Hello, my name is Lynsey. I’m a 37-year-old female, and I started the Carnivore Diet in August 2018. I’m a big fan of Jordan Peterson, and I heard him talking about the Carnivore Diet on the Joe Rogan podcast.
It was the first time he’d said something that actually made me think maybe he was a bit crazy. I ignored it for a while because, really, what sane person would eat just meat? But then I read his daughter’s blog, which led me to Shawn Baker.
My Issues
Apart from having hay fever and anxiety, I always considered myself a healthy person, but over the past few years, some health issues have crept their way in rosacea, eczema, horrific mouth ulcers that wouldn’t go away, mood problems, insomnia, and general aches and pains.
Reading people’s stories here about how they had cured these types of things, I became convinced that it was going to help me (even though my doctor said they were not diet-related).
Trying So Hard
I was also overweight, even though I worked out twice a week, went running once a week, walked every day, and regularly restricted calories. My weight either stayed the same or went up. And the whole time, I just thought it was because I wasn’t trying hard enough.
Sometimes I just couldn’t stop myself from eating because I was just so damn hungry all the time (I would obsessively think about food)! I thought that if I had a ‘slip up,’ it was because I lacked willpower. I just generally felt bad about myself for thinking I was so pathetic and useless!
I thought that if I had a ‘slip up,’ it was because I lacked willpower. I just generally felt bad about myself for thinking I was so pathetic and useless!
Going Carnivore
So, the day before my son’s birthday, whilst baking him a birthday cake laden with buttercream icing, I decided to go Carnivore. It was daunting for many reasons, one being that I didn’t really eat much meat, and certainly not fatty meat.
I was a vegetarian from the age of 9 because I ‘loved animals,’ and although I slowly started eating meat again in my early 20s, I always hated fatty meat, and I’d never eaten a steak in my life until I started Carnivore.
Loving Ribeyes
It was hard at first, but now I love ribeyes. I have a ribeye every day and would happily have three a day if I could afford it, but I can’t. So, instead, I also have minced beef and bacon, and sometimes eggs from my own chickens.
Sometimes, I have a little bit of cheese, but I don’t feel so great with it. I also sometimes drink zero-carb spirits when I feel like it (I have young kids; sometimes you just need a drink!).
Starting To Heal
Within a week of doing Carnivore, my mouth ulcers disappeared. That was amazing. My tongue became this beautiful, healthy, red/pink color that I don’t remember it ever being before. The weird coating it previously had was gone. All my other ailments also disappeared quite quickly.
The only time they returned was when I had carbs (just a small amount, like ‘Oh, a little bit of chocolate at Christmas will be fine.’ Nope, not fine!). I’m not sure if my hay fever has gone, as it’s not quite allergy season, but I’m hopeful.
My tongue became this beautiful, healthy, red/pink color that I don’t remember it ever being before
Getting Off Medications
My mood improved within the first couple of weeks, and I decided to come off my antidepressants in November. Although I had a bit of a wobble at the beginning (I felt like I was back to how I felt before the antidepressants), I was quickly back to feeling really good.
Now, I feel better than I felt when I was on antidepressants. I feel calm most of the time. I don’t seem to get obsessive kinds of thoughts anymore, and my mind is very clear. The brain fog that I didn’t even know I had has definitely gone!
Better Sleep
My sleep is also much, much better. I suffered from ‘mild’ insomnia. I’ve always taken a while to get to sleep – my mind would race with worries and random thoughts – but during the first week of Carnivore, I fell fast asleep quickly after my head hit the pillow.
This had never happened to me before. I used to toss and turn all night, and I would wake up two or three times and not be able to get back to sleep. Now, I sometimes wake once in the night, but I quickly fall asleep again.
My arms and hands used to go numb or have pins and needles, and I’d wake up with that a lot, but not anymore. I also had horrible hypnic jerks, which were often terrifying, but those seem to have gone, too. I feel like my sleep is much deeper now, and I often have extremely vivid dreams (they always used to be hazy).
Weight Loss
Now to the weight loss. From day one, the weight just dropped off me. It was truly amazing. So far, I’ve lost over 17kg (38lbs). I didn’t even know I had that much to lose (I thought 10kg, maybe)!
My weight is now considered ‘healthy,’ and my BMI is 19, which I never imagined would ever happen to me (it was 26 when I started). I think I’m still losing weight now but much more slowly, and my body shape is definitely still changing and toning up. I never would have believed I would be the weight I am now. I’m 161cm (5ft 3in) and weigh 51.2kg (113lb).
