@testboner you look FANTASTIC. No doubt it has worked for you on a number of levels. Interesting to hear the backstory and can understand how that may factor into you decision. Had to look up CKD but I see now.
Questions. When going to carnivore, besides the overall health improvements for your condition, did you notice an easier time with fat loss.
If so, was that driven more by keto diets ability to keep hunger in check?
I know you got to where you are over a period of time and for various reasons. I also understand how 'easy' keto for fat loss if one is just winging it every day vs tracking cals. Since you are in a constant state of fat burning, (and for most hunger is blunted more than a carb filled diet) I think one can be more 'loose' as to approch.
But my real question is standardized for cal intake (and POSSIBLY even using a thermic multiplier) if the fat loss is not essentially equal to similar carb based diet at similar deficit levels. I only added the thermic part because yes there is a technical difference of the body processing Pro vs Carbs but at best it is around 15%. But that might make a small difference with eating ONLY meat. But my guess is it still falls below the accuracy level of macro tracking anyway.
Make sense. Not being argumentative at all. Just trying to understand and I certainly can see you have walked your path and I always like to learn from others.
Last question and in NO way saying there are any 'magic' bullets. But my midsection is my challenge in skinfold. I have wanted to try GH at anti-aging levels to thin out my abdominal fat. Since your midsection is so lean, (and I am assuming it was not always that way) do you atribute that to carnivore in total, or are there some things that could also contribute to that. Var and GH both known to reduce abdominal sub q fat.
For reference, below is probably close to the leanest I have taken myself. This was a couple years ago. No cardio, No foods off limits. Just cals in cals out. No water drop. Just how I looked daily. But my joints were achy being that lean and I eventually let myself drift up about 7-8 lbs and felt better. I am probably 8-10lbs from there now. But I would really love to shed my sub q in abdominal area for good. Just interested to hear how or if over time things were for you.
Hey Macgyver, thank you for the compliment as well as your questions and curiosities. I appreciate it all.
“When going to carnivore, besides the overall health improvements for your condition, did you notice an easier time with fat loss. “
I can’t overstate the ease of burning fat once I transitioned onto carnivore. The initial weight loss was water first, then pronounced fat loss.
The way I began back on 6/1/18 was proceeded by a 72hr fast the last 3 days of 5/2018. Each of those 3 days included routine workouts along with 30min cardio. I wanted to make certain I’d burn through all my circulating glucose and glycogen reserves. I wanted a head start on ketone production. I felt that would help me transition quickly to more efficiently feeding on fat for fuel/energy.
My first morning began with a 1/2lb 80/20 ground beef and 6 egg breakfast.
I had only intended to experiment with a strict 2 week beef & egg only diet. I pretended it was literally the only food left in existence. I drank water and coffee for beverages. The first week, I was ravenously hungry. I didn’t count calories, and ate to the point of feeling intuitively satiated.
By the start of week two, I was feeling pretty comfortably settled in and amused. I felt more experienced taking on my second week, and I ate anywhere between 1/2lb to about a lb and a 1/2, 3x a day, along with a dozen eggs each day.
I transitioned more quickly and smoothly I think than many others do. At the end of week two I was energetic, clear headed, euphoric, lighter, leaner and tight / tone and dense / hard feeling. The effect was something like a quick acting super steroid would feel, and with no negatives. I was amused and surprised and convinced I needed to keep going, which I did.
The reason/s for starting was that I had come across both Shawn Baker and Paul Saladino originally. Each had a bit different approach to describing the benefits of carnivore. From Saladino, I gained knowledge of plant based toxins (and other more detailed nutrition info) and that sparked my researching of what foods may hinder, and benefit my CKD issues.
From Shawn Baker, I was intrigued by his claims and demonstrations of both effective resistance (power) training, as well as typically glycogenic driven (energetic cardio output) activity (he did competitive high intensity rowing competitions).
Once I had put in two strictly disciplined weeks and felt and seen the magnitude of changes — I got more motivated and imaginative of what I might be able to accomplish for myself with this way of eating.
Per your referencing of “POSSIBLY even using a thermic multiplier”
Forgive me if I’m misinterpreting you on this, but I can tell you there is a most definite, irrefutably pronounced “high thermic effect” that occurs once fat adapted. Once in such a state, eating in combination, protein and fat — it feels like shoveling coal into a fire.
Accurate or not, I routinely did a plethora of InBody scans my first year of the diet when I really pushed everything hard. I went from mid teens BF down to consistent lower and lower single digits, to an eventual low scan of 3.0%. When I had gotten into the high 5% range my fat loss seemed to have plateaued. I had an intuitive hunch to try adding more fat (and protein), and it was at that point I switched from 80/20 beef (and ribeyes) to 73% beef and sirloin and tri tips, 5-6lbs per day.
That cranked up the “thermic effect” and I quickly dropped down into the 4% range and an eventual bottoming out at my all time basement level of 3.0%.
—- I have to pause on answering the rest of your post for tonight — which I will do sometime tomorrow. But I have an early morning and have to get some things done now before bed.
I also will reply to your other post with the vid tomorrow.
Thanks
