Week 2 - World Carnivore Month (Jan 15th)
FIT_Goat
Posts: 4,224 Member
It's the end of the second week. How did it go?
I hit my goal for strength workouts (4 days), but haven't run at all (goal was three short runs). I hate running. Guess that is not going to change.
Scale has been wonky, which it tends to be when I am working out. I am down 1.2kg since the new year, but it has been lower/higher/all-over. Like I have said, for years, short-term scale numbers mean almost nothing. And, short-term is way longer than most people think it is (4-6 weeks is easily still short-term).
What about everyone else?
I hit my goal for strength workouts (4 days), but haven't run at all (goal was three short runs). I hate running. Guess that is not going to change.
Scale has been wonky, which it tends to be when I am working out. I am down 1.2kg since the new year, but it has been lower/higher/all-over. Like I have said, for years, short-term scale numbers mean almost nothing. And, short-term is way longer than most people think it is (4-6 weeks is easily still short-term).
What about everyone else?
0
Replies
-
And some inspiration for this week (although it is about two weeks too late).
From: http://www.gnolls.org/3606/will-you-go-on-a-diet-or-will-you-change-your-life/
Will You Go On A Diet, or Will You Change Your Life?
It’s New Year’s Day again—which means it’s time to resolve to lose a bunch of weight and get in shape.
Again.
Before you commit to the latest diet, cleanse, detox, or “one weird trick”, though, ask yourself a simple question:
Is this something I can do for the rest of my life?
To understand why this is important, practice reading these paragraphs out loud without laughing:- “Before putting anything in my mouth, I will carefully research its value in “calories”, “points”, or “blocks”. Then I will check this value against the list I’ve kept of everything else I ate today, to make sure I have enough free “calories”, “points”, or “blocks” to eat it. Then I will add it to the list. I will do this for every meal and snack, every day, without fail, until I die.”
- “Life without beef, pork, eggs, or butter will be totally fulfilling. I won’t ever miss bacon, prime rib, or a loaded baked potato. Fat-free sour cream and non-dairy cheese taste exactly like the real thing. I love lentils.”
- “I can pedal a bicycle that goes nowhere for 40 minutes a day, week after week, month after month. This is the best and most productive use of my time.”
Has it suddenly become obvious why your New Year’s resolutions never seem to survive the change of seasons?
Lose A Bit Of Belly Fat Every Day With This One Weird Trick!
Eat like a predator, not like prey.
Yes, that’s a link. Click it.
You don’t need to buy any books, join any gyms, or spend any money on anything but food. If we needed to read an entire book to learn how to eat, our ancestors would have starved to death millions of years ago.
It’s easy. When I eat like a predator, I feel stronger. Sharper. Quicker. More alive. I like that.
When I eat like prey, I slow down. I lose my edge. I become weak, irritable, and vulnerable. I don’t like that.
Here it is again. Eat like a predator. Click it.
Live in freedom, live in beauty.
JS4 - “Before putting anything in my mouth, I will carefully research its value in “calories”, “points”, or “blocks”. Then I will check this value against the list I’ve kept of everything else I ate today, to make sure I have enough free “calories”, “points”, or “blocks” to eat it. Then I will add it to the list. I will do this for every meal and snack, every day, without fail, until I die.”
-
Thanks for sharing that link. Happy to see we're already doing most of those things.0
-
Yeah, he's more tolerant of plants than I am. And he is more concerned with organs and grass-fed, but whatever. The point is the same. And, someone who is metabolically healthy can probably eat like he suggests.1
-
This week has been a lot better but not full carnivore, I’ve had a few treats. Weirdly, seeing the link above, I decided yesterday that I’m going to stop trying to be full carnivore and let myself just be mostly carnivore. I decided I just can’t do this circle anymore and need to do whatever is going to work for me permanently even if it’s not the ideal meat only diet.
I have to get out of this circular trap I got myself in. I get into a spiral where trying to eat meat and eggs only and nothing else leads to a few carby treats which then increases until I’m out of control and in full on pain from overdoing the fibre. I’m just hurting myself.
So my plan for next week is to just try being mostly carnivore. If I feel like I want something else I’ll ask myself what I really want and why and tell myself I can have it. I’m eager to see if this stops me going for the high carb high fibre foods or not. It will be an interesting experiment anyway.1 -
Hey @melmerritt33, we do 'mostly carnivore' here and we're feeling pretty good. Usually the only vegetable stuff we have is like, leafy greens? Just like, a handful of spinach with breakfast, and a handful of mixed greens with dinner.
Today we had like 10g of carbs, but half of that was from ham & eggs at breakfast, and then some carbs in the cayenne pepper powder we use for seasoning. So the amount that comes from the greens is like almost nothing really.
