In the 40 years of my life, I’ve attempted to get into “better shape” & been a plethora of different shapes & sizes depending on what season of life I was in.
I had more than enough phases that sadly, fizzled out in a few weeks. Either because the fad diet wasn’t sustainable &/or I fell right back into my disordered eating habits again.
But this time, something was different. My motivation & drive were at an all-time high. I was sticking to my plan perfectly, & most importantly, the carnivore WOE (way of eating) was turning into my new lifestyle.
**Swipe for common FAQ’s & 4 things changes that changes the game!
***I also have a 354 page Meat & Macros Guide where I documented everything I have learned throughout this journey. Click the link in my Instagram bio to snag yours!
Was this journey easy? No.
Did I feel great all the time? No.
But what did happen within a couple weeks, my carb cravings were gone, I was satiated after meals, I was no longer binging & purging, my inflammation & gut issues had all but disappeared & I embraced stepping into my new chapter of life!
What was so different this time?
I started listening to my body & intuition instead of what everybody else was doing.
I put my health first over aesthetics.
I committed to doing the hard things like:
⁃ tracking food & steps diligently
⁃ tracking my weight from an objective point of view instead of letting my emotions get the best of me
⁃ eating more food
⁃ gaining weight
⁃ making mistakes & experimenting with different foods & macros to find my sweet spot.
These 4 major changes over my 1st year on carnivore resulted in 20lbs of weight loss & the ability to consume more calories than I ever thought possible:
- I stopped eating sugar, plants, processed foods, fiber, nuts & seeds. Due to my autoimmune & Crohn’s disease I do not digest these well without gut issues.
- I eat meat, animal fats, eggs, & seafood.
- I don’t binge, purge, or obsess over restrictive calorie counting & dieting anymore.
- I eat when I’m hungry, stop when I’m truly satiated, & fast when I’m not hungry.
Notes: I initially gained 15lbs on the carnivore diet but stuck with it & adapted. It took a whole year of experimentation to find my calorie & macro sweet spot. Been meat based for 3+ years. I have lost 55lbs in my lifetimes, I’m 40 years old, been all shapes & sizes. I’m 5’1, & maintain 105lbs +/- a few lbs on 2000+ calories/d.
My weight loss did not happen overnight & you do not always feel fantastic, it’s not linear & requires a lot of patience.
Common Carnivore FAQ’s
What do I eat? Do I need to buy expensive, organic, grass-fed meat? No. buy what you can afford & enjoy. Eat meat, eggs, & seafood. Ground meat & eggs are cheapest, buy what’s on sale. I would eliminate dairy, cheese, pork rinds, & artificial sweeteners the 1st 30-90 days. Most have gut or emotional issues with these things. Drink water, coffee black, unsweet tea, electrolytes.
What are high fat & low fat meats? Your higher fat meats will be your ribeyes, beef chuck roasts, ribs, waygu beef, 75-85% ground meats, pork sausage, pork butt/shoulder roasts, salmon etc. 85% ground meats are my sweet spot. Low fat favorites are shrimp, scallops, fish, 90-93% ground meats, Perdue ground chicken. Grilled chicken breast, egg whites, & chicken thighs without skin are also leaner options.
Can I use seasonings or eat other things besides meat & eggs? I’m all about freedom of choice & flexibility, if you want to use seasonings or consume other foods like carbs, fruits & veggies & they don’t cause any negative physical or mental issues – go for it. It’s YOUR diet. 1st 30-90 days, I’d stay more rigid so you know what works & what doesn’t.
Why did I lose my period? The biggest reasons I see are under eating, not eating enough fat, overly fasting, & over exercising. Keep your stress as low as possible.
I have loose stool, is this normal? I experienced this when I 1st started. Digestive enzymes will help. Take these 5-10 minutes before eating or mid meal. Try reducing meal sizes, increasing meal frequency, & lowering fat/meal. Don’t add extra fat to meals. When we reduce carbs & fiber we loose the “bulk” in our stool paired with the higher fat/protein content in meals our gallbladders release more bile to compensate to digest our meals.
I’m constipated, why? See this most often with clients when they’re consuming too lean of meat, too many processed meats & dairy, & not drinking enough water/electrolytes. Deli meat, pork rinds, dairy & sausage can be culprits, minimize these. Eat natural meat, increase fats by choosing fattier cuts like 80-85% ground beef vs chicken, increase water, & electrolytes. You should be drinking at least 1/2 your body weight in oz of water/d. Always being in a stressed out state can do this too as well as not getting enough sleep. Also, if you’re not eating enough, your digestion naturally slows too. Track your food, make sure your calories ¯os are appropriate.
Having leg cramps/muscle soreness? Make sure you’re recovering properly by managing stress, sleeping 7-9 hrs/night, getting in electrolytes & magnesium (I use Ultima Replenisher, link in IG bio), & staying hydrated.
How do you order when you eat out & travel? I typically stick to plain beef patties if I eat out, especially fast food. I’ll order 4 plain quarter lb patties from McDonalds for example. Also enjoy shrimp, scallops, salmon fillets, occasional steaks, plain/naked wings. BBQ places I go for the plain beef brisket. Ask how they cook their food & ingredients. They will custom cook your food. I ask for no oil & no seasonings. At Mexican restaurants I order the fajita meat only, no oil, no seasoning. I travel with my Instant Vortex 6qt airfryer & pack ground meat in a cooler for meat bars. I always book at hotel with a fridge, microwave, & fitness center. Cook your meat ahead of time and keep it in a baggie &/or in a cooler. At gas stations, they usually have hard boiled eggs & a microwave if you need to heat your food. Go to the grocery & stock up when you reach your destination. On the go, I enjoy rotisserie chickens, check the ingredients. In a pinch, most airports have restaurants to order meats & have hard boiled eggs.
