Stopped losing weight after 1 week on Carnivore

(Linda ) #21

My husband lost the first week and then nothing but he was enjoying the meat so kept going…
Ppl at work started saying wow what are you doing you lost so much weight he would say well I haven’t but thanks… but he had dropped two pants sizes and still weighed the same… then jumped up 9 lbs even lol

Then the scale started dropping 5lbs at a time he has now lost over 50lbs had gone from a '44 pants to a 38…
But more importantly he has diabetes and was on 3 meds he is now off one his a1c went from over 7 even on three meds to 5.8… for me thats huge and worth staying regardless of weight loss…

So you won’t always see the results straight away on the scale so def take measurements take photos and go by how your clothes feel…and if ppl comment maybe its cos your dropping size lol…

(Bob M) #22

I think you have to be careful about people who lose weight very quickly. Do those people exist? Absolutely. Are you one of the them? Maybe not (or at least I’m not one of them).

I see people on Twitter (anyone know Dr. Tro?) who lost incredible amounts of weight and look great. When I have less to lose, why don’t I look as good?

Probably for many reasons: genetics; how you got heavy; what drugs (if any) you’re still taking; too many more to mention, many of which we probably don’t know.

When I see short time frames like a week, I know that people are looking for quick fixes, when there aren’t any.

(Though I do think saying something like “you should be on carnivore for 6 months to see a benefit” is kinda useless. I give up after 1 month, maybe 2. If an intervention does not work in this time period, I assume it doesn’t work.)

(Michael Adams) #23

Polite response… Confusion abounds with reply’s of don’t watch weight.
50-60# overweight IS a health concern. And many of who I watched and researched were like me, very overweight. And touted the major benefit of losing that weight made everything else fall in line.
I know my wife is very pragmatic, and needs to see some improvement to signify that what she is doing is working.
I appreciate the comment, and am trying to respond as if we were sitting on a park bench having a conversation which includes questions to clarify the conversation.
I have taken pictures when we started and again now, 3 weeks later. No difference.
And I don’t expect to see any visual difference until about 15# is lost.
Thanks. : )

(Michael Adams) #24

Thanks for the discussion to all… To be clear, we are NOT looking for a quick fix, we know there is not such a thing and losing then maintaining on the diet is expected. And our love of meat makes this a quite viable and livable situation.
But it is hard for my wife especially as we are a visual and result orientated couple. I want to be able to keep encouraging her and provide answers.
Again Thanks…

(Robin) #25

I appreciate your polite but firm response. Sometimes I need to rein myself in. My enthusiasm can come across as a know-it-all, and I am far from it. All I really know is what works for me and I’m still learning. I too had significant weight to lose. I started keto 14 months ago. (218 lbs and 5’7”. I’m 67 years.) Keto took a couple months before it kicked in. I’m now down to 162, but it’s been slow and steady. I’ve seen many health benefits. But like you, my main motivation was to shed the pounds.

I understand your wife’s need to see results. I have lost weight many times, many ways, often very quickly… but usually gained it back just as quickly. With keto (and now carnivore) I have no urges or cravings. In fact, I’m rarely really hungry. That’s a first. So as long as it’s working and I can at least maintain, I will stick with it.

But of course you are the only ones who can know if carnivore is for you. If speedy weight loss is your priority, it might not be the diet for you. No matter what, I wish you good luck. You’ll eventually get there because you have the motivation and that’s the most important step. Good for you.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #26

The confusion here is that while obesity associates with cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, arthritis, and a host of other chronic illnesses, it does not cause them. The central tenet underlying a ketogenic diet is that these diseases are caused by excessive serum glucose and the consequent insulin response, which is the body’s attempt to drive the glucose out of the blood stream so that it can no longer cause damage.

Insulin being the primary fat-storage hormone, elevated insulin causes some of that excess glucose (usually resulting from a high-carbohydrate diet) to be stored as fat, hence the obesity that associates with all those other diseases. Lowering serum glucose by cutting carbohydrate intake not only causes serum glucose to drop, it also lessens the insulin response. When insulin drops low enough to allow some of our excess fat out of storage, it also stops causing the other types of associated damage.

