Bob

Welcome aboard Emmerson!

It sounds like you are moving in the right direction. Since you have some weight to lose and some healing you are hoping to accomplish, I would defintely focus on being keto, ketovore, or carnivore. 

Keto = less than 20 actual carbs per day. (Half your plate fatty meat, the other half low carb veggies). 
Ketovore = less than 10 actual carbs per day. (3/4 plate fatty meat, 1/4 plate low carb veg).
Carnivore = trace carbs (still a little carbs in meat, eggs, etc), nearly zero carb. Animal products only.

You will want to cut out the fruit and probably milk as well, as the fruit is full of fructose (sugar) and the milk will have lactose (sugar) which are carbs. You might be able to reintroduce these at a later time.

You can by all means gradually wean yourself off of them as you work your way to carnivore. But just know that until you've given them up completely for a period of time, they might still play games with your cravings.

On 7/6/2024 at 10:52 PM, Wrecked said:

Also love that there is not just one way of eating (hate to think i'd be thrown out because someone discovered I put salsa on my burger).  

Welcome Darcy. That's my aunt's name

We're a pretty friendly group here. We haven't been overrun by the overly dogmatic folks yet, lol. 

By definition, a "carnivore" is an organism that eats mostly meat. Hypercarnivores consume 70% or more of their diet from meat (all Obligate carnivores such as cats are Hyercarnvores). Bart Kay would say humans are hypercarnivores. Mesocarnivores (such as a fox) consume at least 50% meat, and Hypocarnivores (such as a bear) consume 30% or less meat. The latter are also considered Omnivores.

I basically believe in a "carnivore-centric" diet that is all-natural. I'm strict carnivore most of the time, but if I'm gonna "cheat", I'm going to cheat with something keto, such as some salsa, a cucumber or pickle, or in about another week, the low hanging tiny little apples in the apple trees in my back yard.

Depending on one's personal physiology and current health conditions, I'll recommend anything from a strict Lion Diet to a bizarre marriage of Ken Berry's Proper Human Diet and Paul Saladino's Animal-Based diet (which I think is TOO HIGH in carbs, which is why I use the term "carnivore-centric").

3 hours ago, johnnypepperoni said:

tell that to mikhaila peterson or the patients of chris palmer or georgia ede... tell that to the hundreds of people reporting miracle cures from being in ketosis or removing their carbs. or people that found remission from epilepsy

It's true that ketogenic diets, including a strict carnivore or Lion Diet, and seemingly feel "miraculous" to certain individuals who struggled with health, well-being, and weight management all their lives and when they finally stumbled on this, by golly it worked. But at the same time there are still thousands of people who have not been able to come off their meds completely. Perhaps they could only reduce their dosage. Perhaps nothing changed at all. For example, while I have reversed about half a dozen of my chronic conditions, I still have stage 4 chronic kidney disease. I'm jealous of the testimonies of those who have reversed their kidney disease, but I am starting to come to the realization that I am not going to be one of them. Regardless, I've experienced enough benefits to stick with this a carnivore-centric (not even necessarily strict carnivore) for life.

If your issues can be traced back to being born prematurely, then is diet really going to fix it? It might help. It might not. Like @Orweller said, sometimes the cause of mental issues stems from other issues. My daughter suffers from depression that comes along in conjunction with PTSD. She can eat a proper human diet, but it doesn't erase the trauma. It may only help her deal with it.

I had mental and emotional instability problems myself. I didn't observe any specific turning point. Over time, it just dawned on me that I had been mentally and emotionally stable for a several months, which was unusual. Now I am aware of the improvement, but it was in retrospect. 

If you have been on medication, I wouldn't not stop taking it cold turkey. Stick with this plan for 90 or 120 days to give your body plenty of time to adjust. Maybe you will find yourself in the enviable position of gradually lowering your dose and weaning yourself off the meds. And of course, maybe not. 

On 7/6/2024 at 10:26 PM, johnnypepperoni said:

I eat chuck meat, full fat cream, cheese, eggs, fat trimmings, ghee and butter.

Some people don't do well with dairy. Some people can't do egg whites. Some people need to supplement electrolytes. 

Have you had your vitamin D checked? 

This is an old study, and I think one of the subjects was Val Steffanson himself.

23 hours ago, Nowler said:

anyone know more about the benefits of cured meats vs cooked vs Raw?

There's very little difference between the three. Not enough for me to worry about. The nutrients in meat, such as protein and minerals, are pretty resistant to heat. If you cook meat in liquid (as in a stew or soup), some of the minerals and protein may leach from the meat into the cooking liquid. But if you consume the broth, little will be lost.

Nice. Thanks for sharing. I had heard of SeedOilScout before, but not the LocalFats one.

On 7/6/2024 at 11:33 AM, Scott F. said:

The gist was the heating of plastics to serve food. The 'microwave and tupper-ware' were examples/analogies/spoof he was using.

