Before discovering the carnivore diet, Simon experimented for 14-15 years with diets and weightlifting to improve his appearance and how people would perceive him.
When he saw Lee Haney, the bodybuilder, he heard him say “you cannot lift like a horse and eat like a bird.” Simon began eating more food! In 4 years, he gained 60 lbs, going from 110 pounds to 170 pounds. While playing pool in a bar, Simon took off his shirt, and his friend said “Simon has a belly now!” Simon reacted by thinking “I was like, that is not the aim I wanted to achieve. I wanted to look like a Greek god, not this!”
Simon reduced his calories and lost some weight. Then he learned about the ketogenic diet. “With the same caloric intake, I was able to lose weight. So, this was not just a math equation, it was something else happening. I needed to think about what I put in my mouth.”
Simon noticed his skin improved, and his mood improved a lot. He used to be cranky before eating and much better afterward, and after switching to a low-carbohydrate diet his mood stabilized. From that point on, used a ketogenic diet whenever he wanted to lose weight.
Later Simon tried out different diets but learned that fasting helped: “The fasting day was always very productive. I felt better the next day, and was very productive.” Eventually, he implemented fasting, twenty hours at a time.
Simon required 3-4 hours per day to cook his keto meals. During his preparation for his dissertation, he didn’t have time and needed to change how he ate. He had heard about the carnivore diet, so he tried it because it was faster, and noticed that it helped him feel better. “I noticed that I was less bloated, that I was less tired after the meal.”
Simon thought that eating only meat had added something to his life and decided to continue eating this way. He was happy to see the simplicity and efficiency of the carnivore diet, combined with how it helped him to feel better.
Initially, he just ate an entire chicken; later, he added ground beef, eggs, and organ meats, and eventually noticed that he couldn’t fast as well this way. He shifted his diet to include more fatty meat, lard, and butter and noticed that his fasting got easier again.
When he would try to return to keto, he would notice bloating and discomfort again. Going back to being a carnivore meant feeling good after eating and not feeling as if his stomach would burst.
Simon appreciates the stability, flexibility, and consistency of the carnivore diet. In his current role as a health coach, he works with clients to gradually develop a more effective diet that inspires them by progress and teaches them which foods trigger reactions, until they are feeling great and consuming a lot of meat.
