10 Month Carnivore Diet Update: I wanted to update you all on how I am doing on the carnivore diet and decided to make a YouTube video on my 10 Month Carnivore Diet Update. It has been going great and I have lost weight and my energy has improved. My main motivator was to improve my Hashimotos and bloating/constipation and both have those have markedly improved. Please scroll down to watch my video on the my 10 month carnivore diet update.
What am I eating?
I am eating two meals a day. I have tried a little bit of fasting but I have a history of struggling with restrictive eating and it doesn’t really work for me at this point. I usually eat about 2 pounds of beef or lamb a day. If I eat eggs or fish I will eat less beef or lamb that day. Usually two meals a day. Some days I eat eggs in the morning and steak for my 2nd meal or sometimes I eat steak in the mornings and eggs later. I eat whatever meat or protein sounds good when I am hungry, it doesn’t have to be breakfast for me to enjoy eggs. I usually eat at about 10am and 5-6pm. I try not to eat too late because I find that I don’t sleep with a stomach full of food trying to digest.
Am I eating organ meats?
I grew up in the south eating fried chicken livers with my dad so I love liver. I try to eat organ meats at least twice a week. I make pate or just saute them in some ghee. I have no problem incorporating it into my everyday eating but if you do try a supplement (order here).
Am I eating dairy?
I do best on minimal dairy. I have seen that when I eat dairy I do gain weight or feel bloated. It seems to help keep my overall inflammation and thyroid antibodies down.
What improvements have I seen on Carnivore? 10 Month Carnivore Diet Update
I lost 10 pounds in the first month. I went from a size 14 to a size 10. I never thought I would be a size 10 again! I have lost 20 pounds overall. My digestion has also improved so much. I have struggled with slow digestion (constipation) due to having Hashimotos, an autoimmune thyroid disease. One thing that helps my digestion on the carnivore diet is ELECTROLYTES! I take 2-3 teaspoons of Redmond Real Salt (order here) per day, in addition to salting my food. If I don’t take the salt, I will not feel as well. It helps my mood, digestion, cravings, and hydration.
Thyroid Medication Reduced
My doctor dropped by thyroid medication from 125 mg to 90 mg due to my antibodies having reduced so much. I am taking a new thyroid test soon. I take desiccated thyroid medication which provides T3 and T4. Synthetic medication usually only supplies T4 called NP Thyroid.
Skin Improved
I’ve always had pretty clear and smooth skin but my skin has improved greatly as of my 10 month carnivore diet update. It appears as my face structure has even changed in some ways, and my overall inflammation {puffiness) has decreased. My skin is brighter, more youthful, and fresh.
More Energy
I am way less tired! I had a very bad problem with my energy for years due to having Hashimotos, an autoimmune thyroid disease. My energy level improved some when I started taking thyroid medication, but I still had problems with my energy sometimes. The carnivore keto diet which is full of eggs and meat and fish has helped balance my energy so much.
I also sleep so much better and I am much less tired. I used to be light sleeper and now I can practically sleep through a train wreck. I can sleep through the night without a lot of tossing and turning. If I wake up early I used to have to take a nap in the afternoon to make it through the day, and now I can make it through the day with sustained energy, a clear head, and enthusiasm.
Sugar Cravings
My sugar cravings have disappeared. They have been a huge part of my life ever since I was a kid. I have always had a sweet tooth and I’m a sugar addict. Even when I was eating a keto diet for about 7 years, I always had to have my stevia packets in my purse so I could sweeten coffee & iced tea. I always had to have a sweet drink every few hours. I tried to stay away from artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame but I would use stevia or erythritol to sweeten drinks and desserts. So far, I have had none of that as of my 10 month carnivore diet update. Which is pretty amazing for me as it used to be something I felt like I couldn’t live without throughout the day.
I think the key to my sugar cravings disappearing is that I am finally satiated at the end of my meals. I have to eat until I am full. You have to eat until you are full otherwise cravings creep in and are hard to ignore. The biggest thing I have learned as of my 10 month carnivore diet update is: don’t worry about macros, worry about being full and eating plenty of protein and fat.
Added Exercise at Month 8
I didn’t add exercise at first because it felt like too many changes and was overwhelming. I usually take long walks everyday but I wasn’t doing any strength training. Around 8 months, I started to actually want to do strength training exercises. I have been starting slow. I usually do upper body one day, lower body the next day, and core the next day so that I have a three day rotation that I do twice and then one rest day.
I do 4-5 exercises and 2-3 sets. I am starting with a simple plan and taking it slow so I don’t give up or get overwhelmed. Slow and steady wins the race!
I did not think I could gain muscle easily when I was doing keto or paleo which is also a symptom of low thyroid/hashimotos. Seems like no matter what I did with exercise and diet I didn’t really see any “gains.” As of my 10 month carnivore diet update, I actually see and feel progress now in my body after exercising which is very motivating to keep eating carnivore keto and exercising how I am.
Summary:
As of my 10 month carnivore diet update, the biggest improvements I have experienced from my carnivore keto diet have been as follows:
- My thyroid function has improved
- My sleep is better
- I have a lot more energy
- I am at a healthier weight
- Sugar cravings have disappeared
- I am exercising and feeling results in my body
I’m thrilled with my progress and I can’t wait to keep going. I will do another video after my one year “carniversary.” Also, look for my thyroid update video coming soon.
Here are some links to my other blog posts on this topic: