Carnivore Challenge

[SAD]

Alright, I’ve done my research and despite [insert many different hesitancies here] I’m going to be following a strict carnivore diet for the next 26 days (I’m already 2 days in and that makes 4 weeks).

So far, I’ve eaten copious amounts of eggs and steak and sausage and cheese and been sipping on bone broth. Hungry within an hour of eating a “meal”. The “meals” are also already getting boring and dry and tough to finish, lol. I’ve got to figure something out to give the meat/cheese some moisture and flavor without adding spices or sauces. I guess I can mix in some bone broth.

I’m looking at this as an experiment, Not a lifestyle, no offense to those that do it year round. I think I’m a good candidate to really see what this diet does because I’m already fairly fit, fairly big, and very in tune with my body, digestion, strength, and aches/pains.

I’ll attach a picture of where I currently am, and a few more along the way.

If you’re on the fence about trying this, do your own research and listen to other people’s testimonies just for health purposes, and you’ll likely not be on the fence anymore, at least for trying it out.

Goals : reduce inflammation/pain, be healthier from the inside out, not lose too much mass or strength.

 

[SAD]

 

[SAD]

 

[SAD]

 

[SAD]

Starting stats:
37yr old
265 lbs
6’3”
Bf% unknown ~16-18%

 

[Lizard King]

What are you expecting as for beard health?

 

[SAD]

What are you expecting as for beard health?

As long as it doesn’t fall out or turn white

 

[DieYoungStrong]

I'm mid-way through my second week of a keto experiment with roughly the same goals. I am eating green veggies, and adding salt/spice to my food. Other then that - same diet you just described. I had 6 scrambled eggs and 3 sausage patties for breakfast.

I was starving after every meal the first few days. Into week 2, and I'm way less hungry right now then I've ever been on any "standard cutting diet". I'm also noticing an actual bump in energy levels.

I started at 237 (I'm 5-11), and I'm 230 today. It's obviously 95%+ water weight that I lost at this point, and I think I look flat as hell - but I've always been a powerlifter type who's a head case when cutting and losing mass.

Goal is to get down to 210-215 and stay there for health and longevity. I'm getting older and more health conscience. I plan on staying on the keto for at least 2 months.

 

[SAD]

k

I'm mid-way through my second week of a keto experiment with roughly the same goals. I am eating green veggies, and adding salt/spice to my food. Other then that - same diet you just described. I had 6 scrambled eggs and 3 sausage patties for breakfast.

I was starving after every meal the first few days. Into week 2, and I'm way less hungry right now then I've ever been on any "standard cutting diet". I'm also noticing an actual bump in energy levels.

I started at 237 (I'm 5-11), and I'm 230 today. It's obviously 95%+ water weight that I lost at this point, and I think I look flat as hell - but I've always been a powerlifter type who's a head case when cutting and losing mass.

Goal is to get down to 210-215 and stay there for health and longevity. I'm getting older and more health conscience. I plan on staying on the keto for at least 2 months.

We have very similar backgrounds and the same body dysmorphia, as I’m already feeling flat and two-dimensional. Nice to hear the hunger subsided for you and the energy levels picked up.

8 eggs and a handful of sausage this morning with a handful of cheese and a glass of beef broth.

Liquid shits. Not quite carnirrhea, but not solid for sure. No pain. No cramps or stomach discomfort at all. Just liquid shit.

Heading to the gym for bike, row, rope work, and core work. Going to find out how bad my cardio sucks without any carbs for 3 days.

 

[Littleguy]

37............Geez you are just a kid, a very big kid of course.

 

[macgyver]

Following along to see how it goes for you.

One bit of advice. If you are feeling aches and pains, my advice is to not lean out. My aches and pains never really started until I decided to get lower and lower in BF. You almost become fragile. The bad part, is when you diet and stay 10% or less, eventually you lose fat that does not come back, even with short term bulking. I noticed over the course of several years, that I actually got weaker lb/lb. And even when I ate back up to previous weights, the strength was not what you would expect. I believe dieting off the intra-muscular fat just reduces leverages. When you gain again (if you do) it goes to VAT first. I this can be seen in what people call 'mature' or 'density' in a physique. I think if you chopped me up, I have very little intramuscular fat anymore. When I do gain, it goes to the waist and organs.

Just sharing some ideas. Being lean, unless you were born that way, really comes along with some undesirable things. If at your current BF, you feel lots of aches and pains, I might be a little scared to make it worse. For me at 13-15% and 40 years old, I would think nothing off jumping off a 6' ladder. My body was bullet proof. I did not need warmups in the gym, and could just go in and do one light set and go right into working sets.

I would feel cautious jumping off a 3' ladder now. I could of course, but impact upon joints hurts were it NEVER did prior to getting (and staying) lean.

37............Geez you are just a kid, a very big kid of course.

No doubt. At 37 I had not even come close to reaching my peak of physical strength. Also had no aches or pains. And at that time, I was only training for strength. That for me did not really start for 10 years later and then specifically after a spinal fracture for the worst. But the getting and staying lean, makes you feel fragile in comparison. Be interested to see your thoughts.

 

[SAD]

We all put mileage on our body at different ages and in different ways, not to mention genetics and even just actual size throughout the years.

I was a heavy powerlifter for many years and both squatted and deadlifted 700 before I was thirty, raw. During this time of competing at 308lbs (cutting to 308), I was on active duty in the army. And I ran my 2 miles. And I completed my rucks. And I ran with my squad for PT. Etc etc. I had a 1Sgt tell me that if I wanted to be a monster and weigh 320, I still had to be able to run my 2mi in less than 15min 56sec, and I did.

I had my first knee surgery while still in. I’ve gone hard since getting out and made things worse in both knees. And I’ve torn my back up L4/L5, along with torn biceps and ulnar collateral ligament. My aches and pains are less body fat related and more “beating the shit out of myself for 37yrs” related, lol.

As for not leaning out, I’m really stuck in a conundrum. On one hand I’m pretty comfortable looks wise at my current bf. I could be more ripped sure, but my face and arms looked lean and nobody would think I’m chunky or fluffy. Then again, I’m fucking 265 and have trash bone-on-bone knees and a bad lower back. So I SHOULD drop 30-40 pounds. But back on the first hand, where is that weight coming from if I don’t want to lose my hard earned muscle and don’t have a ton of fat to get rid of (nor do I want to for many reasons, some of which you said already).

So what do I do? I’m not going to steer these next 4 weeks, and let my body weight/size/strength end up where they end up. We’ll see!

Follow up from earlier, I just had a really good workout for the first 3/4 and just hit a wall and slugged through the end. All good though. I was happy with the first 3/4, and even caught a pump somehow on the arm bike.