What do I do when people question me? Use it as chance to educate on why you’re eating a meat based diet. Most people are just curious. Don’t let it trigger you, if they do give you sh*t, it is because of the way they feel about themselves, not you.
How many meals do you eat? Do you snack? During a 12hr shift work day in the ER, I eat 2 meals/d. An off day I can get away with OMAD post fasted workout. I eat around 2lbs of meat per day. I do not snack, “treat” myself, or earn food. Some days I like higher fat, others days I eat leaner. I trust & listen to my body.
How much protein should I eat/what do you eat? I will preface this with we are ALL DIFFERENT. I thrive on higher protein, I also strength train & CrossFit, have an active job, & get 15k steps per day. I avg 140-175g of protein/d. Most do well on 1g protein/ lb of body weight or goal weight if you have more to lose. I find most females do well around 120-150g of protein daily & keep a leaner physique. Others prefer a 70/30 or 80/20 approach.
Protein per meal? Most do well around 30-60g on avg of protein/meal if you’re consuming at least 2-3 meals/day.
How do I increase fat? Choose fattier cuts of meat like 75-85% ground meats, ribeye, beef chuck, pork belly, & ribs. If you have to you can add some butter, bacon fat, & tallow to meals. Ask your butcher for fat scraps or skins.
How do I know if I’m eating too much protein? The most common symptoms: waking up in the middle of night, sh*tty sleep, peeing all the time, lack of energy, hungry all the time, & excess thirst. Protein thresholds will be different for us all, it is helpful to track your food.
I feel tired all the time, why? Again, track your food. Often times you’re actually not eating enough calories. You may also not be consuming enough fat & too much protein. Most active females who workout 3-4 times per week, avg 10-15k steps/day, & lead an active lifestyle should be consuming around 1800-2100+ calories daily for general maintenance levels. Also take your electrolytes, you excrete more water & lose electrolytes during the transition.
What macro ratios should I start with to find my maintenance calories? I recommend most starting with a 1:1 ratio of protein:fat. For example, I started around 150g Protein:150g Fat then made adjustments off of that foundation. Use the TDEEcalculator.net to help you find your maintenance calories, then set your protein around 1g/lb of body weight or goal weight, then set your fat grams. You just have to experiment.
I can’t tell when I’m full! This happens often in those who come from a background of under eating, chronically dieting, orthorexia, & disordered eating. One of the biggest reasons is chronic dieting. It imbalances our natural hunger & satiety hormones (leptin & ghrelin), causing us to lose “sense” of what our body’s needs & are trying to tell us. We lose sensitivity to true stomach hunger, & get it confused with a multitude of other signals & needs like emotions, thirst, under recovery, boredom, stress, numbing, etc.
What can I do to help me feel when I’m full?
- Eat regularly scheduled meals: they should be large enough to keep you satiated 4+ hrs. Protein (ex: meats & eggs) should be the center of your meals & around 30-60g of protein/meal. Daily goal around 1g/lb of body weight or goal weight if you have more to lose. (leaner individuals even up to 1.5g/lb for some) **Everyone’s preferences, thresholds/goals will be different as far as daily grams of protein. These are GENERALITIES! Some like higher fat approaches like 70/30 & 90/20 carnivore. Go your own way. I hope whatever you choose you feel AMAZING! 🙂
- Do not skip meals, allow yourself to get “hangry,” & chronically under eat: especially if you tend to binge &/or emotionally eat. If you cannot control your eating when you’re overly hungry, I do not suggest intermittent fasting or doing extended fasts either. Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for your body to sense fullness.
- Avoid trigger foods: mentally (causes emotional eating, binges) & physically (causes gut flares, bloat, energy crashes, etc) triggering foods like sugar, carbs, highly palatable & calorically dense foods like cheese, nuts, nut butter, bacon, ribs.
Will I gain weight on Carnivore? It depends on the level of healing you need to do metabolically & hormonally when you start. Also, what is your story? Have you chronically been dieting your entire life? If you’re starting from a place of under eating, you will most likely gain some weight when you start eating more food. Its basic science & will happen with any diet you choose.
We should be eating our maintenance calories the majority of the year, not dieting more than 1-2x/year for no longer than 12-16 weeks. You can use the TDEEcalculator.net to find your maintenance calories. Any weight you gain through making changes for better health & healing was most likely weight you needed to gain. Yes, you will lose the weight more easily & optimally the next time you try to diet after going through this period of taking care of yourself, eating more, focusing on muscle gain, & repairing any downregulation & imbalances from the years of undereating.
I hope there is something you can take out of this read!
Good luck on your journey wherever it may find you!
oxox Coach K
She specializes in gut health, sports nutrition, disordered eating, social branding, human connection, and how to optimize life to attract health, wealth, & happiness.
Katie welcomes all preferences & skill levels with a no diet dogma or one size-size-fits-all approach to health, wellness, fitness, & nutrition.
After decades of struggling with her own health issues from Crohn’s, obesity, disordered eating, infertility, hormonal imbalances, & being a competitive athlete, she is passionate about helping others find self love, achieve their goals, & create sustainable success habits for an EXTRAordinary life!
You can catch her via Instagram @lil_bit_of_fit & blog, Lilbitoffit.com