Another Carnivore Thread

[ReneeRC]

@monsterjuice Ashley, that looks delicious! Like others have said, you’re doing great. One of the greatest things about keto and carnivore is learning to listen to our bodies instead of our taste buds, lol. If you have a lot of weight you want to part with and your body wants to fast here and there then go with it. I’m doing IF 18/8 but not on purpose. It’s just how keto and carnivore work out for me. Especially with a 2:1 fat to protein intake I get stuffed fast and it lasts for hours.

[Shinita]

But my taste buds are part of my body It’s bad when I don’t particularly like the taste, I don’t actually desire the food, the compulsion comes from somewhere else. Many people can’t resist free food, something just being there (especially if it’s a rare chance for that), habits, eating when we need something very different, so many silly things may have power over someone.
I honestly can’t imagine not eating tasty food all my life. It’s basic. I think I never changed my diet without loving my food at least as much as before (but usually more, at least when I realized how to get all I want). Temporal hardships happened but the food was good. But I love the taste of most type of food anyway and do my own version of every diet I do. (My current carnivore style isn’t the right one for me, it’s just what I have at the moment but the food is still awesome. Except the tasteless fish tomorrow but I do what I can to improve it. Challenges are enjoyable too. And experiments.)

I am back on track! I managed to eat carnivore today, probably dirty but I had to taste something and I won’t stop eating some onion soup with my poached eggs in it but I avoid the big vegetable parts. The onions are tiny but that’s spice/condiment. I won’t overcomplicate this now, okay? It’s my new, relaxed, more realistic way, I didn’t even planned this, just some close to carnivore for a little time and who knows what later. But it’s too easy and if I stray, it feels worse. Okay then, I come back and stay.
At least I do what I can but my absolutely serious rule only that my first meal is carnivore. That’s normally 60-100% of my daily intake and no way I can mess up things later after such a meal (problems usually arise if I start with the wrong food anyway, even without the huge satiation after a substantial carnivore meal).
I tried to use this rule before but now it’s easier. I wondered about the “I eat my first meal when I get really hungry” (not very hungry, just really, not slightly since one minute while I felt full before) rule but that’s still not realistic. I have my sacred family lunch at 3pm (I feel compelled to eat if I can), I am theoretically ready not to eat if I am not hungry but my body or brain manage to make some little hunger around that time (I really got hungry around there for several years but it changed lately). And then I eat too little, usually and never meet my real hunger. I start to miss it.
It was better before as it was holiday and my SO ate his lunch around noon and I almost never can eat that early, not even on a wrong diet that makes me overeating horribly, not even if I went to bed slightly hungry. I can eat very late but that doesn’t feel good the next day. I am a natural late afternoon/early evening eater or something. I can’t wait to see what my eating window will do on carnivore. I got 16/8 on low-carb and 19/5 on keto, automatically, I hadn’t even any idea IF a thing with a name back then. Only my less than complete satiation and silly desires at late hours could mess with that sometimes. It’s not natural or good but got more frequent, started to form a habit, that’s one thing I want to get rid with extreme low-carb, stupid late eating, almost no matter why and what, it’s wrong. Fine if I can eat only at night on some day and I am really hungry. I had a tiny carnivore snack last night and today I felt it wasn’t a good idea.

I barely ate today, I just wasn’t hungry but I enjoyed my food (mostly eggs) very much. Unusually much. It was awesome, better than almost everything I ate in the last week and I practically always eat tasty food.

Sorry, my mind is uncontrollable now. I want my mind off these things for a while. I eat so simply but still think too much about it, it’s still too new and exciting unlike my other parts of my life, sadly. I need to do something about that, actually. That’s another “responsibility” of my new woe. I do a drastic change and it helps doing other improvements as well, it stirs the stagnant waters of my life.

[BJennif]

Hi all - I’ve been keto for a year and decided to try to eliminate dairy for January because of sciatica issues. It’s helping already and has only been about 5 days. Since I’m keto with no dairy, I’m drifting more towards carnivore. I cook for the week ahead and don’t care for veg reheated so tend to avoid veg. My question is - how do you not get bored? I cooked up steak, sausages, kielbasa, chicken thighs, and beef roast this week. I’ve been eating that stuff this week along with a few servings of roasted cauliflower, a couple of avocados, one serving of roasted asparagus, some eggs, etc. I used to enjoy dipping my meat in ranch or blue cheese but with no dairy I’m not doing that. Today I had a bit of mustard. I know this isn’t true carnivore, but each time I’ve tried to do this, I have the same issue with variety and getting bored. I did buy a cookbook but it’s not here yet. Any advice? I’m also not enthusiastic about eating fat on top of my meat like I read y’all are doing. I do eat the fat on my meat, but worry I don’t get that much fat. Interested in your advice - thanks!

[David_Stilley]

My question is - how do you not get bored?

