“Slaptember!” Challenge

#284

I get what you are saying definitely.

but zero carb has concepts we follow in this plan.

the focus is on food. We eat food. We do not rely on plant based drinks, hot or cold :slight_smile: If you want something in the morning, then try eating food first is what zero carb is all about. Chatting other situations/plans people are on they have different use for liquids, like bulletproof coffee to keep them satisfied and off food…but zero carb is 100% about FOOD HEALS our body, coffee will not ever be a benefit to heal your body if you are a zero carb based value person on this plan. Coffee carries alot of troubles for many and even if they can drink some, alot of people when theyb drop it realize just how crappy it is for them individually.

See on carnivore unless one stops the coffee as a morning crutch one will never know if they are truly hungry or not. Key is to learn this from our body. Simple as that on zero carb. A newbie especially! Their eating patterns and hunger signals and more are not more pronounced and healing is just starting while going thru adaption times so…I say hard on that coffee as a focus in the morning is not a good zc concept at all. Ask all those zc people who dumped relying on coffee and never thought they would want to eat real food in the morning, found they really enjoyed eating real food and it helped alot and it made them feel better and more alert and this is what zc is all about. Truth thru eating meat/seafood/fish and not relying on any other plant based crap.

So that is the ZC angle that coffee is all about and thing is being a zc challenge thread, hey this info is needed for a newbie carnivore.

And coffee is that monster gray area on how it should be enjoyed in your eating life and not a crutch to skip meat meals. Thing is the more healing meat and real foods we eat the better we are and heal more and adapt easier and all that good stuff.

So that again was my angle and I do get yours about some never wanting breakfast cause I was one of those too til I started zc I found I wanted to eat in the morning cause I followed the plan as I learned from veterans, but after my healing and adapting, I naturally went right back to not being hungry at all in the morning…so I changed my eating pattern as zc needed to heal me and then in the end, longer and longer on plan most zc people fall into 2 meals per day or maybe 1 but that seems to be the normal for us. But when we start, more people don’t eat breakfast time find they WANT food in the morning if they are not drinking their breakfast…so again, zc info that comes into play for some.

Also that ‘clinging to coffee’ as a crutch is so sad cause food is what the body wants, not this junk truly. And I am like you, when hungry I eat real food LOL

#285

Hey Peeps!

Finally getting some sleep the last two nights. Prior to that, I was awakened 3-4 times a night with hot flashes. Then had to work 8-10 hour shifts the following days. Not cool. I got desperate. While I detest taking drugs, I had to pull out the dye free Benadryl, pop a couple - the last two nights- and that did the trick. Hoping that the protocol will help create a better sleep pattern. Have to wait and see. (Melatonin makes me drowsy, but only for an hour or so, then I’m wide awake again.)

Eats yesterday…1 Aeropressed coffee with HWC. I(t’s only 6 oz of coffee.) 2 fried eggs, 1 TB butter, 4 strips turkey bacon fried in coconut oil.
Midday meal…2c ground beef- cold. Full of fat!
Iced tea
Didn’t eat dinner.
Bedtime…2 Benadryl =)
Have a truck to unload and stock today. Right now, the only day off is Sunday. I swear I’m the only one getting a ton of OT. Not complaining though. As long as I stay ZC (and get some sleep), energy abounds.
These hot flashes are just killing me. Had a thought though…you ladies tell me if this sounds plausible… ZC, I’ve read, can cause “meat sweats”. I don’t know the whole process here, but I believe the idea is that the body ramps up metabolism thus causing the body to heat up. So, combine that phenomenon with hot flashes- and I think we have a winner! Not going off ZC, but, it might explain why I feel like I’ve been living life inside of a kiln recently. I experienced the meat-sweat thing last summer/fall when I fasted then went full on ZC. But, it seemed only temporary. Now, me thinks it is a combination of factors. Not sure how to sort it out completely, and live normally, but…fall is here and winter is around the corner. Cooler air is a relief.

Back to eats…Not sure what to eat today. Might fast for awhile. IDK. But, gotta get ready for work. Cheers to you all!!!

