5 Month Carnivore Diet Update
I have been eating a carnivore diet for 5.5 months. I never really wanted to do this diet in the first place but I was urged to try it by my sister, Ellen Weeks, over at Ellen is Hangry. And my functional medicine doctor, Vivica Menegez at TheNourishedCaveman.com . It has been an awesome experience! I had some lingering issues from Hashimotos, an autoimmune thyroid disease. I was still struggling with slow digestion, higher TPO antibodies, and I really could not lose weight no matter what I did. I really wanted to see if it would work for me because I have tried everything else from alternative natural therapies and eating a paleo keto diet for about 9 years. I was very skeptical, but I gave it a shot and after about 30 days I was hooked! I think you have to give it a good 30 days for you to adapt to this diet and for you to see or feel any results. Below is my video update, some common questions I receive, and the benefits I have experienced as of my 5 month carnivore diet update.
Am I worried about nutrient deficiencies?
One of the main questions I get is am I worried about becoming nutrient deficient? I started out just trying it for 30 days, so I wasn’t concerned about trying it for a short period of time. Now that I have been doing it for almost half a year, I am learning more and more about how bio-available the nutrients in animals foods are when you eat them solely. Bio-availability is very important as it means that the nutrients are able to be digested and absorbed very easily. If you have a varied diet of red meat, organ meats (especially liver), seafood, and shellfish you are going to be getting all of the nutrients you need.
Are you going to be doing it forever?
Another main question I receive is will this way of eating be my lifestyle forever? As of my 5 month carnivore diet update, I am feeling great on carnivore. I don’t know if I will do it forever, I am doing it day by day. I never know if I am going to do anything forever. Like any diet, if it is not working well for you then you can alter it to make it work better if need be. I have already done this by realizing that dairy does not make me feel as good on the carnivore diet as just eating animal proteins and fat, and so I have eliminated dairy as a daily part of my diet.
I love the carnivore diet because it is so simple. There is so much less prep and cleanup even though cooking is normal, fun, and easy for me. I have been cooking for a long time for my family and as a food blogger but I love being able to throw some meat on the grill or on the cast iron and that is dinner. It is a relief in a lot of ways to be only concerned with preparing a steak or eggs or a piece of fish for a meal instead of trying to cook veggie sides, meat, and sauces, plus I’m never hungry.
5 Month Carnivore Update: Benefits I Have Experienced
Sugar Cravings Gone
Sugar cravings were also a big issue for me before doing carnivore. As of my 5 month carnivore diet update, my sugar cravings have practically vanished. I used to love sweet keto treats and always had a sweet keto-friendly drink in my hand. It has been amazing to get that monkey off my back.
More Energy
I don’t need as much sleep as I did before because I am not as tired anymore. I used to want to sleep all the time when I first was diagnosed with Hashimotos. Waking up early is not a problem anymore and I feel more productive and less anxious about my built up sleep deprivation.
Lowered my TPO Antibodies
TPO antibodies, thyroid peroxidase antibodies, fight against your own thyroid tissue. They are very hard to get rid of and it means your body is attacking itself. In order to get rid of them it is a very inflammatory process. Some people think it is impossible to decrease your antibodies and go into remission from Hashimotos but my antibodies have lowered significantly by eating an anti-inflammatory diet for 9 years. As of my 5 month carnivore diet update, they have dropped steadily for the last 6 months and have already dropped 30 points. I am getting closer to the remission range of TPO antibodies and that would be incredible. So stay tuned for my next update.
Weight Loss
I have lost about 15 pounds. Even though the scale is not dropping as rapidly as it was at first, I am having a lot of nonscale victories. My body continues to change, my clothing size continues to go down which is very exciting because I used to think nonscale victories were a myth. I have had a hard time with my weight and health for a long time so I am cynical about noticing changes in my clothing and wellness issues. Seeing the changes in my body, even though the scale has slowed down, has been a unexpected but welcome benefit of the carnivore diet as of my 5 month carnivore update.
Better Digestion
Most recently, I have seen a big change in my digestion. Slow digestion is a big issue with Hashimotos and I have struggled with it for many years even though I was trying all kinds of alternative therapies and eating a very healthy diet full of veggies and fiber. You don’t need all those veggies and fiber to get it moving, just meat! My digestion has finally become less slow and more regular.
Conclusion: 5 Month Carnivore Diet Update
As of my 5 month carnivore diet update, I am feeling great and eager to continue on this diet. I will keep updating you on my results and progress. Check out some of my other posts and YouTube videos that I have linked below for more info and to see how carnivore is helping me.
My other carnivore update videos and more resources:
30 Day Carnivore Keto Diet Update
10 Month Carnivore Diet Update
Even more Carnivore Videos on my YouTube Channel
