Carnivore Issue

#1

Anyone have a similar problem? After years of eating very low carb [but carefully counting calories to maintain significant weight loss], I switched to carnivore about two years ago. My weight stabilized without counting anything–I simply ate to hunger, which was generally two meals a day. Even being very sedentary after foot surgery, I easily maintained my weight and was never hungry.

However, recently, I’ve been ravenous–and eating to hunger has resulted in weight gain. I enjoy how I feel generally eating carnivore, but my suddenly enormous appetite is disturbing. I don’t know what I should do now. Back to keto and counting calories?

(Edith) #2

Are you missing some nutrient? I believe part of our hunger signals are also for making sure we get all the vitamins and minerals we need. If you are deficient in something, your body will want to keep eating until it gets what it needs.

#3

When was the surgery done? Was it the same time mostly when your appetite ramped up? Just wondering on a timeline on that one.

And what has changed in your life? Are you tackling a HiTT program for exercise or are you tackling a 1/2 marathon or something like that? In that did you truly change anything that might require this extra appetite?

So once those are answered we can tackle it further :slight_smile:

and no don’t go back to counting anything LOL you can easily handle this on carnivore with some knowledge of what might have changed for you. You can work it out.

(Robert C) #4

Your body might be low on some nutrient it feels it needs.

Considering the yearly cycle of available foods it is unlikely that anyone previously went for so long only eating meat. Of course, specifically meats produced in a feedlot (grain fed, growth hormone and anti-biotic filled) have never been eaten for a long time.

Might be a good time to get a blood test?

#5

Thanks to all who responded. My foot surgery was over two years ago (I just realized I’ve been eating carnivore for about 4 years), and my appetite increase has only been the last 4 months. And, no, I haven’t changed anything in my normal exercise/movement behaviors. I’m 78, by the way.

As to a ‘missing nutrient,’ perhaps I’m not a good carnivore because I take a daily multivitamin, along with extra D3 (due to deficiency), so I can’t imagine that I have any serious deficiency–except carbs!

I’m hypothyroid, so I have a complete blood panel every 4 months–and all is fine. My endo is also puzzled by this increased hunger.

(Bunny) #6

Could be a beta-alanyl-L-histidine deficiency from not eating enough meat?

When you only eat veggies or you only eat meat, being your are an omnivore you become deficient in this enzyme when you combine the two you don’t? And that alone will make you hungry like a wolf?

A lot of people will think if I’m only eating meat that I will not be deficient in carnosine but it leaves your body faster than it goes in when you only eat meat for to long a time.

This is just theory for now so take it with grain of salt which you may also be deficient in also i.e. electrolytes; manganese and magnesium, sodium potassium?

(Murphy Kismet) #7

Seasonal weight gain?

We’re getting into the colder season, so wouldn’t our bodies naturally pack on the fat to keep us warm and our organs insulated?

I’m finding my hunger is getting stronger, and my weight is creeping up a bit, from an average 117 to 121 now. Days are shorter, light is less, even artificial light can’t fool our bodies that much, unless it’s to keep up awake at night via bluelight from screens :confused:. But then the sleep deficiency could also lead to weight creep.

(Robert C) #8

I think this logic is that every nutrient you could need is in a multivitamin.

May be one example of something not in a multivitamin - but there are probably more.

The point is that if Carnivore alone is causing an issue - maybe cycling Carnivore (as humans might have in the past) might help.

#9

I’m not sure why you think I’m not eating enough meat–since I eat only meat!

Your theory that it’s important to combine vegetables with meat is contrary to the science I’ve seen from Amber O’Hearn.

And I have NO symptoms of electrolyte imbalance.

However, I do intend to cycle out of strict carnivore for a while to see if that helps.

#10

Not ‘seasonal weight gain’ because that has not occurred with me for the past 10 years, 4 of them carnivore. My weight has remained stable throughout the seasons.

Moreover, this appetite issue began four months ago when it was hot.

#11

I mentioned the multi-vitamin only as an aside. I do NOT believe that every nutrient is in a multi-vitamin! The claim from the carnivore gurus is that all nutrients we need can be obtained from eating only from the animal kingdom.

Most of the science I’ve read on this suggests that appetite stimulant occurs mainly from insufficient protein–which is not a problem for me.

I only posed my initial question to see if anyone else eating carnivore had a similar experience. I’m not looking for ‘answers.’

My personal solution is to cycle out of carnivore for a while to see if that helps.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #12

Do you eat organ meats with any regularity? As I have been shifting towards carnivore I am adding beef and chicken livers in small amount regularly to ensure adequate vitamins and minerals are available. I don’t use supplements other than fish oil. I haven’t experienced what you have because I am a noob and still in the process of elimination of plants. :cowboy_hat_face:

#13

Yes, I eat liver and heart regularly. I don’t take fish oil, but I eat wild fish as well.

#14

I gotta say your body is telling you something.

I would listen.

