Keto

Keto is a high-fat, low-carb diet that puts your body into a fat-burning state of ketosis (or “keto” for short). When a person eats a low-carb diet, their body begins burning fat for energy. The fat-burning process produces ketone bodies (hence the root “keto”). This extra burn results in greater fat loss with respect to calories consumed.

How We Compare

Cōpare utilizes a modified keto program for the weight-loss portion of the program. Traditional keto dieting involves very high levels of fat – about 75% of a person’s daily caloric intake. The Cōpare Weight Loss Phase emphasizes moderate amount of protein (to retain muscle mass) and heart-healthy fats.

Keto may be hard to sustain as a lifestyle change. Once our clients are at a healthy weight, Cōpare graduates clients to a more balanced healthy eating plan which aligns with the Dietary Reference Intakes, used by the USDA. Keto offers little guidance for those who want to adjust their intake after being on the diet for a while.

Paleo

The Paleo Diet aims to mimic the way our caveman ancestors ate during the Paleolithic era. The diet, at its best, focuses on unprocessed foods, and places an emphasis on moderate amounts of activity. Lean meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts are allowed, whereas dairy, legumes, most root vegetables, and all forms of sugar are off-limits.

How We Compare

The emphasis on lean protein and non-starchy vegetables is a great start to a healthy eating plan. However, cutting out whole groups of food can be dangerous, and there’s no evidence to suggest that the Paleo diet is better for weight loss than any other reasonable diet plan. If we want to really split hairs, our Paleolithic ancestors wouldn’t have eaten exactly how the Paleo diet recommends. There’s also been debate as to whether we should follow the diet of people who would, if they were lucky, live to the ripe old age of 40.

Whole 30

Whole 30 is a 30-day program designed to help you realize how food is affecting your body. No sugars, grains, dairy, legumes, or alcohol are allowed on program. Certain common additives in processed food – including carrageenan, MSG, and sulfites – are all banned as well. After the 30-day diet, participants are encouraged to add food groups in one at a time and monitor their body’s reaction. This slow addition may help a person find food sensitivities that they never knew they had.

How We Compare

Whole 30 is great for its purpose – to identify how food is affecting your body – but not as a lifestyle change. The program is only designed to last 30 days, and doesn’t provide much nutritional guidance outside of avoiding certain foods. Some very healthy foods aren’t permitted on program at all. For example, a diet high in whole grains can help prevent chronic disease (like cardiovascular disease and diabetes) and is associated with lower subcutaneous and visceral fat. Even though 3 three servings of whole grains per day are recommended by the American Heart Association, all form of grains (gluten-free or otherwise) are not compliant with Whole 30. The Cōpare program is similar in that we also have phases of eating plans. However, Cōpare’s graduate maintenance phase provides much individualized nutritional guidance than Whole 30’s reintroduction phase.

Intermittent Fasting

There are three main types of intermittent fasting (IF): 1) 16:8 fasting, where you fast for 16 hours a day and restrict your eating to an 8 hour window; 2) 5:2 fasting, where a person eats normally 5 days of the week and eats only 500-600 calories for two days of the week; and 3) OMAD (One Meal A Day), where a person eats only one meal a day. During the “fasting” times, people can still have water and black coffee or tea. The logic behind fasting is that by giving the body a break from converting food into energy, your body will more readily burn fat as an energy source.

How We Compare

Although it seems like these plans offer more flexibility in terms of what a person eats, the strict timing of eating may make the diet hard to follow. Many factors – including social occasions, travel, or just plain hunger – may cause a person to want to eat outside of their designated window. Cōpare encourages our clients to eat every 2-4 hours to minimize hunger, stabilize blood sugar, and maintain energy. The Cōpare style of eating also encourages the absorption of more nutrients. Research shows that having moderate portions of protein at a sitting (30g) yields the same muscle gain as large portions (90g), with far lower caloric intake.

About Cōpare

Our program is designed to transition our clients through two phases: losing weight and keeping it off. Our modified keto program encourages quick weight loss without losing muscle mass. Once a client reaches their healthy body fat percentage, they graduate to the maintenance phase. Our graduate lifestyle is focused on healthy moderation and getting proper amounts of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Graduates of our program become free clients for life, and we can continuously update their food recommendations based on their nutrient needs and activity. Cōpare doesn’t ban any food or food group in maintenance, as eating a varied but healthy diet has been linked to keeping weight off. Having a non-physician counselor, such as the Cōpare coaches, also improves weight loss maintenance.

Interested in learning more? Call us today to schedule a consultation and find out why we will be the last weight loss program you’ll ever need.