I haven't seen the movie, but I remember when I was a kid this was a problem. Most plastics weren't "microwave safe" nor even "dishwasher safe". But then microwave/dishwasher safe plastics started hitting the market. I think many of us took that for granted until recently as microplastics are becoming a hot news item. I know I no longer microwave anything in plastic. I went out and got a bunch of glass storage containers instead.

On 7/5/2024 at 7:26 AM, Nowler said:

My fear that I would fall back into uncontrollable diet habits were not realised at all! It was the opposite!

This is because you've found something that is not only taking off the weight but is literally making you feel like a million bucks compared to your previous lifestyle and habits. You have a newfound resolve and a strong focus to go along with it.

In the same manner, I can deviate a little here and a little there (and I mean, RARELY) and I know it's not going to derail me and send me on a bender. In the past, I would cheat and then couldn't stop, and next thing I know I was up 40 pounds again. 

This time I am more disciplined, thanks to carnivore.

You said as much yourself here...

On 7/6/2024 at 12:53 PM, Nowler said:

Rather than the aim being "to lose fat", I am just trying to live a healthier life and any fat loss is a bonus.

Focus!

On 7/7/2024 at 10:56 AM, Scott F. said:

He quit drinking but kept smoking. I never quite got the thought process there, but the addiction (any addiction) is real.

My condolences. A friend of mine who used to work for me went through something similar, in that he was diagnosed with COPD. He could have bought himself several more years, but just couldn't give up the smokes.

Forgive me Atkins for I hath sinned, lol. 

I had a beer yesterday. 

And the night before I went to the Kent Heritage Festival here in Kent, Ohio and I saw a gyro vendor. I explained my diet to them and they agreed to give me a plate of extra meat (for an extra price) with no pita bread. I still had the tzatziki sauce and a few diced tomatoes on it. 

I believe gyro loaf, even the big log that rotates on a spit, actually has some breading in it. Between the gyro Saturday and the can of beer Sunday, I am up from 177 to 180. 

Whenever I see 180 this is what goes on in my head, lol....

2 hours ago, Mosey said:

Typical day intake- two or 3 eggs with butter, coffee with heavy cream, 1/3 lb ground beef (grass finished) with cheese, prime rib steak, pork rinds for a snack or cheese.

Try logging everything for a while -> Calories, Fat, and Protein. Yes, we often hear "calories don't matter" and while that is true, it can still serve to gauge just how much you are eating, and whether you are undereating. Fat and Protein ratios are what is important here. At a minimum, you should aim to have at least 1g of fat for every 1g of protein you consume. A 1:1 protein to fat consumption results in 30/70 protein calories to fat calories. Some people like to push their fat up to 80% of daily calories.

Some people find that when they nix the coffee they do much better. Others still enjoy their coffee just fine.

At only 18 days in, I do think you could still be adjusting. Some people take weeks before they return to the level of gym activity they were able to do before carnivore. Let's do some logging and check the results. If you are eating too lean (which it doesn't sound like you are) or too little, then your body might slow down your metabolism and try to conserve energy, which you could be feeling. 

Looks like you are 11 pounds down in 3 weeks, which is fantastic.

3 hours ago, Mosey said:

Really? That small of an amount will do anything?

It would be better than nothing. If you take 1 pill, you are getting 1/6th of the nutrients in what the manufacturer considers a "serving". Two pills would be 1/3 of a serving, three pills would be 50% of a serving, etc. Any amount you take will contain vitamins and nutrients, beyond what you would be getting if you didn't take it at all.

3 hours ago, Mosey said:

Hemoglobin for me is usually 11-12, men run higher at 14ish. I donated blood recently and found it was 14.

From what I understand, men should be 13 or higher, and women 12 or higher. Anything in the 14.x range would be great for both sexes. 

B12 and Iron help with increasing hemoglobin levels. So if you're new high of 14 is after a few weeks as a carnivore, this would make sense.

On 7/2/2024 at 6:11 PM, Michael123 said:

I've done this hike 4 times before; day 3 is hard, really hard, you just want it over... this time, almost none of that.

That's awesome!

That's also a long hike. I may have walked up to 10 miles in a day before, but probably not. 

19 hours ago, Michael123 said:

The weather is looking shit for today. A high of 13 (55F) for a summers day is sooo crap .

A couple days ago it dropped down in the upper 50's and lower 60's, which is incredibly unseasonably cool for this time of year. Fortunately it was just for a day or two and now things have heated back up.

@Mosey, welcome aboard! Let me start by saying that I am sorry this post spent 22 hours in the queue waiting for approval. For some reason, I wasn't notified. I should probably give another member super powers to approve posts.

On 7/2/2024 at 6:38 PM, Mosey said:

BUT I can’t believe how a I feel so weak and unable to do what I used to do- meaning- I go up three steps and feel like it is such an effort on the third one, I walk and feel like I am barely going to make it.

