My carnivore diet experiment
On the heels of my successful three-day fat-only fasting mimicking diet, I decided to try a similar experiment with the carnivore diet. Personally (and I’m not a doctor, just a health nerd who reads a lot and talks to smart people for a living) I don’t think that most of us “need” or should be on a long-term keto or carnivore diet, except under very specific circumstances (certain gut issues or serious diseases). I do, however, think that simple, back-to-basics, zero sugar “fasts” can be an excellent way to reset your system, lower inflammation, and get you mentally back on track after a few days (or weeks, or months) on a less-than-ideal diet. As with any health practice, the best one is the one you’ll stick to, and while the keto-esque fast worked pretty well for me, I found it to be a fair amount of work and not something I’d want to attempt for more than a few days. As a lifelong meat eater, I wanted to try out the carnivore diet plan after a week of overeating to see how I fared with that method. Here’s how it went.
The carnivore diet in a nutshell: Just eat meat. Most hard-core carnivore followers eat only red meat — so, a lot of steaks and beef in its many forms — but my understanding is that as long as you’re eating high-quality animal protein, you’re still doing it right (and personally, I think varying your meat sources makes things a little more interesting for the palate, perhaps easier on your digestion, and more enjoyable and sustainable overall). So, chicken, pork, beef, game meat, fish, seafood, eggs, all fair game. Don’t count macros or ounces, just eat to satiety, when you feel like eating. No sauces or condiments, no wraps, no fat bombs for dessert. Just meat.
Why I did it: I generally follow a high-protein, moderate/high-fat, moderate-carb diet (basically, moderate everything, adjusting the macros based on my activity level and how I feel but always keeping the protein pretty high). When I start to veer off track, it’s usually a result of eating too much of everything (portion control is an ongoing issue for me), but I find cutting carbs and sugar the quickest and easiest way to diminish cravings and inflammation and re-set my body and mind. I like to maintain a high level of physical activity, and eating is one of my favorite things in life, so my lifestyle doesn’t generally align with a traditional, water-only fast. Instead, I try to create “fasting mimicking” or even elimination-based, temporary protocols that allow many of the same benefits as fasting but still lets me eat and workout. There are many different ways to accomplish this goal; this is just one of them, and one that appeals to me because I love me some protein.
Observations:
- For three days, I ate approximately three meals a day (sometimes with a small snack in the afternoon) consisting mostly of eggs and ground beef, with one salmon sashimi meal and one chicken thigh meal thrown in. I did not measure or keep track of amounts, but I’m fairly confident that my portions were about a third larger than they would be if I was adding vegetables, fat, and carbs to my meal. I would guess my calories were less than a typical day by maybe only 200–300, so this would barely qualify as calorie restriction, especially only doing it for a few days.
- I was really pleased with my metabolic flexibility during this process; it showed that I have harnessed my ability to burn fat for fuel as well as carbs, depending on what’s available and what I need. This was evident in the fact that my energy stayed even throughout all three days despite virtually zero carbs; my sleep was fine; and I had no headaches or mood swings or hanger.
- My digestion was also fine. I may have “went” a bit more frequently than otherwise, but my BM’s were, as Paul Chek describes, perfect.
- Similar to my fat-fasting experiment, I started to feel a little tighter, leaner and less inflamed by the second day.
- By the third day, I still did not have any energy issues, although mentally I was ready to start eating some vegetables (more for fun and variety and texture than a burning nutrient-based need).
- A major difference between this experiment and the keto one was the general ease and lack of cravings. When I was doing the fat-based fast, I still thought about food a lot; I had to make sure that what I was eating was the right macronutrient breakdown, that I wasn’t eating sneaky carbs, and had to plan my day around the weird assortment of fat-based foods I could eat (basically bone broth, bulletproof coffee, and coconut oil). With this experiment, I just prepped a bunch of meat and ate it when I felt like it; no thinking required. I was also much less hungry than during the keto experiment or even during my normal diet. Even for a meat-lover like me, you aren’t going to force down that third or fourth sausage the way you might do with a second helping of sweet potato fries or nut butter. I find protein much more satiating than fat; I will overeat nut butter, nuts, avocado, and fat bombs much more easily than I will overeat beef roast or eggs.
Concluding thoughts:
I would absolutely use the carnivore diet again as a reset after gluttonous vacations, holidays, or just times when I’m too busy to dwell on my favorite topic (food) and want to focus on other things. I don’t think it’s necessary to only eat steak, and broadening your range to include fish and fowl will make the process a more pleasant one, in my opinion.
Do not try the carnivore diet because I said so; do your research, read stuff like this and this and listen to podcasts like this and maybe talk to a health professional you trust. But — our bodies are meant to handle animal protein far better than it’s built to handle chips and frappucinos and even paleo cupcakes, so while the “carnivore diet” may sound like the latest clickbait fad, I think when used intelligently and in moderation it can be just one more primally-based tool in your heath and awesomeness toolbox.
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