The pros of the carnivore diet definitely outweigh the cons for me so far.
I am new to the carnivore diet. Although I’ve been feeding my cat an appropriate carnivore diet since 2018.
I started the carnivore diet in December 2022.
I’ll continue to update this page about the pros and cons of the carnivore diet as I progress in my journey.
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Before carnivore diet results
My diet was plant-based with a small amount of lean meat, eggs, and yogurt. I followed cycle-syncing and ate a large variety of plant foods.
Everything was from local farms, grass-fed/finished, and pasture-raised. I gave up processed foods, seed oils, sugar, and alcohol years ago.
I ate a lot. But I still always had cravings.
And sometimes I’d cave and get pizza, a slice of chocolate cake or a muffin from the diner, or a huge plate of enchiladas.
I was always hungry no matter how much I ate.
My periods were less painful compared to when I was drinking alcohol and eating lots of sugar and processed foods.
But even on the “healthier” plant-based diet, my periods were very long-lasting (~8 days), spotty and then super heavy, and still quite painful, especially on day 3.
Then I came across Steak and Butter Gal’s “I ate 1 stick of butter for 30 days” video.
She explained that she always felt hungry, had lots of cravings, irregular periods, and was planning her next meal while she was currently eating. That’s exactly how I felt eating plant-based!
So I figured let’s give it a go. I love (and miss) butter a lot.
Carnivore diet 1 month results
I experienced both pros and cons immediately in month 1 of my carnivore diet.
Pros of carnivore diet month 1:
- No more cravings
- Much more satiated
- Easier food shopping and cooking
- Pain-free and shorter period
I’m so excited about the immediate results in month 1.
The only food I crave is the animal-based food I make. No more dessert cravings and I feel satisfied after I eat. No more munchies!
I used to spend 2 hours every week going to the farmer’s market. Now I go once every 2 weeks.
I order a bunch of meat online from White Oak Pastures (use that link for $20 off your purchase of $150+).
Then I go to the farmer’s market once every 2 weeks to get cat grass for Jericho and eggs and butter for myself.
Cons of carnivore diet month 1:
- Itchy rash on my chest and arms
- Constipation and painful poops
Much fewer cons than pros so I’ll take it!
The rash could have been a “keto rash” or a side effect of being sick.
I was sick right before switching to the carnivore diet. I think I had the vid-19. And a rash is a side effect of that.
Either way, my rash didn’t get to the point of raised lesions and only lasted about 3 weeks.
Constipation…
This is entirely my fault. I went a little too crazy with the hard cheese in the beginning. I also wasn’t taking electrolytes.
Carnivore month 2 plans
What I want to work on:
- Constipation
- Meal planning
- Organ meats
Constipation
Adding electrolytes, chewing food until it’s mush, and moving after eating can all help get rid of constipation.
So I’m using Trace Minerals brand mineral drops. The only ingredient is concentrated seawater from Utahβs inland sea.
Additionally, iodine deficiency can cause constipation. So I’m adding some kelp.
I supplement Jericho’s diet with kelp for the iodine. And he’s a strict carnivore. So if he can eat it so can I.
I also finally upgraded to Redmond Real Salt. I was never a salter. But wow this salt really does taste so much better.
Hopefully, electrolytes, more salt, and iodine will help.
Also, I need to chew my food better. I didn’t realize how little I chewed food. Previous binging habits. Now I chew until the food melts into mush.
Meal planning
My first month was a bit all over the place. I found so many recipes that I wanted to try. Most of them had cheese.
I’m giving up cheese for month 2 and want to make things simpler.
- Breakfast: beef “bread” with kefir, butter, and salt
- Lunch: ground beef, soft-scrambled eggs, butter
- Dinner: beef patty, sunnyside up egg, butter
I’m doing 3 meals per day because that’s what matches my hunger. But I may try to move to 2 meals per day.
I make the beef “bread” once a week. That gives me breakfast for 7 days.
Then each night I cook 1 pound of ground beef. I shape half of it into 2 burger patties and then cook the rest of it ground in the same pan.
So that makes dinner for the same night I cook and lunch for the following day.
Organ meats
Lots of people thrive without organ meats. But I think it’s better to include a small amount each week.
Again, I’m matching my carnivore cat here. I aim to mimic whole prey with his homemade diet. Jericho’s diet includes a variety of whole prey, muscle meats, organs, and bones.
We can’t digest bones as cats can. But we can digest organs. So I want to test out how it goes and see how I feel.
I found a local farm on Eat Wild that sells ground beef that includes heart, liver, and kidney. I think that’s the easiest way to introduce organ meats.
Final thoughts on carnivore diet
I will continue to update as I progress in my carnivore diet journey.
But for now, the pros far outweigh the cons.
Satiety and pain-free normal periods are a huge win for me.
I also feel that I have a better relationship with food. No more binging and overeating.
The only food I crave is the food I make! I just have to fix this constipation lol.
Watch this video to find a low-carb doctor.
