Hi Coop, how are you doing?
Earth to Coopdawg
coopdawg
#2
Iām doing all the very best, how are you?
In fact, pretty goodā¦just got some blood results back last week:
Blood pressure- in normal range, diastolic a bit high but not of concern. 121/87 with bpm of 90. Carry on with Ramipril tablet a day.
Lipids- LDL at 2.1. Ideal target should be below 3.9, so all good. Amazed, given the amount of saturated fat I eat too! Carry on taking atorvastin tablet a day.
Lipids in general (all cholesterol) 3.95, ideal target is to be below 5, so all good there. Again, amazed, the amount of saturated fat I eat too! Carry on taking atorvastin tablet a day.
Kidney function good, markers within good range.
Potassium 4.6 which is good. Ideal range between 3.5 and 5.5.
Sodium 140 which is good. Ideal range between 133 and 146.
Blood Glucose was 6. Normal range is 4 - 6, so all good there.
HbA1c was 38, which is good/normal; plus I am now off T2 diabetes metformin meds. Pre diabetes is 42, full blown T2 diabetes is 48 and above, so all good.
I forgot to ask about my liver function markers result, which is freekin absent minded of me as this was the major reason for me quitting booze! But it must be OK or the nurse wouldāve mentioned it. I can ask again later.
I was recommended to get eyesight tested as I have noticed (probably age related, Iām 46) that my focusing at certain distances has got worse. (I used to have 20:20 vision and a brilliant shot, but has gradually got less effective since I turned 40).
So thatās all good news. Didnāt have to go carni to get those results either, lol.
3 weeks and 1 day with no alcohol whatsoeverā¦but whoās counting?
MeganNZ
(Megan)
#3
Blood test results look good, Iād definitely be pleased with them. No need to go carni to get them, keto is an amazing woe that delivers excellent results. Iām trying to remember why you were thinking about trying carni but canāt. Itās not some amazing end goal, itās just another woe /shrug
3 weeks and 1 day with no alcohol is WOOT!! How are you finding it? Hard at times or not as hard as you thought it would be?
Iām doing ok, still waiting for great but ok with ok. I seem to have discovered patience.
I stopped my 2 night time meds prescribed for more/better quality sleep and although I wake more throughout the night I have no problems falling back to sleep most of the time. I definitely prefer waking without the feeling of a drug in my system.
Iāve been having a horrible amount of brain zaps since changing my woe just over 3 months ago. Seems keto, then carni, changes the way my body metabolizes my anti-depressant so Iām getting this withdrawal symptom. I canāt find any other reason for brain zaps in my internet searches. So I thought āstuff itā, Iām getting brain zaps anyway, time to slowly come off my anti-depressant as well. The brain zaps are worse and Iām generally feeling less ok than I was, but Iām riding it out. Iād like to see whatās on the other side. I havenāt told my friend (who lives with me), she will have a fit!!
Grace seems to be doing ok. A lot better now she has remade all the blood cells she lost in the massive abdo bleed. Not going totally all out on trying to slow down/halt the cancer progression but doing a fair bit - raw feeding adequate protein/high fat, a small amount of broccoli for itās cancer fighting properties, omad to free up her bodyās resources for healing once itās done with digesting her food, turmeric and black pepper cooked in duck fat, fish oil. Got 50kg of raw meat on itās way (80/20 minced beef, green tripe, and a mix of beef and a bunch of offal). Should be able to fit it into my freezer, just!! Been making a big dent in all my meat feeding her. The local asian grocery sells bags of raw frozen mackerel and sardines. Itās so much fun giving her whole raw fishies and watching her crunch away.
coopdawg
#4
I mainly wanted to go carni as I was sucked in with all the raving about it being the ultimate keto, and so I was naturally curious to try it.
But, I have no autoimmune diseases worth talking about (I got dry eczema like skin on my forehead and chin with keto, but this was only temporary and was treated easily with hydrocortisone dermatitus cream/ointment- and has cleared up thankfully. This might have been stress related.).
I was asthmatic too, and used a preventer and reliever inhaler. Now I use neither, apart from the reliever if i have a cold or something. Itās like Iāve grown out of it. Stopping smoking and vaping years ago wouldāve also helped that!
So, no real pressing reason to try it apart from curiosity.
I love meats, poultry and fish, but as many a decent carnivore person on here has told me- if they could eat veg they would definitely love to still be eating vegā¦itās just their condition doesnāt agree with them.
So if you can eat non starchy veg and are OK with them, why would you want to restrict yourself to carni?
Iāll still have the meat as my main part of meal, but Iāll carry on ketoveore/normal keto thanks very much! Mushroom stroganof is too tasty!
Alcohol? Had a couple of professional meetings, well worth it, but iād had enough of it anyway.
First half of quitting week was hairyā¦a bit shaky, but ok after that.
Firing on all cylinders now. Getting a lot of stuff done that Iād put off.
Itās like Iām constantly looking for things to do to keep busyā¦but itās good.
Iāve a few home projects to do, and Iām starting to exercise more.
To be honest, i donāt know why i didnāt do it sooner? It was just a too frequent habit developed during pandemic, so Iām glad Iāve broken the cycle.
I am going to drink again, thatās a given. But never like that before.
The next time will be on a work outing (colleague leaving, so we will all get very merry no doubt) in Belfast on 24th Septemberā¦so that will be 7 weeks T-total up to then.
