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Dieting & exercise

Carnivore diet

(25 Posts)
Ziggy62 Mon 30-Dec-24 13:26:28

Has anyone tried the carnivore diet?
My husband has decided to give it a go as he's 2 stone overweight.
I need to lose 3 stone but I'm not that keen on meat, I didn't eat meat at all until we got married.
I'm planning to just eat sensibly with lots of fruit and veg
Interested to hear if anyone had an success with this carnivore diet

Whiff Mon 30-Dec-24 21:16:17

You need a balanced diet . To much meat without plenty of vegetables won't necessarily lose weight and can cause constipation. Also the meat needs to be lean and not large portions, can cause bad breath and wind .

Remember the old Atkins diet was very heavy on protein .
A different diet might suit you better. Have a look at the pears thread we have different way to lose weight mine is counting calories.

paddyann54 Mon 30-Dec-24 23:37:23

The mediteranean diet lots of veg and small portions of meat and fish ,go light on fruit it’s high in sugar Berries are good I make up sugar free jelly and set it over a couple of dessert spoons of frozen berries .I find I can lose weight quickly on this diet

keepingquiet Tue 31-Dec-24 00:29:46

I agree a mediterranean diet is a good mix of all food groups. The one I follow is fish heavy but you could easily substitute with lean meat.

I was really surprised how easy it was to lose weight and you could both follow it without having to compromise. A meat only diet is not healthy in my opinion.

M0nica Tue 31-Dec-24 00:50:25

Any diet that means the dieter consumes fewer calories than usual, will normally be successful.

But to eat meat alone, like eating cabbage soup alone, or raw fruit and veg and nothing else, or any other fad diet that limits the range of food you eat, is likely to be nutritionally unsound and could do you significant harm by overloading your internal organs with large quantities of a one food type and the absence of others.

Even if a fad diet like this takes off the weight, how does the OP's DH intend to keep the weight off after he reaches his target? he cannot continue on the unbalanced diet that lost the weight, nor can he return to his pre-diet eating pattern as that is the one that put the weighton in the first place.

Much better to gentle change his eating patterns to more healthy ones that he enjoys, eating slightly less and eating a different food mix, then cut this back for a few months until his weight is reduced and he knows he can return to an eating pattern that is enjoyable, healthy and sustainable in the long term.

Ziggy62 Tue 31-Dec-24 08:18:01

He's determined to do this crazy meat diet, so I'll support him until he gets fed up lol
I'll stick to fish, fruit and veg
We're both doing dry January which will no doubt get rid of a few lbs

keepingquiet Tue 31-Dec-24 09:27:40

Good comments from MOnica. Losing weight should not be a one-off but changes in eating habits and lifestyle over time that will stick.

At some point (very quickly) DH's gut will crave some fibre but it's his choice.

Good that you are doing dry January but what happens in February? You just start drinking again? Better to cut down and still enjoy a glass now and again than cut it out only to crave it.

That's just my advice. I wish you both well.

BigBertha1 Tue 31-Dec-24 09:45:30

If you could get him to convert to a Protein based diet that would be better than all that meat (and cheaper). NHS website promotes the Mediterranean diet as being the best- we follow that and you do feel much livelier.

Ziggy62 Tue 31-Dec-24 10:35:15

keepingquiet
Thanks for reply
We always do dry January, thankfully we don't get cravings. Normally we stay off alcohol until valentines day, then have wine with our meal.

I agree with you with regard to my husband but he's determined to do this diet, so I'll let him get on with it, he'll soon get fed up lol

Farzanah Tue 31-Dec-24 10:38:21

Any diet in the short term will not maintain weight loss.
As others have said a change in eating habits is the only way, with a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and veg and fewer carbs and meat.
There is plenty of evidence that a meat heavy diet is not healthy.

Ziggy62 Tue 31-Dec-24 11:13:33

I totally agree

Jaxjacky Tue 31-Dec-24 11:16:51

My ex husband has been following the Keto diet for a year and lost a lot of weight, however it’s caused a severe vitamin deficiency he’s now being treated for, self inflicted.

