How the Carnivore Diet Helped Improve My Health
I’m 46 years old, and I have been on Carnivore since September 15, 2017. Prior to that, I was on keto for one year and tried Carnivore for six weeks but failed due to carnivore flu.
Improved Blood Sugar Levels and Weight Loss
I began with an A1C of 6.0, and this is what triggered me to research all this to find a solution. I am now at an A1C of 5.7.
At my highest, I weighed 252 lbs, and now I weigh 192 lbs.
Intermittent Fasting and Alternate Day Fasting
I do intermittent fasting, and I tried all the different variations and picked a personal favorite. I do Alternate Day Fasting. I fast between 32-40 hrs, and I am comfortable doing that.
Increased Strength and Endurance
My strength and endurance have huge improvements, and it seems that I keep improving the more I tighten my diet to ribeye and salt. Right now, I eat untrimmed ribeye beef 98% of the time, around 3 lbs every other day.
Remission of Ailments on the Carnivore Diet
The ailments that have gone into remission are many through this diet. I have diverticulitis; it used to be so bad that during flare-ups, the pain scale was 11 (want to kill yourself) to a 12 (pass out). I know it’s still there, but I have not had a single flare-up in at least four months.
Urinary Tract Infections happened every other month and were very painful and lasted 1-2 weeks.
After Carnivore, I can’t remember the last time I got one, it’s been at least six months, and when it came, I barely noticed it.
I used to get colds at least once a month. I got my last cold this past September 2018, and it’s hardly noticeable compared to my colds prior to Carnivore.
I also had plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. Both seem to be in remission as now when I walk, I feel no pain, but if I eat out, even on Carnivore, then I can feel them again.
I have so many lists of ailments that have gone away, and I will not list them all so as not to bore you, but here are some:
- acne
- dandruff
- sinus infection
- snoring
- sleep apnea
- skin tags (not all are gone)
- dry skin
- rosacea
- morning erections were almost nonexistent
Carnivore Diet: A Life-Changing Experience
I was a couch potato before my diet journey; now, my workouts consist of Orange Theory Fitness, Shotokan Karate, and Jiu Jitsu. I usually do my practices in a fasted state, and lately, I have been fasting for at least 30+ hrs and doing up to 4-5 hrs workout and have no problems handling the intensity.
I have never felt healthier in my life, and that includes in my 20s.
Gratitude to Low-Carb and Carnivore Community Heroes
My thanks to all my hero’s out there: Dr. Shawn Baker, the Andersen family, Kelly Hogan, Esmu00e9e La Fleur, Gary Taubes, Dr. Jason Fung, Nina Teicholz, Professor Tim Noakes, and many more out in the low/carb carnivore space.
My Life Before Carnivore
My name is Raymond. I am 5 foot 11 inches and weigh about 185 pounds. At my heaviest, I weighed 252 pounds and had a waist size of 44.
I have been a carnivore since September 15, 2017. Looking back now, two years and five months later, I am so glad I made that decision.
I had many health issues, including pre-diabetes, plantar fasciitis, rosacea, mid-back pain, arthritic knee and finger joints, heel spurs, poor libido, high triglycerides, low HDL, pre-hypertensive blood pressure, snoring, dandruff, acne, diminishing eyesight, poor wound healing, irritable bowel disease, chronic constipation, hemorrhoids, constant brain fog, insomnia and more.
I felt so bad that there was a point during one of my IBD flare-ups that I wondered how I would make it another five years feeling so awful.
Every year it seemed that all my symptoms kept getting worse. I remember when it all started when I was 35 years old, and that was the point I could not lose weight anymore.
By the time I was 40, I was spending around 30 min to 1 hour 3 times per day in the bathroom. I was highly constipated. I would have leg numbness every time I came out of the bathroom.
I would spend a lot of time thinking of food, and I had an insatiable appetite. I would often go out to eat with friends, and if they had anything left over on their plate, I would ask if I could eat their leftovers. I would also do that with my family. I ate around 5 or 6 times per day.
My Diet Before Carnivore
My diet prior to Carnivore was sugary cereals, microwave foods, hungry man, chimichangas, and lasagna. I ate a lot of fast food like Burger King and Subway. I also drank from one to two liters of Pepsi per day; I also drank sweet tea, juices, etc. I avoided water.
Searching for the Magic Pill
In the past, I was always searching for this “magic pill” to treat my many different ailments. I tried all kinds of detoxes, supplements, homeopathic herbals, and juice fasts. I even did one week of veganism; that was hell. Most of these had a short-term effect, but it would never last.
In my youth, I was a typical youth that played football, baseball, basketball, ran track, tennis, and any sports that I could get my hands on. I also got into weightlifting, and all this began diminishing. 35 was my last foray into weightlifting, and I gave that up in 2 months.
I never knew how much of a carbohydrate/sugar addict I was until researching others going through the same thing. That is what gave me the resolve to go through the carnivore diet and treat it like an addiction.
I never knew that I could be that guy that can now eat every other day, hardly think about food, and is able to do incredible feats that seem to get better the longer I am on the diet.
My current diet is meat and cheese, but I took away cheese this January, thanks in part to the community that showed me how much impaired many other carnivores are with dairy. In that process, it seems that I am getting rid of my remaining issues. I am still experimenting.
Experimenting With My Diet
Last year I did an experiment for six months of alternate day eating, then for the last three months, I added two days a week of no food. I will be repeating this experiment again, learning from the errors of last year. For example, I constantly had cold extremities, but I think I figured out a way around that this year.
The Wonders of Carnivore
In less than two years, the carnivore diet helped me heal completely, or put into remission, most of these ailments. Some have not fully resolved, like dandruff, acne, and heel spurs, but they are drastically less and even more so now that I quit dairy.
Not only do I have fewer ailments, but I also have much more energy and strength. I can do so much now. After Carnivore, I joined karate and jiujitsu. I do my workouts at Orange Theory (HIIT training). I started hiking and love it.
Because the pain is gone and my energy has increased, a world of activities has opened to me that I never enjoyed before.
I have run a 5k, 10k, and a ten miler so far with just Orange Theory as training. I can do 50 consecutive pushups. I can now run a 7-minute mile. As a side benefit, I gained a six-pack.
