The Carnivore Diet For Weight Loss

The Carnivore Diet For Weight Loss If you are at the point where you are considering the carnivore diet for weight loss, this article will help you to decide if it is the right approach for you. While there are many benefits associated with the carnivore diet it certainly isn’t for everyone. We will explore…


The Carnivore Diet For Weight Loss

The Carnivore Diet For Weight Loss

If you are at the point where you are considering the carnivore diet for weight loss, this article will help you to decide if it is the right approach for you.

While there are many benefits associated with the carnivore diet it certainly isn’t for everyone. We will explore the pro’s and con’s below.

After 8+ years of using the keto diet on and off to manage my hormone challenges (PCOS, insulin resistance) and weight, in 2020 it seemed to stop “working”. Despite significantly reducing carbs my weight did not shift.

At the time I believed that sugar and carbs were the cause of weight gain, insulin resistance and other health challenges so I figured if keto wasn’t working, I would cut all carbs completely and follow the carnivore diet.

While I felt amazing on the carnivore diet, I later discovered this was primarily due to high levels of stress hormones. I had more energy than ever, no appetite and required minimal sleep and while these may sounds like positives, they were warning signs that my body was on a fast track to complete burnout.

Within 3 months of being on the carnivore diet I had lost the weight that I wanted to lose but I had exacerbated my hormone imbalances (high estrogen and low progesterone) which led to excruciating menstrual pain that took months to reverse.

As I slowly began to reintroduce carbs I developed cystic acne, rapid weight gain (5-6kg in a few months) and noticed I had lost a substantial amount of muscle and strength, all of which affected my metabolism, weight, mental health and energy levels for several years.

While my experience was not ideal, I understand that the carnivore diet can be life changing for others.

What is the Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet is a way of eating that includes animal protein (beef, chicken, organ meat, butter, eggs) and nothing else. All fruits, vegetables, sugars and grains are completely eliminated.

The carnivore diet can be used as a therapeutic elimination diet for certain auto immune challenges and it can also induce rapid weight loss. In both cases I do not believe it is necessary to be this extreme but I respect why some may like to explore this option.

The Carnivore Diet For Weight Loss

The extreme carbohydrate and calorie restriction triggers rapid weight loss when following the carnivore diet. Many people turn to the carnivore diet for weight loss when other diets fail and it is especially popular among those that have been diagnosed with insulin resistance or Type 2 Diabetes.

Insulin resistance can cause stubborn weight gain that does not seem to respond to regular methods of dieting which is why the keto diet and carnivore diet are popular among those who struggle with this imbalance.

Are Carbs Really The Problem?

One thing I wish I knew before starting the carnivore diet was that fact that carbohydrates were never the real problem. My bodies inability to use carbs for fuel was.

For almost a decade, instead of addressing stress levels, underlying mineral deficiency and other factors that would have improved my tolerance to carbohydrates, I simply cut them out whenever I felt like I needed to lose some weight and I found myself stuck in a cycle of yo-yo dieting and bingeing.

If you feel that you cannot lose weight while eating carbs, I respect your decision to follow the keto or carnivore diet, but make sure you address the underlying cause of the intolerance to carbs while you lose the weight.

The underlying factors that impact your bodies ability to tolerate carbs include:

– Inflammation
– Mineral imbalance (especially high tissue calcium which can be detected with a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis)
– Mineral deficiency
– Low muscle mass
– Lack of exercise
– High exposure to blue light
– Low exposure to morning sunlight
– Poor sleep
– Certain medications and supplements

These underlying factors result in:

– Fatigue and brain fog
– Feeling “addicted” to carbs and sweets
– Stubborn mid section weight gain
– Low muscle mass
– Poor metabolic function
– Inability to lose weight or maintain weight loss once you reach your goal

Who Should Not Follow The Carnivore Diet?

Generally speaking, anyone can follow a carnivore diet but there are some people (like me) who may experience long term metabolic suppression, exacerbated hormone imbalances and rapid, rebound weight gain when they reintroduce carbs.

Men in general tend to have a less complicated health picture than most women when it comes to hormone health. I have worked with many men over the years who have been able to engage in strict fasting regimes, and extreme versions of the keto or carnivore diet with great success and minimal rebound weight gain once they reach their goal and begin reintroducing a wider variety of food.

Women, on the other hand, have several other factors to consider before embarking on a restrictive, weight loss plan.

Pre menopausal women of any age must be aware of the implications that all restrictive diets have on hormone health. While restrictive diets like the carnivore diet may trigger initial weight loss, we put ourselves at risk of developing hormone imbalance due to the restrictive nature of these diets.

