butterfly

That's really interesting. I'm 178cm, 14 inch wrist, and it recommends 8.5 stone or 120lbs thereabouts. I think that's fair. Too often BMI takes no account of bone/frame size. If you have a slight build, you don't carry weight as well and someone with a larger frame.

I feel your pain. Sincerely, I do. I've had some horrible issues like yours, except it's total constipation on my part. I've gone for a month with absolutely nothing happening. In my case, it's low thyroid I think, and even Ben Bikman admits that keto diets lead to lower levels of active thyroid hormone (T3), he maintains this is nothing to worry about, it's just like lower levels of insulin, he says, but I think that's a pretty poor argument. If your thyroid is already sluggish, you need to be aware that a keto diet of any sort will probably not do it any favours. Your thyroid does seem to require insulin in order to function optimally.
Something which ties in circularly with low thyroid is low Ferritin levels. I was shocked that after a year eating red meat and organs, my bloodwork showed third world level iron storage. That in itself can cause constipation - I don't know if it's the chicken or the egg, you know, if the iron deficiency down-regulates the thyroid at least initially, or if the low thyroid prevents absorption of all nutrients due to depleted stomach acid and bile production, amongst other things. Both, I think. The really sad part is that iron supplements, even the very gentle liposomol ferrous sulphate I'm taking each day, constipates you even further.
Have you had bloodwork done? Might be an idea just so you can see if you have a malabsorption problem. If you're getting thyroid numbers, you'll want to see TSH - thyroid stimulating hormone levels (the level of hormone in your blood sent by the pituitary gland to tell your thyroid how much hormone to produce; when it's very high, that would indicate that your thyroid is misbehaving), you'll want to see both T3 and T4 levels, but also TPO antibodies that might indicate Hashimoto's - an autoimmune condition (very common in women with low thyroid) where your body is basically attacking your thyroid.
I had great success initially using Betaine HCL with pepsin, it's basically artificial stomach acid and digestive enzyme, and you use it if your stomach acid is low. There's YouTube videos on how to find the correct dosage for you, but I think it might be worth a try. The Best Naturals brand is a good one, the capsules are 648mg and they come with pepsin. Just start by taking one with your main meal (must contain protein - don't take the capsules with snacks.) You build up your dosage by one capsule every other day until you feel heartburn or discomfort. I was on 10 capsules with each meal while they worked for me, but I guess they're a bit of a band aid, and my body slowly adjusted to the dosage. For a while they really helped with constipation, though, so you might be lucky and find that just one or two capsules does the job for you. This is Very Important, though: take the Betaine capsule(s) in the middle of your meal. Follow them down with food. If they get stuck on the way down and empty their acidic cargo, you'll be in for an extremely painful few minutes, so don't take them after a meal.
I'm currently taking ox bile, Tudca bile salts, and lipase enzymes, without much progress. The iron supplements are hard going. To be honest, I've had to hit the laxatives a few times. I'd prefer not to use them so I'm thinking of reintroducing some fibre. Depending on how well you tolerate vegetables, that might be a tool of last resort. I don't think it's the end of the world if you find that a portion of rice or sweet potatoes gets your digestion back to normal. No point being a zealot if it's making you ill.
It doesn't sound like ground beef is working for you. Maybe your body is just tired of it and trying to tell you something. My first couple of weeks on carnivore, I ate mainly ground beef and eggs. I started feeling really tired, lethargic, and I couldn't understand why. I did a bit of reading on ground beef and a few sources talked about how the grinding process introduces higher levels of histamine into the meat and leeches out some of the nutrients. So I switched to whole meat - steak, oxtail, ox tongue etc. and the tiredness stopped. Maybe it's just time to try different meats? I'd definitely recommend giving ox liver a go if you can handle it. Packed full of nutrients and it's delicious once your palate adjusts.
Really hope you find a solution. Digestive problems are seriously depressing.
 