Percentage wise its like, I think less than 2% of our daily calories came from vegetables? Mostly its all like meat & eggs & butter & stuff. 😸1 -
I'm working on getting rid of plants foods and I'm not going to buy them very much at the store. I do buy cheap soup for if I get the flu or a cold. The main thing about zero carb is getting enough calories for me. I figure 2 meals of about 1000-1200 calories per day. I don't count them though just a rough guess.0
-
Obviously, it is my belief that the higher percentage of your diet that is high-fat and low-carb animal products, the healthier you will be and the better it is for your body. I also believe the higher the percentage, the easier it is to eat to satiety and experience weight normalization effortlessly. And, logically, the best thing to be is 100% animal products.
But, find what works for you. I did have some issues that I didn't even know could be resolved that finally resolved when I took out the last of the plant foods. Of course, the last of my plant foods included nuts, and those are some of the worst plant foods out there.1 -
@melmerritt33 Don't obsess with being 100% strict carnivore
Like Violet_Flux says, most people are not 100%, just-meat-and-water carnivore. It's an spectrum. You have to find where in the spectrum you feel more comfortable. I even eat some cacao paste or homemade chocolate from time to time, I drink tea and black coffee daily, I use herbs and spices, I eat some veggies when I eat out, and so far no carnivore police has come to get me 
@TheDevastator I drink bone broth daily. Great source of collagen, and a hot cup of broth feels so good when it's cold
The one I use is storebought but it's a really good brand called Best of the Bone. It is an all-natural grass-fed beef bone broth concentrate. I got it on Amazon. 2 -
Thanks @Violet_Flux and @Sylphadora that’s very reassuring. I guess I fixated on full carnivore as I have Fibromyalgia and digestive issues and so many people have said it cured their chronic illnesses. I really think I’ve tried enough times now to know it’s not working for some reason and I really can’t stay in an endless circle of carnivore to higher carb and both causing different problems.
It sounds like your way of eating might really work for me. The small amount of variety might keep me interested enough in food to eat enough of the right foods without irritating my digestive issues.
@FIT_Goat Interesting that you gave up nuts last, something I haven’t eaten for months now even though I love them. I worked out they were really causing me serious problems even in small amounts and I finally learnt to avoid them. Maybe the same will happen with other problem foods with my new plan.
Oh by the way, Sylphadora, Carnivore Police, I love that! Visions of them lurking around restaurants poised to strike! 👮♀️ 🚨😆1 -
Yeah I just really really really like nuts. I knew they were causing me problems. Somewhere I have a spreadsheet from one of my early carnivore attempts that wasn't point, and even there you can see the macadamia nuts and mushrooms. Plus some artificial sweeteners where in there as well oh, because those were real hard for me to quit to. and those also had a huge impact on my ability to eat to hunger and still lose weight. Getting rid of the nuts and the artificial sweeteners was probably the biggest step and the biggest key to being successful.2
-
Found it:
Food Amount Net Carbs Fat Protein Calories Lamb Chops 39.92oz 0 306 178 3466 Heavy Cream 49 TBS 26.5 265 0 2491 Bratwurst 4 Links 4 100 56 1140 Ribeye Steak 12.56oz 0 79 63 963 Cheese 224g 4 64 48 784 Ground Lamb 8oz 0 53 38 629 Grease 50g 0 50 0 450 Coconut Oil 3 TBS 0 42 0 378 Macadamia Nuts 2oz 4 42 4 410 Butter 3 Tbs 0 33 0 297 Egg 7 whole 3.5 33 46 495 Jowl Bacon 2oz 2 27 5 271 Egg Yolk 80g 3 21 13 253 Tri-Tip Steak 8oz 4 20 40 356 Deviled Eggs 4 halves 2 19 12 227 Beef Heart 254g 0 10 45 270 Coffee/Espresso ~42 cups 0 0 0 0 SugarFree Syrup ~12oz 0 0 0 0 Mushrooms 85g 3 0 2 20 Totals 56 1164 550 12900 1.74% 81.21% 17.05% 1843
I was so close, but can see some pretty glaring issues now. Sure, it was 2 oz of nuts and 3 oz of mushrooms. My net carbs were like 8g a day, but look at the amount of sweeteners and cream! A bunch of that was in my coffee, which isn't the end of the world. I'll still do heavy cream in my coffee from time to time. The calories were a bit low, but not low enough that I would call it under-eating. It was probably on the low end of my weekly average.
Edit: The table is screwed up, but you should be able to see it.1 -
@SylphadoraSylphadora wrote: »@TheDevastator I drink bone broth daily. Great source of collagen, and a hot cup of broth feels so good when it's cold The one I use is storebought but it's a really good brand called Best of the Bone. It is an all-natural grass-fed beef bone broth concentrate. I got it on Amazon.
Wow that's a little too much for me. I bet I'd like it too but not for that price. From what I've read, collagen doesn't seem really necessary . Usually the ones saying it are trying to sell you it. You can get the same amino acids from chicken skin, clams, pork, beef, tuna, and salmon.
