I've done it several times. Here are my thoughts.
Pros:
- Weight Loss - You're gonna lose bodyfat once you get into ketosis.
- Satiation - As others have said, you'll feel full and satisfied.
- Less Inflammation - Over time your body is going to just start to feel better. There's a lot of junk in processed foods that isn't nutritious (i.e. it doesn't do your body much good).
- Less Toilet Paper - Not exactly socially acceptable to talk about, but I was really blown away at how little waste is generated when eating carnivore diet. It's like our bodies were meant to run on animal products.
- Liberation - I have never felt more free from cravings and in control of when I eat than on carnivore. Feasting and fasting will allow you to go for long periods of time without eating. At least until your body fat percentage drops.
- Discipline - I find that when I'm disciplined about my diet, it translates to other areas of my life.
- Energy - I sleep better and feel more rested when on carnivore. I don't feel lethargic at the end of the day like I do on Standard American Diet (SAD).
- Euphoria - Some carnivores claim to have a sense of euphoria or lack of brain cloudiness. I don't necessarily experience this regularly, but there is a bit of a sense of euphoria and mind clarity when I'm on an extended fast.
- Muscle Mass - All the extra protein will help you build muscle in conjunction with some resistance training.
- ETA: Bloat Free - Say all but goodbye to gut fermentation. I'm rarely, if ever, bloated when I'm on strict carnivore.
Cons:
- Keto Flu - Remember what I said about less toilet paper? Forget about it for the first couple of weeks. As your gut microbiome changes, the bugs you no longer need for digestion are gonna die off and you're gonna have to get rid of them. There is but one way to do this. (BTW...most of your excrement isn't all just wasted food that your body doesn't use. It's your dead gut microbes.).
- Social Difficulty - There's a bit of a stigma with carnivore diet, particularly if you find yourself eating out a lot. Restaurants are set up for meals with sides. If you just want a steak, people look at you funny. Plus you still pay full price for the meal even if you don't want the sides.
- Cost - It can be expensive if you're trying to eat steak all the time. Shop the sales. We rely a lot on ground beef. Stay away from a bunch of processed lunch meats.
- Strength - I lost a little bit of muscle strength at first. There's a reason why bodybuilders carb load. Don't worry...it eventually comes back.
- Collaboration - I would do carnivore 100% of the time if I were single. As a husband and father of three, it's difficult to make it work with a family if your wife and kids aren't totally on board with it. Not impossible, but you've got to have a good plan. We have such busy schedules that it's often difficult to pass up the quick fast food or freezer meal.
- SAD Addiction - It's tough to quit the Standard American Diet. Most of the processed foods we eat are scientifically designed to be addicting. The taste. The crunch. The fact that they're non-filling. It's really tough to kick the habit. And it's really easy to binge again.
All in all, I'd recommend it. I do it about 75% of the time and am able to maintain metabolic flexibility pretty well. I can binge eat crap on the weekend and then do OMADs on carnivore the rest of the week. I can even occasionally throw in a 36- or 48-hour fast.
ETA: Sorry. That got a little longer than I thought it would. I'm just a dumb engineer and not a doctor, so do the smart thing and make sure you're using caution as you change your diet. You're literally made of what you eat. Fuel your body, don't just feed it. I'm happy to answer any questions.