 

I feel your pain. Sincerely, I do. I've had some horrible issues like yours, except it's total constipation on my part. I've gone for a month with absolutely nothing happening. In my case, it's low thyroid I think, and even Ben Bikman admits that keto diets lead to lower levels of active thyroid hormone (T3), he maintains this is nothing to worry about, it's just like lower levels of insulin, he says, but I think that's a pretty poor argument. If your thyroid is already sluggish, you need to be aware that a keto diet of any sort will probably not do it any favours. Your thyroid does seem to require insulin in order to function optimally.
Something which ties in circularly with low thyroid is low Ferritin levels. I was shocked that after a year eating red meat and organs, my bloodwork showed third world level iron storage. That in itself can cause constipation - I don't know if it's the chicken or the egg, you know, if the iron deficiency down-regulates the thyroid at least initially, or if the low thyroid prevents absorption of all nutrients due to depleted stomach acid and bile production, amongst other things. Both, I think. The really sad part is that iron supplements, even the very gentle liposomol ferrous sulphate I'm taking each day, constipates you even further.
Have you had bloodwork done? Might be an idea just so you can see if you have a malabsorption problem. If you're getting thyroid numbers, you'll want to see TSH - thyroid stimulating hormone levels (the level of hormone in your blood sent by the pituitary gland to tell your thyroid how much hormone to produce; when it's very high, that would indicate that your thyroid is misbehaving), you'll want to see both T3 and T4 levels, but also TPO antibodies that might indicate Hashimoto's - an autoimmune condition (very common in women with low thyroid) where your body is basically attacking your thyroid.
I had great success initially using Betaine HCL with pepsin, it's basically artificial stomach acid and digestive enzyme, and you use it if your stomach acid is low. There's YouTube videos on how to find the correct dosage for you, but I think it might be worth a try. The Best Naturals brand is a good one, the capsules are 648mg and they come with pepsin. Just start by taking one with your main meal (must contain protein - don't take the capsules with snacks.) You build up your dosage by one capsule every other day until you feel heartburn or discomfort. I was on 10 capsules with each meal while they worked for me, but I guess they're a bit of a band aid, and my body slowly adjusted to the dosage. For a while they really helped with constipation, though, so you might be lucky and find that just one or two capsules does the job for you. This is Very Important, though: take the Betaine capsule(s) in the middle of your meal. Follow them down with food. If they get stuck on the way down and empty their acidic cargo, you'll be in for an extremely painful few minutes, so don't take them after a meal.
I'm currently taking ox bile, Tudca bile salts, and lipase enzymes, without much progress. The iron supplements are hard going. To be honest, I've had to hit the laxatives a few times. I'd prefer not to use them so I'm thinking of reintroducing some fibre. Depending on how well you tolerate vegetables, that might be a tool of last resort. I don't think it's the end of the world if you find that a portion of rice or sweet potatoes gets your digestion back to normal. No point being a zealot if it's making you ill.
It doesn't sound like ground beef is working for you. Maybe your body is just tired of it and trying to tell you something. My first couple of weeks on carnivore, I ate mainly ground beef and eggs. I started feeling really tired, lethargic, and I couldn't understand why. I did a bit of reading on ground beef and a few sources talked about how the grinding process introduces higher levels of histamine into the meat and leeches out some of the nutrients. So I switched to whole meat - steak, oxtail, ox tongue etc. and the tiredness stopped. Maybe it's just time to try different meats? I'd definitely recommend giving ox liver a go if you can handle it. Packed full of nutrients and it's delicious once your palate adjusts.
Really hope you find a solution. Digestive problems are seriously depressing.
 
 

Don't get frustrated, men generally lose weight more quickly than women. They don't have as many complicating hormones wafting around their bloodstream causing general mayhem. 5lbs is excellent in one month, if that's what you've lost? I bet if you take a tape measure and go by your waist and hip measurements, you'll feel a lot more motivated. I don't keep scales because you can get a bit enslaved by them and lose track of the big picture. 
Some people can be very sensitive to coffee, and it can interfere with weight loss - not a common problem, but a possibility.
An obvious one is making sure you're eating enough, especially protein. If you don't, your body will kind of lock down and hoard the weight you have. Eating enough protein will also help to guard against catabolizing lean mass instead of burning your own fat. Maybe try using cronometer.com if you're not already. You can track your macros and calories and micronutrient breakdown to check you're getting enough goodness from your food. To break a plateau, maybe try varying the calorie amounts you have on different days of the week - keep your metabolism guessing, and incorporate some intermittent fasting days if you really want to speed things up.
If weight loss is particularly stubborn, getting your thyroid function tested - full panel, not just TSH (free T3, free T4 and possible antibodies like TPO that could indicate autoimmune issues like Hashimoto's).
Hang in there, Rome wasn't built in a day, and the main thing you need is patience. Carnivore isn't a quick fix, and it's possible your metabolism is damaged from low fat dieting in the past. Got to give yourself time to heal.

