Scott F.

combined before and after. I was down around 213-214 a month or so ago when I started trying to hit the ideal protein target. My weight went up around 4-5 pounds. The 96-hour fast dropped 7 but then as I started eating again to hit that amount, I jumped up three or four pounds quickly. I guess there is a net loss in there somewhere, but I track daily and most days a couple three times per day. I approximate as I think I ate too much too soon coming out of the fast. One, I had some stool issues and two, my body was probably waiting to store whatever came down the pipe and I obliged by sending in a lot of food, maybe even more than I would have eaten if I hadn't fasted. Sort of overcompensation. I am sure that might even be a pound or two of the 8-9 I mentioned. Couple that with I refueled with moderate fat and high protein. Not a great combination. I think the 8-9lbs is what I ate, when I ate it and how the amounts affected the breaking of the fast. Just for numbers as I don't count calories, but if I eat 2000 calories a day and then fast for a day I am 2000 in deficit for those two days. But if I come out of the fast and eat 3000 and overcompensate for three days, I'm now in surplus. I think I still got all the benefits from the fast from autophagy, ketones, growth hormones and stem cells but I gained some weight on the back end. I feel like I couldn't see the forest with all the trees in the way. LOL Scott

Yep. It is pretty straight forward. I didn't really have an energy problem, but the fat content was low. When the protein is that much (and I am not sure what the number is for everyone) and the fat content is too low gluconeogenesis can happen. The "extra" protein is turned to sugar and some of that sugar will be used for energy (probably why I didn't see the energy drop with the lesser fat content) but parts of that sugar will be stored as fat. (most likely why I gained 8-9 pounds over the month or so I have been trying to hit the protein per pound target). Hitting the target is doable for some if you have the eating capacity to eat X amount of protein and then still ensure the fat content is a bit higher than that X amount of protein. I zoned in on hitting the protein target and struggled with eating that much food. I sacrificed some fat content trying to get there. Energy level was fine, got a tad bigger and some stronger but the down side was 8-9lbs re-gained. It is not the end of the world but re-gaining sucks. Scott

The last paragraph is absolutely golden. I have only been on Carnivore for just shy of 11 months. I have some bloodwork that says I am healthier. I have stopped taking some medicines that were needed prior to carnivore. I have lost a bunch of weight with minimal effort. And above all that I know I feel better than I did 11 months ago. Will this current way of eating prolong my life, maybe, maybe not, but from this point to that point I feel like I will feel better than if I had stayed my previous course. I also agree with the validity of some studies which are based on questionnaires and unfounded comments. I think that happens on both sides of any debate. Most of the time the funding plays too big of a role in how a study ends up. We had this very conversation at work last week. I was in the minority with our Engineers and science crowd. A couple threw some analogies on me from their viewpoint so I tossed this one back out there as we talked carnivore vs. non-carnivore. If I tie a brick to your foot and push you in deep water, you will struggle to stay afloat. If I tie a second brick to your foot you will submerge, fight like mad to get some air, submerge and fight your way up for the next breath. Most everything gives to 'time under tension'. If we have problems we put for the effort and a certain amount of effort over a certain amount of time can solve a problem. Time under tension. Works both in a positive light and in a negative light. Time under tension is the key to most everything we do, If that first brick is the dumpster trash diet the bodily is greatly affected, and if that second brick is the amount of time a person ate the trash diet that is time under tension. Then, I hand you an ink pen and you sink to the bottom and drown. Can I say based on my current study if you hold an ink pen while swimming you will drown? A lot of studies will not factor that into studies so either side can be right. One group can say the time under tension caused him to drown and the other group can actually say an ink pen while swimming will indeed cause drowning. And whatever side spends the most money is what the general public is then fed. Funny how science can work sometimes. Scott

I am in the midst of seeing how it works for me. I have struggled/am struggling to get to 200 grams of protein as that is just a lot of food for me to eat. When I use leaner cuts like chicken breasts, my fat content is not where it needs to be. Same thing if I use a protein shake to hit that number. Off the top of my head, I thought my fat content was sufficient but after further review, not so much. If you can eat the total amount to keep the fat higher and the protein moderate and still hit the gram per pound rate, more power to you. I can hardly hit the target with a lesser amount of fat, I am almost positive I can't hit the target and the fat content be enough. For me, I gained weight. Between 8-9lbs over a month or so. Even missing on the proteins, I was close, I am stronger and certain looks in the mirror I am growing/hypertrophy. So, for me not hitting 1 gram per pound is not going to be the end of the world. Maybe I get stronger and grow more if I consistently hit 200 grams of protein per day, but I doubt I will be Mr. Olympia/Mr. Universe so, again, for me, I think I can scale back the protein to make room for the fat and still make some progress. I am not sure there is a 'best of both worlds', and thus far I am finding I need to find something in the middle. Once I adjust and feel like my fat content is up front I will try to eat a little more at the correct ratio (or closer than I am now) but that tasks looks daunting. I think this may end up being very individualistic. Scott

Agreed. I like the formatting. It is almost like a message board forum on paper. I think it will also help some people who may struggle with "variety" when trying to go carnivore. It breaks down the 'minimal impact non-carnivore' type foods. Again, a solid way to spend $5. LOL Scott

I thought about making a video and posting it to youtube but never seem to make time. I feel like mine is a success story on a couple different levels, but I am sort of biased. LOL Scott

Not me. I'm in the +800 club. Scott

around in my head......

