I've done quite a bit of reading on low carb diets. The idea seems to be that most people eat so many carbs that they are mostly burning carbs (or stored glycogen) for energy. A low carb diet flips a metabolic switch so you become fat adapted and therefore burn more fat for energy (including stored body fat). But there is an adaptation period that can be up to a week or two where you can experience carb or keto flu and feel tired and irritable and faint and weak.
Some people (and this seems to be more bro science) reckon that a cheat meal or day once a week where you consume a higher quantity of carbs can be beneficial and help prevent your metabolism from slowing down and there are some indications that low carb diets can lower thyroid hormones and testosterone levels etc.
On the other hand some people argue that doing so kicks you out of fat-burning and spikes blood sugar and insulin and you'll then have to adapt back to a low carb diet and undergo unnecessary discomfort as well as taking a step back.
What do people think?
I have been off and on with pure carnivore for 3+ years with plenty of experience with keto and paleo otherwise. Only within the past 4 months have I truly gotten to a place that have found what works for me and think I have line of sight on how to get to < 15% bf and recently hit weight milestones that I have never seen in 50 years. A work in progress with a ways to go but I think I've finally found a lifestyle that will allow me to hit those type of goals. It's a huge personal milestone for me that always eluded me before. For me and how I am wired/brain chemistry, pure carnivore really seems to work best for me.
Keto Flu:
This is a real thing whether it be keto/paleo/lion/carnivore etc and the first time sucks hard. The first time tends to be the worst and tends to hit mid/end day two and day three worst. All the symptoms of a flu (like trying to quit caffeine or smoking but a bit worse) combined with the candida die off, getting all the fiber out, colon adapting to a new level of water uptake etc. can throw people for a serious loop and one reason I suggest starting to go keto on a Thursday or Friday so that you can be at home when the worst of it hits the first time. The more times that you've gone off and on keto, you tend to get through it far easier and quicker than the first few times. The longer you've been away from keto (like cheat meals that become cheat months - anyone? anyone?), the worse it will most likely feel. It doesn't phase me anymore. I know what it is, when it hits and what it feels like and that it is simply a necessary phase towards getting back to the mental clarity of being ketogenic.
Cheat Meals:
I referenced ideas regarding cheat meals, planned or unplanned, in my prior comment and they apply. There is a major difference (for me from dozens of experiences) between having a cheat meal that is ketogenic vs having one that is not ketogenic while on a ketogenic diet. Is the cheat meal because you have been in a calorie deficit and your body needs a moderate/large bump in calories? or/ do you just have increasing cravings for things that aren't ketogenic? Different issues at play.
If you are in keto and intend to cheat, outside of having an overwhelming urge for cake, pizza or otherwise (which Dr. Mark Israetel discusses in the podcast mentioned) then I personally would choose cheat foods in this order 1) add an extra meal or two of ketogenic foods because sometimes your body (and especially your mind) needs a breather if you've been in a cutting phase for awhile 2) simpler sugars - fast/easy digesting items that lack fiber such as jellybeans/Spree/Twizzlers etc 3) higher glycemic, complex carbs 4) gluten. It isn't a gluten intolerance issue per se but the further up that rating scale of what I cheat with, the easier it is to stay derailed, injecting a ton of fiber into my system which is really uncomfortable when you don't eat them for weeks/months on end. I never eat fruits or vegetables anymore and they taste AMAZING when I finally have them after not eating them for awhile. Biting into a cold, crisp apple or fresh watermelon with the explosion of taste and texture makes eating them a very different experience these days.
Cutting is primarily mental and any eating style is useless if you can't stay on it. Moving from cutting to maintenance periodically and back to cutting is often ideal vs cutting all the way down because you're learning and practicing the necessary lifestyle changes to maintain your body once you reach your goal weight.