Are you getting enough fluids, and enough electrolytes? If you're dehydrated, it's going to make things tough. A Magnesium supplement works for a lot of people to get your bowel moving, but maybe the best way would be to make up a big pot of bone broth and make sure you end the day with a large bowl of it. Doesn't have to be anything fancy - if you can get beef bones that's great, but a couple of packets of chicken wings covered with water in the Instant Pot - pressure cook for a couple of hours until the bones crumble, and you'll have a great broth. 
I do think fluids are probably the answer, but maybe you also need to eat more fat. I've noticed that eggs will definitely constipate if you're cooking them quite firm and not incorporating enough fat to, uhh, lubricate the internal machinery. Good luck! I know digestive problems are horrible. 

Don't get frustrated, men generally lose weight more quickly than women. They don't have as many complicating hormones wafting around their bloodstream causing general mayhem. 5lbs is excellent in one month, if that's what you've lost? I bet if you take a tape measure and go by your waist and hip measurements, you'll feel a lot more motivated. I don't keep scales because you can get a bit enslaved by them and lose track of the big picture. 
Some people can be very sensitive to coffee, and it can interfere with weight loss - not a common problem, but a possibility.
An obvious one is making sure you're eating enough, especially protein. If you don't, your body will kind of lock down and hoard the weight you have. Eating enough protein will also help to guard against catabolizing lean mass instead of burning your own fat. Maybe try using cronometer.com if you're not already. You can track your macros and calories and micronutrient breakdown to check you're getting enough goodness from your food. To break a plateau, maybe try varying the calorie amounts you have on different days of the week - keep your metabolism guessing, and incorporate some intermittent fasting days if you really want to speed things up.
If weight loss is particularly stubborn, getting your thyroid function tested - full panel, not just TSH (free T3, free T4 and possible antibodies like TPO that could indicate autoimmune issues like Hashimoto's).
Hang in there, Rome wasn't built in a day, and the main thing you need is patience. Carnivore isn't a quick fix, and it's possible your metabolism is damaged from low fat dieting in the past. Got to give yourself time to heal.

Are you getting enough fluids, and enough electrolytes? If you're dehydrated, it's going to make things tough. A Magnesium supplement works for a lot of people to get your bowel moving, but maybe the best way would be to make up a big pot of bone broth and make sure you end the day with a large bowl of it. Doesn't have to be anything fancy - if you can get beef bones that's great, but a couple of packets of chicken wings covered with water in the Instant Pot - pressure cook for a couple of hours until the bones crumble, and you'll have a great broth. 
I do think fluids are probably the answer, but maybe you also need to eat more fat. I've noticed that eggs will definitely constipate if you're cooking them quite firm and not incorporating enough fat to, uhh, lubricate the internal machinery. Good luck! I know digestive problems are horrible. 

Duck hearts are absolutely delicious, but very hard to find where I live. Duck anything is awesome, though. Crispy duck skin is maybe the only food on earth that is tastier than bacon. The problem is, you have to kinda sacrifice the breast meat if you're roasting a whole bird to get the skin perfect. Worth it, though!

That's really interesting. I'm 178cm, 14 inch wrist, and it recommends 8.5 stone or 120lbs thereabouts. I think that's fair. Too often BMI takes no account of bone/frame size. If you have a slight build, you don't carry weight as well and someone with a larger frame.

According to Dr. Boz, hair thinning is common when switching to keto diets - it's a shock to the body having to set up a new apparatus for energy production, and your hair sadly bears the brunt of it. She says it's meant to be temporary and shouldn't happen again, but my own experience is that my hair falls out at times of high stress and rarely grows back properly. I was hoping that carnivore might help, but after a year, I've kinda given up on that. My life's pretty high stress, though, so can't expect miracles from any diet I guess. Biotin and selenium are recommended supplements (can't say they've done much for me, though). I think cortisol levels are probably key. Anything you can do to lower your daily stress would probably really help. And good sleep, of course.
 

