Scott F.

Like most 'numbers' 125 may seem high to some and then others would do just about anything to see those numbers. I think 111 is the highest I have ever seen and that jump came after being on carnivore for a stretch. I think either Dr. berry or Dr. Chaffee (maybe both) has a video on the subject. Scott

Yep. Carnivore has surprised me in a lot of ways. I hardly eat in comparison to others and then with a handful of sugar and carbs it is like I found an appetite. Now, I may have a clearer picture of how I came out of the military around 190-200 and found myself north of 320 years later. I'm not much on calories in and calories out but as of late I can see where ounces in and ounces out can be a thing. LOL Another pleasant surprise form carnivore. LOL Scott

Agree. Red meat is as satiating as it gets. Even on a diet of straight red meat the addition of sugar and carbs trumps that satiation. At least I have found that is how it works for me. As for carnivore this may be some affirmation and some addiction.

The numbers posted here are pretty much normal and those numbers move throughout the day from the dawn effect to insulin spiking after meals/snacks. I never had a glucose level over 100 until carnivore. Once or twice I hit 110 to 111. Most days I'm in the mid to upper 80's and maybe the low 90's. When I am fasting, after the second day I have seen the mid 70's to low 80's for the remainder of the fast. I sort of know it is low when I get the slight metallic taste in my mouth and I have read that is a sign of getting deeper into ketosis. When I checked my ketone blood level was 3.4 (fairly deep into ketosis) I lost weight incredibly fast and most people thought I was sick again. I did look skinny on the neck and face and it didn't look like a healthy weight loss. I am sure there was some mean muscle mass loss but I don't think it was substantial. Water weight to start and then fat to follow. I started lifting to offset the potential for muscle mass loss in general, to off set sarcopenia, and to off-set the debilitating portion of my autoimmune disease. I landed on one meal per day (OMAD) and then increased the protein to try to build more muscle. I have gained muscle and strength over time. I'm having to be creative to get in enough protein (or at least the recommended amount of .7 to 1 gram per pound of lean body mass). Of all things carnivore, my biggest struggle is eating enough to gain muscle. I struggle with only eating a steak a day. Another 'everyone is unique' I suppose. Scott

I'm still a fan of dairy and drink some milk which puts a stall on any weight loss I experienced. If I were trying to gain weight dairy would be an excellent option for me. Gaining lean muscle mass is different and the milk would sort of offset that. Maybe one of the lactose free brands like Fair Life would work and maybe even use that to mix the protein powder. But even the milk (lactose) didn't spur my appetite like the 11 grams of sugar in the protein drink. Again, spot on information. Thanks. Scott

Thanks for the advice bit i think you missed the point. I went strict carnivore 14 months ago, lost 95lbs over that span and at the same time lost most of my appetite. I gravitated to one meal per day. I tried to eat more fat and more protein but I am gorging myself to do so. I am comfortably full at one 14-16oz. steak. I am not one that eat 2-3lbs in a day. One steak and I am good for 24+hours. I used whey isolate protein powder from Bulk Supplements. it is a mid-tier product balancing the ingredients and the cost. I ran out of powder and used a store-bought protein drink from Sharmrock Farms. I had eaten my steak earlier and within an hour of the protein drink I was hungry again. That is not longer normal for me. I experimented again a few days later and the result was the same. Without the protein drink one steak holds me for 24 hours or more. With the protein drink (and the accompanying sugar) I am hungry an hour or so afterwards and then again later that day. For me sugar/carbs are triggering hunger that requires more fat and protein than I would normally eat. My question, maybe somewhat rhetorical, is the affirmation that the carnivore diet is an elimination diet. What we are not eating carries far more value than what we are eating. Sugar/carbs trigger hunger and the more we eat, the more we want, and then the more we eat. The health issues decline from there. It is not that I don't understand how the liquid protein works or eating the whole foods or what is suppose to be more satiating. My point was that the carnivore diet is an elimination diet and even a small amount of carbs and sugar can trump the satiating meats (fats/proteins) we eat. Now if I were able to eat two and three pounds of fats/meats per day like a lot of people can I would not have stumbled upon this little nugget of information as I would have not experimented/subsidized with protein, powder or drunk. But since going carnivore I simply can't eat like I use to, nor like others. Anything more than 14-16oz and I have to force the food down. Thank you for the input. Your post and information were spot on just a tad off the target I was discussing. But spot on otherwise. Thanks. Scott

