After four years of being a vegan, I was sick of being bloated, tired, constipated, and having low energy. I am now 23 years old, 5 ft 5.5 inches tall. All of my family is thin with fast metabolisms, including all of my grandparents and relatives.
My whole life, I could get away with eating a big chocolate cake before bed, and in the morning, I’d wake up with a flat stomach. About a year into being vegan that stopped being the case.
Veganism: Struggles And Health Issues
After four years of being a vegan, I was sick of being bloated, tired, constipated, and having low energy.
I am now 23 years old, 5 ft 5.5 inches tall. All of my family is thin with fast metabolisms, including all of my grandparents and relatives. My whole life, I could get away with eating a big chocolate cake before bed, and in the morning, I’d wake up with a flat stomach. About a year into being vegan that stopped being the case.
Gary Yourofsky and Freelee the Banana Girl made compelling arguments for my 18-year-old self, and by the time I was 19, I was a proud advocate for veganism.
My diet turned to tofu, asparagus, salads, bean burgers, rice, smoothies, lots of freshly squeezed juices, corn tortillas, pasta, veggie burgers, vegan tamales, vegan anything at whole foods – including the vegan donuts.
At this time, I was about 115 lbs looking and feeling great. 3.5 years later, Fall of 2017, I was at 147 lbs and feeling heavy. The last three years of being vegan, I would wake up with a bloated stomach – and it seemed to never go away. My legs got fatter, my face got rounder, and running was a chore (before, I had enjoyed running).
By the end of 2017, I got on the scale to find out that I was at 157 lbs! That was so scary because getting to 160 for me seemed very wrong. My mom is 5’3 and 110 lbs. I have thin genes. Why was I the fat one in the family after being the “healthiest” since I was vegan?!
I went to a naturopath and had my blood tested. Everything came back in normal ranges. And I didn’t get any answers to why I felt so tired and bloated. I also mentioned that I never had gas. Like, ever. The vegan doctor told me that was because I was eating such a clean, plant-based diet.
Discovering The Benefits Of A Carnivore Diet
My boyfriend has always been against my high-carb vegan choices, and he’s always said the low-carb diet works best for him. One night last year, he made some filets for himself on his new barbecue.
He kept insisting that I try a bite of it because “it was the best filet he’s ever made.” After him saying, “Come on, moderation is healthy! Just ONE bite!” a few times, I gave in.
That bite was so delicious and so juicy. My whole being just went MMMMMM! I ended up eating the whole filet. I felt so guilty for eating a dead animal and enjoying it. I told myself it would be a one-time secret thing.
The next morning after waking up, the first thing I noticed was that I didn’t feel bloated! My stomach was much flatter. What?! I was so excited I ran to my boyfriend and told him to feel my side because it was thinner! I felt so much less inflamed in my stomach.
I wondered if there were some types of vitamins in the meat that my body had been lacking…? I researched this and added supplements to my vegan diet, so I didn’t have to eat animals.
The Physical Transformation: From Bloating To Feeling Lighter
In October 2017, I began binge-watching Jordan Peterson on youtube. By January 2018, I was familiar with his daughter, Mikhaila’s health journey with her diet.
It all made so much sense. I happened to be having bad upper back pain as well. I ended up going to a chiropractor who took x-rays of my entire back/neck. He put my X-rays up on the wall and said, “Honey, I’m afraid that you’re full of it.”
My Struggle With Digestion And Health Issues
He pointed out that my intestines were completely backed up and clogged! You could see the clouded clogged shadows on the X-rays. So gross! He then began massaging out my intestines which was very painful. He was trying to loosen me up and get things moving in there.
Trying The Mikhaila Peterson/Jordan Peterson Diet And Chiropractic Care
How could I be so backed up with my high-fiber vegan diet? I ate tons of greens!
I decided to start trying the “Mikhaila Peterson”/Jordan Peterson diet” and incorporating more meat. Luckily the chiropractor’s adjustments seemed to really help. A few of the adjustments he gave me resulted in me breaking out in a big sweat. I felt a huge release of toxins. I am adding this chiro info in case other people may need this – it REALLY helped me release toxins and gave me a great boost.
