So, I decided to try a carnivore diet out of curiosity. I’ve been Keto for over 2 yrs and love it. I don’t have a weight issue or any other metabolic issues. I am on my 4th day and I am so hungry. I generally go about 18 hours IF everyday because I’m just not hungry. But since starting carnivore I wake up hungry and need to eat, then by mid morning I am starving. What is going on? Yesterday had a total of 2500 calories, 200g fat, 154g protein and 6g carbs. The majority of those carbs are from the 5oz of red wine, the rest i believe was the eggs. Bacon, pork sausage and egg in the morning, prime beef short ribs for lunch, 85/15 ground beef cooked in butter with bacon. Has anyone else had an issue with hunger? I otherwise feel great, just HUNGRY!
So hungry
Works great. I’ve been doing this since July/2017.
List of benefits:
Pros
Don’t need plants for vitamins
Don’t need carbohydrates for energy, muscle building, or to fuel the brain
Blood markers all great, given the right context
Don’t need fiber to poop
Don’t need to poop every day
Don’t have to eat a fixed times
No cravings for sweets
No need to track anything, my body tells me when it’s finished eating
Life is simpler, due to not having to make decisions about what to eat, make, or buy
Meal prep is easier
More energy
Body is healthier overall
Healed
Obesity
Insulin resistance
Chronic rash
Skin tags
Lack of energy and excessive sleep requirements
Depression & anxiety greatly improved
Cons
Eating with others can be a pain, but it can be done
Having to explain the diet and reasons for it at great length
Can’t think of anything else
Photos: Dread's Carnivore Muscle Thread
I need to stop derailing this thread- OP, just eat if you’re hungry - this should level off.
Technically, some meat has carbs, like shrimp and mussels. So, it’s more “carnivore” than zero carb.
The problem is that the list above is exactly the same for keto. I vary between zero and some plants per day (unless coffee, tea = plant, then I’m never zero).
That’s what I’m wondering about. I’m thinking it’s only temporary, just asking if anyone else had the same issue when starting. I did not have this issue when I started Keto.
Your body is asking you for nourishment. Thankfully, on ZC, you don’t need to worry about false signals from your body – if you are hungry, you should eat until you are satisfied. Definitely don’t try to restrict or count calories.
Do you think it could be the amount protein? How much were you eating before your carnivore experiment?
Just eat to hunger. When I started carnivore (2+ years ago), I was ravenous for the first 3 weeks, and I refused to weigh because I thought I must be gaining. Not only did I eat more than when I was just very low carb, but I had an incredible desire for fat, and ate butter with every meal. Three weeks later, I’d lost 8 lbs!
Keep in mind cooked meat depending on how long you cook it has carbs:
Not surprised they don’t show it because it is probably not significant enough or is too variable?
That’s one thing I was thinking about. I am usually somewhere around 90g, maybe a little bit more on gym days.
Lately, I’ve been going rare. But not if anyone else is eating it (family = medium rare; me = rare; guests = whatever they prefer).
By the way, anyone ordered out for “rare”? You really get medium rare or worse, most places.
I do order rare and I tell them I’m fine if the middle is cold and red, but if they cook it medium I’m going to send it back and they hate wasting meat so on the rare occasion I do go out I’m very careful to tell the server
I was once on a diet that was darn near zero carb, high protein ketogenic Atkin’s like diet; very little veggies, very strict and extreme; I actually paid $500 to get onboard plus 50$ per appointment; they took my BMI, weight, blood work, even got keto stix with the program and stuff like that and the doctor and nurse were really on me about frying turkey bacon or meat, they were telling me “…it adds carbohydrates and calories etc…” Only reason I mentioned it!
…deep frying verses boiled or lightly fry cooked, time cooked…