From Paleo to Vegan and Back: Ned’s Diet Experiments
Ned and his wife have “been on a journey for several years,” and they have explored many different ways of eating along the way. Since starting a carnivore diet earlier this year, Ned has had the best results and has healed from diabetes and skin issues.
Ned’s Journey to a Zero-Carb Lifestyle
Ned became a father later in life. Now 55 years old, he and his wife have two sons, who are 12 and 4 years old. Ten years ago, they were looking for a way to stay healthy and lose weight, so they turned to several popular diets, starting with a paleo diet.
A paleo diet is based on what experts believe to be the diet of humans during the Paleolithic Era in human history. A modern version of the diet includes only whole foods such as lean meats, fruits, vegetables, fish, eggs, nuts, and seeds.
They eventually transitioned to a ketogenic diet, which focuses on keeping carbohydrates low, prioritizing fat, and eating moderate amounts of protein.
The Benefits and Challenges of a Zero-Carb Carnivore Diet
“We were successful on the keto diet,” Ned shares. “I lost 65 pounds, and my wife lost 70 pounds.” Ned continued to research nutrition and experimented with different foods to see how his body would respond to different types of food.
“Unfortunately, I went vegan for a year. When I try something, I try to follow through with it.” The results were disastrous for his health. “While following a vegan diet, I got very sick,” he recalls. “I developed joint pain, and it was just godawful.”
From there, Ned transitioned back to a low-carb diet but struggled with cravings for sweet foods. He “kept falling back on sugary treats and late-night snacks,” causing him to regain some of the weight he had lost.
Finding Support in the Carnivore Community
Ned eventually found out about the carnivore diet and decided to see if he could stick to a zero-carb lifestyle. Coming from keto, this wasn’t too far of a stretch. Since he had been disciplined in following strict diets for the past ten years, focusing on eating only meat did not seem out of reach.
“I started a zero-carb carnivore diet a few months ago, and since then, I’ve gotten back to the size I was in high school!” Ned still is early on his carnivore journey and is working to heal himself from several autoimmune issues.
He notes that he still experiences “a lot of weakness and pain” but is happy to report that “my skin issues and my diabetes are completely cured!”
Ned is proud to be part of the carnivore community and regularly watches content from Dr. Shawn Baker and others. “I enjoy watching videos of people sharing what this way of eating has done for them. Since I’ve been zero-carb over the last few months, things are just getting better and better for me.”
Ned is grateful for the many ways the Carnivore.Diet community supports so many people through the carnivore diet. “I can’t thank you enough for what you and others are doing in the zero-carb and carnivore community!”
