I hit the year mark on the 8th of this month tipping the scales at 213 that morning. I weigh just about daily but no longer looking for the weight loss in the numbers. It is almost habit now.

A couple things factored. There was an incredible sale on rib eyes at the grocery store, the chuck rolls were on sale as well and as my luck would have it had just done a meat run the week before. I also sort of made a shift in the gym lifting somewhat heavier and the intensity increased (volume the same, maybe slightly less). I got back on the kick of trying to hit in the ballpark of 200 grams of protein per day. One big rib eye is about all I really feel like eating in any give day. From about the 6th of May til the night of the 11th I ate a 8-10oz rib eye mid to late morning with 4-6 eggs. That evening, I followed it up with another 14-16oz ribeye. A couple three of those nights I managed to push down another 8oz steak to push the protein content up. With each setting I added butter and some tallow.

I don't really feel any different this morning than last week. The workouts are going fine, the walks are still going good and the energy levels are the same. I am not seeing much difference in any of those areas.

However, I tipped the scale this morning at 221lbs. 8+ pounds in four days. This is the second time I gained 8-9 pounds in a week or less when I ate more than I wanted/more than I needed/more than I should trying to hit a target.

This week I am headed into a fast over my three night shifts. I am sure the numbers will move back a tad.

Weight gain is possible on carnivore. I am sure I have added some muscle but nowhere near 8 pounds worth and I have not moved my belt in or out over the past week.

Feeling good so I am not all that concerned with the numbers but I do wonder where the weight is hiding. LOL

Scott

It's good to look at weekly averages. They give you insight into trends.

Weight gain is certainly possible on carnivore even if you are strict. Eating too much protein will do it through gluconeogenesis.

I agree but if you're worried about not losing weight switching from whatever you eat to another protein may help you.

I had to do this 2x due to stalling and weight gained.

It happened once before and my proteins were mixed a little more whereas this time, it was straight red meat.

I would have to do some more self-experimenting to see which proteins did what and I am sure there are differences.

For me, I am leaning toward it being just the sheer amounts/total volume of food I was eating.

The weight gain is not that big of a deal for me at this point, and I didn't really see or feel any changes, but I'm going to end up missing that target going forward.

One of the rules of thumb is to eat til you are comfortably full. I hit that mark and kept on going trying to hit a 'target'. As I move forward with carnivore I am sure I will still experiment and try to figure out things that work for me, but at the same time I am not sure I will chase that protein per pound number. I am sure it helps in the gym but the chances of me being Mr. Olympia or Mr. Universe as sort of slim, and actualy, I think that ship has sailed. LOL

But yes, I am sure dialing up different proteins will have different results.

Scott

On 5/12/2025 at 3:55 PM, Geezy said:

Weight gain is certainly possible on carnivore even if you are strict. Eating too much protein will do it through gluconeogenesis.

Yup, do not worry about protein if you want to lose weight. You'll get enough on the carnivore compared to any other diet in exisntence. Still worried? add a pork chop. Keep it simple.

Agreed.

One of the funny things is looking back I could eat 200 grams of protein with ease, and that would be with all the other carbs and sugars and 'calories' combined. It was nothing to have a 16oz. steak, with double fries or a big backed potato, any number of sweet tea (down south sweet tea, which is first cousins to syrup, sometimes finishing up my wife's steak and then still do a big desert. That amount of food today could easily last three or four days. A lot of gluttony in my old approach to eating.

The first time I gained the weight when I hit the protein target, I let the 'fat and protein' morph into 'protein to target and then some fat'. This time I hit the target consistently for six or seven days but I ensured the fat content was there which meant even more to eat. Both times I gained 7-8-9 pounds over a really short period of time.

If there is a silver lining I have seen a couple pretty big strides in the gym as of late. What took me to failure in 6-8 reps a month ago is now, maybe three or four reps away before I get close to the failure point. (I lift alone so it is not to complete failure with assistance and maybe half the lifting is on machines).

If there is a silver lining to the weight gain from the protein target it's that I did get a bit stronger and that should mean a fraction of the weight is muscle. Maybe it is a goal accomplished with a slight trade-off. My plan going forward is to get back to eating til 'comfortably full' most of the time, cycle in a week or so a month, maybe every other month where I specifically hit the protein target. I can couple that with some more intensity and more volume in the gym and then follow that with my monthly 96 hour water fast.

I won't carve any of that into stone just yet, but mostly just go by how I feel.

Scott

On 5/14/2025 at 1:56 PM, Scott F. said:

If there is a silver lining to the weight gain from the protein target it's that I did get a bit stronger and that should mean a fraction of the weight is muscle.

Exactly. Weightloss means absolutely nothing. Fat loss is what matters, and even then, fat loss is worthless without muscle mass. You'll still be metabolically at risk without a healthy amount of muscle.