Pursuing the low carbohydrate, ketogenic lifestyle isn’t for:
- The weak-spirited.
- Those who haven’t committed to the lifestyle.
- Those who see carbs as essential.
- Those who haven’t made the identity shift.
- And those who justify eating carbs and sugary foods.
Similar arguments can be made for other diets, but back to the point.
Even though I’ll always shout about the ketogenic, low carb diet for healing many of my own health issues, there are still pros and cons to living by the rules of keto.
And by extension, carnivore if that’s your thing.
Let’s talk about it.
Ketogenic diet pros:
1. LESS snacking
The time in my life when I snacked a lot was a direct result of the standard Western diet. Or put another way, a diet filled with refined sugars and carbohydrates.
Pursuing the ketogenic diet isn’t the only way in the world to snack less often, but it does encourage you to eat proper meals and being in ketosis means less desire for carbs or sugar as well.
It’s a massive benefit.
2. Going longer between meals
Unless eating is something you derive pleasure from (to an extreme), it makes sense to eat food so you can stay full for much longer.
Nobody wants to eat food so they can be hungry 5 minutes later, 1 hour later, or 2 hours later. Being hungry that often during the day is a distraction at some point.
But when you can eat food and not have to eat for hours on end, like 4-9 hours after a meal, you’re bound to be more productive, efficient, effective, and free to do more of the things you want.
Or to simply use that time to do things that are a priority for you.
3. Healthy snacking
This may seem contradictory to the first point, but my point is clear. When you eat mostly carbohydrates, especially the refined kind like many people, you snack on food that’s bad for you.
The reasoning? “I deserve it” and statements similar to that.
But when you’re on the low carbohydrate or ketogenic diet, IF you snack between meals to keep you going, those snacks are always the healthier kind.
Like an Avocado, or some feta cheese, or some tea or coffee with coconut oil (or butter if you like that), or some Tomatoes, etc.
Light snacks without the extra BS they load packaged foods with are no longer an issue because now what you eat is as pure as can be, whether it’s fatty or not.
4. Burn fat so fast it starts to fall off
Burn fat text on burning paper in the hand
During the pandemic, I put on a lot of weight. I’m normally in the 12 range at most (stone) and I ended up over 15 stone.
The ketogenic way of living in 2022 helped me shed all of that weight and I’m back in my normal range again. Once you do it right, it starts to fall off FAST.
There are other methods of weight loss, but keto is the simplest since your reduction in carbs naturally makes you lose weight without killing yourself with intense exercise.
Related: How I Gained MORE Weight During The Pandemic
5. Eating less often
It has been shown that eating less is beneficial when it comes to health and longevity. And there have been many elderly people who look unbelievably fit for their age who put it down to meal quantity.
The consensus is usually twice a day or once a day, also called OMAD way of eating.
That aside, once you lower your carb count you’ll notice how you’ll eat a lot less than you usually do. That’s because your meals are now more satiating, filling, and satisfying.
There are no carbs (or bad carbs at least) to interfere with your hunger hormones, or certain sugars that make you feel hungry even when you’re not supposed to be.
It feels good, as well.
6. No more cravings
This is the most important “pro” for many people who pursue the ketogenic way of living. Especially for me.
I would brag about having a sweet tooth. I’d eat a 49g sugar serving of syrup pudding, and laugh about the sugar high I got. Not realizing how bad that is.
Or I’d eat through a pack of 12 chocolate biscuits (or however many) in a sitting.
I no longer have these cravings, problems, or desires.
Yes, when I think back to it my “lizard” brain as they call it does get excited, but that’s more psychological than anything else.
I have no interest anymore. I even had some cakes at a restaurant some weeks ago (1 or 2 tiny cakes) and I didn’t get the satisfaction I used to from it.
That speaks loud and clear.
Relevant: 16 Signs You STILL Have A Sweet Tooth That Won’t Disappear
7. Lowers your inflammation and improves blood sugar
This is another major point of the ketogenic way of living. Your blood sugars naturally drop because you’re eating more fat and protein than you are sugar or carbs.
Glucose in itself isn’t bad, it’s how it’s utilized or created (your body can make glucose from fat regardless).
By improving your blood sugars and insulin, you also improve inflammation for related and unrelated reasons.
The skin disease or autoimmune disease called Hidradenitis Suppurativa improves drastically by removing sugars, carbs, and yeast products.
As well as gluten (it’s a carb after all).
I have first-hand experience with how much it’s improved my skin, so much so that calling it a miracle is an understatement.
Cons of the ketogenic way of living:
8. The transition stage
This is where many people give up or don’t wanna keep up the momentum.
The transition stage for anything major in life is always the toughest since it means you’re changing your habits.
Habits die hard.
But if you can get through the keto transition stage you’ll be set for life.
That transition includes:
- Keto flu (as they call it).
- Losing potassium, salt, etc.
- Feeling the changes your body is making.
- And getting used to NOT stuffing your face with carbohydrates.
There is a reason why they say to have more sea salt and minerals like potassium in the ketogenic pursuit. And that’s because of the changes your body goes through now that you’re predominantly burning and using fat.
9. No more excuses allowed
When you stuff your face with high carb desserts that are refined to an extreme, you can make as many excuses as you want.
You can say things like:
- Let me “treat” myself with a few doughnuts.
- I’ve worked hard this week, I deserve a treat.
- I’ve eaten healthy all week, I deserve some cake.
- I can’t take life so seriously all the time, I’ll pig out this weekend.
- A few cookies and biscuits won’t do any harm!
None of that applies anymore when you pursue the ketogenic way of living.
You know the dangers of doing this for years or even months, and you’ve probably dealt with the repercussions which is why you ended up on the ketogenic diet, or are considering it.
Once you commit, the excuses disappear.
10. Limited range of food
This mostly applies to those who are strictly carnivores and don’t ever eat any fruits, vegetables, pumpkin seeds, or anything else besides MEAT, eggs, dairy or seafood.
When you’re a carnivore, which is a subset of keto, your range is severely limited.
You’ll be eating the same shit every week and for some that might be too limiting or strict.
If you’re on the regular ketogenic diet, you can eat:
- Vegetables.
- Fruits.
- Seeds.
- Nuts.
- Meat.
- Dairy.
- Seafood.
- Fish.
And anything else that qualifies as keto, or won’t knock you out of ketosis (one Kiwi won’t hurt, etc), or sauces like pesto that won’t disrupt your ketosis.
Still, you can no longer stuff your face with high-carb breakfasts, lunches, or dinners, meaning your range is limited to the things I mentioned.
Or put another way, your range is limited to whole foods that are 100% healthy.
This is a potential downside but it depends on whether you’ve identified with a healthy way of living, or you’re still stuck in the mindset of unhealthy eating while justifying it.
11. Potentially spending more money
This point depends on what you buy, what you eat, where you buy it, and your range of food (likes vs dislikes).
Let’s say you enjoy salmon and trout over any other fish in the seafood category. Well, now you’ll be eating more of it on the ketogenic diet. That means you’ll spend more since these fish cost more than others.
Or maybe you like to eat beef instead of chicken. And you want organic. Well, that means you’ll spend a little more.
But what if you like eggs a lot, as well as mackerel, cheddar cheese, and you eat frozen veg vs fresh?
Well, now you’ll be spending a lot less, potentially, because these things are cheaper regardless of which path you take (organic or not).
Either way, if you start eating whole foods in a literal sense, expect to spend a little more than you usually would.
That’s on top of the fact whole foods cost more than cheap white bread, cookies, crackers, waffles, pancakes, and all the rest of those carbohydrates (rice included) that are so cheap.
12. Turning down food offers and carefully selecting restaurants
It’s not as if you’re gonna be a keto snob all of a sudden and stop going out to meals, to restaurants, buffets, get-togethers, and all the rest of it.
]I’d hope not.
Now you have a new set of eyes when it comes to food, so you use that to choose what to eat in those scenarios.
You can always eat JUST meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, cheese, or whatever is available to you at that given moment.
You can choose which restaurants to eat at, or you can continue to go to some of the restaurants you did before but only eat fatty and low-carbohydrate foods on their menu.
I did this back in July 2023 and stuffed my face with a lot of Broccoli, mushrooms, prawns, mussels, chicken, beef, and so on.
And depending on where you are and who you’re with on an average day, you’ll have to turn down food offers that don’t match your lifestyle.
That means saying NO to:
- Cakes.
- Cookies.
- Bread.
- Pasta.
And things of that nature.
Note: you can still eat desserts, but only after you’ve built good habits and on special occasions.
This way, you’re ketosis isn’t ruined and getting into ketosis will be like snapping your finger.
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In the end, there are plenty of pros and cons for the ketogenic way of living. But these are the major ones to pay attention to on both sides of the stick.
Read:
Keto Vs Mediterranean Diet: Guess Which One Is The MOST Popular?