What I’m Trying

My Carnivore Journey Why I Decided to Try Carnivore My decision to try a carnivore way of eating wasn’t about following a trend or convincing anyone else how they should eat. It was about me. At this stage of my life, I’ve become much more interested in taking an active role in my health. I wanted to lose excess weight, improve my blood pressure and metabolic health, reduce inflammation, maintain my muscle as I age, and simply feel better. So I decided to try something very different from the way I had eaten most of my life. I began eating primarily meat, eggs and other animal foods while eliminating most carbohydrates and processed foods. I didn’t know exactly what to expect. What I didn’t expect was how many things would begin to change. The Food Noise Went Quiet This may be one of the biggest changes for me. I’m no longer constantly hungry. The cravings and what I call “food noise”—that persistent thinking about what I’m going to eat, what I want to eat, or what I can snack on—have essentially disappeared. And something even more important happened: I stopped binge eating at night. Nighttime eating had been a real struggle for me. What’s remarkable is that I don’t feel as though I’m spending every evening exercising tremendous willpower trying not to eat. The desire simply isn’t there the way it used to be. For me, that’s huge. I generally eat two satisfying meals a day, and when I’m finished eating, I’m finished. I’m not spending the rest of the day thinking about my next snack or fighting cravings. That alone has changed my relationship with food. My Body Feels Different The changes haven’t been limited to hunger or weight. One of the most noticeable differences has been what feels to me like a tremendous reduction in inflammation throughout my body. I especially notice it in my abdomen. My stomach used to become distended and uncomfortable, and at times it would actually hurt when I was lying in bed. I also have a history of bouts of colitis, and in the past I could sometimes feel an episode beginning when the inside of my abdomen became painful and felt inflamed. Since beginning carnivore, I haven’t experienced another bout of colitis. My stomach is no longer distended, and it no longer hurts when I sleep. I can’t say that carnivore cured a medical condition. I can only share what has—and hasn’t—happened since I changed the way I eat. And the difference in how my abdomen feels has been remarkable to me. The Scale Isn’t Telling the Whole Story I’ve also lost weight—about 12 pounds so far. But interestingly, the number on the scale isn’t what excites me the most. It’s the inches I’m losing. My clothes are getting noticeably looser, and I continue to see and feel a difference from week to week. For me, that’s been much more satisfying than simply watching a number change on the scale. I’ve realized that I don’t want the scale to be my only measure of progress. How my clothes fit, how my body feels, my energy, my strength and the changes I’m experiencing in everyday life tell me much more. The scale may not always move quickly, but when clothes that used to fit snugly become loose—and then continue getting looser—that’s progress I can actually feel. Other Changes I Didn’t Expect There have been other changes too, and some of them surprised me. My joint pain is almost completely gone. My eczema has disappeared. My bowel habits, which weren’t regular before, have become fully regular. My anxiety has decreased tremendously. My systolic blood pressure has dropped by approximately 10 points. And I realized something else: I don’t need naps anymore. That may sound like a small thing, but it isn’t to me. I used to feel the need to nap during the day. Now I don’t. Taken individually, some of these things might seem small. Taken together, they’ve made a noticeable difference in how I feel in my everyday life. And Then There’s the Practical Side There is another benefit I wasn’t exactly looking for. 😂 Eating this way is simple. Meals don’t require complicated recipes or a kitchen full of ingredients. I don’t spend nearly as much time deciding what I’m going to eat. Meat, eggs, chicken, seafood—my meals are generally straightforward and satisfying. Meal preparation is easier. And perhaps one of the most underrated benefits of carnivore: There are a whole lot fewer dishes to wash. I certainly didn’t start eating this way for a cleaner kitchen, but I’m not complaining about it either! I’m Still on This Journey This is probably the most important thing I want people reading this to understand: My carnivore journey isn’t over. I’m not writing a success story after the fact and declaring that I’ve discovered the perfect diet. I’m documenting what is happening while I’m living it. There are still things I’m watching. My blood pressure matters to me. My cholesterol and future bloodwork matter. Maintaining muscle and bone as I get older matters. My weight and body composition matter. And most importantly, how my health responds over the long term matters. If something changes, I’ll share that too. I’m not interested in defending a particular way of eating simply because I’ve chosen it. If my body or my health markers eventually tell me that I should change something, I want to know. But I’m also not going to dismiss the positive changes I’ve experienced simply because this isn’t a conventional way of eating. I’m paying attention to both. Where I Am Today So far, since changing the way I eat, I’ve experienced: About 12 pounds of weight loss, with an even more noticeable loss of inches and increasingly looser clothing No more constant hunger Dramatically reduced food noise and cravings No more nighttime binge eating Much less abdominal distention and discomfort No bouts of colitis since beginning this way of eating Tremendously