As Dr. Robert Lustig points out, nearly half of the obese population has no metabolic disease (these are called MHO, “metabolically healthy obese”), and over half of the non-obese population suffers from the same metabolic diseases we say are caused by obesity. And there are actually more “thin sick” people (which doctors call TOFI, “thin on the outside, fat on the inside”) than there are “fat sick” people. Which is yet more evidence that the understanding underlying our government’s dietary advice is just plain wrong.

(Shadi Na) #27

I agree with you. I have same problem here and I hadn’t same issue when I started keto. As a matter of fact I lost weight from the 2th week in keto but carnivore isn’t working for me and I’m surprised why?!

#28

I realise this is an old thread but it seems full of good information.
I am sorry the OP did not see results fairly quickly as regards to weightloss. I was in a similar position. The only way I got meaningful weighoss was to fast 3 days a week after trying l sorts of WOE from calorie restriction through fruitarian, keto, OMAD, 800 kcal weeks and now carnivore.
I found, by accident, my blood sugar rose precipitously after even a meat-centric English breakfast.
I wondered if high insulin could be the cause and found my fasting insulin was 22. Asked my GP for assistance and the NHS advice made me put back on the 56lbs I had lost in 6 months basically not eating. My fasting insulin was now 25 but because my A1C was low my doctor was not concerned just told me it was because I was fat and I should lose weight. Arrrgh!
Back to Carnivore, but still no progress so a summer of resignation. Finally got some inspiration to do more research and found, for women in particular, small meals with small amounts of protein were suggested as larger amounts and OMAD or twoMAD raise insulin too much (excess protein is turned to glucose) in those who have the ‘survival’ gene for storing fat in times of famine.
So it seems I was right that insulin is the problem.
I went onto 3-4 meals a day with only a max of 150g of raw weight meat per meal with fat. Things finally started to move. Only, slowly, oh so slowly. 12lbs in 2 months but each lb reduction came with a loss of body fat %, currently a whole 1%!, according to my cheap scales.
I started hard core carnivore at 256 and 5’7" and am currently 244.
Sadly, no dairy, kefir, cheese. I avoid chicken and eat mostly lamb leg steaks or ground beef (80/20), eating the cooled fat with occasional kidneys or liver and belly pork. Some smoked mackerel, tinned anchovies and tinned wild salmon. Too much salt gives me odema. I realised I rarely ate eggs despite choline being excellent for the liver. Breakfast is now 6 egg yolks with a scoop of hydrolysed marine collagen and 10g of butter in black coffee.
Not fantastically exciting but Finally losing fat. 100lbs to go.
To note, triglycerides are super low, HDL in a good range and GP is handling me about my LDL, now, not my obesity. I can’t win LOL.
I hope this helps someone. YouTube has some fantastic educators, go for science, avoid hype.

(Robin) #29

My diet isn’t remotely fantastically exciting either. And that means we have finally lost the emotions previously attached to eating.
I’ll take blasé anyway.

(Megan) #30

Welcome to the forum @Lotusbridge, I think this thread is worth resurrecting too.

Here’s my n=1. It might be a great n=1 for some and is undoubtably an unworkable n=1 for others, but there may still be some useful tidbits for everyone.

When I first started in May 2022 (a few weeks keto then moved to carnivore) I was frustrated initially when weight didn’t start falling off, especially when my friend who’d just started keto lost a bunch quickly even though she wasn’t overweight, and very quickly dropped too low (BMI 17). Here we are at the end of November and I am down 16.1 kg (35 pounds). I am 60 years old, female, 6 foot 2 inches tall (188 cm), sedentary and have another 10ish kg to go. My body may want to lose more, who knows, but in very fitting clothes (tights and t-shirt) I’m already starting to approach the bean pole look.

Maybe I am lucky that the way I do carnivore is working for me, as far as weight loss goes. I eat what I enjoy eating, whenever I feel like eating, and in whatever amount I feel like eating. I’m a bit of a night owl and eat late at night, which is not considered “ideal”. In fact many days I eat more of what I consume in a day long after the sun has set than when it is still up. Yes, I might be lucky to be “getting away with this”, but the biggest woe/“diet” killer for me, by far, is feeling deprived. If I want to eat, whether I am truly hungry or not, I eat - the only limit I have in place is it needs to be carnivore.

