“I wish I had learned what I know now 20 years ago.”
Source Imagery: Getty Images. Collage: Cassie Basford.
Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD
The ketogenic diet—AKA the keto diet—is one of the most popular eating patterns around. But that doesn’t mean it’s the best option for everyone. The diet’s restrictions can make it difficult to follow, which has caused some of its most influential followers to move away from it.
Once a leader in the online keto community, Janelle Rohner has since transitioned to an unlimited eating pattern. While popularizing keto-friendly food trends like cream cheese stuffed bell peppers across TikTok and to her 5 million followers, Rohner now preaches balance and eating all foods in moderation as a certified macros coach.
So what caused this shift? Rohner tells EatingWell everything she learned while she followed the keto diet, including the pros and cons of the diet as well as the things she wished she knew before starting it. Here’s what she had to say about her journey.
Related: Eat Well to Feel Well: Your Relationship with Food is Just as Important as What You Eat
EatingWell: What initially attracted you to the keto diet, and why did you stick with it?
Rohner: Even thinking back, I was trying to think of why I ever started keto or what attracted me to it, and I think it just was so everywhere and so popular that I think I was also influenced by diet culture to try it. It was such a big movement. I stuck with it because it was working at the time, anything works in a calorie deficit, so as long as you’re in a calorie deficit, it’s going to work. The food can be fun. I mean, who doesn’t want to eat cheese? Who’s not satisfied eating cheese? So I think I stuck with it for those reasons
EatingWell: Was there any pros and cons while eating keto that you think others should know about?
Rohner: For me, a pro is the accessibility of it. You can be out, and you can easily get a keto-friendly meal. You can say, “I want a hamburger with no bun.” That’s a pro for a lot of people: it’s quick and easy on the go. You can eat out at a restaurant and do it easily. The con, first of all, is that it’s not sustainable. And it’s just not…