Holland’s Failed Attempts at Diets
Holland has tried just about every diet out there. He describes trying the paleo and Atkins diets with no success. He even dated a vegan woman for six months, who convinced him to try the vegan diet. Holland says she was a nurse, and he spent months listening to her tell him the ketogenic and carnivore diets were very unhealthy. Holland says the vegan diet was awful for him, and he gained ten pounds in the six months he followed the diet.
Holland’s Active Lifestyle and Joint Pain
Holland has always been active. He says he has been doing Crossfit exercises for over ten years– he started before it became popular. Holland also does some running, but he could never lose weight successfully. Holland says at his heaviest, he weighed around 220 pounds. Holland also says he had noticed joint pain, especially in his knees. He describes every spring, his knees would swell, and he couldn’t figure out why.
Holland’s Decision to Try the Carnivore Diet
Holland says he first wanted to try the carnivore diet at the end of January 2020 after seeing Joe Rogan’s results from his thirty days on the diet. Holland decided around a week later, and the day after his hometown Kansas City Chiefs were in the Superbowl, to try the diet. He says the night of the Superbowl, his friends were giving him a hard time for wanting to try a meat-only diet, but he knew he wanted to experiment with it.
Holland’s Experience with the Carnivore Diet
Holland spent seven weeks following a strict carnivore diet. He says he lost over thirty pounds in those seven weeks, and his knees no longer ached. He didn’t experience his knees swelling during the spring for the first time in years. He says, “I felt like I was twenty-five when I was a strict carnivore.”
Holland’s Current Meat-Based Diet
Holland says he follows a much more lax version of a meat-based diet today. He still eats a lot of beef, fish, and eggs, but he also eats some vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. Holland also says he might even eat a potato here and there if he is at a restaurant. Holland does recognize some of his knee pain has returned since adding in vegetables, but says for him, it’s been challenging to follow a strict carnivore diet since his girlfriend is not a carnivore diet follower.
Holland also says the diet was easier to follow because he started the carnivore diet right before the Covid-19 pandemic since restaurants were closed.
Holland’s Future Plans for Eating
Holland is grateful he found a diet that works for him, and he no longer has to suffer through the vegan diet. Holland plans to stick to a heavily meat-based diet for the rest of his life but will incorporate vegetables as desired. However, Holland says he plans to return to a strict carnivore way of eating here or there, especially if a competition or race is coming up. He also acknowledges that the carnivore way of eating is much easier than the vegan diet; it’s been the only diet he has successfully lost weight following.