Weight Loss And Improved Menstrual Cycle With A Carnivore-Based Diet
I should also mention here that in the last two years of being vegan, my menstrual cycles became irregular (never been on bc). Adding in more meat + the day after my chiro adjustment, I started my cycle, and it’s been regular since then. (sorry if that’s TMI, but it’s important stuff for us ladies).
I lost 12 lbs in February with not much exercise – just a couple of days of beginner skiing and eating a lot of steaks that month. I was back to 145 lbs.
The Freedom Of Listening To My Body And Eating For Fuel
In May, I got much more serious about a carnivore-based diet. I listened to Shawn Baker’s podcast on Joe Rogan (after seeing so many people mention it on meatheals.com), and I subscribed to Butcher’s Box.
I also loaded up on meat at Costco and taught myself how to barbecue. Not going to lie. I felt kind of badass cooking for myself on the BBQ.
I am happy to say that I am now 127 lbs. I have lost 30 lbs in just a few months – with little to no exercise! And my stomach is FLAT!! I feel thin. My face has slimmed out again.
Also, I know this sounds silly, but I can actually feel my bones when I’m walking – like how I used to feel when I was a teenager. I feel my rib cage under my skin, I feel my hip bones, and I feel my collar bones again!
That sounds weird, but looking back, all of that was hidden under inflammation and fat. I feel so much lighter. I’m happy with my weight now that I feel so great, and I am getting back to my normal range. But I don’t have a “goal weight.” I am just looking forward to seeing what my body does and what feels comfortable and healthy.
Feeling Amazing And The Benefits Of A Meat-Based Diet
I also feel so much more freedom. Eventually, in the vegan community, it seems like you can never succeed. They can be a very judgmental and intense community.
Also, looking back, it is so obvious to me that my weight issues were a result of my vegan diet. But at the time, I was looking for answers everywhere else! I thought it could have been from an antibiotic I was on after surgery a few years ago, stress, hormones, etc etc.
That is how convinced I was that my plant-based diet was best for me, even though it clearly wasn’t.
I don’t care what anyone says about my diet – I feel amazing. My energy is back. I feel SO mentally sharp. I was able to finish projects that had been sitting in my drafts for ages. I sleep great.
My bowel movements are finally regular – I can actually feel my food being digested again. It really reminds me of being a kid or teenager – these little feelings in my stomach are back after years of feeling plugged.
I know everyone has an opinion about what everyone should eat. But here is what is working for me. I go with what I feel and listen to my body. I eat when I’m hungry.
Some people may think I’m overeating, and some people may think I’m starving myself. I DON’T CARE! I really don’t have any rules for myself – as I had so many rules as a vegan. I don’t consider it a “diet” but rather just a way to fuel and fill myself.
In the morning, I have an iced coffee. And then I have a late lunch/early dinner of a big fatty steak with an egg or two (runny sunny side up). I may have some avocado on the side.
That is really it for now. I feel like my body is still eating away at the fat storage I have been carrying around since being vegan. Sounds strange, but I can now actually feel my body eating away at my fat storage around my “muffin top” area!
This meal plan keeps me satiated, and I have ZERO cravings. I never have the “stuffed” feeling. I remember the last few years, after eating a vegan meal, I would just feel so exhausted and need to go lay down to digest. Not anymore! Also, it’s easy for me not to snack, knowing that I’ll be having a big juicy steak later on.
I am sure that as time goes on, I will be adjusting to this, but right now, it is working for me, and I feel amazing. If I do get hungry later or I burn more calories that day, I’ll eat more chopped meat, eggs, or avo. But right now, I usually don’t need to.
I recently made an Instagram account for me to track my progress. It’s a great photo journal tool. I’ve had it on private just for me, but I think I’ll open it up if anyone wants to follow me – I’d love to follow you back and make some friends!
Thank you to JP, MP, and Shawn Baker. I feel so much better. #meatheals #carnivorediet #carnivorebased #meatonrepeat
