Ketovore anyone?

[Elizedge]

Hey kiddo this is spot on

[AuntJane]

o when you read those stellar success stories, and boy I am one of them, I have to say the only way to achieve YOUR personal results and what benefits you gain is only by eating this plan, and even the 30 day is not enough, the full 90 days all in zero carb is the best way to gage for yourself.

Holy crap 90 DAYS??? If you’ve seen my new accountability thread (?), I actually do feel pretty good about what I’m doing right now. I am doing OMAD twice per week (actually about a 20:4 day with a lot of protein when I break my fast and a keto-friendly snack or two after that). My eating days include 2 high-protein meals of mostly beef and chicken, then some smaller meals of keto-friendly mostly animal-based foods for a total of about 6 meals per day. This is physically and emotionally comfortable for me and my weight has actually started to drop. I’m not starving, not eating off plan out of anxiety… In short, what I’m doing right this second seems to be working and seems sustainable.

However. I remain really intrigued by the prospect of going full carnivore, especially when I hear success stories like yours. I also feel tempted to “go there” when I have an attack of gastritis, like I did yesterday, and when I notice that despite being squarely into keto for awhile, I am still having inflammatory issues. I pulled a muscle BADLY 2 days ago by doing… I don’t even know what! I am having arthritis pangs in my hands… I feel BETTER since I started eating more meat. I have a fireball of energy inside me that is very different from how I used to feel. I just have an overall feeling of well being that I haven’t had in decades, if I ever felt that way at all. And yet… these issues remain. Will they dissipate over time or will I have to go 100% carnivore in order to find out how much better I can feel?

I will say (and this question is directed at you @Fangs but also at any other 100% carnivore who might read this) that one concern I have is that if I go plant-free, does that also mean no spices…? No tea? No coffee? I rely pretty heavily on all of those to get me through my day and to make my food palatable. I could probably deal with unseasoned steak… but I don’t like unseasoned hamburger and I can’t afford steak all the time, much as I’d love it. I really don’t like unseasoned chicken but I feel like I get a lot of benefit from the collagen I eat with my daily drumsticks. Thoughts…?

[Elizedge]

100% over 26 months, no cheat days etc… Try this site, tons of good info from 10+ year veterans http://www.zerocarbhealth.com/15-common-zero-carb-questions-easily-answered/

[Shinita]

Many carnivores consume coffee, tea and spices… Not necessarily for very long term, of course. Our taste can change.
I had a single day without them and even dairy So not for me though if I have some delicious meat, I don’t need anything else but salt with it. Meat has the best flavor already. But many people love variety, some meat isn’t that great alone (I usually ground and mix those with egg and fry it in lard, so much flavor. Bland tendons surprised me last time, they became very tasty prepared the mentioned way)… I personally heavily depend on smoked meat but I don’t have fresh meat for weeks now. But even when I do, I love smoked pork. And there is dairy… It’s totally carnivore to me as long as I don’t overdo lactose.
No plants except spices, tea or coffee already sounds pretty good and many people don’t even need to be that strict to be just fine (at some point they won’t be even totally relaxed carnivores but it’s fine, it’s not for everyone). Find your own sweet spot, try out things and if you do something hard to label but it’s ideal for you, so be it. One person should be more strict than another. I am sure there are people who can gleefully eat lots of sugar (well, lots from my viewpoint) from dairy. It’s not good for me, it’s worse than eating plants with less carbs… But I am fine with higher total carbs as far as I know as long as my net is very low (not like it’s particularly important in normal circumstances). Egg carbs are just fine.

Anyway, my general thought is don’t give up things you find very important (you are a bit miserable without it) and you don’t think it’s bad for you. Maybe you still reach your goals. Maybe you can change more later. Labels aren’t important and I for one don’t think there are a huge difference between carnivore and not carnivore for everyone let alone between strict carnivore and relaxed carnivore. We don’t know how strict we should be until we try it for a longer time. Some people are happy with the most relaxed keto. Others feel barely any change, those requires more rules but not necessarily in the same direction.

You can’t get collagen from some tastier stuff? Good chicken should be very tasty but maybe your chicken or tastebuds are different… But you can use various great things as side dish. When chicken isn’t the side dish… Those may help. But I really don’t think some spice can hurt much in the vast majority of cases. Of course, I know little and I am just an undisciplined hedonistic low-carber with thoughts.

[AuntJane]

I am just an undisciplined hedonistic low-carber with thoughts.

This describes me perfectly

[mtncntrykid]

I guess I feel like I need permission to do things the way I want to… like I’m in denial if I don’t. I feel pressured when I listen to the carnivore success stories to give up all plant foods… like I won’t know the benefits of carnivore until I do… I definitely don’t have my eating under control and I’ve been at this keto thing for almost a year, so that’s part of it. My weight is down a little but not a lot. I go back and forth with to fast or not to fast also but I dunno… I’m still trying to get my eating into a routine. I tend to doubt myself a lot too

I can completely relate to this and will give you my past experience.
I went full carnivore for six months. I have always had a problem with my satiety switch working properly and felt this might be a solution, especially since I love my meats. What it taught me was after gaining back 30 lbs is that I need to accept the fact my over-eating is due a mental desire to eat and not a physical need. I love to eat!
I have since went back to including some of the good veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, spinach, ect) as fillers during some meals to help me get that full comfort feeling my mind requires. Lol
I have since lost half of the re-gained weight and still loosing. My mind gets satisfied when feeding and consequently don’t think about food 24/7 like when I was eating carnivore. I absolutely loved eating carnivore but just don’t think it is right for me in my current situation. Maybe when I reach my ultimate goal and start a maintenance regime I will look at it again.
Hope this helps.

