Have you tried the Carnivore Diet or Raw Carnivore Diet?

[AustinBR]

I have to give you guys some credit, as it is due. I read this thread and it got me thinking, so I decided to try my hand at a protein centered diet. I started last Thursday in earnest, stopped eating anything boxed, no more bread, cereal, potatoes, pasta, rice, or starchy veggies. No cookies, crackers, chips, or anythung like that. Trying to get away from processed crap food. So basically meat, eggs, cheese, Greek yogurt and some green veggies. Not going zero carb, but making an effort to make sure the protein heavily outweighs the carbs.

What a difference, just in these 5 days. I was feeling bloated all the time, and I had some non physical damage related pain all the time. I'm very overweight, like I need to lose 100 lbs. I'm down 8lbs since last Monday, which is reassuring that I am making a positive change. I feel much better, less joint pain, less nerve pain (I have injuries to my discs, so some pain remains as it always will) and less bloating. I notice much less cravings, I just get hungry at or around mealtimes and after eating mostly protein I feel not hungry. So no need to stuff my face with snacks and crap. No 2pm slump, no sugar high feelings either. I feel good/normal after I eat, which was not always the case. I can imagine my calorie intake is less, as I am not eating a huge amount at any one time.

I'm going to try to source more wild meat, as I would love to give that a try. I don't hunt, mainly cause I'm busy and lazy, no other reason. Might have to get a buddy to show me the ropes on that.

Adding in some exercise is next, since I am feeling better, cardio and resistance. Post covid I do feel reduced lung function, and the laziness has caused me to lose some strength. I'm not a weak guy, and I am pretty active, just fat. Just been too busy to take care of myself, which is a shame as that really should be priority one.

Anyways, I wanted to share my experiences so far, and thank you guys for sharing yours.

This, right here, is probably one of the best things I have read on this forum in years.

Keep it up man!

There are plenty of fad diets that lots of academics will argue the efficacy of, but no one argues with the following three things:
1) Eat natural foods that are processed to the least degree possible.
2) Move around, lift weights, and stretch.
3) Get enough sleep and a moderate amount of sunlight.

Do these things, and you will feel better. After that, every other healthy choice you make is just another layer of happiness that you can add on top of that base.

 

[Manimal]

Plants create essential oils to poison and repel pests, they also put poison in unripe fruit to prevent animals from eating them prematurely. When the fruit is ripe the plants take up the toxins from the fruit to make it edible for the animals that help spread the genetics.

Our intestines are very unlike any herbivores, who have huge and robust stomachs or multiple stomachs to aid in the breakdown of plant matter. We excrete plant matter in nearly whole form while only taking limited nutrients from it, but we fully break down animal protein and fats.

If we go off of teeth and our stomachs, we're designed to forage fruit and to eat insects, and eggs, and maybe to scavenge freshly dead animals.

From my limited carnivore experience, I do not get fart gas at all but I do burp some.

 

[bigtattoo79]

I have to give you guys some credit, as it is due. I read this thread and it got me thinking, so I decided to try my hand at a protein centered diet. I started last Thursday in earnest, stopped eating anything boxed, no more bread, cereal, potatoes, pasta, rice, or starchy veggies. No cookies, crackers, chips, or anythung like that. Trying to get away from processed crap food. So basically meat, eggs, cheese, Greek yogurt and some green veggies. Not going zero carb, but making an effort to make sure the protein heavily outweighs the carbs.

What a difference, just in these 5 days. I was feeling bloated all the time, and I had some non physical damage related pain all the time. I'm very overweight, like I need to lose 100 lbs. I'm down 8lbs since last Monday, which is reassuring that I am making a positive change. I feel much better, less joint pain, less nerve pain (I have injuries to my discs, so some pain remains as it always will) and less bloating. I notice much less cravings, I just get hungry at or around mealtimes and after eating mostly protein I feel not hungry. So no need to stuff my face with snacks and crap. No 2pm slump, no sugar high feelings either. I feel good/normal after I eat, which was not always the case. I can imagine my calorie intake is less, as I am not eating a huge amount at any one time.

I'm going to try to source more wild meat, as I would love to give that a try. I don't hunt, mainly cause I'm busy and lazy, no other reason. Might have to get a buddy to show me the ropes on that.

Adding in some exercise is next, since I am feeling better, cardio and resistance. Post covid I do feel reduced lung function, and the laziness has caused me to lose some strength. I'm not a weak guy, and I am pretty active, just fat. Just been too busy to take care of myself, which is a shame as that really should be priority one.

