Jeff’s Diet Struggles and Health Wake-up Call
Like many people, Jeff tried multiple diets throughout his life, but he was never able to sustain them. Jeff says before his dieting days, he was a fast food manager and regularly ate two double cheeseburgers with a large Coca-cola and medium french fry. When Jeff wasn’t working, he primarily ate high-carb foods such as cereal or macaroni and cheese. He also drank over twenty-four Mountain Dew sodas per week, and regularly indulged in brownies, cake, and ice cream.
Additionally, Jeff was an active cigarette smoker, smoking over one pack daily. At the age of thirty, he was nearly three-hundred pounds and began to realize that he needed to change his life before he developed significant health issues.
Jeff’s Attempt at Dieting and Yo-Yo Dieting
Jeff describes his first attempt at dieting as following a plan that involved a lot of salad with vegetables, low-fat salad dressing, and very lean chicken breast meat. He says he lasted almost three months but became very depressed, moody, and even had thoughts of suicide. The worst part, Jeff gained weight on his diet. Jeff said the next four to five months, he yo-yo dieted– going back and forth between fast food and vegetables.
Jeff’s Journey to a Ketogenic and Carnivore Diet
In 2018, Jeff had a bit of a wake-up call. He experienced a coughing episode, presumably from smoking, which caused him to collapse. Jeff says, “My wife and three-year-old daughter hovered above me, terrified, thinking I died. Seeing this look on their faces motivated me to get healthy.”
Three weeks after his terrifying experience, Jeff gave up smoking. He started searching for a new diet and came across the ketogenic diet and fasting. Jeff says he ate a high-fat, medium-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet.
While on the keto diet, Jeff tracked all his calories and macros. He also regularly did twenty-four to seventy-two-hour fasts, which he enjoyed. After about a year, he lost fifty pounds. However, all the restrictions and counting the keto diet had him doing also caused him to binge eat sugar every three to four weeks.
Jeff’s Successful Transformation with the Carnivore Diet
It was the covid pandemic that finally caused Jeff to truly change his habits. During the covid lockdowns, Jeff initially gained weight, and his mental health struggled. He was worried about his health and began doing some research, and in December 2020, he discovered the carnivore diet.
Before officially beginning the diet, Jeff says he watched many videos online, including content from Dr. Shawn Baker, Dr. Paul Saladino, Dr. Ken Berry, and Dr. Paul Mason. Jeff made it his New Year’s resolution on January 1st to lose one hundred pounds in 2021 with the carnivore diet.
Jeff says he was finally ready to make the change and loved how straightforward the carnivore diet is. He no longer has to count anything. Jeff began the year weighing in at 348 pounds, and now six months later, he weighs 293 pounds. Initially, Jeff ate twice a day until he couldn’t eat anymore and often experienced “meat sweats.” Eventually, he transitioned to one meal a day, eating meat, salt, and water until he was satiated.
Jeff says his health now is incredible. He no longer struggles with his mental health or feels depressed. Jeff also has more motivation and energy and is no longer in pain. And he doesn’t crave sugar or feel the need to binge like he did when he followed the keto diet.
Jeff says, “(the) carnivore diet is the first diet that worked after thirty days, sixty days, ninety days, and still til today and will continue to work for me. I love how much better I feel, and I know that when I lose another fifty or more pounds, I will feel even better. I am so grateful for all the information that I was able to find on Youtube. All of this really changed my life for the better.”