Okay so I am just starting a dedicated Carnivore trial, I’ve been eliminating plants for a few months over time. Now I am down to spices and that’s a tough one for me to completely let go of. But I am trying it out.

On the thing with boredom I have been wondering myself, no spices?..and looking at my reasons for trying Carnivore in the first place. When I started KETO 16 months ago I cooked up a storm of complex KETO dishes. I was a professional cook most of my life and have foodie taste buds. There’s two parts to eating, physical needs and psychological attachments to the eating experience. I thought the Carnivores were completely crazy and doing something very unhealthy when I first got on this forum. I couldn’t imagine it, no vegetables or spices? Spice was the Variety of Life for me. Funny twist. Well over time I have simplified and thought lots about eating for entertainment and how that’s pushed on us for profit. I still love spice variety but it’s the final step for me to eliminate now. I know many do Carnivore with them but my choice is going all the way because they could be affecting my body without me knowing it. I’m heading purely into eating for fuel. I enjoy just salted meat if I don’t think about it much and I’m really hungry, and not thinking about what would taste good. I’m just taking care of the hunger and focusing on the feeling of satiety without too much focus on the actual eating experience. I’m still using up some sausage and stuff I have now but not adding anything to fresh meat anymore. So it’s been steps for me. Just trying to look at food from a different angle.

[Fangs]

My question is - how do you not get bored?

I am a meat eater and seafood lover to the ultimate. This is the food I was born to eat and eat big I do I have to say loving meat is a draw into carnivore for me. So when I walked here from extreme low carb I never had one veggie I missed in my life truly.

Yea I missed some foods and got bored not having ‘sides’ with my meals and maybe no snacking cause heck I did that forever in my life. It is engrained into you to have variety. It is part of us. It is a hard habit to change.

But years now being carnivore and I have to say I learned one simple thing. The simpler I go the better I do. Big steak. Done. Big pile of snow crab legs and butter. Done. I don’t ‘cook meals’ anymore except do some meals for the family still cause I have to but for me I just keep it super simple.

And I learned the more simple I stayed the better I did. The more I dropped wanting foods. Oh yea I get the ‘oh woe is me’ some days but I can brush them off easier now being on plan so long. I know a big old steak will fix everything for me and it does. All I have to do is eat it.

So being a massive meat/seafood lover is part of my strength on this plan.

Spices etc. I use a few. I dropped so many. I used to love a bit of fresh minced garlic on my steak when I started years ago…like not even a 1/4 teaspoon when frying up a steak but one day it tasted so sweet. I just found it nasty…so I stopped the minced garlic. Every now and then I want a spice, like taco spice taste. I can simply add a teaspoon to some hamburger meat, eat it down and I never want that taco spice again for another 6 months So I just eat as I find I want with spice etc and it is rare I use it at all but if I desire it, I have it.

Also your appetite becomes so controlled on carnivore that when you do eat again, you have the meat/seafood you desire and after you are just in that ‘zone of fine’ with the foods you eat. Kinda like you just know you don’t need to expand and you don’t get bored like you think you truly will.

Boredom happens more in the beginning, realizing all those foods we stopped eating but as you are longer on plan and don’t sway, you realize you don’t truly need that other stuff.

Just some things on how it went down for me.

[FrankoBear]

What happened to my coffee addiction?

Can you do keto without coffee? Why not?

What’s happening!? I am sat looking at half a cup of black coffee. Looking at it. Looking at it like I look at a cream donut, like it’s an art installation, a prop, something fake. I’ve been hurting myself on a carnivore challenge and here I find a new side effect: looking at coffee, not drinking the coffee. Getting half way through and stopping. Has beef eating killed my addiction? It’s really nice coffee, but I’m poring it into a glass jar and putting it in the fridge. Might drink it tomor…

[monsterjuice]

Anyone here have trouble staying asleep? I had this on keto, I normally only sleep 5-6 hours anyways, but for some reason the last few nights I’ve had very interrupted sleep. My eyes feel tired but my body doesn’t.

[VirginiaEdie]

I had a tough time with sleep during my first carnivore trial back in may. This time around I am sleeping much better.

I don’t know if it was an adaptation thing or maybe not eating enough my fist time around.

[barefootbob]

how do you not get bored?

This is going to sound very counter-intuitive: the more options you have the quicker you get bored. It’s like putting a kid in a room full of toys and they just sit there. There’s so much to choose from that they easily get bored with each thing. When you trim down to pretty much just meat, only eat when hungry, and don’t try to make food entertainment then it’s not boring at all.

Maybe carnivore isn’t for you, or maybe not just yet. It’s a total change not just a diet. Not to dissuade you from trying it but unless there is a reason to go carnivore then meat heavy keto may just be the ticket for you.

