Elaine’s journey to the carnivore lifestyle started over nine years ago. Elaine says she has always been overweight. Elaine is 5’10”, so her body can carry more weight than an average woman, but even in high school, she weighed 195 pounds. Elaine is a musician and is on the road for her work, making it hard to commit to a diet. As Elaine got older, she continued to put on weight and, at her highest, weighed 272 pounds.
Overcoming Health Challenges with a Low-Carb Diet
Along with struggling with her weight, Elaine was also diagnosed with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. She also discovered she had arthritis in her knees and knew carrying that much weight was not good for her joints. She decided to change her life and started with a low-carbohydrate diet nine years ago.
Discovering the Carnivore Lifestyle with Dr. Ken Berry
Elaine says her version of a low-carb/ ketogenic diet was animal-based. She ate a lot of eggs, bacon, and dairy, with some vegetables, mixed in. Elaine lost weight on the low-carb diet and hovered around 210 to 220 pounds for several years. Elaine was also able to gain control of her high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes while following the keto diet, as well as stopping taking regular medications for her conditions.
In May 2018, Elaine went on a low-carb cruise where she heard a lecture from Dr. Ken Berry. Dr. Berry spoke of the carnivore diet and his success. Elaine was intrigued and asked Dr. Berry after the talk if he thought she would be a good candidate for the diet, to which he responded, “of course.” Elaine returned home from the cruise in late May 2018 and started her carnivore journey on June 1st.
Breaking Through Plateaus on the Carnivore Diet
Initially, Elaine only planned to follow the carnivore diet for one month. She says the first month felt easy as she enjoyed many quality types of meat from her local butcher. At the end of the month, and to Elaine’s surprise, she broke her plateau and lost seven pounds in thirty days while following the carnivore diet. Elaine decided to keep going with the diet and continued to lose a consistent seven pounds each month as she stayed committed to the carnivore lifestyle.
Elaine says at her smallest, she weighed 167 pounds– which she felt was too small for her. And so, for a while, she maintained her weight between 170 and 180 pounds. Then the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020. Elaine says she fell off her carnivore lifestyle and gained weight from the stress of covid-19 and the country’s state.
Falling Off and Getting Back on the Carnivore Wagon
Elaine ended up gaining over thirty pounds of her weight back. However, about a month ago, she recommitted to the carnivore way of eating. She has lost ten pounds and plans to continue her carnivore journey.
Simple and Easy Meals on the Carnivore Diet
Elaine says she loves how simple the carnivore diet is and how easy it is to make her meals. Today Elaine says she eats one meal a day, usually a rare steak cooked in her cast iron skillet. She drinks black coffee and says she might experiment with other foods like dairy later.
A Journey to Better Health with Carnivore Diet
Though Elaine’s journey on the carnivore diet has not been linear, she is grateful for all she has learned about herself and her health through her carnivore lifestyle. She plans to continue following the carnivore way of eating for the long haul and is looking forward to her future.