I don’t calorie count and I don’t track my protein to fat ratios. I just eat. Some days that’s a lot, some days not so much. Some meals are smallish, some are large. It all depends on what I feel like in any given moment. I’m not a fan of a lot of animal protein sources and am constrained by cost, so I mostly eat cuts of fatty pork (my main meat source), some rump steak and cheap beef roast cuts, some beef or lamb liver if I feel like it, eggs, some very low carb greek yoghurt most days, a few slices of cheese a couple of times a week, and heavy cream in my coffee.

My biggest non scale victory is I have reduced how much inflammation is in my body. My CRP is normal for the 1st time in decades, and I no longer need a knee replacement. Overall pain (arthritis and fibromyalgia) is a lot better. I’m sure carrying less weight around is helping with the pain as well.

I’ve also weaned myself off the antidepressant I have been taking for years and am doing fine, mood wise. Stopping the 2 meds I take at night that help me sleep, especially to stay asleep, did not work at all so I restarted them. 2 months of waking every 30-90 minutes every night was terrible for me physically and emotionally. Maybe one day I can reduce and even stop them, but I’m not going to try to force that again.

I take magnesium at night (have done for many years) and 3 or so times a week I’ll remember to take a fish oil/vitamin D supplement and a comprehensive multivitamin/mineral tablet. I decided to take the multivitamin fairly recently as a bit of insurance because I don’t eat a wide variety of animal foods, especially seafoods and organs. When the bottle is empty I’ll see if I notice any difference not taking it.

Anyway, that’s my n=1. A very relaxed approach that is working well for me.

(ConnorGreg) #31

Good for you and your partner for giving the Carnivore diet a shot. It’s normal to hit a weight loss plateau, even after seeing progress in the first week. But don’t worry. There are a few things that might help you get back on track.
Have you tried tracking what you’re eating to see if any patterns or sneaky calories are slipping in? Also, your body might have adjusted to the diet, so switching things up with different meal combinations could boost you.
But if you’re still struggling to lose weight, have you heard about Reverse Health? It might be worth checking out, especially if you’re experiencing hormonal changes affecting your weight.

(Robin) #32

Welcome to the forum! Look forward to hearing your personal keto or carnivore journey.

(Guinevere Sturridge) #33

It’s common to experience changes in weight, even on a Carnivore diet. Several factors could be kept in mind. Firstly, ensure you’re consuming enough calories to monitor your calorie intake you can use any tool available on internet like tdee calculator to maintain your metabolic demands; eating appropriate meals can cause your weight decrease to stop. In addition, hormone changes, stress, sleep quality, and hydration levels can all affect weight. To make sure you’re getting all the nutrition your body needs, think about keeping a record of your meals. Also, consider the quality of the foods you choose and keep an eye out for foods high in fat or hidden carbohydrates. Finally, engage in some physical activity to help your metabolism and general well-being. Recall that losing weight can not always be straightforward, so have patience and be consistent. If the worries continue, speaking with a dietitian or medical expert could offer more information targeted to your specific requirements.

#34

I spent 3 years frim 2020 to 2023 gaining back 10 kg of weight that I lost from 2016. My mistake was baking sourdough which was the gateway to eating lots of carbs. I started carnivore Dec 2023 and lost 6 kg by Feb 2024, then gained 2 kg to level out at 66 kg, and stayed there for six weeks or so. I have now started to lose weight again. My goal is 58-60 kg.
I dont eat dairy. I only eat beef.

#35

It’s pretty common to hit a plateau after the initial weight loss, especially with something like the Carnivore diet. I’ve been on a similar journey. I started Carnivore last December and had a great start, losing 6 kg by February. Then, like you, I gained a bit back and hovered around the same weight for a while.

I found that making small adjustments helped me get back on track. Sometimes adding a bit more variety within the Carnivore framework, like different cuts of beef or incorporating more organ meats, can make a difference. Also, staying hydrated and getting enough sleep are crucial.

