Matthew, a Seattle Washington native, heard the words from his doctor that no 35-year-old wants to hear: he was pre-diabetic and had high blood pressure. At 6’3” and 290 pounds, Matthew knew he had to make changes to his diet to avoid being put on medication.
“Luckily, my doctor said he would give me a few months to correct my diet,” Matthew recalls. “That’s where it starts. Instead of dumping all the meds on me, this allowed me to go home and start doing some research.” Matthew first tried the ketogenic diet, which he found helpful in losing some of the initial weight. “I found keto really helpful. I lost several pounds and started to feel better. Then I saw Dr. Shawn Baker’s interview with Joe Rogan. That really sparked a fire and just simplified what I wanted to do–what I needed to do–to be able to drop this weight and lower my markers.”
Forty pounds lighter, Matthew returned to his doctor and weighed in at 250 pounds. “All of my markers did go down. So just within a couple of months I was able to show my doctor that I can change my diet.” Matthew didn’t share the specifics of his diet, likely to avoid scrutiny that can often accompany the news that a patient is following a meat-only diet. As many who follow the carnivore diet can attest to, most mainstream medical doctors would recommend what they consider a more “balanced” diet that includes fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, rather than explore the growing body of evidence that meat and animal products can provide all the nutrients a human body needs to be healthy.
“I didn’t tell my doctor exactly what I was doing, I just shared that I had cut out all the processed foods and sugars. He was happy with that. I didn’t want to get into a debate over the carnivore diet. He was happy with what I was doing to lose the weight and get my markers down.”
For many people who come to the carnivore diet, it can be hard to give up so many of the foods they have grown accustomed to eating, and they expect to see rapid results. This is why it is so important to take before photos, from the front, center, and side, so you can visually map your progress. Matthew found this to be a very effective motivator, and his before-and-after photos shared here are powerful proof that many people can effectively lose weight and build muscle mass on a carnivore diet, with or without exercise. In Matthew’s case, he also was able to prevent type 2 diabetes and hypertension without having to take medication for either.
Matthew is happy to report that his successful weight loss continues, and he now weighs 240 pounds, 50 pounds lighter from where he began. “Again, all my markers have gone down and my way of thinking about food and life in general since getting on carnivore has completely changed for the better.”