Like most, prior to carnivore I ate a dumpster diet. And within that dumpster diet I could eat five-gallon buckets at the time. And then do it again and again. After starting carnivore and gradually ending up on one meal per day (OMAD) I have found I can't eat at that volume anymore. I'm totally impressed with the amounts I hear others can eat. In the past I could eat a big steak, half my wife's steak with a loaded potato, several glasses of sweet tea and then dessert. Follow that with a snack before I went to bed. Now it is just about all I can do to eat the large steak. And with that one steak I am good for at least 24 hours. No hunger whatsoever. Recently in an attempt to hit a protein target I started with protein powder and then an occasional pre-mixed protein drink. The pre-mixed drink got 50 grams within the day, but it had 11 grams of sugar and carbs (but I forget how many). Soon after putting two and two together I found within an hour of drinking the protein/sugar infused drink I was actually hungry. I tried to offset it with drinking water to proof it was hunger and indeed, it was hunger. So, I ate. I repeated it a few days/week later and it was the same. In the past three to four weeks the only thing that has changed is the addition of 11 grams of sugar maybe twice per week. My appetite has increased drastically to the point I have gained 12 pounds this month. The intent was to get improvements in the gym and the last month or so I have seen a lot of progress, both in the mirror and counting plates. Since carnivore is more of an elimination diet than it is a fats/protein diet I am starting to wonder about the 'meat is satiating' references. Before carnivore I could eat twice as much meat with all the other stuff and since eliminating sugar one big steak is my limit. As I have re-introduced some sugar/carbs my appetite has drastically increased. Which one is carrying the biggest stick? Is it the satiating meat or the triggers from sugars/carbs. My "individual/just me" experiment indicates sugar/carbs are more powerful to in the body, and maybe the mind than fats and proteins. Scott

Try floating for a few hours then sinking under the water for six months. That makes floating not seem so bad. I pulled out of Norfolk once, submerged and surfaced 63 days later to enter the Strait of Gibraltar. Scott

Welcome. Just over 14 months for me. I had the loose stools in the beginning as I went cold turkey/hard switch. It eased up within a few weeks to a month. Like Geezy, mine will get loos when I up the fat content and probably surpass whatever "my number" for fat happens to be. I'm guessing that is a floating number as it will factor with the protein for a ratio. For the last few months, I have been somewhat forcing myself to eat close to 200 grams of protein. When I eat a lot my stools are solid and finished off sort of loose. Then it is 4-5 days before I go again. I'd check out the videos by Dr. Chaffee and Dr. Berry on the subject and their advice on using Magnesium as a supplement. I used it early on and I think it worked. Best of luck. Scott

Yep. I left the east coast on a submarine, got to the Mediterranean, small boat transfer to a LPH, a helo-transfer to a carrier and then a puddle jumping plane to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and then to Kuwait. I was there to repair an oxygen generator in a make-shift hospital/aid station. Some branches do not have the same sense of humor. When I arrived I was handed and M-16 rifle and I said, "don't need that dude, I brought my own screwdrivers". It went over like a lead balloon. But yep. Go Navy. Scott

4 boiled eggs, left over pork BBQ and maybe six or eight chicken tenders. Sort of a 'clean the fridge-hodge podge' for work today. Scott

I did the same. I narrowed it down to a couple, maybe three. I couldn't decide so it ended up being a Christmas gift. The initial walks with 40lbs was tougher than I expected. it is still a ton of difference between with/without walking. I like it and I think it really aids in the effectiveness of long walks. Scott

I looked and looked. I couldn't find it. When I am reading at work I will click on tabs and links and footnotes if it leads to the next topic. Some nights the topics bounce so far apart one would think I have some 'staying on point' issues. I hope I stumble upon it again. It was a pretty good read. Scott

When I hit the button, I was aiming for picture but managed to hit video. But yes, it is Pro Iron. My apologies. I like the vest itself. It wears comfortably. If the weights were removable/returnable easier I would recommend it over any others I tried. It sort of takes the versatility out and makes this one a 40lb vest. Scott

I do the same with the no sugar/no carb protein powder from Bulk Supplement. The pre-mixed version I bought does carry sugar, not as much as it tastes like (no sugar in a long while probably makes it extra sweet tasting) but for whatever reasons, it triggers hunger. I'm putting it on the carbs and sugars (mostly because I am a carnivore and that is what we do, LOL) but that extra hunger allows me to eat whole proteins (Meats and fats/fats and meats) to get up close to my suggested numbers. I then target my heaviest lifting days (total volume and load just not lifting "heavy") on the days around the extra eating. It has resulted in some strides in the gym and the tradeoff is a few pounds here and there. I doubt sugar will ever be a popular choice in a carnivore forum but I'm going to ride this wave til I see different/feel different. Go from there. Scott

This the brand I bought. I like the fit and the weights are well distributed. I don’t feel like I’m being pulled forward or backward. The only drawback is the weights are to remove and even harder to put back in their pouches. Relatively cheap too.