Our bodies require adequate nutrients, calories, fats, protein and carbs to produce progesterone. We also need an appropriate serving of fibre (preferably from fruits and vegetables) to detox estrogen effectively. Restrictive diets like the carnivore diet for weight loss may rob your bodies ability to produce progesterone while becoming ineffective at detoxing estrogen. This can leave us in an estrogen dominant state. Excess estrogen or estrogen dominance can produce stubborn unwanted weight gain, difficult menstrual cycles (pain, heavy bleeding), acne, mood disorders and more.

Women who feel “burnt out” or resonate with the signs and symptoms of “adrenal fatigue” should avoid restrictive diets, especially those that drastically cut carbs. While carb restriction may feel good for a little while, eventually you are likely to “fall off track” and experience a rapid return of weight gain and fatigue. Women who feel “burnt out” but still want to lose weight must focus on nervous system health and protocol that support metabolic function.

The thyroid can also become impaired from diets that are excessively restrictive. The thyroid controls our metabolism and ability to lose weight. If you are feeling like the carnivore diet is your only hope, I suspect you may already have a thyroid challenge or cellular hypothyroid which will not be detected by a blood test.

Restrictive diets are inherently stressful on the body, this constant stress suppresses thyroid function. The thyroids preferred source of fuel is carbs. Sub optimal thyroid function is common among those who struggle to lose weight. Restriction may appear to work in the short term but it puts us at risk of further suppressing thyroid function which contributes to the rapid rebound in weight when we begin to reintroduce a wider variety of food.

The hormones cortisol and adrenaline are also elevated when we engage in restrictive diets like the carnivore diet for weight loss. Elevations in these hormones do help us to lose weight but chronic elevation can lead to “burnout” and metabolic suppression.

The rise in cortisol and adrenaline is one of the factors that makes us feel so good on the carnivore diet. The increase in stress hormones temporarily suppresses pain and inflammation, it increase energy, suppresses hunger and cravings and helps us to lose weight. This may sound good but it is often a short cut solution that can create symptoms and weight to return with vengeance later down the track.

The Carnivore Diet and Muscle Mass

Despite eating adequate protein, the carnivore diet often results in muscle wasting. This loss of muscle occurs while losing fat and it contributes to the rapid drop you will see on the scales.

The elimination of carbs and the high levels of stress hormones contribute to the muscle loss.

Regular resistance training and staggering your protein intake throughout the day (rather than trying to eat one meal a day) can help to minimise this muscle loss. Men tend to be less at risk of significant muscle loss.

As we age, building and maintaining muscle must become our top priority. In it incredibly challenging and time consuming to build muscle as we age.

Having a good baseline of muscle mass improves insulin sensitivity, increases longevity, supports weight loss, improves bone density and supports us to maintain our freedoms as we age gracefully.

Your low muscle mass is likely contributing to stubborn weight gain and insulin resistance. Instead of jumping straight into the carnivore diet, work with a weight loss specialist (like me!) to improve insulin sensitivity and rebuild your muscle mass. This is likely to result in longer lasting weight loss results and better health outcomes.

What About Oxalates?

If you have been desperately searching for the cause of your chronic health issues online you may have come across the discussion about “plant toxins”, lecithins and oxalates.

While these plant toxins can be harmful and going carnivore may seem like the most obvious solution, it is important to know that restrictive dieting is not your only solution.

In some extreme cases, eliminating all plant toxins may be required to support the body to heal but an inability to cope with plant toxins is a sign of a deeper issue and simply eliminating them will no resolve the problem.

Our gut health, microbiome, nervous system and immune system plays a key role in our bodies ability to process “plant toxins”.

What If I’m Not Losing Weight On The Carnivore Diet?

If you have tried the carnivore diet but failed to lose weight is it likely because you were 1) eating too many calories or 2) experiencing severe metabolic suppression and weight loss resistance.

In cases of severe metabolic suppression and weight loss resistance, your body will only begin to release weight when you focus on healing metabolic function and hormone health. You can begin to achieve this by nourishing with pro metabolic foods, balancing minerals, reducing inflammation and managing stress. Discover if hormone imbalance is causing stubborn weight gain.

Nourishing your body when you’re experiencing weight loss resistance may sound counter intuitive but I see it work time and time again.

The Carnivore Diet For Weight Loss vs. A Nourishing Approach

If you are ready to start working towards your weight loss goals in a way that will help you to:

– Break free from yo yo dieting and restriction
– Improve metabolic function
– Regulate your appetite and cravings
– Optimise gut health and hormone health

Here are 3 ways I can help:

1. Work with me! Book a consultation in person (Evandale, SA) or AUS + NZ wide online via Zoom

2. Listen to the Holistic Weight Loss Podcast

3. Connect with me on Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook


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