posted Sun, 07/02/2023 - 02:40
5138
+ 5 Carnivore Diet experiences
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Hello to my Fellow Eroidians,
I decided to try the carnivore diet about a week ago to do somewhat of a process of elimination to determine what was causing some inflammatory issues. Now some of you who’ve known me throughout the years have known that I’ve had some serious issues in the past from mercury poisoning and also having intestinal issues which have resulted me in having to go alkaline vegan for a few years which led me to not using gear for about 5 years but also losing about 35lbs of good weight (face palm). I started introducing animal protein again in 2022 where I’ve put most of the weight back on but I’m not yet where I was several years ago. I know the correct path of approach is to see an allergist to reveal the culprit behind what’s causing some discomfort but I decided to take this approach before I spend 1000s and so far, I have to say not only is the Carnivore diet convenient but effective. So far my sleep has improved, mood, stamina etc. I just want to know if any members have tried this diet and what were some positives/negatives? I don’t plan on doing this for too long, probably about 2 months ( I love fruits and veggies) I’m just experimenting with this and would like for anyone to share their experiences.
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I have been carnivore for over a year now. Needless to say I have lost a tremendous amount of fat weight and I haven't been this lean since I was in the 'Corps. As a combat vet my sleep was sporadic at best. I sleep like a baby most nites now. I'm a classic endomorph, so I'm prone to fat gain. No more
I was amazed how well I did with no carbs. I've gained muscle without gear. Gear works great for me absent carbs. Test/DHB/HGH is a mad man cycle on carnivore. Only real downside was during the adaptation phase......going from a sugar burner to a fat burner was rough. I had a period of about 10 days where I had the worst shits in the history of shits
Thank you for sharing your experience. I find it odd I never experienced the shits. Maybe one or two days I had it but people made it out like their asses were faucets. If anything I had slight constipation but nothing crazy and then again, I’m still consuming dairy. People I know were solely eating only meat twice a day. That 2 week mark was really rough for me where I felt really flat and lethargic but I eventually got used to it. A whole year huh. Did you get blood work to test cholesterol ?
Don’t mind me commenting on here, I’m using this as somewhat to track any changes. Adding fruit the last two weeks has really been a game changer and my stamina has been better than it’s ever been. I plan on starting strictly carnivore again 8/21 and possibly cycle this a few times until the winter with blood work or even possibly an allergy test. It’s crazy how well I’m managing without grains.
are you experiencing any crash after? How much fruit?
About 2 servings a day. It’s been primarily watermelon, a mango (which I know is high in sugar) and maybe some some grapes. But I wouldn’t eat these excessively. I live by a beach in the summer time so I like to bring some watermelon but I won’t overdue it. No crash at all, I still haven’t incorporated other types of carbohydrates but I feel this is very sustainable moving forward. I can tell the fat loss has slowed but quite honestly im ok with that because I was losing weight a little too rapidly. So naturally, I felt a little weaker.
sounds like you're staying in ketosis, I think I could survive just on red meat and watermelon but not that bitch ass watery water melon, that sweet sweet water melon that is so good you want to inject it directly in to a vein.
A juicy mango sounds nice as well, now I'm craving fruit.
I’m going to order a kit to test it but I doubt I’m in ketosis given the amount of fruit I’m consuming. I thought to stay in ketosis, you need to remain under 30carbs. I might be having around 50 for now.
I dunno man, you can definitely stay in ketosis with 50g of carbs, especially if you're burning off them glycogen stores in the gym
Yep, the strips indicated I’m still on ketosis.
Are you doing pre/post bloods? Last time I did carnivore, in 1 month my LDL went up 30%, HDL no change, total test went up 20%.
Saw positive changes in iron, erythrocyte count etc.. Basically everything improved except for the damn LDL.
How long did you run? I noticed a bump in LDL, HDL and lower triglycerides but everything started to balance out after a few months.
We're actually prepping right now for another run, aging some meats and stocking up the freezer. I'm adding GW to this round, I think that would be the real game changer in the cholesterol department. Let's see
One month and yeah my triglycerides went down as well, its just the LDL spiking... I'll do another run adding milk thistle this time because I felt great, didnt miss carbs, sweets, and shit like that at all, maybe veggies a little.
try 3 months, things start leveling out further out. One month you just begin to see the positive effects
GW?
gw501516
Gotcha!
BOSTONBANDITWow, how often were you consuming red meat? I think this is the meat & potatoes of figuring out how to manipulate macros to your specific body type.Everyone obviously responds differently & this is a great topic.