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I wouldn't see the harm. I'm a big fan on longer water fasting. It has been my subject of research as of late. Tons of information about the positive effects of longer fasting on cancer cells to go along with the positives of eliminating sugars. I believe fasting has played a huge role in my blood work improvements along with the carnivore approach. I feel like they are a winning combination. Best of luck with the scan results. Scott

I take Rituxan every six months for an auto-immune disease called Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder. It is an immunotherapy drug. Once I was on carnivore I came off the daily prednisone and Neurontin. It took maybe 4-5-6 weeks and I no longer needed those two medications. I have been on a strict carnivore diet for 14 months and have seen no issue with 'carnivore and immunotherapy'. I always suggest talking with your doctor, as I am not a doctor and the only medical degree I have is via youtube and Google, and I am sure they don't count. LOL Carnivore has been a super positive experience for me. Zero regrets and pretty much zero negatives. I'm 55 off medicine, lost 95 pounds and will soon have a conversation with the Neurologist about stopping the immunotherapy. My AQP-4 and Igg and IgA numbers have drastically improved since going carnivore. Talk to your doctors. Some will be understanding of your diet choice and some, not so much. And some, will even preach against it. My Neurologist says he is not exactly ready to medically recommend carnivore for his patients but seeing my successes he wishes some of his other patients would give me a call. Believe it or not that is a lot of progress withing the medical community. Welcome to the board. The carnivore is working for me, and I do a six hour infusion every six months of Rituxan. (I don't know how that translates to your particular medicine, so you will have to do the leg work....) Good luck. And welcome. Scott

Yep. 3 guys 2 racks. Everyone hot racks til you gain some seniority. I did sub school after A school. C school for a bit, to the boat, then to dive school in Panama City, then to the shipyards, then to another boat and then got out in 93. It was 2,192 days not that I started counting around a 1000 nor did I keep a logbook counting down days describing every which way I felt like the Navy was not for me. I realized it was not for me when I arrived at the recruit depot for boot camp all the way til I got out 6 years later. I had a ton of fun with the people I served with, met some of the wildest and most dependable people in the world. And as much as I disliked things it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Odd to say, I hated it so much but would not change one minute. Yep, bubble head. Scott

Welcome to the forum. This is a really good place to read and learn but at the same time bounce your questions, thoughts and experiences off the board members. All of us are different and all of us have unique experiences with carnivore. It won't be cookie-cutter between any two people. Geezy is spot on with his response. I will use your age and your carnivore time. You spent 27 years eating one way and odds are a lot of those foods created a lot of issues (any number of health issues) so odds are you will not correct them with 27 days of carnivore. Some heal faster, some slower. On average, for a carnivore, at 27 you are on the younger side, most start much later in life. I would suggest work thru the struggles because I spent 54 years pounding my body the wrong way and only have 14 months of eating the way I was designed. I have made great strides, but I truly believe I would have healed faster had I pounded less/healed more. So, good for you for making this decision much earlier than the average. I went cold-turkey on the plants and the sugars form day 1. I had a lot of the same issues as you mentioned. It took me several months to get thru the loose issues in the bathroom. 1. I went cold-turkey so some call it healing and some call it de-toxing/withdrawals and whichever, the gut will react accordingly to sudden change. Like mentioned, make sure your salt content is solid. The first ten pounds or so was water and with that water a lot of electrolytes and minerals left with it. You are probably depleted. Look into the electrolyte drinks like LMNT and such. (go to youtube and you can make your own for pennies on the dollar in comparison to store bought packets)\ Check your fat content. When cooking burger try to eat as much of the grease as you can. The advertised fat content of hamburger is often left in the pan. Those leftovers can be the key to your success. This is a higher fat/moderate protein approach. (I too use burger and chuck steak to off-set the cost of rib-eyes. There is a thread on here about carnivore costs and believe it or not, it is cheaper big picture but I still scoff/struggle with something that is 15-16-17 plus per pound. I'm cheap) Move. Start walking or exercising. Carnivore will work either way (I believe) but the exercise, especially walking, will speed up the process. Coming off the plants and the sugars your body will use up the glycogen and you will become fat adapted. You will burn fat for energy and the more energy you expand the more fat you will burn. The process is accelerated because the body is not using food for storage near as much as when the sugars and carbs are being eaten. Be patient. (and although I didn't and still do) Try not to use the scale as a measuring stick. You will find as you drop body fat and water content changes, your weight my stay the same or even increase a pound or two during that same time you have to cinch your belt up a notch or two. At the same weight the pants fit a tad looser. Body composition changes are far more beneficial than the number on the scale. (And with that I'm a total hypocrite as I weigh myself regularly-LOL maybe it is do as I say not as I do-LOL) Best of luck. Bounce your experiences here. You will learn some things and better yet we will learn some things from you. Scott