Anyways, I wanted to share my experiences so far, and thank you guys for sharing yours.

Thanks for posting this. I did try the zero carb thing about a year or so ago and it wasn’t for me. This actually sounds doable and I may give it a try.

Thanks

 

[Manimal]

I'm still eating lots of fatty meat products every day, my "cheats" are a tiny amount of honey, dark chocolate, and some fruit.

In general, my inflammation is WAY down and so are the arthritis symptoms.

Watermelon is one of the fruits that I ate but I think it may be instigating some inflammation, have felt it from Watermelon before but now that my diet is so limited I can confirm it.

Until this diet, I ate Peanut Butter every single day...for the last 30+ years. That is the hardest thing for me to give up. It has always been my calorie gap filler and snack, but looking at it now I realize that it is actually not a good daily snack. It's very high in Omega 6, and I probably didn't keep my Omega 3:6 ratio healthy for a long time. Walnut or Macadamia Butter would have been a WAY healthier snack over all of those years.

Live and learn, unless it kills ya!

Speaking of learning...I'm learning more about meat and different cuts. You can get things like a "Chuck Roll" from Costco, have to ask the Butcher for it, and pay less per pound than the value-added cuts, save a bunch of money and get to keep all of the trim. My dog is a happy SoB!

 

[bigtattoo79]

I'm still eating lots of fatty meat products every day, my "cheats" are a tiny amount of honey, dark chocolate, and some fruit.

In general, my inflammation is WAY down and so are the arthritis symptoms.

Watermelon is one of the fruits that I ate but I think it may be instigating some inflammation, have felt it from Watermelon before but now that my diet is so limited I can confirm it.

Until this diet, I ate Peanut Butter every single day...for the last 30+ years. That is the hardest thing for me to give up. It has always been my calorie gap filler and snack, but looking at it now I realize that it is actually not a good daily snack. It's very high in Omega 6, and I probably didn't keep my Omega 3:6 ratio healthy for a long time. Walnut or Macadamia Butter would have been a WAY healthier snack over all of those years.

Live and learn, unless it kills ya!

Speaking of learning...I'm learning more about meat and different cuts. You can get things like a "Chuck Roll" from Costco, have to ask the Butcher for it, and pay less per pound than the value-added cuts, save a bunch of money and get to keep all of the trim. My dog is a happy SoB!

Glad you are still sticking with it. It’s hard to change eating habits and give up foods that you love but if you see positive changes in health it’s well worth it. Keep up the good work and make adjustments as needed.

 

[AustinBR]

I'm still eating lots of fatty meat products every day, my "cheats" are a tiny amount of honey, dark chocolate, and some fruit.

In general, my inflammation is WAY down and so are the arthritis symptoms.

Watermelon is one of the fruits that I ate but I think it may be instigating some inflammation, have felt it from Watermelon before but now that my diet is so limited I can confirm it.

Until this diet, I ate Peanut Butter every single day...for the last 30+ years. That is the hardest thing for me to give up. It has always been my calorie gap filler and snack, but looking at it now I realize that it is actually not a good daily snack. It's very high in Omega 6, and I probably didn't keep my Omega 3:6 ratio healthy for a long time. Walnut or Macadamia Butter would have been a WAY healthier snack over all of those years.

Live and learn, unless it kills ya!

Speaking of learning...I'm learning more about meat and different cuts. You can get things like a "Chuck Roll" from Costco, have to ask the Butcher for it, and pay less per pound than the value-added cuts, save a bunch of money and get to keep all of the trim. My dog is a happy SoB!

Try sugar-free almond butter with a little bit of honey

If you haven't thrown in berries yet, I hardcore recommend it.

Are you drinking black coffee?

 

[gman3214]

I did it back in 2018. I felt great on it while I was in army. Don't know if it was stress induced but at the time went to a course were we were severely depleted on calories and I never had hunger problems and it was in the middle of January.
At the time it was Eggs cooked with cheese (swaped on and off with drinking them Rocky style), Bacon thicc cut (ate it raw sometimes), steaks (also raw sometimes I would salt it with himalayan salt), sometimes pork loin (cooked), pork back straps, these fatty salted pieces for extra calories. Cooked liberally with butter. Ground Beef shoot for 80-85% fat

So typically I had about 4-6 eggs with cheese, bacon, and varied steak or ground beef and did it again for either lunch or evening. I think I over did it also trying to fast at the same time.... did like 16-18hr fast. Sometimes i had coffee whole cream or I threw butter in the coffee....