Some days I feel like I have a pretty good GRASP and then somedays it is like all this information is bouncing around un my heads, with a ton or useless information as well, and within that mental demolition derby I think I lose that GRASP. I'm a fan of the book, no doubt. As I read, it was like I was saying, "Yep, yep to that, knew that, yep" and then the topic of 'eating protein to get stronger/bigger'. The 8-9lns is not the end of the world. I feel like a slight adjustment here and there and I would be back down but I'm getting to the point where the weight is just a number. We should think that way and the cale should not be the real measure of success or improvement, but it like "calories" for some, it is a part of the brainwashing that holds on at times. LOL Nice video on the other post. I watched a bit of it and then the chickens were coming off the grill. I had to have priorities. LOL We did chicken, pork belly and sausages on the grill. My son is working on timing as some cook is coming up in a month or so. I'm like that old broke down dog sitting at the end of the table hoping someone drops something. LOL (but at the same time it is my cabin, my cook porch and my wood, so I 'partake' as he practices). Scott

The book arrived yesterday and while the pork belly was cooking, I read maybe 1/2 to 3/4. It is an easy read, and I really like the formatting. Each page or so has a subject matter at the top and that area is discussed/expounded upon by the author. It is almost like reading from a forum where the thoughts, ideas or discussions can carry all over the place yet remain under a 'big umbrella'. (if that makes any sense at all). Maybe it is just me, but sometimes I learn something I already thought I knew. I tried carnivore, I like it, and it has worked for me, then I morphed away from carnivore it in its intended form in pursuit of something I thought was bettering myself I went down the wrong path. I ate high fat and moderate proteins to start. And experienced all kinds of successes with minimal to no setbacks. As of late I have increased my protein grams per day to hit as close to 200 grams per day as I can. It has been hard as I can no longer easily eat the amounts of food it takes to get to 200 grams of protein. (Huge benefit from carnivore). I am getting stronger just by counting plates at the gym and I can see and feel some growth in my arms (biceps/triceps) and the man-boobs are almost gone and I can feel muscle in the lower to mid pectorals. (I'm happy with that) The kicker is that I have gained maybe 8-9 pounds over the last month or so. This an example of gluconeogenesis at its finest. In order to get to 200 grams on some days I eat an extra couple chicken breasts and on some days, I use a protein shake. On my read meats and the pork belly this week I am probably at a slightly higher fat to protein ratio than I need, which is good, but by the time I factor in the lean cuts of chicken breasts and the protein shake I am heavy on the protein and fall short on the fats. I didn't think I was missing by a ton but as I look at it, I'm off by quite a bit. All that extra protein that is not being used to build and recover muscle is turned to sugar and not much different metabolically than eating another snack cake. Then couple that with the fact I'm working out in the morning, walking and then coming home and eating a 'post work out loading of protein' meal. I'm already in the 'dawn effect' with daily glucose numbers doing a spike and making even more glucose available to the body, which I am sure is going 'whoo-hoo" with the sugar rush. I would like to think the 8-9lbs was actual lean muscle mass but that is not realistic, plus, I had to let my belt out one notch at work, so I know my belly muscles didn't grow that much. Babbling on, but this very article/thought was in the book, and I was thinking, "this guy is talking directly to me". It is like I had all those facts running around in my brain but the actual learning from application was just outside my grasps. I have been doing the wrong thing for the right reasons so now I have to find the sweet spot somewhere in the middle. Babbling, like I said, but it is a really good book, a great read and shipped to your door for $5. Can't beat it. Scott

Congratulations on the 90 days. Best wishes on the next 90......... Scott

4 eggs with leftover pork belly from last night. Scott

Picture didn't take. Leftover chicken 1/2 from last night with 4 eggs this morning. Scott

Where does the line for autographs start? Scott

The thighs are the perfect example. The view is not worth the climb. LOL Scott

My son is knocking it out of the park on his briskets. He is starting his 'competition career'. His first competition he won best "butt/pulled pork", which was an incredible accomplishment first time out. His chicken thighs were l15 out of 60, which is good on the first trip. His first brisket ever was my favorite but I quickly learned competition cooking is so much different than me being the backyard hack as well. He spent an hour removing the skin, trimming, re-wrapping thighs before they hit the grill. I am more of out of the pack and onto the grill kind of guy. His very first brisket he picked it up and let it bend over the backside of a knife. His fell completely in half. it was the most tender brisket I had ever had, it was fatty (I was a fatty meat guy before Carnivore as well) and the fat had rendered perfectly. I was stoked and he was disappointed. I told him his approach was competition and I sort of get that but I told him when we fire up the grill it is all about "pushing turds and making friends". Enjoy the company and enjoy as the food nourishes the body. His approach is really similar to yours. He trims like he is Michaelangelo with a blank canvas. Scott

Welcome. Digging the hat. Thank you for your service. I can't speak much to the heart health issues but I'm currently gaining some weight. I started last May and dropped 92lbs in 10 months or so. My neck and face were so thin some said I looked sickly. At times I could catch that same look when looking in the mirror. I'm back in the gym and lifting consistently and with some purpose. I'm eating to build muscle. I'm at 218 this morning which is 5-6lbs heavier over the last month. It swings up and down but around 218 is my current number. I'm guessing my ideal bodyweight is around 200, give or take. I'm trying to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of ideal bodyweight. Eating that much is really hard. I'm full and good to go on pretty much one meal. I push the other two down just to hit a target. I have put on some muscle but I can't imagine it has been 8-9lbs in the last month or so. Mid month I had to let my belt out one notch so I did regain some of the girth I had lost. For me, the big difference between my previous dumpster diet and now on carnivore is that one is really hard to lose weight and the other is really hard to gain weight. Most of us can figure out which is which, LOL Best of luck to you and yours. Good luck with the lifestyle change and again, thank you for your service. Scott

Very informative. Great break down. I'm sometimes guilt of eating the fat that rendered in the pan. It can be an addictive form of gravy. Nice work. Scott

Nice. Scott

Our math is the same. LOL Scott

Congrats on the 16 days. Just chiming in with my personal experiences. Most of my bathroom issues have been caused and corrected by fat intake. If my fat intake drops, not really intentionally, but if I eat less fatty cuts of meat like pork and chicken my trips to the bathroom slow down and have had some constipation at times. When I increase the fat intake per meal I sometimes overcompensate. From there the trips get more frequent and sometimes feel downright violent. Like, I feel like I can go for distance. My biggest issue is that I eat a lot of fat as a norm, and I get adjusted to that, so a couple days fall off and things slow down. In the beginning there was no real pattern as I was adjusting to carnivore, Hydration and electrolytes were nowhere near correct so my frequency to the bathroom was all over the place, and a couple times I literally mean, "all over the place". As far as the science and adjusting proteins to fats most of that will be based on you as an individual. With carnivore, the principles for me and you are pretty much the same, but after the principles there is not much that is 'cookie cutter' between individuals. If I eat X amount of fat to X amount of meat and do fine, that same ration may send you to the bathroom either hoping for a movement, or even hoping you get there in time for the movement. It is probably not that exaggerated but things will be different for each of us with actual amounts. As far as learning, I am still in the process of learning after ten months, but I feel like I'm studying for my Carnivore Degree from the University of Google and the You Tube School of Medicine. There are tons of information out there. And like anything you will have to weed thru the good and the bad. As of late I have been reading and watching videos from Dr. Tony Hampton. Dr. Chaffee and Dr. Shaun Baker are great resources. I am currently reading Dr. Baker's book as well. Dr. Berg and Dr. Ken Berry as well. ( I still watch but at times Dr. Berry is starting feel 'commercial'. But I can't fault anyone for finding a few $$$ that are floating out there) After ten months I have yet to dial in on where my "diet" will change to a "lifestyle". I lost 92lbs in about 10 months. I went from 306 to 214 and the last month has been bouncing between 215 and 222. I'm off the prednisone and Neurontin for NMO/SD (autoimmune disease). I feel better than I have in years. I started off with the basic "eat when I am hungry and eat til I am full" approach and that morphed into eating once per day. Then I started trying to build muscle, so I am cramming in the protein to hit a target. As far as moving weights in the gym I am stronger now at 55 than I was at 25-35. I have coupled the mass eating with long fasting. I have done two 72 hour fasts and one 96-hour stretch. All three were great but how I felt from 72 hours to 96 hours was more than amazing. Babbling on, but your journey will be your journey. Mine has been all over the place as I continue to dial in trying to get to the carnivore lifestyle and no longer consider myself on a carnivore diet. Best of luck. Congrats on the 16 days. You will figure out the bathroom stuff in time. This is a great place to bounce ideas around and see what is working and not working for others. (Maybe the only place where POOP can be a large part of a conversation). LOL Scott

I was like that is not tabilitas those are beef short ribs. I'm guessing it is a 'geographical terminology'. LOL Scott

We are doing some fried pork tonight with ground pork rinds as a batter of such. First time down this road so it will be something new. My wife is insisting I need some variety in the way the meats are prepared. She seems happy with the experiments, so I roll with it. After working a 12–13-hour shift, coming home to feed the animals the last thing I am going to do is complain about what is cooked for dinner. LOL (many levels to that as well, LOL) She is talking about variety and I ate the same thing on Friday night as I did on Thursday night. Mostly, because it was incredibly good but also extremely easy/quick to prepare. She mentioned variety and I am thinking I could go burger/cheese/bacon/fried egg/cheese/bacon/fried egg stack again for the third night. Scott