If you have been doing some research lately about the various different diet protocols that are out there, you may have come across one called the Ketogenic Diet.

The Ketogenic diet is a very low carbohydrate plan that is meant to change the metabolism slightly so that rather than running primarily of carbohydrates for fuel, you will now be running off fats.

When you go on a very low carbohydrate diet, you are forcing the body to find this alternate source of fuel and as a result, something called a ketone is produced. This is what will be formed when your body starts breaking down fats for energy.

When you enter into ketosis, which normally occurs after 3-7 days of following a low carbohydrate diet (30 grams of carbs or less for most individuals - note that some people can take their intake up to about 50 grams per day, however this is variable and also dependant on physical activity levels), you will see some side effects.

One of the biggest positive side effects that most experience while in ketosis is a lack of appetite. For any dieter this is definitely going to be a good thing. Others may find that they are able to think clearer, have higher energy levels and just overall feel much better.

Others however, will experience negative side effects and may start to feel as though they are low on energy, have a 'fuzzy mind' type of feeling in their body or are in a state of lethargy. This will likely be the determining factor if as to whether or not you should continue on with the keto dietary approach.

One thing to keep in mind as well, is that if your carbohydrate intake is low but not low enough, then you will hover around where you are 'almost adapted' to running on fats but not quite. This will likely make for a very uncomfortable situation and will definitely contribute to feeling unwell while trying to be on the ketogenic diet.

Some people will have problems staying in ketosis while consuming things such as coffee, artificial sweeteners, various vegetables (depending on the carbohydrate level), diet soda's, or large amounts of chewing gum (due to the artificial sweeteners that these contain).

If you aren't feeling quite right, you could first try eliminating some of these from your diet before you switch completely over and abandon the diet altogether.

But is ketosis really advantageous in terms of weight loss?

The simple and direct answer here is that no, it's not. When it boils right down to it, being in ketosis doesn't have any magical fat burning properties in and off itself. You can lose weight just as well on a Keto diet as you can on a more moderate carbohydrate approach, provided you are consuming the same amounts of protein on each diet (therefore meeting your minimum needs) and are also taking in the same calories. Some people believe that since you are excreting ketones in the urine this will cause you to expend more calories on a daily basis but the contribution is so relatively small that it really will not add up for much.

Why ketosis may be beneficial though, is if it allows you to control hunger better, therefore making it much easier for you to stick with the diet program. This then will likely be the sole reason as to why you will do better on the Ketogenic diet than not.

So next time you decide to give a very low carbohydrate diet a try, be aware that there are definitely some factors of this diet that are going to help make it easier for you, but as such, these are not necessarily essential in order to lose weight. At the end of the day it is still going to boil down to which diet you are most comfortable on.