I do the same. I'm currently bouncing around 213-218 (down from 306 in May '24 and down from 319 earlier in '24) I'm guessing my ideal weight is somewhere around 190-200lbs. I based the grams per pound on the 190-200 and struggle to eat that much protein in any given day. I sort of altered the concept of the diet a couple times due to the fact my appetite was basically no more. If I eat a meal that leaves me comfortably full, I'm not actually hungry again for 24-30 hours. And that meal will be far short of 200 grams of protein. I lessened the fat content to lessen the total amount of food in an attempt to get all the protein. For whatever reason, I gained weight steadily over that period and saw a drop in energy (not normal day to day but the gym sessions sort of flattened out). When I added the fat back and lessened the protein count my weight started to drop and the gym energy returned. In another attempt to get the protein in I did so via protein powder (no sugar/no carb brand) and it helped me get closer. A couple months ago I ran out and bought a 50 grams of protein drink from the grocery store. It is 2.5 servings per bottle. I drank half at work that night and within an hour I was as hungry as all get out. With nothing at work, I powered thru that hunger. I didn't put 2 and 2 together until the next night when I drank the second half of that protein drink. Again, within an hour or so, hungry as all get out. I waited a week and tried it again and it was the same. I spaced those drinks out over the next month to month and half. Each time half of the bottle led to hunger that night and some into the next morning. At least 2-3 days per week I was up to and touching the 190-200 grams of protein (and a much better fat to protein ratio). The weight went up a tad, but the day-to-day swings were not as wide. In a month or so I saw a big difference in the gym. The plates per exercise went up. You used UFC as an example, and I will use 'professional bodybuilder' (and I am neither...at 55 both of those ships have sailed). I can use the protein drink with sugar and do a "bulking phase" by getting in the protein and then ditch the protein drink and do a more normal carnivore diet as a 'cutting phase' (not that either of them is a goal of mine). From just a month and a half, for me, and maybe just me, I have found sugar is triggering some hunger. I'm using those grams of sugar to trigger hunger, using the hunger to hit a protein target and using that protein to build muscle (not for aesthetics, but because I have an auto-immune disease that debilitates over time and the more muscle the better I can fight that). Now next week or next month I may find this first month or so was a one-off. But for right now, it seems to be working. I'm rolling with it. LOL Scott

Yes. I was on a submarine for 6 years. We lived on a three shift 18 hour day. Every six hours the shift changes and in time there is no distinction between day and night. Of all the things to do int he services, career submariners have the least life expectancy after retirement. When I got out of the Navy I went to work pouring concrete on dayshift. As soon as the Superintendent found out I could finish concrete (working for my Pop's as a kid). The Superintendent/Foreman moved me to nights to finish concrete. From there, I started 12 hour rotating swing shifts. 30 years later still swinging shifts. And yes, it is not a healthy way to make a living but its the only thing I know. LOL Scott

I too am a true believer in fasting. I think it has played as big a role in my health improvement as anything. Carnivore I think is the main player but thru carnivore I have learned so much more. There is still a ton to learn. I think today is a rib eye that didn't get cooked last night and a turkey breast. I ate last night about 7PM, worked all night and have been in the shop most of the day. Tonight will be an eat, attempt to watch TV but crash soon after getting still. Scott

Yep. My bag is not much more than a liter and it lands between $55k-$57K per bag. I hate to get all conspiracy-theorists and such, but this is why they need us to stay sick. LOL Scott