Many people can pinpoint a moment in their life when they realize they need to make a change. For Jim, that time came when he found himself out of breath after carrying a basket of laundry up the stairs. A 35-year-old father of two, he weighed 270 pounds at 6’0” tall.
Jim made a New Year’s resolution to try the carnivore diet for two weeks after hearing about the diet and watching content from Dr. Shawn Baker. “I’m getting rid of everything, all these different foods I thought I needed,” Jim shares with Revero coach Brooke. “I was a 270 pound guy wearing a size 40-42 pants, and I was scared to get rid of carbohydrates. I thought I wouldn’t have any energy. It’s so interesting to see how that thinking has changed now.” He also no longer has joint pain or lower back discomfort after long car trips.
Jim was encouraged to find he lost nearly 20 pounds in his first month. His main sources of food are eggs, ground beef, and some cheese, very simple and affordable items for him to prepare. “I started to experiment with some things and figure out what I can get away with. I feel the best when I eat 100% carnivore. I’m always coming back to it as it’s a strong base for me.”
During a stressful period in Jim’s life, he began adding back carbohydrates. He experimented with “hyper loading” carbs to see if it would help with long distance running, and started drinking alcohol to cope with the stress of his young son’s serious health issues. After getting down to a weight of 190 pounds following the carnivore diet, Jim had gained 30 pounds back. But since then, he made the decision to go back to a meat-based diet.
“I’ve been strong ever since then, and I’m back down to 183 pounds now,” Jim shares. “I’m leaner than I have ever been.” He points out that his story isn’t a fairytale where everything worked out perfectly the first time around. “I’ve come back to the carnivore diet because it really has offered me true healing for some really big things in life that I didn’t know what I was going to do about.”
Prior to his carnivore journey, Jim suffered from frequent PVCs, which are non-life threatening heart murmurs. Now, he only occasionally experiences them. He also no longer needs medication to manage his symptoms of attention deficit disorder (ADD). “I experienced a profound difference in my mental clarity. I have energy all day long once I got rid of carbohydrates, focusing my diet on saturated fats and healthy animal fats.” Jim was able to reduce his coffee intake from nine cups per day down to one or two as part of his morning ritual.
Jim’s advice is to keep things simple. “It’s very easy and cheap to try. You don’t have to eat fancy cuts of steak,” he says. “Tell yourself to commit for a period of time.There’s an incredibly good chance that you’re going to feel really good, and not want to go back to your old self. I’ve been alive long enough to know that those problems are going to be waiting for me when I go back to old habits. Carbs may taste good for two seconds, but then they’re gone, and you’re left with a set of problems that you’ll feel a lot longer.”
Listen to Jim’s interview on the Revero podcast with Coach Brooke below:
