Scott F.

We didn't do an actual purge as my wife still eats her way. Over time though I can see where the cupboards and cabinets are a bit more bare than in times past. We had like 1.2 million dollars tied up in sauces on the bottom of the door in the refrigerator. If someone said this sauce or that sauce was good we would try it. Over time the bottles just built up. A funny to boot, one night I took the half empty bottles and mixed them together. It turned out amazing. A year later I did it again and this time I think the dog turned her nose up when I dropped it in her plate. Feast or famine I guess. Scott

I do the same. I don't think I look at the ads as much as my wife does but when something goes on sale we will try to take advantage of the savings. I have always been cheap so even pre-carnivore I am a marked down red meat guy. They mark it down and I stack it up. Out total cost is down and if there were any increase it would be I do eat more red meat as I feel better than when eating on a variety. Still, cheaper than if I were buying the same meats and all the stuff that traditionally goes with meats. Scott

Thanks for the input. I am a data person not so much a numbers person, and that makes no sense at all. (working in the chemical/pharmaceutical field for thirty plus years. I am all about the data that forms trends, not so much the numbers themselves. And as I re-read that it does not make any sense at all, other than I am more into the data as it relates to the process more so than the numbers at the end) I have not checked for blood ketones on a normal non-fasting day. I assume I am in ketosis or somewhere close because I'm still at zero carbs/zero sugars. I sort of wish I had tested myself when I gained 8-9 pounds due to allowing my fat content to decrease while trying to increase protein intake. I have come to the point I can't consistently eat that much protein every day. It is one thing to be full, and another to be overly full but to have to sit there and struggle just to eat said amount, I am not sure the view is worth the climb. At just over 11 months I am easing into carnivore as a lifestyle and not a diet and with that, the numbers will then be just that, numbers. Thanks for the input. Scott

That might be a stretch, but thanks the same. Next week is a year on carnivore and about 8 or so months back in the gym. Funny how just 8 months ago I felt bad after going to the gym and now I feel bad if i don't go to the gym. Another, "quite the transformation". Scott

Like most things the weight is just a number. If you find the weight that give you time under tension that is your weight, progress from there. When someone says 'that guy is small, but strong for his size' I was the polar opposite, even coming out of the service when I had an athletic build I was 'that guy is weak as wet paper bag to be as big as he is'. I have always lifted 'light', more out of inability than choice. Scott

Will exercise drive one deeper into ketosis? Last time I fasted the first 12-14 hours were the same as last night. I ate at work about 8PM, worked all night, came home and tested for blood sugar and ketones. My ketosis/ketone level was 0.7. Reading a lot of information on the subject I found 0.7 was a good overall number so I assumed it would change some as I fasted. It did and around 90 hours or so I was at 3.4. Last night I ate at work, (same meal of steak and eggs), worked all night, came home this morning and walked 3.5 miles doing 90 pushups along the way (normally I try to do at least 100 but the ketone levels were higher but obviously hadn't made it to my brain as I added wrong. Beat myself out of 10 or 20 pushups).....babbling.... My blood sugar was 80 this morning and my ketone reading was 2.0. After walking and doing the pushups my blood sugar was lower than the last time and my ketone levels were higher. Normally I get the morning dawn effect and my blood glucose gets into the mid-90's, and sometimes the upper 90's. This the first combination of starting the fast, getting a pretty good walk and work out in and then testing. I'm totally happy with the numbers but they just sort of caught me off guard. Scott

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The autophagy is one aspect but I think the difference is like mentioned, being fat adapted and also probably a little deeper is being in ketosis. A lot of the underlying skin is fat and the GLP-1 are removing total weight which includes muscle, fat and water. As Bob stated, when fat adapted the body is burning fat for energy and using ketones vs. carbs and proteins. Then it is the speed of the loss as well. The carnivore weight loss person has a body that is going to the well time after time as 99% of fat adapted people have fat readily available. Most GLP-1 users are still on a carbs/sugars with lots of 'skin fat' left along the process. Great topic. Scott

We had a conversation along these lines on Monday with one of my son's friends. He tried carnivore last November and it lasted til maybe February. He then re-added some vegetables and fruits here and there. He keeps his carbs between 30 grams and whatever sugars are in the fruits he chooses. He is in his late 20's and I think in those 3 plus months he must have been solidly fat adapted (maybe being younger, not sure). He was really strict during that time. He said his first 'keto' type meal was planned and not an accident nor a cheat. It didn't matter as he said this planned meal was like a gut grenade for him. He said his 'looseness' was far worse going back to carbs/sugars than coming off and it lasted much longer. I am a big fan of 'you do you' but as he was talking, I was thinking that the frequency and length of time of being that loose was his body telling him 'We were on a better path'. Scott

Ours has been cheaper with me on carnivore and my wife eating her way. If I were not on carnivore I would be eating the same meats but odds are with the carbs and sugars even more meat. Then add in the vegetables and carbs and sugars and sauces, etc. etc. that I would be eating the cost would be somewhat higher. I think my "part" of the grocery bill has went down but I think there are certain parts of my wife's "part" that has went up by a few pennies here and there. Certain canned foods and vegetables she does not buy the large cans/larger version as it is only her eating those things now. The smaller cans get slightly higher per ounce. My part has come down and her part may be a few pennies different here and there, but overall "our" grocery bill has come down. Basically, my volume has been drastically reduced overall and what I am eating does not cost as much as the total volume I was eating before. Scott

That is spot on. I'm a simple guy myself. If it works, it works. Arnold and Franco started somewhere. LOL. Nice work. It will most definitely serve the purpose. Scott

Tonight is left over brisket from yesterday. Both turned out pretty good. I used the old pig cooker and my son used the offset. On the pig cooker I set it up similar to a smoker with heat/smoke on one end, aluminum foil on the rack and the meat on the other end. The smoke/heat had to travel down the foil, under/around the meat and then back in the other direction. It worked pretty good as at times the smoke came out in a spiral. The flow was really good. I wish I had not used any direct heat at all. We were experimenting and I think it would have been better without the direct heat but when we set up the taste test everyone picked the pig cooker version except for me as I liked the brisket from the off-set. Either way, that is what my son wanted to do for his birthday, me and him cooking together from early in the morning til late in the afternoon. Although both briskets turned out pretty good neither factored in it being a great day, Scott

Fair trade. I'm not smart like that. I push the envelope when 'too much of a good thing'...... Scott

Good luck. Pretty much the same. Not sick, the least little bit left me gassed and then it took forever to get it back together to do something else. The infusions helped a lot but they are ever six months and the couple months before the infusion I started dragging. Since carnivore and the gym that has all but went away. My immunoglobulin bloodwork is coming due and the last time (maybe three-four months ago) my numbers were inching back to the 'green' (normal). This is all carnivore and the gym as the infusions just keep my immune system suppressed and does nothing for the underlying/root cause of the NMO/SD. I go back in about two weeks. The only thing really lingering, and maybe it is some better, is that if I squat down, or get up from a lowered position quickly, I get a bit dizzy/lightheaded. Heart rate and blood pressure check fine, blood sugar has never been an issue and it started when I first got sick in 2018. I had a number of lesions on my brain, neck, and spinal cord. I had a lot of mobility issues at that time. Best guess is it is lingering scar tissue from the lesions, or at least that is what is pictured in the MRI. Being a Navy guy I am hoping to work back up to doing burpees and 8-count bodybuilders. If I drop down, kick my legs back, get the pushup in, legs under and stand up......I may stagger, or fall and be out for a couple seconds. But I am 99% healthier now on carnivore than before with a boat load of energy just about all the time. If I have it narrowed down to just not being able to do burpees, I guess I can give carnivore a pass on that one. LOL Scott

When I was first diagnosed with NMO/SD I had a general fatigue. I was pretty much always tired and anything that took a lot of effort wiped me completely out. When I had to go the 4th floor or the roof at the plant i was spent at the 2nd and 3rd floors. In order to hide that, I would go on the third floor and do an "inspection" of the bottom side of the process equipment. Once I gathered myself, I would go to the fourth floor where the operators work. That went on for 5+ years but since I stumbled onto the medical side of the carnivore way of eating, coupled with the work in the gym I am much, much better. This past weekend when we were in West Virginia there is a steel tank that is about 8 stories high, 17 flights of steps. At 55, I made it to the top with relative ease, not winded the least. The 28-year-old guy was just about gassed out half-way up and the 32-year-old young woman had to pause at the next to last flight. With carnivore and the work in the gym I also feel like the more I do the better I feel. Hoping that trend continues. Scott