Calories:
The SAME laws apply while on carnivore/keto vs traditional eating methodologies. You don't get to break the laws of thermodynamics and the fundamental equation of not being a fatass: calories in - calories out. If you go carnivore and start eating sticks of butter, 8 eggs, a steak and a 1/2lb of bacon for three meals and see yourself gaining weight then please stop blaming the diet and slap yourself for being an idiot. There is nothing wrong with eating any of these. You still need to ensure that you're in a calorie deficit while in keto just as you would while eating carbs. I have enough experience at this point to have that primal feeling of satiation when the majority of my calories come from ruminant animals (for me it is primarily 80/20 hamburger these days but it could be steaks, lamb etc just as easily).
Keto vs Carnivore/Lion:
Make no mistake. Carnivore and Lion are elimination diets far more than straight keto. They are very restrictive and not for everyone. Go into a supermarket and include eggs/deli counter/meat and seafood sections and a very limited portion of the dairy section. Everything else is just not stuff you ever buy because it's not what you eat outside of a craving for it. It makes food shopping and food prep VERY SIMPLE and FAST. The cognitive load is way less.
One of my personal issues with keto is 1) paradox of choice with so many other things one can eat that you find ways to tempt yourself with non-ketogenic foods or choosing keto-friendly foods/meals/restaurants that are simply killing you on calories as you underestimate their calories or lie to yourself as to their being ketogenic 2) nuts/seeds are so dense on calories that it is easy to gorge on them once you start eating them (cheese to a similar extent but not quite as bad as nuts and the primary reason I rarely eat cheese).
More importantly and why I primarily feel carnivore is the keto to try if you choose low carb is that your hunger sensations are completely different. With the obesity and mental health epidemics these days, I really think the experience of trying carnivore for a period of time might really help people who have been struggling to find a happier path. It's hard to put into words and I never had the same effect (or perhaps a more pure experience of it) until I did carnivore for awhile vs keto/paleo. You never really get that overriding urge to sit down and eat a whole pizza or one serving of chips that turns into the whole bag etc. and those experiences can be very educational if you have struggled with your eating and moderation in the past or presently. For some people, that could very well be the first time they've experienced their body not trying to defeat them with hunger pangs. Everyone who does carnivore should try a few weeks at some point keep carbs to a minimum (~5-10g/day) as it can help to give you a base level for if you can handle more carbs daily and some thought as to if it might be worth trying.
For me these days, I include a couple greek yogurts (flavored which keep me sane and happy) and eat hamburger or steak. I've eaten hot dogs, breakfast sausages or hash, eggs, butter and what not whenever. I find these are how I feel best and have finally found a set of things that I can maintain with very little mental effort. I drink coffee and tea in the morning and sometimes herbal tea in the afternoon/evening. I use spices rarely but use them when I want and use salt liberally as needed. I eat eggs 4-6 at a time without concern but haven't been eating them lately. I don't eat cheese as it tends to bind me up for very little benefit and it's sometimes hard to stop when I start eating it. I have low carb sauces in my fridge (hot sauce etc) but I never use them these days.
Everything is a diet, carb, low carb or no carb. Carnivore is a mindset shift. It's a change of habits and lifestyle and listening to your body as to what feels right and best for you personally. Try it if you want to see if it's a better way of living for you personally vs simply using it to lose weight fast. It's a tool just like everything else. It's not a magic wand. Yo-yo dieting is the result as BITG mentions if you use it, go off of it and then see all your gains dissolve. However, this is true of anything you crash diet with. Readapting to carbs might be a slight factor briefly due to water retention and getting the insulin back in the game but I would bet that 99% of the time, people who go on keto, lose a bunch of weight and then gain it all back is because they went right back to their old habits when they went off of it and never changed their lifestyle and predominant habits.
Do I still cheat with carbs? Yep! I do it less and less lately though because I really LIKE how I feel these days when I don't eat carbs so I am very particular about when and if I do cheat. It's usually a special event or out with friends etc.
Thanks for listening. I realize there're a variety of opinions on this and that is my best answer rn.
All the best. Good luck!