Husband Made The Leap
My husband, having initially thought I was mad, saw how well I was doing and has joined me on this diet and is also thriving. We are trying not to preach to people, but I wish everyone would just give this a try because it’s just amazing. We are pretty certain we will eat this way for the rest of our lives!
We are trying not to preach to people, but I wish everyone would just give this a try because it’s just amazing!
Thank you to everyone for sharing their stories and for giving me the courage to try this. Totally life-changing!!
P.S. I’m sorry to Jordan Peterson for ever doubting him!
I thought that if I had a 'slip up', it was because I lacked willpower. I just generally felt bad about myself for thinking I was so pathetic and useless!
Going Carnivore
So, the day before my son’s birthday, whilst baking him a birthday cake laden with buttercream icing, I decided to go Carnivore.
It was daunting for many reasons, one being that I didn’t really eat much meat, and certainly not fatty meat. I was a vegetarian from the age of 9 because I ‘loved animals,’ and although I slowly started eating meat again in my early 20s, I always hated fatty meat, and I’d never eaten a steak in my life until I started Carnivore.
Loving Ribeyes
It was hard at first, but now I love ribeyes. I have a ribeye every day and would happily have three a day if I could afford it, but I can’t. So, instead, I also have minced beef and bacon, and sometimes eggs from my own chickens. Sometimes, I have a little bit of cheese, but I don’t feel so great with it. I also sometimes drink zero-carb spirits when I feel like it (I have young kids; sometimes you just need a drink!).
Starting To Heal
Within a week of doing Carnivore, my mouth ulcers disappeared. That was amazing. My tongue became this beautiful, healthy, red/pink color that I don’t remember it ever being before. The weird coating it previously had was gone. All my other ailments also disappeared quite quickly.
The only time they returned was when I had carbs (just a small amount, like ‘Oh, a little bit of chocolate at Christmas will be fine.’ Nope, not fine!). I’m not sure if my hay fever has gone, as it’s not quite allergy season, but I’m hopeful.
My tongue became this beautiful, healthy, red/pink colour that I don't remember it ever being before
Getting Off Medications
My mood improved within the first couple of weeks, and I decided to come off my antidepressants in November. Although I had a bit of a wobble at the beginning (I felt like I was back to how I felt before the antidepressants), I was quickly back to feeling really good.
Now, I feel better than I felt when I was on antidepressants. I feel calm most of the time. I don’t seem to get obsessive kinds of thoughts anymore, and my mind is very clear. The brain fog that I didn’t even know I had has definitely gone!
Better Sleep
My sleep is also much, much better. I suffered from ‘mild’ insomnia. I’ve always taken a while to get to sleep – my mind would race with worries and random thoughts – but during the first week of Carnivore, I fell fast asleep quickly after my head hit the pillow.
This had never happened to me before. I used to toss and turn all night, and I would wake up two or three times and not be able to get back to sleep. Now, I sometimes wake once in the night, but I quickly fall asleep again. My arms and hands used to go numb or have pins and needles, and I’d wake up with that a lot, but not anymore.
I also had horrible hypnic jerks, which were often terrifying, but those seem to have gone, too. I feel like my sleep is much deeper now, and I often have extremely vivid dreams (they always used to be hazy).
Weight Loss
Now to the weight loss. From day one, the weight just dropped off me. It was truly amazing. So far, I’ve lost over 17kg (38lbs). I didn’t even know I had that much to lose (I thought 10kg, maybe)! My weight is now considered ‘healthy,’ and my BMI is 19, which I never imagined would ever happen to me (it was 26 when I started).
I think I’m still losing weight now but much more slowly, and my body shape is definitely still changing and toning up. I never would have believed I would be the weight I am now. I’m 161cm (5ft 3in) and weigh 51.2kg (113lb).
Husband Made The Leap
My husband, having initially thought I was mad, saw how well I was doing and has joined me on this diet and is also thriving. We are trying not to preach to people, but I wish everyone would just give this a try because it’s just amazing. We are pretty certain we will eat this way for the rest of our lives!
We are trying not to preach to people but I wish everyone would just give this a try because it's just amazing!
Thank you to everyone for sharing their stories and for giving me the courage to try this. Totally life changing!!
P.S. I’m sorry to Jordan Peterson for ever doubting him!