#286

No, everyone is individual. You have personal concepts. And everyone else does their own things.
You basically says I shouldn’t drink coffee and yep, it’s quite carnivore not to (it’s good I only want carnivore-ish, coffee is borderline okay for me. any time). But eating in the morning, me??? NO WAY, never. I rather would go vegan, quite seriously. I hate breakfasts with a burning passion and with reason.

So yep, quitting coffee is something that is my goal, I can agree with that (and I didn’t stop drinking it as I consider it mostly harmless in my individual case). But it makes zero difference to me if I drink it at 10am, right after my meal or at 2am. It’s just flavored water and my only stubborn food/drink addiction (not the type of addiction that I have problems if I don’t have for 2 weeks. I am fine then though I miss it a bit but not my body as it doesn’t need it and actually subtly prefers no coffee at all).
It wasn’t even a morning crutch to me most of my life, I usually drank it between noon and late at night. It’s a joy…? A weird snack… Procrastinating method… And probably other things in one. The smaller bad. Coffee instead food is a great thing for me when I am satiated and eating would be clearly bad for me. I overate almost all my life, often massively, lowering my calorie intake was an important goal. Carnivore is special so I can stop this but coffee won’t follow it immediately as it’s a super old and strong habit, I find it fun and it still helps when I want to consume something but I definitely won’t eat. It will go away, maybe in a few years, I hope for an earlier time, maybe if a switch could be turned in my head… I actually make efforts to lower my coffee consumption but it’s one of my least important ones. I mess up way more important things sometimes so if keeping coffee is easier, I often choose that.
Not ideal but the best.

Maybe I should try to stop drinking coffee again… I need changing my ways anyway (not eating wise, that goes okay now), maybe everything at once would be easier…
I will try :smiley: It’s probably harder on a longer fast as I feel odd without my meal even if I feel a bit more satiated as ideal… Oh that’s why it’s funnier that way. Okay, maybe I can stop now and fast with water - and tea, I can’t just give up everything :smiley: Only water is a nice concept but when I am almost impressed I don’t eat grapes for a day, it’s a bit strict for me.
But I will try :smiley: It would bring many great benefits especially time wise. Drinking coffee and tea takes a lot of time (and some money I could buy something useful with) if the one in question is me. I can spend ages with drinking coffee in the morning when I have the lowest energy and a not functioning brain. Too bad coffee doesn’t help anything with that but maybe I should be glad, I would be truly addicted forever then. Some exercise is better but how do I do that when I have no energy, mood and significant brain activity? Hm… Maybe I swap coffee to a little exercise? Sounds a good idea.

(Edith) #287

I’ve run into the same problem with melatonin.

My hormones stalled for about four months. The hot flashes and night sweats were terrible! Last weekend, I believe my hormones kicked back in and I ovulated. The night sweats and hot flashes are now much fewer. I’m still eating carnivore, so I’m thinking it’s not the meat, just the hormones. I’m also sleeping way better, but that could be because I upped my magnesium and I’m using Natural Calm which is Mg Citrate.

(Elizabeth ) #288

Okay I’m a little confused you’re not carnivore and don’t want to be why you’re in this carnivore thread? It’s a challenge for people who want to be carnivore as far as I can tell? Just confused…

(Elizabeth ) #289

Why are you starving yourself? That’s probably a good reason why you’re not sleeping and having sweats :woman_shrugging:

(Elizabeth ) #290

For people who are having a tough time even going one day much less the month of September strict carnivore which I believe is the challenge right? https://www.zerocarbhealth.com/dirty-carnivore/

(Keto Koala 🐨) #291

@Elizedge Hi, I’m not Carnivore and I come into this thread. It’s because it’s a friendly nice place and I try to be Carni as best I can. Even on Carni I drank coffee. @Shinita has every right to be here… just saying.:grinning:.