I think you need to eat more. Protein, specifically, if recomposition is your goal, forget about the fat for a moment and concentrate on supplying your body with enough protein. Just one thing - are you eating ground beef, by any chance? When I started carnivore, the first kind of beef I ate was ground beef because I didn't much fancy big chunks of steak, and after a couple of weeks on a pound of ground beef a day and several eggs, I felt pretty lethargic and generally lousy. I thought about giving up. So I did some reading on ground beef, and there are those who say that the grinding process not only introduces extra histamine in the processing of it, but it leaches out a significant amount of the nutrition compared to whole pieces of steak. So I switched to steak and felt a lot better within another week. I've no idea if this applies to you, but thought I'd mention it.
I would strongly suggest that you try incorporating some beef liver into your diet. It's a nutritional powerhouse and I find it almost an instant energy booster. As your palate adjusts with time, it's also delicious. No, really.
Like Bob mentioned, varying up your calories and keeping your metabolism reacting and guessing is a good strategy. Your body will always seek homeostasis and it will adapt to any regime quickly, so throwing in a fast day maybe, one very high protein day, one high fat day etc, that might possibly help you. Your English is great, by the way. Good luck!
 

Awesome! You'll go from strength to strength now. The worst is over. 👊

I hope you're hanging in there, Robert. I was in the same boat in February of last year when I started carnivore. I went from eating nearly exclusively carbs to total carnivore, and I was sure I didn't even like meat! As far as I was concerned, meat got in the way of me eating more sugar. My first few days were horrible. No energy, low mood, sugar cravings a mile wide, irritable and headachey. I didn't know that you were meant to lean on electrolytes to help you through the flu-like symptoms while your body was switching back to its default fat-burning metabolism.
Things improved dramatically by week 2, though! It was like once the drug (sugar) had left my system, everything upgraded. Haven't had any problems since then, so please stick it out and see how you feel. What got me through my first week was eggs and bacon. That's all I ate. I thought bacon was the only meat I really liked, so I leaned on that. As time goes on, it's incredible how your palate changes, though. I never thought I'd really enjoy a steak or voluntarily eat liver or beef tongue or heart, but I do now and I love them. You will definitely develop a taste for meat once your system has adapted. You could also be dealing with the fallout of oxalates, given a veggie diet, so hang in there. I'd make up some bone broth, get a good electrolyte supplement, and maybe slow cook some oxtail. It's the ultimate comfort food, moist and soft meat with plenty of fat and I think it's tasty enough to tempt even a meat sceptic. Good luck!

I totally agree on cold runny yolks, no way! I mean more, uhh, jammy? Basically a hard boiled egg where the yolk is still kind of translucent and set but slightly fondant-ish, not opaque and grainy and difficult to swallow. It's hard to get them perfectly right, though, and they're impossible to shell if they're too soft.
Slow steaming them sunny side up in a pan with a lid is probably the easiest way to achieve jammy yolked perfection. 

I think if you're looking to specifically lose fat, then maybe you need to tweak your macros a bit? If you're on 70:30 fat to protein, and you're looking to cut, I think I saw Dr. Shawn Baker saying that he goes more like 60:40 when he wants to lean out a bit. If the idea is to build muscle you don't want to undereat, especially protein obviously, but maybe cut down on the fat a bit and you could try using something like cronometer.com to give you a breakdown of calories and macros and vitamins to see if you're getting what you need. Like Bob said, you're fighting homeostasis, your body will adapt to any routine, so varying up your calorie intake on different days, maybe leaning heavily on protein on some days, and incorporating some intermittent fasting might help shift you off the plateau.
 
I've seen people use an egg diet for a few days to get things moving again. The rough rules are up to 10 eggs a day with a tbsp of fat with each egg. Alternatively, cut that fat to a tbsp per 3 eggs and increase the number of eggs if you want. No longer than 3 days or you'll probably go nuts, but it works well for breaking a plateau.
 
Edit: would also make sure you're getting enough electrolytes, especially Magnesium.

I no longer have gas. Like, none. My digestive system isn't audible anymore, like some clapped out old car. It chugs along silently and peacefully. That's so nice. 
My skin is clear, I just wish someone had told me the no-sugar secret back when I was a teen with dreadful cystic acne.
My teeth hurt a lot when I was a cookie monster, and my gums suffered. No bleeding anymore when I brush, and no toothaches.
I think my breath is sweeter in the morning? 
And I think I'm definitely less emotional. My moods aren't being dictated by sugar anymore, so life just feels a lot more stable.