Lathyrus3 Tue 31-Dec-24 11:20:38

As a side effect he will have terrible bad breath😱

Urge him to pay extra attention to his dental hygiene.

Witzend Tue 31-Dec-24 11:33:19

My go-to diet (not that I do it very often but I really do need to now!) is lean meat/fish/eggs/halloumi* and lots of vegetables/salads - no bread, potatoes, pasta, rice or any other carbs.
Some fruit, esp. apples, but very little else.

I find half a pack of halloumi, sliced and fried in just the merest film of oil, with a cut up apple and a chunk of raw white cabbage, nicely filling.

Trouble is, at the moment we are awash with Christmas chocolate - nearly all of it was presents!

lixy Tue 31-Dec-24 11:39:01

Is this the diet vegetarian Bear Grylls switched to after he stopped being Chief Scout? Might be worth seeing if you can find out how he’s doing with it.

Ziggy62 Tue 31-Dec-24 11:46:18

Oh I don't know, I'll look into that

Ziggy62 Tue 31-Dec-24 11:47:13

Lathyrus3

As a side effect he will have terrible bad breath😱

Urge him to pay extra attention to his dental hygiene.

Maybe he won't be staying on it as long as he thinks 🤔

Ziggy62 Tue 31-Dec-24 11:48:22

Jaxjacky

My ex husband has been following the Keto diet for a year and lost a lot of weight, however it’s caused a severe vitamin deficiency he’s now being treated for, self inflicted.

Yes this is my concern and I have mentioned it to him

HousePlantQueen Tue 31-Dec-24 12:30:47

Any diet designed for rapid weight loss can only be temporary. Long term changes need to be made, cutting out any one food group will inevitably lead to either cravings or worse, deficiencies. Every 'diet' will tell you of those who have succeeded, what they do not show is those who put the weight back on, with interest, when they revert to their pre-diet eating habits.

AreWeThereYet Tue 31-Dec-24 13:57:58

If you want to know more about the carnivore diet you should look up someone like Dr Ken Berry on YouTube. And yes, he's a medical doctor.

Your husband may be better off on a keto diet that will give him a bit more varied diet.

Ziggy62 Tue 31-Dec-24 15:23:31

Thank you

AreWeThereYet Tue 31-Dec-24 18:49:47

I've been keto for over two years, no deficiencies that I am aware of. Also practice intermittent fasting.

People really need to do their home work though before starting diets like this - being carnivore for instance doesn't just mean eating meat, you have to be prepared to eat fat as well to stop you getting constipated, and make sure you drink enough and keep your electrolytes up for energy. You also need to work out how much protein your body needs and how much meat you need to eat to provide that. There really isn't much science to go on because none has ever been done, although some studies have been started over the last few years.

PaperMonster2 Wed 01-Jan-25 13:18:27

Keto is good and very healthy for some. I’ve known a few people do carnivore long term with no ill effects. A couple manage their T2D with it, another I know is doing it to help manage joint pain. I also knew a Woman who did it to recuperate after a year after a spell in hospital. She then reintroduced veggies - this was after being a lifelong vegetarian/vegan. Worked well for her. Not all diets (and I don’t mean in the weight loss sense) work for everyone. You just work out what works best for you.

Farzanah Wed 01-Jan-25 14:30:06

Well it depends doesn’t it?
Processed red meat is a proven carcinogen.
Red meat is a class 2B - probable causing carcinogenicity, but not yet proven.
It depends I guess on how much, and often you eat meat and what sort.

Norah Sat 04-Jan-25 22:43:41

I've not tried it. I dislike meat, taking in protein from other sources.

We eat a large range of fruit, veg, nuts, legumes, lentils, pulses, quinoa, high protein flour based foods, rice, pasta. One could add milk, eggs, chicken, and fish. Perhaps attempt that. Well balanced, easy, pleasant.