Eat the best beef and drink the water and keep on trucking :slight_smile:

Of course you can ‘try a few things’ and see if it helps you and experiment on yourself a bit.

But in carnivore people have gone thru this. While on zero carb sites people have mentioned they are starting to gain a bit after a long time on and the veterans always say, just eat as your body wants…then the people come back and say they dropped the gained weight, they are back to a more steady appetite and such. Not my experience but I’ve read about it happening to some…so…I hope some of that helped ya :slight_smile:

#15

Thanks for your comments. I have never read of people gaining after a long time carnivore; only those who gain initially. But if that’s been happening, my situation may not be ‘unique,’ and although I’ve taken a couple of days off, I don’t intend to abandon carnivore. It’s been too good for me.
’

#16

I definitely saw threads from people asking about why they would be gaining much later on this plan…but the veterans always said hold your ground. But it is more unique cause it isn’t a general thing happening to most carns.

I think it isn’t the gain so much…….I think your focus is on WHY you appetite has increased so much that you are gaining.

The gain is the result of the increased appetite.

One thing comes to mind is your body needs it right now. Needs more something. Fat is the biggie that is coming to mind for me.

What I would do…and this is just me and what my thoughts would be to change it around a bit… so it is a personal thing I would do here :)…….I would try eating very fatty meats. If I geared toward leaner cuts I would add good fat but for a few days eat the ribeye fatty type meats. Hold the good fatty beef cuts. Get in a lot of that good fat and see if it changes anything.

Kinda like that focus on one thing time. Cut out all the other stuff you eat and pick beef. Nice cuts of fatty good beef. -----could make a huge difference ya know. I think it is one of those things where you go little by little to make a discovery :slight_smile:

One thing I sure know about me. When I gear toward chicken, leaner cuts of beef, or tend to graze a bit, like some sausage, tuna, bacon and eggs, and those less dense meats…I tend to get a heck of a lot hungrier. And thing is I don’t even realize I am doing it. I just eat what I want when I want. I then think, wow I am really starving here and my appetite increases and I wake up and think. Oops…I am out of good fatty beef and good fat and balance here.

So fat would be my main focus. I would increase the heck out of good fat.

Second would be make sure you aren’t cutting salt a bit and not realizing it and make sure you are drinking good water…just cause those 2 if are low in your body can easily drive hunger…but I am sure you know that :slight_smile:

So that is just a chat about it all and maybe some of that might help you and just take what you need from my info and throw out the rest LOL

Sometimes our bodies want that fat. Point blank. So I would be very aware of my fat content in a day. Very focused on it and make sure one day I increased that fat big time and see if it holds my appetite to a better situation.

Then I would just try that for a few days and re-evaluate.

This is interesting to me. I hope whatever peaked your appetite will be discovered in a way.

#17

Thanks again for your very helpful response. I tend to think you’re right because eating ‘lean’ has never been my preference, when I first began experiencing weight gain, I ‘went lean’ and cut fat–and that may have increased what might have been a very temporary increase in appetite.

I’m post-menopausal, and in the past, I’ve experienced ‘strange’ symptoms that were eventually attributed to ‘random hormonal surges’ that seem to be fairly common in women my age. For example, several years ago, I had a spate of short-term, very severe headaches (I don’t normally get headaches) that had a neurologist convinced I had a brain aneurysm. After testing (MRI, etc.), nothing could be found, and he suggested the ‘hormone surge’ as a cause. I have never had those headaches again, and my endocrinologist agrees that the situation was ‘hormonal.’ There have been several other things like that, always years apart.

So the initial appetite increase and weight gain may simply have been a temporary hormonal thing–which I made worse by cutting fat. My plan now is to go back to my normal carnivore which is at least 75% fat and see what happens.

Thanks again.

#18

Wow Mare that is just scary as heck. I can’t even imagine that road you had to handle on that med journey. yikes.

You wrote a very good post. You kinda put your circumstances into a time line for yourself and your experiences from your past and put it together in one great package. You know, where you kinda got a maybe grasp on what is going down for you. Now you have a good even focus and an action to take.

I like that. Very well thought out post for sure.

I can’t wait to hear how you do and what changes and more you experience. Please keep us updated, you sure got me curious on it all now, plus, as I am hitting that 60 range now…hey this stuff could be in my future as you experienced it and I will remember your situation and draw upon it.

One of the best ways for carnivores to learn and grow is thru the experiences of others. I love it!

(Heather Meyer) #19

I agree with this…
My body craved chocolate like crazy until i realized i was low in Megnesium
I craved Nutritional Yeast before i found out I was low in B vitamins

I used to eat a ton…never feeling satisfied after eating. Once i ate the vitamins i needed and supplemented…i didnt feel hungry or crave or want food outside of meal times.

(Elizabeth ) #20

There could be some hormone issues or possibly you’ve been exposed to viruses that your body needs the protein structure to fight, if it was me I would increase the amount of fat I was eating first and then add in more of the meat