So there could be a couple things at play here. Can you give an example of your daily food intake? Are you trim and lean or do you have some weight to lose? Knowing this might be helpful in giving suggestions that pertains to you personally. 

On 7/2/2024 at 6:38 PM, Mosey said:

I don’t eat organ meat so was looking at supplements- but 6 caps per day?

Yeah, that was the serving size when I was taking "Ancestral Supplements" Beef Organ Complex. Of course, you can also choose to take 1,2,3, or 4 capsules instead of all 6. Alternatively, you can buy some liver (or other organs), dice it up and freeze it, and then take it like a pill with some water. 

On 7/2/2024 at 6:38 PM, Mosey said:

My hemoglobin is high at 14.?  Think it will pass?

Isn't that in the normal range (g/dl)? Mine is always between 14.2 and 14.5 and it's always flagged as normal.

6 hours ago, computerwiz said:

To me, that speaks volumes how you "did nothing" but change the way you eat.  Even did less exercise because of your situation.

The fun part was my wife hid the scale when I broke my ankle, because I would weigh in every morning. So I actually went over a month without weighing in, and when I finally did, I was another 10 pounds down - to which I was delighted.

On 7/2/2024 at 9:15 PM, Scott F. said:

My God-son just turned 16 and since he was a young guy his birthday has been at his favorite Mexican restaurant. 

I felt like I asked all the right questions and thought I ordered this meat platter the best way for me.

My family wants Mexican about once a month or so. It's incredibly difficult to stay true to pure carnivore without feeling like I am being ripped off, lol. My local place has a dish that has ribeye, chicken breast, and shrimp served on a sizzling skillet with a side of rice and guacamole salad. I'll pass the rice to one of the kids and eat the rest, basically falling back on keto for that one meal. The spices don't bother me any either.

I also don't fret too much about whether they use seed oils or not. It's not gonna hurt me if I only have it once in a blue moon. A steakhouse on the other hand, I will tell them not to use it, that I am allergic and will drop dead in their dining room if they put it on my steak, lol. I just have that feeling that the Mexican's either wouldn't care or don't have any authentic butter in their kitchen anyway.

Burger last night. Everything is on sale this week for the 4th of July (Independence Day in the USA). I got some 80/20 ground beef for $1.99/lb. Ribeyes are down to $9.99/lb. etc.

This morning was my staple, eggs and sausage.

HA! I read right over that and it didn't even register, lol.

I have a friend deteriorating from a bad form of MS. I've tried to plug the diet, but he's not interested. 

Quote

A new study just identified gut microbes likely to be involved and linked them with decreased riboflavin ( vitamin B2) and biotin (vitamin B7), pointing the way to an unexpectedly simple treatment that may help: B vitamins.

Riboflavin, biotin, and B vitamins are found in rich quantities in animal foods. 

4 hours ago, Scott F. said:

I'm not sure if that puts a little more intermittent in intermittent fasting.

For definitions, I always thought of intermittent fasting as something done within a 24 hour day, with a small eating window of 8 hours or less and a larger fasting window of at least 16 hours or more. Anything beyond 24 hours is an "extended fast", at least in my head.

On 6/27/2024 at 5:42 PM, computerwiz said:

Did you spice it up with salt and/or pepper?

Yes, I would add a little salt. It was the Swanson (?) broth that comes in a cardboard jug that you just open and pour out.

On 6/27/2024 at 5:42 PM, computerwiz said:

Did you ever read about the guy who fasted for 383 days (give or take a few days)?  He was like 500 pounds.  And it was a doctor-supervised fast, of course.  But that was an amazing & encouraging experience!  

Yes, I've read about him. He didn't eat a thing for over a year, but was given vitamins and minerals during that time, which makes sense.

On 6/27/2024 at 5:47 PM, computerwiz said:

What I need is a list of carnivore approved pre-packaged meals/foods that I can just buy & heat up...cuz nobody in my house is waking up early enough to do that for breakfast.    

At Sam's Club (and elsewhere) I get hard-boiled eggs and beef sticks, including grass fed beef sticks, that are ready to eat. You can also get Jimmy Dean pre-cooked sausage like I do. You can also get pre-cooked bacon, like I don't, lol, but it is an option.

I also found an all beef burger patty that microwaves in 2 minutes and is actually really good. I'm a little excited for this because I had previously bought a brand that was really really bad, lol.

I would drink tea also. This would help me get deal with the hunger. Broth would help but it wore off quickly and my tummy would growl at me, lol.

What's neat is you get past the point of hunger, and then you don't feel hungry anymore. You can go on and on and on and never feel the urge to eat. That's cool, imo.

Nice inforgraphic. Thanks for sharing. I'll be stealing, er, saving that one for later

It could be deli meats, hard boiled eggs, beef sticks, pork rinds, cheese, yogurt, etc. 

Honestly, snacking inbetween meals has probably stunted my progress. I need to get back into my intermittent fasting glory days, lol.