Could ketosis be the key to dietary adherence?

As an advocate for a lower carbohydrate lifestyle, I wasn’t surprised to read a that a diet which induced ketosis, helped supress the need to eat[1]. Ketosis is state when ketones bodies are found in the blood, replacing glucose (sugar) for fuel when carbohydrates are low.  

Could ketosis be the key to dietary adherence?

Ketosis is usually associated with the ketogenic diet, but eating a lower-carbohydrate diet[2] and intermittent fasting [3], can also help you achieve this state. .
 
Personally, I can appreciate the benefits of a ketogenic diet, however I do find that something so restrictive (and this goes for ANY diet which occupies the far-end of either side of the spectrum) can make adherence very difficult. Which is why eating a lower-carbohydrate diet and occasionally fasting, in my opinion is the perfect fit for long-term weight-loss. Research seems to believe it too. 
 
Depending on your activity levels and leanness, you could eat anywhere from 20-100g of carbohydrates daily, and still be in a state of ketosis. Which makes this an exciting prospect for so many! And, by carbohydrates I mean vegetables and whole-wheat options, sugar still has no place.

Fasting intermittently, especially for 14-hours or more can also induce a state of ketosis, however if your diet is still extremely rich in carbohydrates, you may not necessarily get the benefits you’re looking for, as you may still be riding the blood sugar wave.
 
Cutting back on your carbohydrate intake, and replacing them with some healthy fats and protein, as well as condensing your eating window to 10 or so hours a few days of the week, could be the perfect dieting strategy for increasing your results and adherence in the long-term.
 
Now, naturally as you begin to adapt it’s going to be difficult so stick with. The adaptation phase is dependent on your current lifestyle, and could take anywhere up to a few weeks, but satiety and the hunger urge will dissipate.
 
The best diet is the one you can adhere to and consistently follow, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Research[4] indicates that an accountability partner or coach, can also improve adherence and your success rate. Too many people go it alone and end up stuck and de-motivated.
 
Is it time for you to change your diet? Or work with a coach?
 
Let me know what you think, speak soon.
 
- JC 

[1] Strategies to Improve Adherence to Dietary Weight Loss Interventions in Research and Real-World Settings
Alice A. Gibson * and Amanda Sainsbury

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27430501
 
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22140269
 
[4] Accountability: a missing construct in models of adherence behaviour and in clinical practice. Elias Oussedik1 Capri G Foy2, E J Masicampo3, Lara K Kammrath3 Robert E Anderson1, Steven R Feldman1,4,5