That was that fastest I ever was in the army. I think I had some days were I was a little off with the minimum amount of carbs I had. My strength was still gaining and It was the leanest I was.


At this moment I haven't priced out a good way to go back on it with current budget. So potatoes rice beans pork n chicken for me

 

[Manimal]

85/15 is 3.99lb at Costco
80/20 is 3.99 at Whole Foods on Tuesday
I haven't seen 70/30 at either of those places, but I know it's at Walmart for about 3.99lb, maybe less in the tubes.

Some of that stuff is probably corn-finished, and ideally, you want grass-fed or pastured. The Whole Foods on Tuesday meat might be Pasture-raised, don't remember.

2lbs a day is enough for most people to gain, so about 1.5lbs would probably be low calorie enough to lose slowly but still satiated.

If you include the butter and salt it's less than $10 per day.

Boredom and the love for the culinary experience is the biggest loss in it yet.

Removing processed sugars and grains is probably the most beneficial thing to do.

 

[Manimal]

Try sugar-free almond butter with a little bit of honey

If you haven't thrown in berries yet, I hardcore recommend it.

Are you drinking black coffee?

blueberries4life

Not drinking coffee, I weened myself past the headache phase but I have a whey-vietnamese coffee protein powder that I'm finishing off, so I'll drink that every couple of days instead.

 

[bigtattoo79]

blueberries4life

Not drinking coffee, I weened myself past the headache phase but I have a whey-vietnamese coffee protein powder that I'm finishing off, so I'll drink that every couple of days instead.

Any reason you gave up coffee?

I’m not sure I can stop drinking my coffee, my understanding is it really isn’t bad for you. (I only drink black coffee, nothing added at all).

 

[Manimal]

Any reason you gave up coffee?

I’m not sure I can stop drinking my coffee, my understanding is it really isn’t bad for you. (I only drink black coffee, nothing added at all).

just trying to start from 0 really & it doesnt taste as good as it used to to me lately.
Dr Berry drinks coffee still, Dr Saladino doesnt, ironic since Dr Berry is a more strict carnivore/animal based eater.

 

[Bolt Head]

blueberries4life

Not drinking coffee, I weened myself past the headache phase but I have a whey-vietnamese coffee protein powder that I'm finishing off, so I'll drink that every couple of days instead.

You turned from Almighty Java?!?

 

[Manimal]

I took a week break and fixed a cup last week...someone finished off my Half-and-Half and left the Kefir bottle in its place...I poured that into my coffee and drank a big giant sip...

 

[Bolt Head]

I had to look that up...

"Kefir is a cultured, fermented milk drink"

YUMMEE!

 

[WhereIsIt?]

I had to look that up...

"Kefir is a cultured, fermented milk drink"

YUMMEE!

View attachment 147469

It's basically a yogurt drink.. Atleast that's how it tasted to me.. Its not bad at all.

 

[bigtattoo79]

I had to look that up...

"Kefir is a cultured, fermented milk drink"

YUMMEE!

View attachment 147469

I refused to google it assuming the worse…….so thanks lol

 

[WhereIsIt?]

I refused to google it assuming the worse…….so thanks lol

You've never eaten cheese, yogurt, or maybe butter milk? All of that is fermented.

 

[Manimal]

Kefir is cool as long as you intentionally drink it. Expecting the sweet tata nectar of life that is milk/cream and getting creamy liquid foot cheese instead is shocking.

When I was in Greece I saw people drinking these big beautiful and foamy glasses of milk, and when I took my first sip of "whatever they are having!" it turned out to be fermented goat milk. lol! I couldnt drink it.

Raw Goat milk is delicious, pasteurized is OK, fermented...is an acquired taste....

 

[WhereIsIt?]

Kefir is cool as long as you intentionally drink it. Expecting the sweet tata nectar of life that is milk/cream and getting creamy liquid foot cheese instead is shocking.

When I was in Greece I saw people drinking these big beautiful and foamy glasses of milk, and when I took my first sip of "whatever they are having!" it turned out to be fermented goat milk. lol! I couldnt drink it.

Raw Goat milk is delicious, pasteurized is OK, fermented...is an acquired taste....

It's definitely an acquired taste. As a kid I struggled drinking raw goat milk. Idk about now as I haven't ever drank it since then. We do get yogurt drink from cow milk and goat cheese pretty often. Wife uses the yogurt milk for different soups she makes.

 

[bigtattoo79]

You've never eaten cheese, yogurt, or maybe butter milk? All of that is fermented.

Cheese and some yogurt yes. Butter milk nope.