I'm under-eating now. I need to get some groceries. I plan on having steaks, ribs, lamb, fish(several types) with sour cream, coffee, tea, scrambled eggs with cheese, mussels, bacon, sausage, hotdogs, and brats.
That was pretty good eating @FIT_Goat even with the few plant foods. I'd like to see a current food list.
0 -
That table from @FIT_Goat is fascinating, that such a small amount of plant foods can make a difference. I guess the type of plants you’re eating is just as important as the amount. I would also love to see a current food list, that would be interesting.
Thinking about it, I eat a lot of dairy and still have a lot of drinks with sweeteners. When I do eat plants it’s higher carb stuff so that has to change, that’s my first step this week. I’m going to see how this week goes then look at lowering my dairy, it’s another food I know causes me issues but I love. My problem so far is that giving up dairy as well as everything else was just too much. Maybe if I’m allowing myself small amounts of other things the dairy can be massively reduced. Hmmm, next step on the plan I think.0 -
I will try and get a current list this week. I have gotten so lazy that I count and measure absolutely nothing. The only time I pay attention is when I shop, and that is just to make sure I have around two pounds of meat for expected number of days.
I haven't bought heart in a while, mostly because I don't see it often and it is really lean. Lamb and goat are amazing meats, but they can be pricey.
But yeah, it was not a lot of nuts. But they had/have an outsize impact on me.1 -
I have already found an issue with accurate logging of what I eat (especially if you want macros). Today I had 2-3 ounces of beef jerky. But it is my own, not store bought. It was originally round eye beef, and then it was just air dried (no salt, no seasonings, no marinade). That was so long ago, I have no idea what the original amount of meat might have been. I think 3 to 5 pounds of meat makes 1 pound of jerky. So I could extrapolate from that.1
-
I know! The price tag is not ideal... You pay for the convenience, but if you take the dosage that says in the jar, you can drink 1 cup a day for more than a month. I'm too lazy to make my own, lol. Also, I'd need to find a way to store several quarts of it and with the concentrate I just have a jar in my fridge. I want to make my own eventually but right now it's simpler this way.TheDevastator wrote: »@Sylphadora
Wow that's a little too much for me. I bet I'd like it too but not for that price. From what I've read, collagen doesn't seem really necessary . Usually the ones saying it are trying to sell you it. You can get the same amino acids from chicken skin, clams, pork, beef, tuna, and salmon.
@melmerritt33 Maybe it's not all dairy that's giving you issues. Have you tried eating raw dairy? Some people have digestive issues with pasteurized diary, but when they eat raw dairy they're OK. Same goes for dairy made from cow's milk. Goat's milk and sheep's milk are supposed to be more digestible. I'd try eating a good unpasteurized goat or sheep cheese like manchego and see what happens
@FIT_Goat Nuts were the last thing I quit, too. I am so addicted to them! I could eat almost a pound of Macadamia nuts in one sitting. No kidding. On Christmas 2018 I ate pistachios for the first time in years and was struggling with a pistachio addiction for months after that. I recognized the same pattern of addiction I have with sugar/carbs and finally realized I had to quit them for good.2 -
Hello all,
Just a note to say I have done exceptionally well on the Carnivore effort. I probably have too much heavy cream, but my daily total carbs are around 8 grams, because of the heavy cream and cheese I eat. All in all I'm doing well. I had gained a few "Holiday" lbs, but those are long gone! I will note i have gone to just drinking my egg yolks and frying up the whites, with a wee bit of cheese. Turns out I love the flavor of the yolks, with a splash of olive oil, heavy cream, and a dash or two of salt. YUM!!! I am finding I am feeling a lot more energy in the mornings. From what I have read the nutritional value of the yolk is significantly reduced when cooked, so maybe I am getting more value per yolk now. Either way, it tastes wonderfull.
My biggest win to date is the removal, completely, of artificial sweeteners from my diet. No more diet soda, or sugar-free anything, or Splenda & Saccharin. I'll be honest I am missing the saccharin in my coffee but still holding on.
On another note I feel a lot stronger than I have in many months. I just moved this past month and I could really feel the difference in overall strength and endurance. Heck I moved a full sized pool table, already dissasembled, all by my self. The slated pieces were no joke, but moved them without any breaking of the back or the slate. I was also able to easily move and tear apart a large raised platform with relative ease as well. To be I sure felt tired afterwards, but the next day was ok and ready to move more boxes, couches etc.
Bottom line is I feel better. Oh and did have one funny moment along the way I'd like to share.
So my wife of 28 years asks me one morning if the "THING/DIEET" I was doing was safe for my internal organs? I was like ???? So I asked her why she asked the question, particularly why that way? Her reply was"Your back is all CUT/DEFINED all of a sudden." I was like ok Thanks! Of course walking by the mirror I was like Hmmm Terminator in the Back, and Peter Griffin (Family Guy) in the front.
2