(Keto Koala 🐨) #292

@Fangs Sorry I been SO slack. I haven’t been on here. Been going through some stuff. But I’m eating lots of cheesy eggs and meat. My belly is so sensitive. I will come back. I’m just a bit hectic lately.:upside_down_face:. I am very tired and brain dead right now. :scream:. I hope everyone is well.:grinning:

#293

Because

  1. it’s fun. carni threads are my favs.
  2. Fangs is fine with it. I felt a bit odd in the past but she was nice and welcoming. It’s a challenge for me too, I just fall off the wagon too much… But being here only for the first days of the month (or not even that if the 1st is an unfortunate day) would be so little!
  3. It helps me bringing down my carbs and my body needs that. So it’s very useful even in my carbier times. If I try to do keto in those less easy times, that will be too carby, no matter how I look at it. If I try to do carnivore-ish, well that’s perfect even if I mess it up. And I do like carnivore but it’s complicated.
  4. My default/goal woe is carnivore-ish (even if I don’t do it often enough), where would I be? Normal keto is super far from that and I can’t go back there. The keto topics about food (I love food) are full with carbs I don’t wanna touch. Not like I don’t talk about fruits here but I try to do it little now :slight_smile:
    And it’s only my goal now and I mess it up a lot but I am sure I can get much closer in the future. There’s my very seriously planned carnivore(-ish) November! Even if I can’t get enough proper meat, I want to do it, it’s realistic but I need every help, even now. I train myself to be able to do that! I am an enthusiastic person and Fangs is that too. It helps.
    And I don’t know what the future brings but true carnivore all year round, I doubt that is for me. But I still can have lots of carnivore and carnivore-ish days because they make me feel better but I don’t need them all the time. Even one month seems unnecessary but I can’t know it, I must try it out. Maybe some little miracle or enlightement happens!

I’ve read the dirty carnivore thing. Well, it’s not carnivore and it’s what I totally must avoid as it’s too relaxed and easily brings me even out of keto. I agree with this on that page:

It’s carnivore-ish for me as I can afford a lil bit plant matter without problems but nuts and berries and avocados and salads? Oh my, it would ruin everything. That’s normal keto…
Carnivore-ish is carnivore with a tiny bit wriggle room to sooth something in me. A tiny, optional little spot. The focus is totally elsewhere.

My carnivore days never were tough, in the contrary, best days ever, usually (of course, it’s easy if they are only a few in row…). I only do a woe if it’s enjoyable and I don’t really get tempted. Both part suffers when I run out of proper meat but I just don’t have another woe to fall back, only for a little while.

My basic attitude is very different. I don’t have any problems with plants. I have problems with (net) carbs (and peanuts for some reasons. As I think it’s the only big oxalate source I ate, maybe that’s why. And it was super addictive but it stopped on carnivore right away, yay!). And plants have too much carbs so they have no much chance, usually. But a tiny bit is fine for me.

(Elizabeth ) #294

Of course that’s fine I’m not saying it isn’t but if you’re not carnivore and this one thread this challenge is for people trying to be strict carnival for the month why would you give keto advice? That’s what I’m confused about

(Edith) #295

For my first meal of the day, around 10:30 am, I ate 1/2 beef stick, two chicken wing drumettes, and a 12 ounce ribeye fried up in some suet. It’s eight hours later and I have no desire for dinner. I may have to wait until breakfast for my next meal.

Sticking to carnivore has not been too challenging this month, except when my hormones turned on last weekend. I had a day where I ended up nibbling a few berries and a piece of dark chocolate. Every dessert on the TV commercials was causing me cravings. I figured the fruit and chocolate wasn’t too bad. The next day was back to normal. Ah, hormones.

(Laurie) #296

Thanks, everyone, for your responses to my post. I really appreciate it!

(Edith) #297

Well, I take it back. I ended up eating dinner around 7:00 pm: shrimp dipped in mayo, a few leftover wings, and some pork rinds.

#298

Well, that’s the thing…I’m not hungry very often. I eat when I am hungry- and until I am satiated. Not feeling starved or deprived in the least. Fatty meats and fresh eggs are my mainstays. Once in a great while, a bit of cheese.

Its the damn hot flashes that wake me up, not hunger pangs. Not sure if “meat sweats” are intensifying the hot flashes, though.