But Iāve found it handy enough to quit. Nothing triggers me. I could sit in a bar drinking sparkling water no problem. I seem to have got my head in the right place to quit/reduce. 
Good job on reducing your meds. I donāt and never have taken them, but Iām led to believe anti-depressants are supposed to be a temporay measure? IDK- donāt believe me, ask your doc! 
But well done anyway, especially if they make you groggy.
Aww, poor Grace. Sheās lucky she has you as a mummy.
Best wishes, R.
MeganNZ
(Megan)
#5
Yea, Iāve noticed the raving and how every now and then someone feels they need to do it to be part of the cool kids club or to get maximum results before theyāve given keto a long enough go to fully discover the results that woe can give. The very existence of the word ketovore speaks to that, imo. Carnivore is just another woe, it really suits some people for a whole variety of reasons, and is essential for many of them if they want to feel their best, but I wouldnāt call it the ultimate keto. That just makes some people think what they are currently doing isnāt enough. I see so many people on this site talking about how amazing keto is for them and there is a good reason for that. Keto is amazing for them
When youāre done finishing up all your projects pop over here to New Zealand and Iāll refresh your to do list. Great about starting to exercise more, thatās definitely on my to do list.
Iām like that too re needing to have my head in the right place before making a big change.
Yea, they probably are meant to be a temporary measure but many folks are prescribed them for years. Maybe b/c itās much easier for many of us to take a pill than do all the other things shown to be helpful for depression. And support to do all those things is expensive, prescribing a pill isnāt. The only thing an anti-depressant seems to do for me is lessen how overwhelmed I can feel when the stress really piles on. And when I get really stressed I tend to default to feeling and acting angry at times, which is why my friend will have a fit I am doing this. She reacts really badly to anger.
PaulL
(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing)
#6
A psychologist once explained to me that some peopleās biochemistry is out of whack, but a course of an anti-depressant can get their biochemistry back on track. This may take a year or two. Other peopleās biochemistry needs permanent help. There are, however, a few people in the latter group who find that a ketogenic diet has a sufficient effect on their biochemistry to reduce or eliminate the need for medication.
ElgynsToy
#7
Iām one of those people. But because Iām also stubborn as all hell and hate being reliant on pills, Iāve tried to take myself off them several times. Iāll be fine for 6 months to a year and then all hell breaks looseā¦ and my doc gets cross with me ; )
I do wonder if keto will lessen my need for the meds, but Iām also now very wary of going down that route again and ending up a train wreck.
Shinita
#8
Because carni feels better and I can avoid overeating fat (if I am very good and focused and eat the leanest items possible for me, partially at least)! And itās simple and chill and cool.
And while I CAN eat vegs and fruit and a packet of Timtams without feeling bad afterwardsā¦ I donāt want to do it often. They are pointless to me. They can balloon my calories and I stay fat forever while not even feeling my best.
But I am curious too.
And as I donāt badly NEED it, I donāt do it fully or long term, just on/offā¦ But I can imagine doing it for months while eating whatever I want, I am not THAT far (4 months, I hope). But if I have off days here and there, thatās fine with me too. My default is still carni as itās so, so superior. Keto didnāt really gave me benefits, carni (even in my not full ways) gave me MANY.
But I understand you have desires towards mushrooms and vegs. I lost that somewhere. Onions and tomatoes last longer but they lost their significance after some yearsā¦
Carnivore surely isnāt for everyone, not even keto. You just planned it and then didnāt do itā¦ Not even for a day? 
I have daily challenges out of curiosity. Until one doesnāt try, they canāt know what will happen, if the beloved items are really impossible to thrive withoutā¦
But if you donāt try it, itās fine, sure. My SO never will try even low-carb and itās perfect.
I probably need āextremely low net-carb from non-animal sources most of the timeā and eat accordingly Labels arenāt particularly important for me.
Do what suits you!
coopdawg
#9
Hi Shinita.
I know what you mean about the handiness and simpleness of the carni woe- and I do have days when I just could not be bothered with prepping veg and different ingredients, and just go the full āhogā so to speak, (or lamb, or cow lol.). For example, today on site,I just microwaved a roast chicken breast and some cooked pork sausages, with nothing else but salt.
Perfectly satisfied with no need for veg. I didnāt take pics in case colleagues thought me a weirdo (and theyād be half correct lol.).
A favourite carni meal of mine for example are lamb chops with no fat trimmed at all.
Itās just perfect enough to eat by itself tbh. Thatās not to say I donāt sometimes fry a few button mushrooms, an onion and spike it with mustard on occasions as well; depends how I feel at the time.
Stir fying/sauteing is such a simple and fast way to cook even with an added keto veg or two.
But yep, each to their own, and do what works for you.
Shinita
#10
Itās important what part of our journey we are on(? at?) tooā¦ When I went keto, I had no other option but doing it quite carby (from my current viewpoint and compared to 20g) and vegetarianā¦ My first carnivore trial came years later. And itās me, I had to arrive there (close to carni, I still have no idea if I ever will do proper carnivore for multiple months but I am sure I eventually will be very, very close and itās good enough for my body and mind) to get my benefits, keto just wasnāt good enough, others feel best on keto with vegs and worse on carnivore.
Frying vegs were different to me. It took a lot of time for about no satiation. Only my eggs helped but I can eat the eggs without vegs and I am more satiatedā¦ I had this relationship with carbs, they just made me hungrier and added fat and I didnāt need either. But I enjoyed my vegs and didnāt function well without them. Until it changed.