Is Keto a Diet?

I read a blog post a few weeks ago that was anti-dieting and I'm still thinking about it. It was great, except that keto was on the list of "diets" that were bashed. It was right up there along with the Whole30 and juice cleanses. Hmm. I don't think keto is necessarily a diet like that, even though some people have made it into one. I know that I said awhile back that I am no longer keto, but it's more that it doesn't define me, even though it is how I eat.

Here are 10 reasons why the ketogenic diet is not a "diet":

1. Keto is not restrictive. It doesn't cut out foods, only processed food-like "products". Some foods are limited to special occasions and small amounts, but only because they have detrimental effects to health. 
2. I can eat what I want and as much as I want, but I do try to eat mindfully and intuitively. 
3. I have experienced some pretty dramatic results (not weight loss). It took time, but it was and is worth it!
4. It is backed by sound science and does not support the diet industry or the junk food industry. 
5. There is no counting required. Calories, macros, carbs, hours between meals? Who cares! Eat intuitively! 
6. It's easy to find a satisfying option when eating out or at parties, and allows for accepting hospitality by eating something that might not be entirely "keto". 
7. It's emotionally satisfying and promotes a proper view of food as delicious fuel. 
8. It encourages experimentation with different foods, recipes, and meal combinations to find what works for you. There are no rigid rules.
9. It requires minimal supplements (maybe a couple vitamins and minerals that we should be taking regardless of diet) and is made up of real foods, not shakes or diet pills.
10. It's sustainable. The food is delicious and carb and sugar cravings go away after just a month of so of sticking with keto. It doesn't mean no sugar, no carbs, ever again, but it means we learn how sugar and starches affect us and make wise choices based on how we know certain foods makes us feel. In fact, a lot of keto-ers are finding that healthy carb ups are beneficial for their health. 

With that I will conclude that keto can be a healthy lifestyle and not a diet in the restrictive sense of the word, assuming you view it as a lifestyle.

Thoughts?

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