Can’t Handle)
We all have that friend that posted pics of their keto meals for a week (or maybe even just a day or two), then posted a pic of a huge plate of pasta, with breadsticks, the next week.
Some people just can’t handle the transition.
Yes, the keto flu isn’t fun. The fatigue, brain fog, headaches and nausea you experience while your switching to keto can definitely make you second guess whether you actually want to do it.
But none of these side effects last long, or are reason to throw in the towel on keto.
While experiencing heart palpitations can be a bit scary, it isn’t something that should cause too much worry. Typically, they are caused by dehydration and lack of sodium. Making sure you are drinking plenty of water and adding extra salt to your diet is an easy remedy.
In addition to increasing your water and sodium intake, other ways to minimalize the symptoms of the keto flu are eating more fat, getting enough sleep and easing up on the exercise for a little while.
While the keto flu doesn’t last long, and most people can get through it and continue with keto without any problems, some people just can’t make it through those first few days.
Long Term Side Effects (That Still Don’t Make Keto Unsustainable)
Once you get past the keto flu, sticking to keto is usually pretty easy. But there are a few other side effects that some people experience after being on keto for a while. While these side effects are still easy to fix, some people have a hard time sticking to keto when they experience them.
Hair Loss
Some people notice their hair thinning after being on keto for a few months. It typically happens around 3-6 months after starting the keto diet. Loosing a lot of hair in a short amount of time can freak you out a bit, but it’s usually nothing to be too concerned about.
Several months ago I noticed more of my hair was coming out when I would wash it, but never put much thought into it. By the time someone pointed out to me that my hair was noticeably thinner, the hair loss had stopped anyways. While my hair is still much thinner than it used to be (which makes it so much quicker to straighten) it’s not like I have bald spots or anything so I’m not too concerned.
Hair loss, or thinning hair, is commonly a result of rapid weight loss. If your hair loss is just a side effect of all the weight you’ve lost it should only last a few months before it starts growing again.
Another possible reason for your hair thinning is that you’ve gone too low on your calories. Excessive calorie restriction has been known to cause hair loss, so before freaking out, make sure you are eating enough.
While these are the usual reasons for hair loss on keto, and are pretty normal, there are sometimes cases where hair loss could be a sign of something more serious, like a vitamin or mineral deficiencies or even hypothyroidism. If your hair loss lasts more than a few months, don’t ignore it. Go see a doctor to make sure it isn’t something severe.
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies
While most people end up eating more nutrient dense food on keto, it is still possible for some to be lacking in essential vitamins and minerals.
Some people who are on long term keto experience ongoing symptoms like nausea, headaches and fatigue after adjusting, which can be a sign that they aren’t getting enough sodium. Some other common mineral deficiencies on keto are potassium and magnesium.
Still that isn’t necessarily something that effects how sustainable keto is.
For most people this can be remedied by adding more salt to meals, along with increasing foods that are high in potassium and magnesium, like leafy greens, chicken and beef, avocadoes and nuts and seeds. For others taking vitamins or supplements may be necessary.
Constipation
Another side effect long term ketoers may experience is constipation.
A 10 year study done on children with epilepsy who were following keto and other low carb diets showed that 65% of the children experienced constipation issues.
While not pleasant, this also isn’t something that means you need to quit keto.
Dehydration is often the cause of constipation, so if you experience this one start by looking at how much water your drinking.
The next most likely cause of constipation for ketoers is not eating enough fibre. While keto is not a low fibre diet, some people may have difficulties balancing out eating enough fibre while keeping their carbs low enough. An easy solution for this is to plan your meals around foods that are high in fibre, like leafy greens, broccoli, brussel sprouts, almonds and chia seeds.
Most ketoers are able to increase their fibre, and get rid of that constipation, by adjusting their diet to increase their fibre intake, but for some it may be necessary to take a prebiotic supplement to help clear them out.
Personal, I haven’t had any issues with this one. I have never been more regular since going keto.
Conditions That May Actually Make Keto Unsustainable (For Some People)
While many of the long-term side effects that cause people to quit keto can be remedied, there are some medical issues that may actually affect the sustainability of the keto diet. At least for some people.
Kidney Stones
A study published in 2007 on children following the keto diet for epilepsy found that kidney stones occurred in 6.7% of the children. The study did note that taking a potassium citrate supplement decreased the prevalence of kidney stones and increased the length of time until the onset of the first kidney stone.
Still the kidney stones continued to occur in 1 in 20 children.
The recommended diet for people who are prone to kidney stones is one that is low on animal protein. While keto isn’t necessarily a high protein diet, it may still be difficult for someone to follow keto, while staying low enough on the protein to prevent more kidney stones from developing.
Since kidney stones are more painful than childbirth, this may be a legitimate reason for keto being unsustainable for those who are unfortunate enough to get them.
Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal Fatigue is another medical issue that the keto diet can have an effect on.
Some people with adrenal fatigue find that their symptoms improve with the keto diet. Like most ketoers their energy levels go up once they have adapted, and other symptoms fade away as well.
But for some people with adrenal fatigue, keto can have the opposite effect, leaving them even more fatigued than before. Since adrenal fatigue is believed to be caused by prolonged chronic stress, following the keto diet may just add to that stress.
While it may be worth trying for some people, anyone who continues to experience extreme fatigue or other symptoms may find it impossible to continue with the keto diet.
Thyroid Issues
Another energy sucking condition that may affect keto sustainability is hypothyroidism.
Research has been done on the effects of a keto diet on the thyroid and has found that the diet can affect thyroid hormone production.
While it isn’t always a negative effect, many people with hypothyroidism have actually found keto improved their symptoms, for some people it can be. Just like with the adrenal fatigue, it may still be worth trying.
However for those who find their symptoms worsening, thyroid issues may just make the keto diet unsustainable for them.
Pregnancy
Obviously becoming pregnant while on keto would make the diet unsustainable.
Most people realize that trying to lose weight while pregnant is just a bad idea. Instead the focus should be on providing your growing baby with a variety of nutrients through healthy whole foods.
But just in case you not convinced that keto can’t be sustained during pregnancy, a study was done on the effects of the keto diet during pregnancy in mice. The results showed that the keto diet effected organ growth, including the brain and heart.
So please, if you become pregnant while doing keto, take a break from it and focus on growing a healthy baby.
In addition to the above conditions, the following issues have been reported from some people following the keto diet
- Menstruation problems (increase in frequency and/or duration)
- High cholesterol
- Increased panic attacks
- Low energy spells (usually in the afternoon or early evening)
Some people may be able to modify their diet to address these issues. For some increasing their carbs above 50 grams a day or switching to carb cycling keto may help. For others, these issues may be too severe to remedy and may make the keto diet unsustainable for them.
While there are legitimate reasons that the keto diet may not be sustainable for some, most people following the keto diet find it easy to stick with and find that it just becomes a natural way of eating for them. While there are many things that you can’t eat, focusing on all the good things you can eat makes keto easy to follow.
And with the growing popularity of keto, it’s becoming easier and easier to find a keto recipe for just about anything that your craving.
>For me, counting carbs has been much easier than counting calories. I have learned how to make so many low carb meals and treats, I never feel like I am missing out when it comes to food. While I can’t say that I will continue with keto forever, I do know that because of the keto diet I will never go back to eating how I did before.
Have you tried the keto diet? How long were you able to stick with it?
Let me know on my Facebook post and follow me on Facebook to see what else I learn on my journey to live a healthier and happier life.