Before finding the carnivore way of eating, Kaitlyn had debilitating fibromyalgia. Kaitlyn says her diet for many years reflected the Standard American Diet. Kaitlyn was also diagnosed with pre-diabetes and, at just 5’2″, weighed 275 pounds, which she says she knows put a lot of stress in and of itself on her body.
Kaitlyn was put on many medications for her fibromyalgia. Her doctor told her at one point that her condition was not her fault; it was simply the lot she dealt with in life. Her doctor sent her to physical therapy, but her condition only worsened. Kaitlyn says she continued to lose the function of her hands and experienced extreme muscle fatigue and stiffness.
At just thirty-one years old, Kaitlyn lost function and developed “crab hands.” Kaitlyn was also diagnosed with kidney failure and perimenopause. Kaitlyn also says the inflammation markers in her bloodwork were “sky-high.” Kaitlyn describes her mental health suffering as her physical health kept deteriorating. Kaitlyn says she felt forced to stay in an unhealthy relationship because she could not work. Kaitlyn was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder as well as panic disorder.
Kaitlyn says she knew in her heart her doctors were wrong and wanted to take control of her health. She first changed her diet by cutting out all processed foods, which she saw very little improvement from doing. She even had a physical therapist tell her she should not focus on eating whole foods and rather eat fast food instead to save her hands from the extra work that comes from prepping whole foods.
Kaitlyn then decided to try the ketogenic diet in February 2020. Kaitlyn says she didn’t feel much better despite losing ninety pounds in seven months while following the keto diet. She was still in a lot of pain. Then Kaitlyn heard Mikhaila Peterson’s testimony on the Joe Rogan podcast. Kaitlyn said Mikhaila’s story was much like hers, so she decided to jump into the carnivore diet.
Kaitlyn says within three weeks on the carnivore diet, she felt fifty percent better. Kaitlyn started weaning herself off her medications within two weeks of beginning the carnivore diet. She went from taking twelve medications a day to just one. Kaitlyn has also slowly added in lifting weights and says when she first started the carnivore diet, she couldn’t lift any weight. Now she is lifting forty-five pounds with her arms and one hundred pounds with her glutes.
Kaitlyn also experienced some side effects from her body experiencing oxalate dumping, but today feels better than ever. Kaitlyn says she was able to get back to work within a few months of being on the diet, thus allowing her to be financially independent and escape the unhealthy relationship she was in.
Kaitlyn says today she eats mainly beef; she has been eating a ribeye every day for the last ten months and says she still isn’t sick of it. Kaitlyn found out later in her carnivore journey that she has a histamine intolerance and has cut out pork and chicken. Kaitlyn has, however, added egg yokes back into her diet recently and says the extra fat helps her, especially around the time of her period. Kaitlyn says she has also discovered beef bacon from her butcher, which she loves.
Kaitlyn has been able to gain her life back thanks to the carnivore diet. She can work full-time and support herself because she is no longer in debilitating pain or bedridden for days. Kaitlyn says she has regained her mental health and her happiness. She says, “even my worst day as a carnivore is better than my best day when I was suffering from fibromyalgia.” Kaitlyn is thankful to Mikhaila Peterson for sharing her story and is looking forward to living her life pain-free thanks to her carnivore lifestyle.
