Joe, 27, lost weight and improved his metabolic flexibility following a carnivore fasting lifestyle.
Joe shares about how he began his health journey following a low-carb diet which included intermittent fasting, eventually choosing one meal a day within a 2-3 hour eating window. “I enjoy the metabolic flexibility of being able to engage in physical work all day without crashing or hunger pangs. I also enjoy the extra time I have not having to cook breakfast or lunch.”
Joe recognized at a young age the importance a healthy diet could have on his overall wellbeing and performance. “When I was 18, I stepped on the scale at 230 pounds and I just knew that I didn’t want to live life like that. I knew it would only get worse from there if I didn’t change my eating habits.” His first step to better health was recognizing the importance of portion control and paying attention to his overall caloric intake.
Four years ago, Joe implemented a low-carb keto diet with intermittent fasting, and was successful in losing weight and improving his athletic performance. Within the last year, Joe found that a meat-based diet was a better fit for his lifestyle, and helped him avoid bloating and indigestion that often came from vegetables. “It’s definitely changed my life, I’m healthier than I’ve ever been and I wear a smaller pants size now than I did in the fifth grade!”
In addition to weight loss, Joe reveals that “I saved time and energy eating one meal a day. I’ve become more lean and am getting toned without having to work out more.” Joe finds he can follow a meat-based diet on a budget, and often buys meat in bulk including ground beef and steak (cooked to perfection in his cast iron skillet) from budget-friendly chain Aldi’s.
Another benefit of the carnivore diet for Joe has been more energy and stamina to do the activities he enjoys, like rucking. (Rucking is a low-impact exercise that involves walking or hiking with weighted backpacks to build strength and endurance.) Joe has even gotten his furry friend Jessie involved in the sport, and she is on her own canine version of the carnivore diet and healthier than ever! Together, they competed in a thousand-mile rucking challenge.
“I have the endurance to do whatever I want to do in life, and the metabolic flexibility to go with the flow and eat different kinds of foods. Health is just a compound of daily choices over the course of weeks, months and years. It’s not about perfection, it’s about getting it right more times than not.”
By paying attention to his body’s signals of hunger and energy, Joe has determined that his body responds better on the carnivore diet, and says he will continue to monitor his performance. He offers a good deal of flexibility to his approach, but finds he feels his best when his meals are 80-90% meat-based.
As to what advice he has for those starting their journey, Joe says, “Always try to tweak your diet and see what can be better. Pay attention to your body like you’re a detective. You have to be willing to change and find out what works for you.”