[barefootbob]

Anyone here have trouble staying asleep? I

I had awful sleep on an earlier carnivore trial. Like Edith, I’m not sure if it was a transitional thing but this time when I went back I limited then cut out cow dairy and have so far avoided processed meats except occasional bacon. Not sure what the ticket was but I’m now getting the best sleep of my adult life.

[monsterjuice]

Glad to know maybe I’ll adjust to it!

[monsterjuice]

I had it with keto for awhile too so hopefully it adjusts like it did then!

[BJennif]

Thanks for the replies - I will probably keep going the way I have been for now and see if I gravitate to more true carnivore, but for now carnivore keto seems to do okay. I think for now I’m going to focus on the dairy elimination and see how that goes - can’t do too many new things at once.

[barefootbob]

Definitely. Trying to fix everything at once can drive you crazy.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with meaty Keto. In fact, unless you’re trying to heal something that keto couldn’t then full carnivore is not necessary.

Most of us who go full on with this are doing it for very specific reasons.
That said, it is world carnivore month, and 30 days is not long if you wanted to give it a go.
We’re a pretty supportive bunch around here so keep us posted whatever you decide to do.

[Fangs]

I think for now I’m going to focus on the dairy elimination and see how that goes - can’t do too many new things at once

Yea I so agree. Too much and you don’t know the good from the bad. Slow changes means you truly see the effects.

Dairy is so weird for so many. Some handle it beautiful, others can’t handle even a little. So you will know when you eliminate it and add back later what it does to you personally.

carnivore keto is great but if you truly have some issues, eliminating plants could truly help you. again do the elim. type thing and just work it out all for how it suits you best! You can never go wrong doing you the best ya can

[Fangs]

We’re a pretty supportive bunch around here so keep us posted whatever you decide to do.

RA RA SISS BOOM BA!

no clue how to type that out but I am always cheering for every carnivore out there HA

HOO RA! ROCK ON! THAT’A BOY! hee hee

[Shinita]

Keep in mind I am a newbie still… But I doubt boredom will be a serious issue in the future. We will see. My experiences this far are interesting and promising.

My question is - how do you not get bored?

Honestly? I don’t know. I cut out plants - and I suddenly lost my existing boredom with my food. I was truly surprised. Less variety made my food more exciting I guess carbs interfered with lots of things.
It’s surely individual, maybe subject to change, obviously food choices matter a lot too.
I eat some cheese though but very little meat at the moment so my food has way less variety than yours, probably. And it’s perfect for now. If I have enough meat, cheese loses pretty much of its importance.

I am a hedonist and I need variety. Much less in extremely low-carb but I do. And I have it.
I have little experience with meat but eggs are my most important staple food and I have plenty of good recipes (carnivore would be way harder without my low-carb times rich in eggs). Now I added meat and I got my flatbread, it filled some void. If I use some different meat, it gets different, I don’t even need spices, just salt and quite tasteless meat works too, eggs are tasty enough, meat adds a hint of flavor (it’s more recognizable than alone) and texture.

If I ever get bored for some reason, I just need to buy some different meat. There is a huge variety, it’s hard for me though as I only buy meat from a good farm - but I can buy fish from a shop as caught fish is available even in the nearby small villages. I could buy some salmon if I really wanted/needed and that’s nothing like the super lean white fish I ate today but with my cooking methods even that was nice just not awesome, I can live with that.
I could eat veal or tender lamb, duck or rabbit, goat or seafood, roosters and hens and tender, very young chicken, even wild animals (I prefer deer despite my fav meat is pork. wild boar is just too lean and boring to me. deer is somehow special), various organs, I can cook and fry and bake and add spices and condiments (including onions and garlic, those are super tasty so a little goes a long way. I need such things for not very tasty meat only, most dishes of mine has no spices, just salt. I love to add something to my omelets. Meat or cheese or mustard but if I fry it in lard, that’s often enough and nothing is wrong with a boiled egg, it is good even without salt, all alone)…
I admit I would quit the “only beef and water” style the second day (if I was very determined to last that long). But a bit more relaxed one is enjoyable and I was never bored this far (one week? but I had that when I ate a near carnivore meal vs a normal keto one) despite my meat variety was limited, just smoked pork (I love it so much even a little makes a huge difference), chicken, beef and lean fish, not even any organs yet and I use super simple recipes.

Probably some people get bored of it after a while… Especially with stricter rules unless they love beef as I love eggs and pork and needs way less variety I do.
Of course, some people consider eating just fuel. I almost never accept below 9-10/10 meals. Normal people are between these two extremes but we can change. If it would be about my health, I would sacrifice very much. If my hedonism, convenience and other important things clash with health and well-being quite seriously (I mean, it’s not just some article about what is bad or something, I KNOW and maybe feel it significantly harms me), health is the winner, no matter what. I am just lucky I enjoy the food that is good for me pretty much. At least some of them. But if beef would be my only way, I would learn to like that, I already found some nice dishes after my first less than stellar ones. So I do what is good for me and my mind will ensure I will enjoy the hell out of it, usually. But if I have choices (I always had), I choose the easier, tastier, less boring way.

