Many people are seeking ways to be healthy and strong. There are statistics that suggest that over half of Americans are overweight which is leading to many comorbidities and a strain on the healthcare system. It seems as if there are diets and eating plans to fit every life situation because of these comorbidities. Trust me, I can tell you from personal experience that I tried (and failed) countless diets and eating plans. I have tried the Grapefruit Diet, the Tea Diet, the Cucumber Diet, Nutrisystem (twice), Weight Watchers (twice), the Keto Diet, the Paleo Diet, starvation, calorie counting, physician assisted weight loss (twice), intermittent fasting, and now, the Carnivore Diet.
The premise of the Carnivore Diet is simple; you just eat meat, butter, salt, eggs, and water. That’s it. That’s the diet. It should be noted that processed meats and eggs are discouraged on the diet. So that means that you are encouraged to consume high quality steak, pork belly, beef liver, cage free eggs, grass fed beef, turkey, fish, organ meats, and etc.
The Carnivore Diet also stipulates that there is to be absolutely no consumption of sugar, flour, pasta, carbohydrates, fruit, and vegetables. You can eat as much of the acceptable foods on the Carnivore Diet and with no real restrictions upon portion control. A person on this diet should eat until they are full.
The diet is supposed to supply you will all the protein, vitamins, and minerals that you need to sustain your life. The diet also puts you in ketosis which means that you are burning stored fat for energy instead of glucose for consumed carbohydrates.
My Personal Experience
Everyone who knows me knows how much I love to eat and how much I love food. I must admit that being on this diet was difficult at times because I love cake, bread, biscuits, cookies, hot chocolate, french fries, chocolate, the Burger King Whooper, and definitely fruit and vegetables.
I must admit that this is only my second week on the diet and I would venture to think that my feelings are normal because this diet is still new to me. However, I believe that my experience can still be helpful to others.
Throughout the first week of the diet, I only ate one meal a day because I was so full. I primarily ate the same thing everyday which was: three scrambled eggs and two thin slices of sirloin steak. A couple of days, I did have hog jowl bacon, a few cashews and almonds, and provolone cheese.
The second week of the diet has been a little easier for me. This week, I feel a little better and I do not feel tired. I am not hungry, but I have mind cravings. I am drinking flavored water and diet soda to stave off my cravings and keep me on track.
Truly, the most difficult part of the diet was eating the eggs. I believe that eggs are repulsive and no matter how much I seasoned them, they made me gag. So this upcoming week, I will focus on eating more meats and cheeses while drinking more water.
The best things about this diet is that it helps you stay full and satiated all day long. I would go close to 24 hours without eating because I was not hungry. I also did not have any sugar cravings. I even lost 9 lbs in just a week.
The downside of this diet for me is that my energy levels were in the tank the first week. Maybe that is because I am not eating enough, but my efforts to exercise have totally been in the tank. I also have increased urine frequency, and mild uterine bleeding.
As it has only been two weeks, I am hoping that my energy levels will increase and that I will go back to having a regulated cycle.
Final Thoughts
As with any major health endeavor, be sure to check with your doctor to make sure that this diet is safe for you. The reviews are mixed upon what some people hope to achieve from this diet. Personally, I am on it for the benefit of egg retrieval and making sure that my eggs are in great condition. After, my egg retrieval, I plan to go back to the keto diet.
