Lauren’s disordered eating and low-carb meat-based journey
Lauren is in her early 30s and has been Carnivore for 8 or 9 months. Her disordered eating began when she was 11 or 12 years old. She struggled with anorexia, bulimia, and what she describes as “very restrictive eating behaviors” up until she began her low-carb meat-based journey.
She always had a weird relationship with food and described how she was obsessed with watching what she ate and counting calories. This had led to problems, though.
From anorexic college student to a happy carnivore
Lauren started college anorexic—she was 100 pounds—not much for her 5’8″ frame. For comparison, she is 145 pounds today. Her anxiety became so extreme in college that she had to drop out. She explains that she was in a “fight or flight all the time” and couldn’t sleep at all.
Transition to a low-carb meat-based diet
Lauren would usually eat one big meal each day and use sugary foods throughout the day to give her quick energy. She didn’t focus on protein but on things like fruit, veggies, or a piece of candy for that quick pick-me-up.
A friend tried a carnivore for a month, and Lauren decided to give it a try too. She found the diet liberating because she finally felt full and didn’t have to restrict her calories.
Surprising benefits of a carnivore diet
Lauren had eczema on her body and rosacea on her cheeks, and those completely went away after the first month. “For lack of a better word'” she describes her skin as “radiant.” As an additional plus, she found that she lost 10 pounds without trying, attributing the effortless weight loss to consuming no carbohydrates.
Instead of hunger and thoughts of food, she says, “I feel full, happy, and satiated throughout the day,” Lauren reports. She loves that there are no counting calories, planning what foods to eat, or feeling constantly hungry.
She believes that people with eating disorders may do well on a carnivore diet because they tend to restrict themselves already. Lauren didn’t think the diet was hard because she was already used to restrictions; this may appeal to those with eating disorders as well, she explains.
Lauren is surprised by how much her mood improved on her carnivore diet. Needing fewer hours of sleep and waking up in a good mood without an alarm were both unexpected benefits of the diet. Gut issues, such as bloating and constipation, plagued Lauren.
She could eat a grape or a nut first thing in the morning and 10 minutes later, “look six months pregnant.” She was “shocked” that there was no bloating from eating this way. Her bowel movements are regular compared to before, when she may have had one per week.
Lauren’s carnivore diet
Cooking and eating mostly at home, Lauren eats ground beef, bacon, eggs, some steak, and occasionally liver and uses tallow for cooking. She doesn’t measure how much fat she eats, but “the more fat I have, usually the more full I feel.”
Lauren’s mission to help others
Lauren hopes to continue learning about the carnivore diet so she can help others get healthier on their carnivore journey.
