I don’t know about “most people”, no one does. Those that have been studied consumed fewer calories over the course of the studies than they had before beginning the ketogenic diet. Hi fat and protein apparently result in earlier, longer lasting satiety. I’m not sure if this has been studied more since I looked at the primary data a few decades ago. I went on the diet in the late 70’s and lost ~60# over a number of months while counting calories. I was eating about a third fewer calories per day on average. Of course that is anecdotal and proves nothing.
For those looking at diets, I strongly suggest reading the scientific papers and reviews and avoiding the popular books that make their authors oodles of money.
My view is that a balanced diet with appropriate exercise is the best way to maintain one’s ideal weight for height and somatotype.
There seem to be real hormonal effects as you mention esp relating to diabetes, insulin resistance and fat distribution. But, you cannot gain weight, make more fat or muscle, unless you take in more energy than you put out or are retaining water for other reasons.
I’m not familiar with the ketogenic diet protocals in the 60s and 70s so I cannot comment on those, I do know that the really old medical ketogenic diets were calorie restrictive, but those are nothing like the modern ketogenic protocols, there is a LOT NEW in modern ketogenic diets. there is quite a bit more information available today then we had back then and the newer protocols are quite different. i think you are oversimplifying based on outdated data/ideas about metabolism.
not true.
if you eat too much sugar for example your body is forced to convert the excess into fat or you’d die of fatal blood glucose poisoning, even if you are calorie deficient, so yes you can gain fat on a calorie deficient diet until you no longer have any muscle mass, in fact you’ll die of heart failure while still increasing fat reserves.
medium chain triglycerides are always converted by the liver into ketones even if you eat excess carbohydrates and again this is not at all dependent on overall calorie consumption, and will happen regardless of amount of calories consumed.
etc. etc.
it turns out that what you eat and the ratios of what you are eating have a much larger impact on the 3 main metabolic pathways and overall metabolism, and provide a much more accurate model for human metabolism and explain all the discrepancies one would find with the old calorie in vs calorie burnt models. the old calories in vs calories burned model is largely outdated except for on the extreme ends. It obviously is a factor, but the bodies metabolism is highly responsive and adaptable to what is being consumed even more so then the amount being consumed.
by most people, i simply mean the majority of people posting their specific dietary statistics on the various paleo ketogenic forums and groups. a large number of people into the modern paleo diet, especially the ketogenic paleo diet, have macro nutrient tracking apps and track calorie intake and fat/protein/carb ratios religiously and fairly accurately, as well as their exercises and calorie expenditure. most everyone on the message boards I visit are not on a calorie restrictive diet and the majority eat more calories on a ketogenic diet, not less, and are gaining muscle while losing fat.
most of the weight loss happens through the body’s shift in metabolically converting fats instead of carbs into energy, not calorie restriction forcing the body to burn reserves. writing ketogenic diets off as another calorie restriction diet is a misunderstanding of the actual metabolic changes that occur in ketosis. that is really the only point i was making before.
