Kimberly says she knew for years that the carnivore diet was the right way to eat for her body, but it took a while before she could get into the right mindset to stick with it. For over four years, she did keto, with no particular emphasis on fat—she ate lean or fatty cuts of meat. However, she says she frequently baked with almond flour and Splenda and ate lots of packaged keto snack foods, many of which were not particularly healthy. A candy bar derailed her keto quest, and Kimberly says her “addict mind” came alive.
It took Kimberly two tries with the carnivore diet before it really stuck. On her first go-around, she stayed with it for two months and lost weight. At a social outing, she had a drink and then a salad, both of which derailed her progress—it went downhill from there.
Then COVID hit, and she sat a lot and got ”really, really fat.”
The second attempt was much more successful. Kimberly set her mind to stay the course; she no longer says, “I will start tomorrow.” She’s been on the carnivore diet for eleven months and has lost 50 pounds. She exercises every day and even takes some pretty challenging hikes. Today, Kimberly is a Revero health coach.
Kimberly’s “all about the weight loss” and likes the feedback it gives—it lets her know the diet is working. Her weight fluctuates with minor ups and downs, and she doesn’t worry about it.
On a trip she took with her girlfriends, she wondered how she’d get through it and stay on track. Kimberly’s biggest fear was the addict’s voice in her head.
Known as the “wine girl” to her friends, Kimberly knew they would want her to drink. For her, drinking and eating go together, so she decided to be the designated driver. Her friends had a hard time adjusting to her new role, but Kimberly said she definitely enjoyed that weekend.
This year, Kimberly says she’s been working on her mindset. She tells herself that she chooses to eat this way and that she isn’t giving anything up. Kimberly even tells herself that the carnivore diet is not guaranteed to last forever because it helps her mind adjust to her new lifestyle.
She hasn’t experienced clinical depression but has had issues with low moods before. Today Kimberly’s mood is better and more stable than ever. “I feel good.” She also has more energy and is “healthy as a horse.” After a recent trip to Mexico, Kimberly realized her meat diet helps her sleep well. She ate off of her plan and slept very poorly while she was there. When she returned home, she got right back on track, and so did her sleep.
Kimberly eats beef, bone broth, some cheese, and eggs. She loves grass-fed liver.
Often, she’ll eat one meal a day, called OMAD. But if she gets hungry, she eats something and has her larger meal later. She listens to her body.
For anyone just starting the carnivore diet, Kimberly suggests working on your mindset. Tell yourself that you’re choosing to eat this way and remind yourself daily why you embarked on the journey in the first place.
