Hi there.
I have dropped over 12kg or 26lbs in bodyweight since changing to carnivore in the last 6 months.
That is the tip of the iceberg though. Mentally I am hugely improved as well as physical recovery from training and energy levels.
See attached pictures and my battle plan over the last 2 year’s when I hit 17 stone or 110kg or 242lbs.
Big thanks to Shawn Baker. Truly inspirational.
How I changed
From 17 stone to 14 stone, fitter, stronger and with less aches and pains!
Created an overarching goal that I had to be held accountable for – when I am 40 I am going on stage at a bodybuilding comp – made the goal at 35, I am 37 (almost 38) now.
Stopped viewing exercise and “diet” as punishment – saw it as a means to an end and an opportunity to feel better – mental change.
Stopped viewing the fact that I had aches and pains and sore bits as a negative and a reason to not do exercise and viewed them as mini projects to sort and understand the “why”– mental change.
Went from taking a good game to actually doing it – my wife really supported me during the trials and tribulations and gave me tough love when needed too!
Created mini goals in training – periodized system – Strength, Bodybuilding, Conditioning (CrossFit WODS). Roughly 2-month blocks Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Also committed to an average base steps per day of 10k no matter what. I move every day 5 days intense (Monday to Friday) weekends less so with dog walking and playing with the kids, occasionally I do challenges too!
DC gym personal touch, friendliness, accepting people’s strengths and helping them with where they are challenged.
Hannah and my brother John – both absolutely off the scale in terms of how hard they work and what they can do – massive motivation. My brother Will is a huge motivator also, still trains and works hard even though he has had a catalogue of injuries over the last few years.
Lee’s classes “Early Burn” – I sucked it up (stopped being scared to make a fool of myself and embraced the likelihood I would be a sweaty mess) and went in there from the very first one (Hannah made me do it!) and getting this done changed my mind and opened my eyes more to the fact I could do conditioning type work and not become a little skinny fella with no strength, my strength has increased as has my fitness, my weight is down!
Dietary change – again, sucked it up and asked for help (got over myself). Had a range of options given to me by Sam – started hi fat low carb which was really tough, but I did lose weight, then transitioned back to a clean 40 40 20 carb protein fats bodybuilder diet.
Recognised my shortcomings – I was still having issues on the diet I was following and if I am honest, I was addicted to sugars – going off carbs and having a re feed on Sunday meant I went crazy into ice cream and pasta (my issue not the diet) then spent the week having a “come down”. Weight loss slowed and then bottomed out to around 102.5kg to 105kg (around 16 to 16.5 stone, I peaked at 110kg so over 17 stone).
Big single change – transitioned onto a carnivore diet after researching more into keto. Dr Shawn Baker a big advocate of this way of eating. It made sense to me from a biological evolutionary standpoint, we are carnivorous apes and have been for a lot longer than we have had agriculture (circa 10k years).
Dietary change and transition to carnivore in Feb 2018 made a monumental difference, between that point and now I have moved from 102.5kg to 89.7kg. that is 12.8kg or 28lbs (2 stone) so from 16 stone to 14 stone. I am now also off my general anxiety and depression medication (day 14) and feeling great! Phased it out starting a couple of months back.
Challenges – I added these in over and above the norm so if ever I feel a bit soft or something really intrigues me I have a go at it. The challenges I have done so far are:
JCB mud run.
Colour Dash.
1-mile tyre flip.
Running up the Wrekin.
4 miles every 4 hours for 24 hours.
50 curls 50 triceps press 3 rounds every night for a month.
Focus on getting my mile time down, have gone from 11 minutes to 7:30 so far.
What’s next?
This year:
Improve my running using the Vibram 5 finger trainers – strengthen my feet.
Increase squat, deadlift and bench measures.
Reduce bodyfat further – whilst not being obsessive!
Continue to shape physique using 8-12 rep range classic bodybuilding style.
Breathing – learn how to be more focussed, when you feel out of control, focus on the breath in and the breath out as the only things that matter in that moment. Yoga is key in this I think.
Yoga and stretching – added lots more of this type of stuff in over the last 12 months and learned about myofascial releases etc but want to continue down that path.
Next year
Big focus on getting myself into contest condition – start the year off with strength, finish the year with bodybuilding, continue with the Tuesday and Thursday conditioning.
Start practicing routines and working out how to tan myself etc.
Do more challenges – David Goggins a big inspiration here as is John Hill!
Future
I think it is important to have goals beyond the bodybuilding competition – I am going to be getting more into running at distance, learning to shoot a bow (I did a lot of archery as a kid to the age of 18 ish so need to re learn). I want to do more competitions for endurance and athleticism, definitely want to do a crossfit coemption but also a spartan race. I would also like to take up martial arts again – I was national champion in ECKA kickboxing in 1999 and it has been too long since I put myself up for that type of absolute fear and punishment!
The big factor is being at one with your mind – thoughts, positive and negative, come in to it all of the time, don’t grab at the positive and don’t obsess on the negative, just breathe and do one good thing every day, the rest of it will fall into place.
Hope this helps someone, and I am happy to chat things through with anyone who would like a random view of the world.
Happy training!!