(Elizabeth ) #299

By – Caitlin Tilton
HUNGER CUES
We’re learning “body” hunger instead of “head” hunger!
Head hunger will tell you that _____ carbs are what you are hungry for, right? We think we’re fighting cravings when we stand firm and don’t give in to those kind of signals. Or we feel like a failure if we do give in to those signals and eat _____ carbs.
We MUST begin to realize that this is actually “body” hunger. On a mixed diet, including carbs, and especially on a low calorie or restricted diet, our bodies are starving at the cellular level. They’re not getting the optimum fuel. So our cells cry out for fuel! It often takes the form of carbs, right? A candy bar, bread, juice/soda, pasta, etc. (Usually I avoid naming carbs, so overlook this, for the purpose of this discussion.)
When our mind/head suggests a certain carb, we call that a craving. Often it is so strong that we cannot focus on anything else until we locate that particular food and satisfy that craving.
Think much broader than that, now. Your body is starving at the cellular level. Especially if you are ill, overweight or obese, have thyroid or hormone imbalances, or have been on restricted diets in the past.
You must feed your body optimum fuel. When you get cravings, eat more meat. It is the absolute best thing you can do. And 1-2 pounds of steak or burgers will quiet ANY cravings in your head, I promise.
If you’re ill, eat more meat. If you’re active/athletic, eat more meat. If you’re nursing or pregnant, eat more meat. If you’re obese, eat more meat. Low energy? Fatigued? Cranky, depressed? Eat. More. Meat.
Always fix a meal and take a few bites before you conclude that you’re not hungry. You don’t have that empty, low blood sugar crash that most of us associate with hunger. It’s because your insulin levels are stabilizing. It’s a good thing!
However, a big part of adapting to a meat only diet is learning these other hunger cues. Or learning that you simply NEED a certain amount of fuel every day.
“Eat to hunger” really does take on a new meaning.
And as BJ (a long time zero carber) has eloquently said many times, this process can take years!
We don’t want anyone stuffing themselves or eating simply because you’re trying to reach a set amount of food per day.
BUT, the biggest danger to new people in the early months of adopting a Zero Carb Carnivore diet is not eating enough. The sharp hunger cues are not there, so people think they don’t need to eat, and within days or sometimes a few weeks – they get fatigued, they lose energy and strength, they can’t fight cravings, and they conclude that Zero Carb just doesn’t work for them.
These are the times to err on the side of too much meat. Fix three meals a day and take a few bites. If the smell and taste of meat doesn’t trigger an appetite, fine. Put the food away and try again a little later.
Trust me, your body is hungry and needs a lot of good fuel. It will let you know! Fatigue, grouchy mood, headache – these are some of your new hunger signals!
If you ask yourself, “What would the long-time ZCers say?” Guess what? Almost invariably, our answer will be, “Eat more meat!”
So try that first. If the problem persists, then come and ask, ha ha.
But for most of the issues in the first 6-12 months, yeah, we’re probably going to keep repeating, “Have you tried eating more meat?”
See the pattern? :camera:

#300

Thanks for laying this out Fangsy. I’m still caught in the coffee as an appetite suppressant, in part, world in facilitating my restricted feeding window.

#301

Oxtober? ( hopefully more ox than oxalate)

(Patty W) #302

I got the Gourmia air fryer at Costco for 49.99. All the other ones I saw on Amazon & other places were usually way fancier & more expensive than I wanted to get to just try it out. Plus if it didn’t work out, I could always return it easily. It’s a good size, the basket is about the size of a medium dinner plate. I can cook 2 steaks medium steaks or 4 1/4 pound burgers in it. Super easy to use & clean. Seems solid for a basic unit & I’ve been using nearly every day this month. Best steaks I’ve ever made (I never quite got the hang of using a grill or cast iron skillet just right). Crisping up the fat on a steak with a nice med rare interior…yummy! I promise I don’t get any commission on this ;). It’s just so seldom that a kitchen gadget is as awesome as it promises to be.

(Patty W) #303

Kelly Hogan had a really good YouTube video with a female MD who is Carnivore & a gynecologist. Very good info re: perimenopausal hormones & Carnivore. Might be helpful if you’re interested?