I eat for fuel sometimes, I guess everyone do. It’s just super rare and I still need tasty food for that even if I don’t enjoy it, just realize it’s good. I can’t eat bad tasting or tasteless meals. Well, unless I am starving since weeks or something. But it’s very, very individual.

[Fangs]

I am a hedonist and I need variety.

I can’t say I am all in with being a hedonist but I need variety.

Variety is the spice of life.

I took that literally. A lot of pure carnivore don’t do spice. I do. I find any of the same meat I eat, add a shake of spice of life on it and the flavor changes immediately.

I required this on my walk into carnivore. It satisfied my need for variety. TASTE was my variety change needed. Not the actual meal. Chicken with some Italian spice on it is totally different than chicken with a bit of garlic butter on it. So that worked for me.

Now I am way more years onto plan…I don’t require that kind of variety in my spice on my meats at all. I dropped 99.5% of all spice from my life. I kept in that .5% of that taste I truly love. Ones I do well on and satisfy me all the time. That .5% is a part of me now. ALL the change in TASTE I need to ‘add variety’

just chatting it out cause that is how it went down for me.

many find a ton of different ways to fight boredom. I did it from the spice rack on my meat and seafood. Main food always was meat/seafood, I changed up spice to ‘get the heck thru’ my needs of boredom and wanting other foods.

just how it went down for me mostly

[David_Stilley]

@monsterjuice I wasn’t sleeping very well during December as I began cutting back on vegetables and eating more animal foods. I wake up 1 1/2 - 2 hours after I go to bed, toss half asleep all night and end up with 4-5 hours max. I don’t think any of that is high quality REM sleep. I recover pretty fast after I get up. Last night I took a sleeping pill when I woke at 1:30 after going to bed about 11:00. Got a few hours in and woke again. I’ve been more hungry and had 2.5 meals several times with that half meal late because for some reason I have been getting ravenous in the evenings when before my stomach was calm. I’ve been pushing my big beef meal later in the afternoon since I am giving TRE/IF a break for now focusing only on appetite and not timing.

Yesterday I woke up really hungry and ate a big meaty breakfast at 6:30am, something I did early on with KETO and eventually shifted back to 9-10am easily for my first meal. I also ended up eating four times. Just a little hard salami and Parmesan Cheese at 9:00pm last night because my stomach was roaring even though I ate a pound of beef and was full at about 6:00pm. I cut out coffee several hours earlier than usual too. Last night when I woke at 1:30 I was clammy and itchy, quite uncomfortable. I haven’t had this happen for many months, since my early KETO days. I’m pretty used to being a bit of a chronic insomniac for the last 13 years at least, maybe longer. But I really thought as I got closer to a pure Carnivore WOE that things would get better, not more restless. It really hasn’t been long enough yet I guess. I’m sticking with the plan.

[Fangs]

But I really thought as I got closer to a pure Carnivore WOE that things would get better, not more restless. It really hasn’t been long enough yet I guess. I’m sticking with the plan.

adaption time. It has to work its way out of you. Every one will absolutely be different on the timing it takes for healing.

Eat. Just eat the meat and seafood as you need. Never not eat. That is key to this plan.

now for me personally, I could not eat even if starved like 3 hrs before I knew I was gonna go to bed. Cause it would give me that icky feeling of having eaten too close to lying down. More of a ‘food in throat’ kinda feeling.

Drop deli meat. Drop cheese as a go to. Key when we truly change into carnivore eating is eat the real meat and seafood. If you are hungry you just cut a chunk of that pound of beef you did eat before, (if you have it in the fridge) and eat more of that beef Your feelings in your tummy and overall well being is different on that lb. of beef you ate vs. deli meat and cheese. It absolutely is a different effect for some of us.

It is like…hmmm, as your body heals on carnivore, your hormones and inflammation and more start to ‘balance’ and at the same time your body is NOW becoming more energized but ‘wonky’ thru toxin type dumping adaption------it becomes a true…crazy situation. We are healing, changing internally, getting results like more energy but then it gets zapped against that with toxins leaving the body.

darned if ya do and darned if ya don’t
combo changes in the body from good to bad like toxins leaving but the body is healing and changing can UPSET sleep and more very easily.

I love your posts cause you know you and what it will take to change and get true results with time one needs to learn these truths. Your last line of sticking to the plan! Stellar! Cause that is what it takes to find your best but you document how it is going down for you while handling the internal body changes.

I really like your posts You got that gung ho feeling in them. Keep on trucking thru the crazy and see where I land and that is what it takes to walk into carnivore and give it the time to work for us!