Michael says he has been on a 20-year journey to find health. He had asthma as a teenager. By 20, he’d gained weight from eating too much fast food and drinking a lot. He says he also had strong sugar cravings and a lot of digestive issues.
Michael joined a boxing gym and lost 65 pounds in three months. He cleaned up his diet—no more fast food—and followed a mostly plant-based diet, mainly on the advice of others. He became a personal trainer and boxing coach. Michael did well for about a year—then things changed. He had multiple ankle injuries and broke his foot; he was constantly getting hurt.
His injuries prevented Michael from working out, and he stopped working at the gym. His lifestyle became very sedentary. He stuck with the mostly plant-based approach that had originally helped. He ate a lot of chicken and vegetables and avoided red meat because he thought it was unhealthy. Michael gained weight.
The plant-based diet left Michael tired all the time. In his 30s, he got eczema. His doctor gave him steroids and creams, but they didn’t work. His asthma also returned, and he had to use medications to control it. Michael got depressed. As a result, he would binge eat at night. And because he was constantly injuring himself, he still couldn’t exercise.
This went on for years.
Michael found the keto diet first and was convinced this was the key for him. But on keto, he still suffered from digestive issues and eczema. He continued to eat lots of vegetables and added seed oils for fat. Michael says one benefit of keto was that he ate more meat.
A naturopath diagnosed him with leaky gut and irritable bowel and recommended an elimination diet. Things improved a little after Michael gave up beer, pasta, and bread.
After watching Joe Rogan’s podcast with Dr. Baker about the carnivore diet, Michael tried a low-carb, meat diet. But he continued to have digestive problems—fruits and vegetables went right through him. It wasn’t until he read Dr. Baker’s book, Carnivore Diet, that he stopped eating vegetables. After Christmas 2019, “everything was different,” he explains.
Michael immediately had more energy and, after the first week, normal bowel movements. He lost 20 pounds in two months. He was lean with abs and felt great. On his birthday, Michael went off carnivore and within three days, he had eczema patches on his face. Michael resolved to stay strictly carnivore after that.
Michael saw many improvements over the next few months. His digestive issues resolved, his workouts were great, and he started running; even his ankles held up. The sugar cravings went away after a couple of weeks. Michael says he has a solid sleep schedule and sleeps well.
At first, he ate red meat, pork, chicken, and eggs, with some cheese and heavy cream in his coffee. Today, Michael eats mostly beef—ribeyes, burgers, and eggs. He enjoys low-lactose cheeses because he can digest them.
At 40, he’s stronger and runs faster than ever before. And at 170 pounds, he’s the lightest he’s been since he was 15. Michael says, “I’ve never felt better in my life.”
