99+% animal product diet ?
reblazed
Posts: 255 Member
Someone mentioned eating animal products only, 'again' ... which got me to looking at my diary. For the past several days the only non animal products I've had is 1/2 an avocado, 1 oz. mushrooms and a couple of dill pickles. Since I've never had much interest in vegetables (potatoes are NOT vegetables they are a food group 
) This does not surprise me at all ... but in the long run will this have any harmful repercussions? It's not that I have any objections to vegetables ... I just never think of them.
) This does not surprise me at all ... but in the long run will this have any harmful repercussions? It's not that I have any objections to vegetables ... I just never think of them. 0
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You can find a TON of information and interviews at zerocarbzen.com to see how it's done and what happens in the long run.0
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I eat only animal products. Well, the past couple months have been a mess but that's besides the point. Even ignoring those months, I was strict carnivore for well over a year. And, I am back to it with no intention of returning to eating plants. The only health effects I ever had were positive. Actually, being off for a couple months brought back several negative issues that I prefer to live without.
My doctor isn't thrilled with the meat-only plan. I got a big, hurriedly, printed booklet at my last appointment about making healthier eating choices. But, when the blood work and everything came back great, she had nothing to stand on. The total cholesterol was higher than she liked, but within the range I prefer. And, since then, even that has gone down to the "normal" range of below or around 200.
There are others who have done it much longer than I have. Whole cultures are this way for generations. You are welcome to add me as a friend and observe my food log over the next month. My IRL friend and I have committed to logging every single bite that goes into our mouths for at least a month.0 -
I have been at different levels of carnivore for several months! I have a vegetable about two times a week. I can't maintain ketosis when I eat too many! Ketosis is keeping me healthy, why mess it up? My six month lab work (routine, post op stuff that was almost six months ketogenic) was awesome! Cholesterol....improved. I'm having my yearly labs drawn this week and am excited to see how they look compared to last year, and before! I don't feel vegetables are vital! If you feel good, keep it up!0
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@glossbones Thanks for the link. Lots of good info there.0
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@FIT_Goat and @Karlottap I was hoping I was not the only one who gravitated toward this WOE. I know I'll never be a full carnivore as long as there are avocados and nuts around. But when my 5 most favorite LC foods started with bacon, pork roast, rib eye and any other steak with a fatty rim, I should have figured out which way I tended to lean. Don't think I'll mention this quirk to my doc tomorrow but she does know about the keto and hasn't objected to it yet. No matter ... whatever she says I will continue because I FEEL HEALTHY and that's what it's all about. Thanks for your responses0
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Hey! Some doctors are aware of ketogenic diets (carnivore really) and many more need to see what this woe has to offer their other patients! Go, armed with a recommendation of book they should read, they can't ever dispute your results! And no, you aren't alone in your carnivore ways!0
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My doctor was pretty funny about it. The conversation went something along these lines.
Doctor: Do you eat healthy?
Goat: Some people would say that my diet is not healthy. (lol, it's not a lie but I don't believe it's unhealthy)
Doctor: Oh? Do you eat a lot of carbs?
Goat: (pleasantly surprised) No, I don't eat any foods with carbs at all.
Turns out my doctor knows that excess carbs aren't good for you. It was just when she clarified exactly what I meant by "no carbs" that she started getting a little antsy about it. She was all for low-carb, just with plants included. As to my "evasive" answer to the first question, I really wanted to avoid the whole topic of diet. I didn't want her "finding" an issue only after learning about how I ate. But, I did promise my wife that I would not lie about my diet if the doctor asked.
The doctor's biggest concern about my diet? Coffee intake. Coffee is approximately 80-90% of the liquid I consume, often the only liquid I consume. She was shocked that my blood pressure was normal and nothing was wrong with me.
I don't think any doctor will support a "no vegetable" diet, but I also am responsible for my own health and live in this body 24/7/365. I know how much better eating this way is for me.0 -
Even though I eat strict Ketogenics, I still have to have my veggies. Granted, all of the veggies I do eat are low-carb, but I still think to have a greater appreciation for health and flavors of life, eating veggies is an important staple. And fiber is really good for your digestive system.
If you don't eat veggies, why not introduce it back in and see how it goes with some Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese, or even better Caveman Keto Cheesy Spinach!0 -
For those on this diet, how do you keep your protein to a moderate level? When I eat steak or chicken it shoots my protein way up.0
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Christine_72 wrote: »For those on this diet, how do you keep your protein to a moderate level? When I eat steak or chicken it shoots my protein way up.
Usually I'm not concerned with the level of my proteins. When it comes to macros, carbs are the only restriction number, while fats and proteins are goals. So it's ok to surpass your daily protein allowance.
If you find it a problem consistently, add more fats to your cooking. Use more butter or olive oil, or just eat a spoonful of coconut oil. That boosts the fat way up!0 -
I find it difficult most days to reach my protein requirement even when eating zero carb. It's much easier for me to eat fat!0
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I haven't had that problem yet but I think I remember reading somewhere that (for Keto anyway) if your carbs and protein are equal to or less than your fat you should be fine. Or something similarChristine_72 wrote: »For those on this diet, how do you keep your protein to a moderate level?
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@Christine_72 that was a big problem for me on previous LCHF attempts and is still something I struggle with. I'm a diabetic, so I have to be careful about eating too much protein as my body will eagerly turn it into glucose. I've been eating way less protein and more fat this time and I can tell the difference as I've been able to significantly drop my insulin usage, whereas before, the decrease was nowhere near as impactful.
I weigh and measure all of my protein. And if I'm cooking for myself and my husband, I also weigh the meat after cooking, before serving it to ensure I'm not accidentally giving myself too much as I usually serve him 3-4 times more than I'm eating and it would be easy for me to estimate incorrectly.
I also try to log my meals before the day starts or even the night before so that I can review my macros and see if I need to make some adjustments.
I stopped buying large roasts as I'm often just cooking for myself, my husband works a late shift. I don't like to freeze food (I'm just weird) and by avoiding large cuts of meat, that helps me avoid the temptation to eat a big pile of protein. I go to the butcher counter and will literally order single portions of meat and chicken.
If I have a busy week planned, I'll sometimes buy small portions of pre-cooked meat (bags of cooked chicken breast, ham and beef chunks, perfect to toss on a salad or in an omelette). It lasts longer than raw meat and helps me with the portion control.0 -
I'm the same, most days I will have lower protein grams. I believe the transition to regular consumption of more fat leads to eating less food overall, making the other macros easy to manage too!0
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Thanks guys, I may have to make some tweaks as I am always over in protein, sometimes more than fat..0
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Even though I eat strict Ketogenics, I still have to have my veggies. Granted, all of the veggies I do eat are low-carb, but I still think to have a greater appreciation for health and flavors of life, eating veggies is an important staple. And fiber is really good for your digestive system.
If you don't eat veggies, why not introduce it back in and see how it goes with some Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese, or even better Caveman Keto Cheesy Spinach!
I don't avoid veggies because of a distaste for them. I actually love most of them. You're talking to an ex-vegetarian. I know how to make really great tasting veggies. So, why don't I add them back in? Because every attempt to include veggies in my diet results in negative health changes. Over time, my opinion on them has shifted dramatically. I believed, for a long time, that veggies were the best thing you could eat for health. Then I started to believe that some veggies (high-carb ones) weren't great, but most of the others were good for you. This shifted further to some vegetables being "mostly-harmless" while others were definitely not good for me. Now? I rank very few vegetables as "neutral" and most of them in the detrimental category. How detrimental? It varies from plant to plant.
Fiber and its benefits is a contentious issue. It is hardly settled. The only thing we know is that replacing low-fiber processed foods, with higher fiber natural foods shows health benefits. This isn't really support for adding fiber to a diet devoid of processed foods. It's like saying that people who smoke low-tar cigarettes have lower cancer rates than those smoking unfiltered cigarettes, so smoking low-tar cigarettes can help you prevent cancer. We have no studies that show benefits of adding fiber to a meat only diet.
Personally, fiber gives me massive cramps, gas, and causes me to be constipated. At first, I thought I needed "more" fiber, but things got worse. So, I went the other way. The less fiber I consumed, the better I felt. That continued all the way down to 0g. I am not the only person. In fact, there's a study that shows removing all fiber can help resolve idiopathic (unknown cause) constipation.
Fortunately, meat alone contains all the nutrients needed for health. And, those nutrients are in highly bioavailable form. So, I don't need to resort to discomfort, pain, or the return of my allergies to eat right.
If you handle veggies well, and you enjoy them, then you should eat them. I am very far out there, in the low carb world. I know very few people here who will flat-out claim that spinach is bad for you. I don't think everyone wants, needs, or should go to the lengths I have gone. I know most people can't. Some people have tried it, mostly because we had a meativore challenge one month, and a few found it best for them. It's up to each person to find what works best for them.0 -
I eat only animal products. Well, the past couple months have been a mess but that's besides the point. Even ignoring those months, I was strict carnivore for well over a year. And, I am back to it with no intention of returning to eating plants. The only health effects I ever had were positive. Actually, being off for a couple months brought back several negative issues that I prefer to live without.
My doctor isn't thrilled with the meat-only plan. I got a big, hurriedly, printed booklet at my last appointment about making healthier eating choices. But, when the blood work and everything came back great, she had nothing to stand on. The total cholesterol was higher than she liked, but within the range I prefer. And, since then, even that has gone down to the "normal" range of below or around 200.
There are others who have done it much longer than I have. Whole cultures are this way for generations. You are welcome to add me as a friend and observe my food log over the next month. My IRL friend and I have committed to logging every single bite that goes into our mouths for at least a month.
You mean to tell me I don't have to eat veggies???0 -
sirrah1717 wrote: »I eat only animal products. Well, the past couple months have been a mess but that's besides the point. Even ignoring those months, I was strict carnivore for well over a year. And, I am back to it with no intention of returning to eating plants. The only health effects I ever had were positive. Actually, being off for a couple months brought back several negative issues that I prefer to live without.
