Sitting across from his doctor at his annual physical seven months ago, Steve was faced with some tough news. “Your creatine, protein, and vitamin B12 levels are low,” the doctor reported. “I’m detecting malnutrition here.” It was a moment Steve will not soon forget, and he made the decision to leave veganism behind in search for a way of eating that would provide the nourishment he so desperately needed.
“It definitely was a tough decision for me,” Steve shares. “Veganism was spiritual for me. Also, I had always had high cholesterol growing up, and I had heard it said that going vegan lowers your cholesterol, so that’s the advice I had been following.” However, after two years on the plant-based diet, Steve suffered from blurry vision, brain fog, acid reflux, and digestive issues. “What am I eating that is exacerbating the problem?” Steve wondered. “Is it sugars, or oxalates in plants?” He decided the best way to find out was to do an elimination diet, and online research led him to the carnivore diet.
Steve began a meat-based diet by gradually eliminating foods each week, and allowed his body to adjust to the change. This wisely prevented common transitional issues that some new carnivores experience, such as constipation or diarrhea. “It was pretty tough in the beginning,” Steve recalls. “I had to slowly wean off of veggies, fruits, and sugar. I love desserts as well. But after watching various videos from the carnivore community, I just leaned towards it.”
Steve enjoys a variety of meats now, but mostly focuses on steak and chicken. He recently began adding organ meats such as beef liver and kidney, and plans to incorporate more into his diet. He’s even experimented with raw meat, and was surprised to find that he enjoyed it.
After following a carnivore diet for seven months, Steve was pleased to find that his symptoms of RLS (restless leg syndrome) have been drastically reduced. An issue since childhood, Steve shares how his sleep was affected by this neurological sensory disorder of involuntary leg movements while he was asleep, sometimes even waking him up or a family member. “We never knew what it was,” Steve says. “We thought it was just something I would just have to deal with.” Just a few weeks into the carnivore diet, the frequency of Steve’s RLS symptoms went from every single night to once or twice a month. As he continues to heal, he’s confident it will soon be resolved completely.
Since making the switch to a carnivore diet, Steve has seen incredible results at the gym. ”I’m actually shocked by how much stronger I am compared to when I was a vegan,” he notes. “I was squatting well over 400 pounds before becoming a vegan, but my strength quickly diminished, and I was only able to lift 250 pounds. Now, I’m back to being able to squat over 400 pounds on carnivore, and I deadlift over 500 pounds. I’ve seen a huge improvement all around!”
Steve hopes his story will help others reclaim their health and strength through a nutrient-dense diet. “Get those gains!” he says to the camera, flashing his bright smile and impressive biceps.