Every day! Red meat, fish, eggs, butter, ghee, salt, pepper that was it
BOSTONBANDITThat’s great you felt good physically & mentally. Knowing how different macronutrients affect your body & in what capacity it priceless. I study my food’s& macronutrient intake the same way I research different AAS& supps.
No chicken? Blasphemy!
Same, rarely ever did chicken unless it was chicken wings. Garlic parm occasionally
I even throw some Swiss on roast beef or Turkey.
Talking of meat getting stuck in between teeth - do you ever use those interdental brushes? I've got really into them lately since I found out I was using a few sizes too big, now they work perfect! lol Amazing the amount of plaque that gets in those places that a brush cannot get out.
I’m going to check it out but that sounds a little intimidating. Flossing works but it wouldn’t hurt to get a little fancy.
I didn’t and honestly wish I did. I just figured in a 30 day period everything would either stay stable or elevate slightly. I also consume more fish than red meat but what do you think was the cause of ldl being raised? Were you on trt? I plan on staying on this while incorporating fruits every other month. I’ll plan on running bloods in September and perhaps post them. It’s just a pain in the ass where I live. How were your kidney levels ?
Some of it might be genetics and I went stupid with beef and butter, wasn't on anyting. Kidneys along with everything else was normal. I've had low iron, hemoglobin and erythrocytes counts pre diet and that got magicfixed.
Yeah, that’ll do it. I’m pretty confident if you went lighter on the butter you would’ve been fine. I will say, had a hard time around the 20 day mark from not drinking salt water but I’m not doing that. After incorporating some fruit I feel amazing and will do a 30 day on and off while staying away from starches/night shades all together. Blood work will come in September and we’ll see where my levels are at.
Milk Thistle Extract is really good for cholesterol, 300mg per day keeps mine really good - one of the few things the doctor really likes about my bloods lol.
I have to add that anyway as I’mbeginning my Tren cycle.
Artichoke Extract goes great with it too - Artichoke acts kinda like TUDCA does in that it keeps bile flow optimal through the liver which can often block up and cause all kinds of problems.
I've gone a few months at a time. Clears up joint pain, IBS, improves sleep, steady energy and you get shredded.
When you do stop. Start by adding foods slowly in to your diet and seeing how they affect you. You'll be surprised at what drags you down.
I appreciate it yoke, I’m thinking it’s a starch that’s doing it or gluten. Let’s see.
I have not attempted this as of yet, but definitely interested. Thanks for posting, keep us informed on your progress as you continue.
Will do and thanks for the friend request. The next time I’ll update will probably be in September or even October.
Yeah man, sounds good looking forward to the update. Maybe something I try next spring into the summer.
I just wanted to provide a little update. I just reached the the 30 day threshold on the carnivore diet. I have to say, this has been amazing so far. I no longer have those stomach issues I was experiencing and I truly love how simple and convenient it’s been. Around the 17 day mark, I felt very lethargic so I started incorporating a handful of grapes or some pieces of watermelon post workout. What a difference. I’m down 10lbs which I wasn’t really expecting mainly around the lower back area which is difficult unless diet is dialed in ( which I will admit hasn’t been in a while for me) but overall, I didn’t really experience loss in strength. I actually feel as if I can maintain this for a few more months as long as I incorporate my fruits here and there until I slowly start incorporating carbs in the future with meal prep. As many of you know, my life has been a little on the go and I haven’t really had the time for tedious meal preps but I’ve been consistent with the gym for over 16 months now since I’ve been back. We’ll see where this goes but overall, I’m impressed over the changes since I’ve eliminated carbs for the time being and how I no longer experience those stomach cramps I was experiencing as well as even sleeping better.
I feel as carnivore is a great diet for a time.
I did carnivore for six months. Saw great results, felt better, belly issues for the first 3 weeks. I just don’t feel like it’s sustainable in the long run. Having a wider variety diet has helped me more just by eliminating some foods ( still a sucker for Swiss cake rolls)
@vengar
I’d like to include both of you on this response. I’m actually surprised people were able to do this for an extended period of time. I thought long term would be between 2/4 months but I appreciate the suggestions on how to come off the carnivore diet. I planned on gradual going into a keto diet so that would probably be within the range of 5/6 months in total between the two. Vengar, why is fish off the table ? I have found it’s easily digestible and feel nice and light on with fish. I agree with chicken, I just don’t like it. I’m not sure if it’s the prohormones but I just don’t digest it properly. Perhaps I need to try a local farmer or just avoid it all together. I don’t eat pork. I really appreciate your feedback and sharing your experiences and I will absolutely use your approach when I’m finished, especially the night shade. Vash, what foods did you eliminate ?