[Fangs]

I have a fireball of energy inside me that is very different from how I used to feel. I just have an overall feeling of well being that I haven’t had in decades, if I ever felt that way at all. And yet… these issues remain. Will they dissipate over time or will I have to go 100% carnivore in order to find out how much better I can feel?

gastritis and arthritis are things zero carbers say they can get great improvement. inflammation is a mother ya know LOL in that it can truly keep us in that state where we just don’t improve to the ultimate we can. There are no promises tho and we all wish their was of course but only way to know is to do the trial and go all in and try.

It sounds like you are gaining ground and finding a more sweet spot that is working for you so that is good.

It is advisable to drop coffee etc. and go full 30 days on meat and water but of course a lot of people keep the coffee and a few spices they like and just keep anything they use in low amts. But that full 90 days gives more truth ya know and longer on plan is key to this for seeing a more real effects of what the plan can do for you, but even the 30 is a good way to see.

but if you are improving and doing much better then keep doing what you are doing

chicken is a good meat but it is inferior content to red meats. but everyone who loves chicken eats it and enjoys it but most zc eventually flip out of chicken kinda and crave the red meats more but it is a personal eating choice of course,

happy you are doing good and things are falling more into place for you

[Elizedge]

This just posted recently, food for thought…https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i095Xn45p0U#dialog

[Fangs]

Cool!! Always liked Kait She has good vids out.

hey gonna copy this and put it over in the zero carb video thread for others. has great info!

[AuntJane]

My mind gets satisfied when feeding and consequently don’t think about food 24/7 like when I was eating carnivore. I absolutely loved eating carnivore but just don’t think it is right for me in my current situation.

Yes!!! I may try 100% carnivore at some point to check out the health benefits but at the moment, I feel psychologically satisfied with what I’m doing AND now that I’m 99% carnivore most of the time (Tier 1 Carnivore according to Dr. Paul Saladino), I know that the nutrient content of my diet is far superior to my mostly vegetarian diet I was eating a few months ago. Now I eat vegetables at most once per day. I do a few keto treats but not as many as I used to do… and now that I’ve reincorporated IF, I’ve dropped a couple of pounds.

Bottom line, this is me:

my over-eating is due a mental desire to eat and not a physical need. I love to eat!

So if I can manage my diet from a “mental” standpoint, I can avoid overeating much more easily.

[velvet]

Me too.

[Shinita]

Two two (physical need and mental desire) may be pretty much connected. And our diet may have a huge effect on both…
I am pretty sure my massive overeating had both mental and physical reasons as I still feel both when I eat significantly over my needs (it never stopped but it’s fine once in the blue moon, maybe even useful). Both can be very, very strong, almost irresistible. And (the proper style of) carnivore just solves it! I don’t need to make any efforts except sticking to carnivore or almost carnivore, at least most of the time… Fortunately I don’t need to be super strict. I am still amazed that just the proximity of carnivore
makes my life way easier and my calories drastically drop (I need that). I don’t even need to eat much meat for that. My hunger disappears and my desires become tiny and I have control. Brilliant. I add some off days and I don’t need to give up anything at all.
(I restarted my personal special almost-carnivore diet yesterday and everything got better instantly so I am enthusiastic now.)

[AuntJane]

(I restarted my personal special almost-carnivore diet yesterday and everything got better instantly so I am enthusiastic now.)

Awesome! Good luck!

I am pretty sure my massive overeating had both mental and physical reasons as I still feel both when I eat significantly over my needs (it never stopped but it’s fine once in the blue moon, maybe even useful). Both can be very, very strong, almost irresistible.

I can definitely relate. I get VERY compulsive and determined to eat what I want to eat at that moment. Meat helps me a lot as well but I still struggle even at almost completely carnivore. I do think if I went all the way it would work better, but I’m not willing to make those sacrifices right now.

[VirginiaEdie]

Hi @AuntJane, how is ketovore going for you?

[AuntJane]

Hi and thank you for asking! I would say I’m still in the ketovore range. I started a new accountability thread with my high protein approach. I would link it here but I don’t know how…! I do feel like I’m onto something and MAY be starting to lose weight… MAYBE…!!! It’s been such a long, frustrating journey but I keep plugging away!

[ctviggen]

I’ve been calling myself a “condiment carnivore”, as I mainly eat things that “spice” up meat, like olives, mustard, BBQ sauce, pickles, etc. Sometimes, I’ll eat some vegetables that my wife makes, or have a salad, but not that often. I will often just eat meat, too.

I do eat dairy though.