Do Keto, They Said. You’ll Get Shredded, They Said. But Was it a Big F

Well, no. Not exactly. But it’s not exactly the truth either. It’s a truth. It’s a possibility. It’s one of many pathways to success in dieting. But is it the best one? If you like being strong, or you like getting a pump or you like at least being able to pretend to be a normal, non fitness-obsessed person at work or social gatherings, then we do not think so.

But why? The keto people on the internet are so lean! It must work. Well, it does work, for a number of reasons, but there are also some significant drawbacks, depending on your fitness goals and lifestyle preferences. It’s really a personal preference and you have to run a personal inventory of what is important to you and what is not to find out if keto is a good option for you. So, without further adieu, let’s go over why keto kicks ass and why keto sucks. You can decide from there.

Why Keto Kicks Ass

1. Bacon

You can FINALLY eat bacon on a diet. This seems like blasphemy to the gods of dieting, but it’s real. If you don’t choose to try keto for any other reason, then it should be the ability to eat bacon with relative freedom. You could have some at every meal and probably still okay as fat as caloric intake. It’s a miracle!

2. Blood Sugar

Because you’re not eating any carbohydrates, and provided you’re healthy with no medical conditions, you will have very steady blood sugar levels, which means lower blood-sugar flux related cravings or tiredness.

3. Constant Fat Burning State

Extending from the last kick-ass keto benefit, because there is very little insulin production, you pancreas has very little stress placed on it in the long run. The lack of insulin release is also more conducive to burning fat, since insulin is an anabolic or storage hormone.

4. Low Food Volume

If you’re someone who struggles with appetite, keto is a nice option because the food volume is very low. A gram of fat has more than double the calories of carbs and protein, which means you won’t have to spend a lot of time munching throughout the day, feeling stuffed, or spending years trying to perfect your rice-making skills.

Why Keto Sucks

1. Limited Food Choices

You’re pretty much stuck with a handful of foods, and forget eating out at a restaurant without some strange off-menu requests. It can get boring if you’re not creative and that boring food selection can lead to a lack of adherence, and Keto is something you must adhere to or it doesn’t work. There are no half measures.

2. What Pump?

No carbs, no pump — maybe if you do a little sodium loading you can see a semblance of a pump. But this means your muscles will look flat and deflated all the time and if you’re into bodybuilding or muscle growth, that’s just no fun. It can also hinder muscle gains significantly.

3. Short Workouts

Most people who switch to keto report that their exercise endurance for resistance training drastically declines. So you’re going to have to plan very short and effective workouts. If you’re a very advanced lifter or have quite a bit of muscle, you might find yourself unable to get the kind of training volume you need to support your muscle.

4. Easy To Overshoot Calories

If you’re a hungry person, or just don’t track your food intake, it is very easy to overshoot your daily caloric intake when your main source of energy is coming from fats. As we mentioned, fats have over twice the calories as carbs and proteins, so you can rack up the calories without realizing it, which will negate all of the kick-ass factors of the keto diet and make you look flat, gain fat, and perform worse than on a traditional balanced diet.

The choice is yours! Try keto with caution and enjoy the bacon!