My doctor isn't thrilled with the meat-only plan. I got a big, hurriedly, printed booklet at my last appointment about making healthier eating choices. But, when the blood work and everything came back great, she had nothing to stand on. The total cholesterol was higher than she liked, but within the range I prefer. And, since then, even that has gone down to the "normal" range of below or around 200.
There are others who have done it much longer than I have. Whole cultures are this way for generations. You are welcome to add me as a friend and observe my food log over the next month. My IRL friend and I have committed to logging every single bite that goes into our mouths for at least a month.
You mean to tell me I don't have to eat veggies???
Yep. Veggies aren't necessary for health. Eat fresh fatty meat, drink water, and you don't need vegetables or supplements.0 -
If you don't like veggies you don't have to eat them. I am one who benefits from being meativore. I have old symptoms show up (runny nose, and headache) when I eat them more than a couple times a week. I don't consider them to be vital to a healthy diet as I once did.0
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Meat is murder! Tasty, tasty murder.
I'm actually glad to read this, because while I like vegetables, I do get bored with them, and have slacked off on eating as much of them.0 -
I'm having a 244g ribeye steak for dinner tonight with a whopping 60g of protein! That's some folks daily total in just one piece of meat.0
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Christine_72 wrote: »I'm having a 244g ribeye steak for dinner tonight with a whopping 60g of protein! That's some folks daily total in just one piece of meat.
Lol
You got me beat! I'm closing my diary with 53grams.
Though I did have almost 100 a couple days ago and I'm still digesting that so... It just stays with me too long to eat too much!0 -
sirrah1717 wrote: »You mean to tell me I don't have to eat veggies???
I luv my veggies & usually have a whole cup of them a day.
They are great to have my butter with.
or 
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Christine_72 wrote: »For those on this diet, how do you keep your protein to a moderate level? When I eat steak or chicken it shoots my protein way up.
Eat meat, not too little, mostly fat.
The fact that you're eating chicken is part of your problem. It's too lean to eat regularly. If you're eating sirloin, that's the problem, too. The key is to eat the fattier cuts -- things like ribeye and brisket -- and eat the visible fat, first, then the lean parts.
If you're eating fatty meats, you actually don't eat as much protein as you think it would be, though it might be more than you're used to, depending on where you've set it before.
For example, my average intake is around 100g of protein (it was my goal even before carnivore), and that's generally where I sit. Last Memorial Day, I busted my tail with my garden, and the resulting intake was just shy of 3,300 calories (which was still over 900 calories short of maintenance levels!). The macro breakdown? 81g of carbs (daggone ribs and their unexpected sugar), 250g of fat, and 161g of protein (which works out to about 1.1g/lb of lean mass, only barely above the top end of what's considered "moderate," and that's with over half again my usual intake).Even though I eat strict Ketogenics, I still have to have my veggies. Granted, all of the veggies I do eat are low-carb, but I still think to have a greater appreciation for health and flavors of life, eating veggies is an important staple. And fiber is really good for your digestive system.
If you don't eat veggies, why not introduce it back in and see how it goes with some Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese, or even better Caveman Keto Cheesy Spinach!
I actually love a good Romaine based salad and a little fresh spinach, and I've been known to eat a family-sized bag of steamed broccoli by myself, and I love me some coleslaw. For me, it's not about not liking vegetables (well, not entirely; I actually can't do the darker greens, because I'm a supertaster, so no matter what, all they taste is bitter to me).
If I want to lose weight and keep my insulin levels down and hormones normalized, plants are off the menu. Same goes for digestive health. I'm plenty regular and normal without the fiber "helping" things along (which it goes too far in doing so). I also enjoy not having cramps and gas. So, my "greater appreciation for health" is me foregoing the plants normally.0 -
It helps to remember that if you swap out all your vegetable carbs for pure protein, you might be adding 20-25 grams of protein to your day. It isn't like vegetables add a significant amount of calories to a low carb diet. The difference between the amount of meat you end up eating is negligible.0
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It helps to remember that if you swap out all your vegetable carbs for pure protein, you might be adding 20-25 grams of protein to your day. It isn't like vegetables add a significant amount of calories to a low carb diet. The difference between the amount of meat you end up eating is negligible.
Yeah, this too. Going from LCHF to carnivore isn't as much of a leap as a lot of people think, especially if you're already not eating much in the way of vegetables and have a really low carb count. In a lot of cases, it's little more than foregoing the lettuce wrap on the burger.0 -
Yeah, and you don't need to replace the veggie carbs with pure protein. You could add a tablespoon of butter, get the same 100 calories the veggies were going to give you, and have no extra protein in your diet. There's that and everything in between.
Sure, I eat around 150g a day. But, I also aim to eat a lot more than most people do.0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »For those on this diet, how do you keep your protein to a moderate level? When I eat steak or chicken it shoots my protein way up.
Eat meat, not too little, mostly fat .
LMAO
My kids are giving my funny looks because I almost snorted coffee all over the iPad. LOL
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