Scott F.

Welcome, just joined the board and just recently started carnivore. I have back and neck issues as well. Not selling it as a 'snake oil' but in about 30 days I am off the prednisone that has kept me going the last several years. Was it the diet itself or the loss of 30lbs that helped my back/neck? I am sure it was a combination of both, but regardless of which, I'm there. I didn't read the directions. I just dove right in and then read the plans after about 30 days. I didn't make a lot of mistakes early but a little research would have saved me some time and maybe even a little money. There are some setbacks like diarrhea, the carno/keto-flu, some energy issues but knowing about them first might help someone push thru. Personally, I only had the bathroom issues. I drank a bottle of chocolate milk on an empty stomach and then ate a mongo rib eye. That case was going to happen with or without the carnivore approach. Good luck. 5 weeks and really happy with the decision to eat this way.

Never heard the term. But at the same time never looked into the carnivore diet til recently. I can't see the benefits but I have not delved into any of the science either. I remember as a kid I was faster without shoes, so I know there is at least one benefit to grounding. LOL Maybe not the actual intent but that was the first thing I thought of when I started reading. I have been on a medicine for the last two to three years, and it is a taken as needed prescription for inflammation and some pain and discomfort in my upper back. The last two nightshift rotations I have not needed the pills at all. I have been on the carnivore diet app. 5 weeks and if you had told me changing my diet to "carnivore" would drop 30 pounds and stop the need for the pills I would pretty much have said you are 'bat shit crazy'. But here I am. Scott

Great post. I'm brand new being only about 36-37 days with the carnivore diet. I dropped from 306 to 276 in 32 days. I started just before Mother's Day with the eating but kept the Mountain Dew habit for about a week. Then maybe 2 weeks in on back-to-back nights with a really small cup of ice cream. Since then, I have pretty much toed the line. I have an auto-immune disease that keeps me on some medicine for swelling and inflammation. After about 25 days in I didn't need to take it for the discomfort in my neck/upper back. At first the weight loss was the big hitter, not having pain and not having to have a prescription sort of outweighs the weight loss. Good luck. I too, will post about my personal experiences as I move forward with carnivore. Scott

This is the first time we made in hamburger in a while. Meats are fairly high across the board. I had been looking for the last few weeks for whatever deals i could find. This morning I found some different cuts of chuck for $4 a pound. I buy a 10LB bag of beef fat once or twice a week for the dogs so I swiped some out of their bag. I was shooting for about 70/30 but it turned out a bit dry, but tasted pretty good. I'm around $4.50/lb but that is about the average cost of the 73/27 that was in the store. I didn't save a ton but a little here and a little there will save up. I'm going to do some pork this weekend. I have not made any in years and that was some cuts from the local butcher. There are not a lot of ten-year kids being handed a lid form a large can and told to scrape hair on a cold Saturday morning. I'm 54 but that seems like a hundred years ago. Scott

I haven't in a long time. We talked about making some this weekend. Scott

Grinding some meat for burgers. My co-worker sweeps the floor for free. Scott

No doubts. The bloodwork is in no relation to starting the carnivore diet. I have Devic's/NMO (Neuromyelitis Optica-very akin to Multiple Sclerosis) so I do bloodwork regularly in between infusions. This past week has been my first stretch of 12-hour day shifts. My concern was not having the gas to make it thru the day, so I snacked on small pieces of chicken and a couple hard boiled eggs. The weight loss shifted a little from rapid loss to leveling off to even adding 1-2 pounds. Now I don't think the energy levels are an issue. This morning was my first real day in the gym in a really long time and between my age, my weight, the NMO and the dumpster diet for the last 30+ years I'm not the man I once was no doubts, maybe not even once. I was further down the strength chart than I pictured myself. So, I basically get to start from close to zero. No one really ever knows if a health kick can turn into a lifestyle, but I am 35 or so days in and seen nothing but the positives. (Yay me). I have not had the cravings nor the desires to eat any of the crap that I ate before. I have actually walked past the Little Debbie snack cake rack and not grabbed at least one for the first time in maybe 30 years. The carnivore diet just happens to be right up my alley as I like the staples of the diet, at times I like eating a lot of those staples, and I really do not see myself getting bored or having to 'force' some variety into those staples. That part of the change has been the easiest and I really do not see that changing. Babbling on, but being a doubter is natural, I sound like one of the influencers or revival tent preachers when it comes to this carnivore thing. I have to end the conversation is that it is working for me, and everyone is different. 35 days in and there is no way I should be giving advice to anyone but if I did, the carnivore change is amazing, and I see mostly people in their 30's-40's-50's and beyond doing really well. I would suggest people start in their early 20's before they use the dumpster diets to get to where I am at 54. I'm a never too late guy myself but I am also a "should have started earlier' guy at the same time. Scott

The steak looks awesome. For me today it was a bowl of chicken chunks with shrimp. Sort of basic but after a 12 hour shift I am happy with anything waiting for me when I get home. LOL Scott

Not that I know enough yet to comment on the effectiveness with carnivore, but I stocked up from Sam's when I got started. There were some pretty good deals on the Prime and Select meats. My son bought Prime Rib eyes the month before and they were incredible. I bought some and coked the same way were not what I expected. I guess it depended on who gave it the grade. The chicken is a pretty good deal as well. Scott

I didn't see this a couple of days ago when I joined. I'm not much with the computers. I'm Scott, 54, from North Carolina. At 6'2" and 306 I have been overweight most of my adult life (post military anyway). I work rotating 12 hours swing shifts that manage to be 13+ most every shift. Any change in lifestyle is hard based on work schedule alone. First time on any diet in 15+ years. I would describe mine as 'dumpster diet'. I started every day with a Mountain Dew and a Little Debbie cake, almost like it is the gospel. Mostly I ate healthy meals but the in between stuff has always been trash. I got the first thirty days done without reading the instructions other than 'consume only meat/animal products'. I'm shooting for 30 more days now. I have lots of questions. Scott

Thanks for the input. I'm at thirty days with pretty much only positive results. The diarrhea was due to the change in diet, chocolate milk on an empty stomach followed by a large steak. Probably would have been on the toilet regardless of whether I was carnivore eating or not. I will make some adjustments and wing it for a couple weeks. I have an appointment in two weeks so I will see bloodwork numbers. Funniest part, even with eating once a day when I am on night shift, I have only been actually hungry twice in the last thirty days. I have always been a big breakfast eater. I could the ass out of dead skunk at 5AM. I have yet to have the morning hunger pangs. Trying to remain even keeled but so far, I have only seen the upside. Scott

I will give it a try. Still new and trying to figure some things out. Thanks. Scott

I'm not much on drinking water and use the drink mixers most of the time but have started to cut some of those out a little. I see the long-term costs of buying LMNT and such. Plus, they don't taste good to me and left me filling bloated. If I made one of the homemade versions to the right ratios and used it as a 'saltshaker' and then drank as needed, would that be the same thing? Being prior military, I understand there is no such thing as a dumb question. Just dumb people who ask questions. Scott

3 large brown eggs from the backyard. 3 big hamburger patties. 3 talapia filets just a few minutes ago. I have been using the drink mixers most of the way in the first 30 days. I tried an electrolyte drink mixer and I felt like a blew up like a beach ball. A little queezy and I felt like I could taste salt most of the morning. I skipped it today and went just water all day. I guess I will have to dial the electrolytes a little better. Scott

He might, not sure. His biggest enemy is he and his wife eat out a lot. I think that hindered him as much as anything. Some of the issues of the need for variety and eating out don't really apply to me. I'm really boring. I could eat bologna sandwiches every day and not complain so I don't need to go for the variety in carnivore just yet. Maybe down the road. I gained weight for the first time today. My 30lb loss is now 28lb but no real complaints. I'm a doubter by nature so I have to experience it for myself. 30 days in and I am blown away already. Just the fact I didn't need medicine this time around has made it worthwhile. I'm reading and looking things up and learning along the way. Exploring the forum now. Scott

My son tried the carnivore diet, lost 12 or so pounds and then gave it up after about three weeks. I thought I would give it a try. Like most, men I just opened the box and didn't read any of the directions. LOL It took me a week to come off the Mountain Dew but went straight to an all-meat diet. For me, being a boring eater anyway, it has been relatively easy on just meats. The weight immediately started to fall off as I am 6'2" and was 306lbs. 6 pounds the first week and 9 the second week, give or take a day. I rolled onto my 12-hour rotating shifts and did the carnivore thing but only ate once a day. After that rotation I had lost over 20lbs and just this past weekend I had lost 30 pounds in 32 days. I have eaten nothing but meats and eggs from the start. I did continue to use drink mixers as I am not that big on drinking just water. This past week I decided to do some research. The weight loss has been amazing, and I am no one to scream, "Hey look at me" but.....I have NMO/Devic's, autoimmune disease similar to Multiple Sclerosis. After a string of 12–14-hour night shifts I have pain in my upper back and at the base of my neck due to the inflammation from stenosis and healed lesions. For the last couple of years, the days after the string of night shifts, I take a prednisone for the inflammation, and it keeps me going. This week as I read about the benefits of the carnivore diet in regard to inflammation and I remembered I didn't need the prednisone this past week. I didn't do any electrolytes, vitamins or supplements the first 32 days. Just meats and water. I felt fine other than a bout with diarrhea that was rather severe. The first day I tried an electrolyte drink I felt like I was bloated like a balloon. Lots of gas as well. I'm into the second 60 second day stint. I don't really have any weight loss goals just get healthier. I feel great and I the morning oohs and ahhs are gone. Time will tell. Scott