What Is A Lazy Keto Diet? Is It Better Than Keto?
Photo Illustration by Amelia Manley for Verywell Health; Getty Images
What Is A Lazy Keto Diet? Is It Better Than Keto?
A new report ranked keto as one of the worst diets for heart health due to an increased risk of nutrient deficiencies.
What Is A Lazy Keto Diet? Is It Better Than Keto?
The traditional keto diet promotes strict adherence to eating high amounts of fat, moderate amounts of protein, and very low carbs.
What Is A Lazy Keto Diet? Is It Better Than Keto?
An alternative “lazy keto” eating pattern may be a more sustainable option and only requires tracking carb intake.
What Is A Lazy Keto Diet? Is It Better Than Keto?
Following the ketogenic diet, or “keto,” means tracking macronutrients and some people don’t want to worry about counting every single gram of fat, protein, and carbohydrate they eat. “Lazy keto” emerged as an easier way to maintain the keto lifestyle because it only requires carb counting.
What Is A Lazy Keto Diet? Is It Better Than Keto?
The r/lazyketo subreddit, which has 5,500 members, says this is for people who want “subscribe to the Keto diet, but really don’t want to put the work into it.” A quick scroll through #lazyketo on TikTok shows videos of creators sharing keto hacks, meal plans, and recipes that wouldn’t fit in a traditional keto plan.
Keto was originally developed in 1920 as a way to help children with epilepsy when medications failed. The diet took off as a weight loss tool in the 1990s and it’s still very popular to date—just walk down the aisle of any health food store and you’ll see the keto buzzword plastered on everything from tortillas to ice cream.
But in the long run, it’s hard to adhere to the keto diet, according to Shivam Joshi, MD, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at New York University Grossman School of Medicine.
Related:Study: Keto Diet May Lead to Long-Term Health Risks
“There are high dropout rates in studies lasting longer than six months, which is due to how difficult it is to stay in ketosis and eat such a restrictive diet,” Joshi told Verywell.
Not only is the traditional keto diet challenging, but a recent report published by the American Heart Association ranked this restrictive diet as one of the worst for heart health. This is partially because keto limits the consumption of fruits, whole grains, and legumes while overemphasizing meats and animal-based foods.
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A 2021 review that Joshi co-authored found…