I made butter/bacon bite type chips a few months ago. It is a bad idea. If I had made a five-gallon bucket it would have been a 'single serving' container. I completely understand your message. Scott

Should be a good day. Anything more than heat and meat and I’m living above my raisings. Salt and pepper is as far into “the luxuries” as I can go and this is because everyone else eating today likes the sauces and seasonings. I’m good at “meat and heat”.

@Mesa_John That chicken looks really good. It is 3:45AM and I just about the door to light the fire barrel. We are cooking two briskets today. One, will be with the off-set smoker and the other on the pig cooker. The one on the pig cooker will be a combination of direct and indirect heat. Coals will be under the aluminum foil, forcing the smoke/heat to the other end of the grill with that end stack covered forcing the smoke to the other end. Should be a good day. Scott

I'm about to do eggs and bacon for a mid-afternoon snack. Earlier I drank what felt like a 1/2 gallon of gas siphoning it out of an old gas tank. Not the most refreshing drink. Scott

I am not sure where you are having it shipped to and I am guessing that factors. On eBay I paid around $5 with free shipping. I'm in the states and that might be the difference. After reading if it were the $18-20 shown, it is still worth the price and the time to read it. The format itself makes it a great read. Scott

I believe that. Everyone adjusts differently. My worst experience was on a Thursday I reached into the cooler at the store and grabbed the 2% milk with the blue cap. I opened it and took a big swallow to find out it was a Nesquik Vanilla type drink slam full of sugar and carbs. It was like 'drinking ice cream' and not being the smartest guy, I finished it. (I'm really cheap too, once I paid for it I couldn't let it go to waste. Then I paid for it again. I had a colonoscopy scheduled for the following Monday. If I had to choose the best product for the cleanout prior to the procedure, after being on Carnivore for 8-9 months, the Nesquik drink did a far better job. I was empty and clean before I even started using the prescribed medicine to get empty and clean. Quite the reaction. LOL Scott

Eating just meats actually sounds more expensive. Without doing the math per item or per year the easiest way to show it is to map the route in the grocery store. All in all, a carnivore is eating no more meat than the non-carnivore if we were to map it out. Most carnivores are down to 2 meals a day and large chunk is closer to one meal a day. I am guessing the total volumes are about the same. My trip to the grocery store is basically in down thru the produce section, not picking up anything, and straight to the meat counter. I by-pass the sauces and such as well. I skip the vegetable aisle and leave the meat counter make a turn up the laundry soap and toilet paper aisle, a quick trip down the aisle for toothpaste etc, then on to the dairy aisle. Just milk, butter and eggs there. Then out the door. When you minus the produce, the canned vegetables, the fruits, the sauces, the sugars and flours, the desserts and processed stuff at the deli, and of course the infamous ice cream aisle, things are much cheaper. Although I don't think there is a minutes difference between the amount of meat eaten between a carnivore person and a non-carnivore person, maybe there is, and if there is a difference, it is more than accounted for in what you are not buying. Now if you are eating prime ribeye 2-3 times per day, 7 days a week at $16-18-20-22 per pound then we would have to probably re-do the math. I haven't met anyone that is eating the expensive cuts every meal/every day. However, (and with chickens it didn't really affect me) the way eggs were going up I could almost make the argument the way. LOL Great topic. Scott

I only have 11 months in and have only cheated once or twice, once with a rack of ribs with BBQ sauce and once accidentally picking up a vanilla milk drink. I don't think mine was pain from carbs but more so from the sugar, and not sure it was anything more than the discomfort of the bubble guts. Scott

I would find something to do with it before I threw it away. It could probably serve someone some purpose. Scott

Welcome. Congrats on going carnivore, especially in your 30's. I was 55 when I started 11 months ago and wish I had started much sooner. Again, welcome. Scott