Tony leads an active lifestyle at 57 years old. His previous philosophy about food was “anything goes.” Recently, that changed as he noticed some physical challenges that were holding him back from living his best life.
Until three months ago, Tony says he put no limits on his appetite or cravings for carb-heavy foods. “I would eat anything I wanted. A quart of ice cream or a dozen cookies in one sitting? Full steam ahead!”
However, as the saying goes, “You can’t outrun a poor diet.” Tony noticed his eating habits might be the source of some emerging health issues. Binge-eating on sugary foods or mindlessly snacking while sitting in front of the TV are surefire ways to gain weight quickly, even with regular exercise. As Tony approached his sixties, he knew there would be changes in what his metabolism could handle.
“The problem was I had reached 280 pounds and began to have knee pain.” Tony knew if he didn’t get his weight under control and alleviate the added stress on his joints, he might lose his ability to stay active and exercise regularly.
Tony had additional problems that seemed to correlate with his poor diet and subsequent weight gain. He struggled with sleep apnea, a condition in which a person’s airway becomes blocked, causing their breathing to stop and restart several times during sleep. More than just heavy snoring, sleep apnea results in poor-quality sleep and can lead to heart issues if not addressed.
Tony also struggled with his digestion and had low energy throughout the day. “In addition to sleep apnea, I had heartburn, diarrhea, and I had grown accustomed to general lethargy.”
After hearing about the carnivore diet, Tony was ready to make some significant changes. “I decided to ignore the nay-sayers,” he shares, explaining his theory of why a meat-based diet works for him. “I now accept myself for who I am, a carnivore. I am the product of a million years of evolution in which my species ate virtually only meat.”
While Tony knows that vegetarians and others may disagree with his theory on a proper human diet, he is not deterred. “It seems intuitive that the human race is awash in type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity when we glut our diet with things we were never meant to metabolize.”
Just three months into his carnivore journey, Tony is thrilled with his results! “I’ve dropped to 254 pounds, and my sleep apnea is much better.” In most cases, patients who lose weight see a marked improvement in their sleep apnea, as excess weight can restrict the airway.
Now that he’s sleeping better, Tony has noticed his other conditions have also improved. “My heartburn and digestive issues are gone, and my energy levels during the day seem elevated.”
Tony looks forward to continuing his carnivore journey and jokes that he won’t let anything (or anyone) stand between him and a delicious marbled ribeye steak. “I feel free and out of the closet!”
