Chris improved his joint pain and thyroid function on a carnivore diet

Struggling with Weight and Health Issues

I always had a problem with weight since I was a child. When I got older it would yoyo back and forth reaching a peak of over 260 pounds. When the scale said 260 I stopped weighing myself, it was too depressing.

Experimenting with Different Diets and Exercise

During nursing school, I began going to the gym, juicing, and experimenting with intermittent fasting. The weight slid off. I looked good and felt good. I was eating lots of kale, spinach, and broccoli. Around 2015 I began to notice that after exercising it felt like I never recovered. I was sore all the time. My joints began to ache and I lost my strength.

I would sit on the weight bench dreading my next set. I thought maybe I was over exercising and began backing off hoping that would help. I began using less weight and going to the gym less frequently. I gradually went from 4 days a week, to 2 days a week, to one day a week, to none.

Discovering Hypothyroidism and Seeking Medical Help

During this time my health began to deteriorate. My worst symptom was brain fog. I was a corrections nurse and at times I had to be on my toes. It became frightening when I had to respond to a medical emergency and struggled to remember what to do. My symptoms included joint and muscle pain even though I was no longer exercising. No strength, no drive, and no libido. I felt cold all the time, my skin was dry, I was gaining weight, and constipated. My life became centered around finding the strength to make it through a day at work.

I would drink a pot of coffee in the morning, drink coffee at work, go home and rest, go to bed, and repeat. I had to drink the coffee for physical and mental energy to function, and then rest at home hoping to be able to do it again the next day. I ended up switching jobs to a psych unit which was a bit easier. While I was at that job a new symptom emerged, I lost my eyebrows.

One day I noticed in the mirror that my hair was looking thin and then realized my eyebrows were almost completely gone. As time went by I watched them slowly fade away to the point that someone at work asked me if I shaved my eyebrows. Very embarrassing. I spoke with some people at work about my health issues and someone suggested hypothyroidism. When I looked into it many of my symptoms, including the lack of eyebrows fit.

So February 2018 I decided to go to the doctor. He had me get labs and checked my TSH. It was 2.4085, right in the middle of normal. I didn’t know what else to do, nor did I have the strength to do anything. I felt like I was waiting to die.

Trying the Carnivore Diet for 30 Days

June of 2018 I watched the Joe Rogan podcast with Jordan Peterson where he talked about his daughter Mikhaila and her health problems. I then watched Joe’s podcast with her. I was inspired and hopeful that maybe if I gave the carnivore diet 30 days it might help me. I had a blog that I wasn’t updating anymore and decided to use it to record my progress and see if it worked. I weighed myself, took pictures, and did some measurements.

I decided to be as strict as possible so I didn’t accidently sabotage myself. I ate only beef, salt, and water. Over the 30 days my health greatly improved. The brain fog began to lift, my weight and waist began to shrink. I felt more energy and my pain began to diminish. During that 30 days I delved into as much information about the carnivore lifestyle as I could find. I found Shawn Baker’s podcast with Joe Rogan and the meat heals, now meatrx website. The meatrx website has been a source of inspiration for me. I devoured the testimonials.

Reading all the success stories gave me hope that if it worked for them maybe it can work for me. After the 30 days I felt so healthy I never wanted to stop and take a chance of my health deteriorating again. Today, a little over 2 years into my journey I have relaxed my diet a little. I eat bacon, cheese, and egg yolks with beef. I have also included liver and kidneys (Kidneys are $.50 a pound and I am a cheap bastard). I also use pepper and tobasco sauce for additional flavor. The majority of my health issues have resolved, including my eyebrows.

They are still a little thin but they are back! When I would get into my car my knees would hurt, now they don’t. Even today when I get into my car I am amazed that they don’t hurt. My constipation is mostly gone, my skin is nails, and hair are much improved. My strength, energy, and drive have returned.

I believe my health had deteriorated to the point that it is taking some time to come back.

I still have severe seasonal allergies however as I am writing this it is the first fall that is not so bad, things are still getting better, even after 2 years. So I want to give you hope like so many have done for me. If you are having health problems try the carnivore diet for 30 days. If after 30 days you still have some health issues give it time, you might be like me, and need a few years to rebuild.