The lazy keto diet is a less strict version of the ketogenic (keto) diet, the only rule being that you consume no more than 20 grams of carbs per day. Keto rules instruct you to eat a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carb diet. Like the original diet, lazy keto is a method that helps with rapid weight loss.
Here's how to approach the lazy keto diet to help you make healthy choices and see results. Read on to learn about what the lazy keto diet is, including its benefits and risks.
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The lazy keto diet is essentially another low-carb eating plan that helps with weight loss. The cardinal rule to lazy keto is to eat no more than 20 grams of carbs per day. Unlike the original keto diet, you do not have to track your calories. You also do not have to count other macronutrients: fat and protein.
The goal of lazy keto and the original keto diet is to help your body enter ketosis. Your body burns fat for energy instead of carbs in this metabolic state.
Your body usually uses glucose (sugar) from the carbs in the food you eat for energy. Glucose your body does not use immediately gets stored in your cells for later. You'll start to burn fat for energy if you severely restrict your carb intake. As a result, some evidence suggests that ketosis helps lose weight.
Guidelines of the Lazy Keto Diet
Start by getting a general idea of how many carbs, proteins, and fats you need per day. You might use an online calculator or talk to a healthcare provider. They can make sure that you consume enough macronutrients to lose weight safely.
You'll consume no more than 20 grams of carbs per day on the lazy keto diet. That's about 5% of your total calorie intake if you eat a 2,000-calorie diet. The remaining 60% and 35% of your calorie intake will come from fat and protein, respectively.
It's essential to understand carb counting. You might know to avoid carb-heavy foods like bread and pasta, but there are carbs in fruits, vegetables, and even dairy. Research some of your weekly favorites and read food labels. Write down a list of what carb-heavy items fit with your lazy keto plan.
You'll want to build a list of staple foods and meals that will help you maintain ketosis. The lazy keto diet calls for a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carb eating plan.
Low-carb options that you may eat on the lazy keto diet include:
- Certain fruits: Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries
- Full-fat dairy: Butter, cheese, and cream
- Grains: Brown rice and quinoa
- Healthy fats: Avocados and coconut, olive, and nut oils
- Non-starchy vegetables: Bell peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, and leafy greens
- Nut butter and tree nuts: Almonds, cashews, and walnuts
- Protein: Lean meat, fish, pork, and poultry
Foods Not in the Lazy Keto Diet
You'll want to limit carb-heavy foods to 20 grams or less per day. A low-carb eating plan, such as the lazy keto diet, might help you lose weight. Still, limiting your carb intake may be difficult. Several weekly staples, such as dairy, fruit, grains, and vegetables, are significant sources of carbs.
For example, some foods to avoid or limit on the lazy keto diet include:
- Dairy: Milk and yogurt
- Fruits: Apples, bananas, mangos, melons, and oranges
- Grains: Bread, breakfast cereals, crackers, pasta, and white rice
- Legumes: Dried beans, lentils, and peas
- Starchy vegetables: Corn, peas, and potatoes
- Sugary drinks: Energy drinks, juice and fruit drinks, soda, and sports drinks
- Sweets: Cake, candy, and cookies
There are several meals and snacks you can create that adhere to the lazy keto diet. A day of eating, including three meals and a snack, might include:
- Breakfast: An omelet made with cheese and spinach with a side of avocado
- Lunch: A turkey sandwich made with a lettuce wrap instead of bread
- Snack: A one-fourth cup of almonds and a handful of berries
- Dinner: Over-roasted salmon with a side of broccoli
Benefits of Lazy Keto
The primary benefit of lazy keto is to help you lose weight quickly. A study published in 2020 looked at 34 older adults with obesity who followed a very low-carb or low-fat diet for eight weeks. The researchers found that the very low-carb group lost three times as much visceral fat (belly fat) than the low-fat group.
Benefits specific to the lazy keto diet are not fully known since there's limited research. Some possible benefits may include:
- Helps you make informed decisions: This eating plan will teach you about carbs and how to identify the ones with the most nutrients. Research has found that being aware of what you eat can help you make balanced, healthy choices on a day-to-day basis.
- May control blood sugar: Some evidence suggests that the keto diet helps manage blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. High blood sugar may increase the risk of eye, heart, and kidney disease if untreated.
- Suppresses food cravings: Research has found that the keto diet might control your appetite. You might feel more satisfied after eating meals and snacks and have fewer food cravings.
The lazy keto diet might not be safe for everyone. Experts advise that you do not try the keto diet if you have:
- A history of eating disorders
- Gallbladder disease
- Liver disease
- Pancreatic disease
- Thyroid disorders
Talk to a healthcare provider if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and want to try the lazy keto diet. Some evidence suggests that low-carb eating plans, such as the lazy keto diet, might increase the risk of birth defects.
Difficulty Staying in Ketosis
Cutting back on carbs is crucial, but you also need to keep your protein intake down. It's easy to consume excess protein if you are not tracking it.
"Eat too much protein, and your body can make glucose from protein through a process called gluconeogenesis," Chris Mohr, PhD, RDN, a nutrition spokesperson and consultant, told Health. As a result, too much protein might take your body out of ketosis.
Might Have Long-Term Health Risks
The lazy keto diet might negatively affect your health if you follow it for long periods. Complications may include:
- Heart disease: Consuming most of your calories from fat might increase your heart disease risk.
- Kidney stones: Too much lean meat, fish, pork, and poultry may increase the amount of calcium and uric acid in your kidneys, which causes kidney stones.
- Nutritional deficiencies: The lazy keto diet limits several sources of minerals and vitamins, such as dairy, fruits, grains, and vegetables. You might develop nutrient deficiencies if you do not consume enough of those foods.
Slows Metabolism
A laser focus on carbs can be a much simpler method than tracking each of your macronutrients. Still, simpler is not always better: You might lose weight on a lazy keto diet, but you'll probably hit a weight-loss plateau. Your metabolism slows down when you lose a lot of weight. You'll burn less fat and need to restrict your carbs further to continue losing weight, which is often unsustainable.
The "keto flu" is another risk of a slowed metabolism. Low-carb diets often cause constipation, fatigue, and insomnia until you adapt to the eating plan.
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A Quick Review
The lazy keto diet is a more simple version of the keto diet. You do not have to count calories, and the only macronutrient you must keep track of is carbs. You can eat no more than 20 grams of carbs per day to adhere to the eating plan. That carb intake can be restrictive since several weekly staples are significant sources of carbs.
Talk to a healthcare provider before trying the lazy keto diet. The eating plan might increase your risk of heart disease, kidney stones, and nutritional deficiencies. The diet might be unsafe for pregnant people and those with pancreatic, gallbladder, and liver disease.