One thing that worked for me was checking out some discussions on fitness forums. I came across Steroids for Sale and read about how some people used them to boost their progress. It was interesting and seemed to help a few folks.

(Robin) #36

Welcome, glad you’re here. Stick around and share. You’ve got a cheering section now. (Minus the pom poms… limited budget.)

(Brian) #37

Reading the opening post kinda reminded me of something that happened a few years ago.

Our son was visiting over the holidays. He wanted to see what a certain comedian was like. We have numerous videos. The comedian is a story teller and stories take a long time to develop. The setups can sometimes take 5 to 15 minutes to describe such that 1 or 2 minutes at the end of the story will be hysterically funny.

Son sat and watched the first 2 minutes and promptly declared that he didn’t see the humor. I guess he expected it to happen immediately. He never got to experience the whole story as he gave up and walked away before it ever happened.

Kinda seems like people do that with new diets, too. They give up before they’ve ever really gotten started.

(Derek Diaz) #38

Your comment was very helpful. You realigned my expectations and made them reasonable.
Thank you.

I especially liked the facts you ticked off in this part of your post:

I had been unhappy with my slow results. I lost 25 lbs doing low carb on the lead up to full carnivore then and additional 25 lbs on carnivore over a six-month window. I have struggled because I only lose weight when I also fast. Carnivore makes fasting much easier, but I do not get the fat loss “for free” that most others report enjoying by just doing pure carnivore with OMAD. My weight plateaus when I eat carnivore once per day. For weeks at a time. I only see progress when I fast for a day or more. So, in frustration, I took to fasting every other day for a week, and that strategy will net a loss of 4 to 6 lbs each time I do it.

All of that made me feel “cheated” out of the faster (and easier) progress most others report. However, your comment made me rethink how realistic my expectations were.

I have added lots of extra fat to avoid feeling low energy mentally, something I have to do because my job requires peak mental performance. Potentially, keeping my energy up, has made progress slow. Not sure, but it could explain slow results.

That could be holding me back, but reading your comment I realized there are other possibilities. I might be eating too much protein (I eat to satiety which usually means 650g to 1kg of ribeye per OMAD).
As you wrote, my body might be repairing something, and it just needs time before carnivore kicks in for weight loss. I am 6.5 months in to pure carnivore, and you mentioned that for some people, they don’t see any weight loss for 6 months. Well, at least I have seen signification weight loss, if not what I had hoped for and I feel better than I used to in terms of general health. In the end, your insights made me realize it just might take longer that I had hoped, but it is very likely around the corner.

Thanks for that.

(Derek Diaz) #39

This is the key difference I’ve noticed. I also lost weight about 7 times starting from when I was 15 years old. A huge struggle each time. Each time I lost at least 20 to 30 lbs, and a few times around 40 to 50 lbs. Each time I would jog between 1 mile to 3 miles every other day for about 9 months and “eat clean” which meant following the US government’s disinformation about what a healthy diet was.

However, I fought hunger all the way down and after I could not maintain the weight for more than a few weeks to a couple of months before I would notice my weight ticking up. My hunger would not allow me to “just maintain” what I had earned with so much hard work and will power. But, now on carnivore, my hunger over the last six months is mostly gone. As in, gone for weeks at a time. On “hungry” days, I only eat twice that day - and I feel guilty about it. Like, “Oh my god, I’m eating so much today”. lol.

I have only been carnivore for Six months, but that is enough time to gain some confidence that this time - the weight will stay off. And, on this 8th go around the carousel, I have hope that I won’t be plagued by a constant gnawing and implacable hunger. The fact that many long-term carnivores report that to be the case for them as well makes my feel good about my chances.

(KM) #40

I don’t know how much weight you would still like to lose. While many people experience some starts and stalls, I think some of us have a set point for our weight that is simply not what we would consider ideal. I personally think I look better with 10 more pounds gone, but my comfortable quasi carnivore eating pattern for the past 2 years has me rock steady at this same just slightly chubby weight I was for my prom 40 years ago. I think I have to just be comfortable with where I wound up