I totally agree on cold runny yolks, no way! I mean more, uhh, jammy? Basically a hard boiled egg where the yolk is still kind of translucent and set but slightly fondant-ish, not opaque and grainy and difficult to swallow. It's hard to get them perfectly right, though, and they're impossible to shell if they're too soft.
Slow steaming them sunny side up in a pan with a lid is probably the easiest way to achieve jammy yolked perfection. 

My favourite food. 💓 I was a really sickly kid, got just about every childhood illness and ailment going, along with pneumonia and meningitis. Think I missed more school than I actually attended. But one thing I remember was whenever I was cooped up in bed with yet another sickness, bored out of my mind and miserable, I'd be thinking about the usual ritual on the day I was well again. The first thing I'd ask for and get to eat was my mum's scrambled eggs (best scrambled eggs in the history of the known universe) and, disgustingly enough, I'd have them with ketchup. I know, I know, thankfully I'm over that now. But, yeah, really creamy scrambled eggs have a special place in my heart. 
I don't eat them a lot now, though. For one thing, I can't make them like my mum made them, and for another, I'm worried I'll overcook the yolks and waste some of the goodness in there, so I usually plump for sunny side up (steamed gently in the pan with the lid on) or I batch cook soft boiled eggs in the instant pot. You can pile in 30 at a time on the trivet, stick a mug of water in the bottom, then pressure cook on low for about 4 minutes, leave to stand with the lid on for another 2 minutes, then into cold water. Super easy to shell too!
 
 

Just saw this, and oh yes! This is a huge one. Back in the day I only had to look at fried food to get acid reflux. Haven't had it since I switched. 
 
I'd forgotten just how unpleasant it was pre-carnivore.

I no longer have gas. Like, none. My digestive system isn't audible anymore, like some clapped out old car. It chugs along silently and peacefully. That's so nice. 
My skin is clear, I just wish someone had told me the no-sugar secret back when I was a teen with dreadful cystic acne.
My teeth hurt a lot when I was a cookie monster, and my gums suffered. No bleeding anymore when I brush, and no toothaches.
I think my breath is sweeter in the morning? 
And I think I'm definitely less emotional. My moods aren't being dictated by sugar anymore, so life just feels a lot more stable.

Just saw this, and oh yes! This is a huge one. Back in the day I only had to look at fried food to get acid reflux. Haven't had it since I switched. 
 
I'd forgotten just how unpleasant it was pre-carnivore.

Duck hearts are absolutely delicious, but very hard to find where I live. Duck anything is awesome, though. Crispy duck skin is maybe the only food on earth that is tastier than bacon. The problem is, you have to kinda sacrifice the breast meat if you're roasting a whole bird to get the skin perfect. Worth it, though!

Never seen this one before. No idea if there’s any chance it could be accurate but my calculations show that I should be at 169lbs. I can dig it. Especially since I’m hovering near that weight now.
Any thoughts on this?
 
https://planetcalc.com/35/
 
 
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For those who have reached their weight loss goals or are close to it, have your friends or family told you that you’re too skinny. Mine have.
While I’m lighter than I’ve been since I was a teenager my waist size is still not at my thinnest. Whereas I was a 40 + inch waist I’m down to a 34 inches but in my prime I was a 32. Also there’s still some belly on me.
What I find funny and maybe a little sad is that we as Americans have have become so overweight as a society that when we see someone who is actually at the normal weight and body size they should be they are labeled too skinny.
I love studying and researching history and a common denominator I see in the old photos of our past is the body composition of those who came before us. The majority of people were thin and wiry.
It’s amazing how social norms have changed in just a few short decades.
Personally I love being called too skinny and it wouldn’t hurt my feelings none if I got even skinnier. [emoji13]
 
 
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I beg to differ. It's called body recomposition, which is often what is happening during a weight loss stall. Many of us have experienced a weight loss plateau that lasted months, and while the scale didn't budge, the waist kept shrinking and we kept moving along the notches of our belts.
If you are getting a sufficient amount of protein and nutrition, you can simultaneously put on muscle while reducing body fat. There's a balance to be had here though. If you portion control and consume too little, then it will be difficult to put on any new muscle mass.