I assumed since you had mercury poisoning you'd avoid it. Mercury aggravates my thyroid, even though I could eat fish 1-2X wk with no noticeable effects, I think I can still be effecting me silently.
Ahhh copy. That depends on the type of fish. I know tilapia isn’t the best because it’s farm raised but throughout my years, it’s been a great building food. I have to stay away from marlin, tile fish and limit tuna/Cod. I have a chart which type of fish to stay away from.
I eliminated onions eggplants and broccoli anything other than white rice and potatoes for primary carb sources.
I was never a big pork eater but that’s out as well ( preference based choice)
All the foods listed above make me very bloated groggy and generally make me feel like trash if I eat them .
You really get a better understanding on how your body responds to food after the diet.
Of course take it with a grain of salt everyone is different and @venegar went into great detail with his experiences I will do my best to give a better response after work.
I also think it’s safe to say slowly getting off the diet is key I’ve had a few friends that went back to eating normal ( fried foods candies ) and some that just turned back to chicken and rice they had serious gastrointestinal issues ( bloating,nausea , vomiting )
I added one new food a week while coming off and in a super small portion just to asses where I was since I’m prone to stomach issues. Hope this helps!
Carnivore is a great start point for an elimination diet. You can spend the first month pinpointing what proteins you may need to avoid and the best ways to prepare them. For example I do fine with scrambled whole eggs, but once they're fried or boiled, digestive issues.
Obviously fish is off the table. I've read people saying too much omega6 in the chicken they were eating caused inflammation. But for me it was gluten, nightshades, mainly potatoes (red, white, russet) and tomatoes. They are loaded with lectins and calcitrol that can cause inflammation in the joints and gut. You can soak foods like potatoes, beans, and lentils to remove toxins and make them easily digestible.
After a couple months you could then add simple carbs like white rice, sweet potatoes, low fodmap fruits/veggies and see how your body reacts, then add nuts, nut butters, oils and determine which ones to avoid if any. Food allergy tests for me were not accurate. It took me about 6-8 months of dieting to determine what foods to remove.
I lasted about 25 days on this diet, and backed out because I simply missed eating other foods. I didn’t see enough benefits to continue, but I definitely felt a lot better. My one major take away is that I can now completely tell how certain foods affect my digestive system, mood, and energy levels. I can also tell which foods bloat me after a single meal. Chinese food is cooked in hell. Guaranteed bloating the next day, and lethargic to boot
Stick to sushi Jake lol- Chinese is heart attack city. My family has become real close with Chinese restaurant owners which become like family to me. The owner cooks my son meals not even on the menu because he’s a picky eater, he devours it. Authentic Chinese cooking is amazing. That fast food shit is a heart attack or bloat for all of us.
I think we’re all different, for myself, I feel best with a basic healthy diet. Granted I’ve never tried to go below 13/14% (ish) and I felt just ok at that level. 14 leaning towards 15% I just feel great. No I’m not hard as granite, I can keep visible abs, but I just don’t feel great at the lower bodyfat levels. My main struggle as far as that goes currently is that little pouch thing in the belly button area. Upper abs? There. Mid? There. Down at the belly button and just below? Marsupial pouch. I can’t chalk it up to just getting older, I definitely have more cheat meals than I should.
If you’re not competing, that’s actually a healthy BF for an individual. I used to rock sub 10% year round and feel miserable despite everyone glorifying my physique, I used to be somewhat anti social, never able to go out to dinner or drink. Now that I’m older with a wife and kids, sometimes whatever they don’t finish, I eat my money back lol. But I do have a goal to look my best on my 40th birthday which is next year and I will most likely eliminate all gluten because it just fucks with me but I want certainty so I’ll see an allergist anyway. At least I’ll have legit proof to stay away which will make it easier for me to accept eliminating it from my diet completely.
I went on a 31 day fast when I went into ketosis, I had energy, elevated mood, and felt younger.
I think it only takes 5 or 6 days to enter ketosis on a fast, I wonder how long it takes for carnivore diet. You and I have had discussions about your fast, I only lasted 13 on mine for mercury poisoning but I could’ve sworn you did carnivore as well. Is that something you’d consider trying ?
Coming off the fast I stuck to the keto diet for a long while. Ultimately, I got tempted by some tater-tots and fell off
Curse you Ore-Ida!!
"sigh"
Anyway, I plan to go back on a fast (maybe around 15 to 20 days) and try again. there was a lot gained from the past experience.
How were you replenishing electrolytes ?