So I’ve been flirting with this whole carnivore‑diet thing for a couple months now, mostly because my stomach was acting like a drama queen with everything else I ate. Honestly, I do feel a bit better, but now I’m freaking myself out wondering if I’m accidentally signing up for long‑term health chaos. I’m a 32‑year‑old dude who loves steak but also loves, you know, not dying early. Has anyone here actually stuck with this for a while? Is it safe or am I just riding a temporary hype wave? Any real‑world advice would be awesome.

Complicated issue.

 

I will give you some feedback (maybe in a few different posts).

 

1 - Watch out for fake science / fear-mongering

 

Although the carnivore diet long-term may potentially have some complications, it doesn't mean all the "scientific" claims about it are accurate. 

 

So you need to watch out where you get your information from because a lot of info out there is fear-mongering, not fact. 

 

 

32 is not that old .... 

But one thing I have gathered is around the age of 40 (give or take), a LOT (most?) people start to have a hard time processing carbs .... 

 

So better to start cutting carbs now, sooner rather than later. 

 

I was doing Carnivore / Keto a few years back, then I got persuaded by all the claims that doing Keto long-term is harmful, and I started to put the weight back on. 

 

One potential problem with Keto or Carnivore is the cholesterol markers may go way off. Some people get LDL going up to 500. 

 

And this is why some people think it may cause heart disease.

 

But what's the alternative? Most carbs, as far as I have experienced, cause weight gain for me. And you can never be healthy being overweight.

 

You need to look for reliable sources talking about blood work issues on Carnivore. You will need to monitor your bloodwork, but at the same time be cautious of your doctor's feedback if they see your LDL shoot up.

 

It's a bit complex. But try to find reliable sources of info and follow their blogs.

 

 

Here is a list of some doctors online you can follow, in my opinion, if you are doing Carnivore, that will explain the bloodwork issues. 

 

Dr. Eric Westman & Nutrition with Judy

 

 

Dr Tony Hampton is a carnivore .

 

 

You will need to monitor your cholesterol and LDL and I suggest you do some research to understand the cholesterol numbers.

 

That's what I will be doing soon as I have recently gone back on Carnivore / Keto.

 

I suggest you educate yourself on bloodwork, blood markers. 

 

But be careful for fear-mongering and fake science. 

 

 

Merry Xmas!

 

Safe & healthy, yes, as long as you know you're getting everything you need.  Something I could stick to myself, big maybe, but probably not.   

 

Been eating a Keto ish diet, and cheat enough on that, so carnivore probably wouldn't work for me.  Just eating the healthiest version of what ever you enjoy, with moderation seems to be working for me.

 

If you can break the addiction of ultra processed foods, and learn how to cook whole foods, then it's an easy process to eat healthy.  Takes a while to master it, and learn all the trick to make food properly, and can be time consumer, along with fun and rewarding once you know what you're doing.

 

To the point, you'll actually enjoy eating in, rather than dining out.

I came across this older discussion and wanted to add that a lot of people doing carnivore long term get regular blood work to see how their lipids, kidneys, and vitamins are holding up. Some do fine, others spot issues early. Has anyone here tried adding small amounts of low‑fiber veggies or eggs to see if the benefits stay while lowering the risks?

28 minutes ago, PaisleyD said:

I came across this older discussion and wanted to add that a lot of people doing carnivore long term get regular blood work to see how their lipids, kidneys, and vitamins are holding up. Some do fine, others spot issues early. Has anyone here tried adding small amounts of low‑fiber veggies or eggs to see if the benefits stay while lowering the risks?

Not carnivore, but I went pretty strict Keto for about 6 months, which was actually quite easy to do.  Some might even consider it was Carnivore ish.  BUT, it jacked up my cholesterol to 354.   Even that high, and the LDL/HDL/Trig ratios weren't that bad 5:1 & 1:1, but still too high for me.  Did bring sugar levels way down, from pre diabetic range to 5.3

 

So I cut way back on the oils, now only Canola & beef tallow.  Cutting coconut (for chocolate) and Olive oil, and cooking a lot of things in butter.   Also cut back on eggs, though still 2 to 4 a day now, and cut back on higher saturated nuts, cheesecake, heavy cream.  

 

Added more fibrous veggies, and basic salad ingredients, that I didn't really eat much of.  Leaner cuts of protein.   Brought the cholesterol down to a respectable 194, and better ratio of LDL/HDL 3:1, Trig 2:1  Along with ApoB @ 88.

 

Just got to figure out what works for yourself.  Now just Keto ish (if giving a name) and overnight intermittent fasting,   Actually took a few 6 months stretches w/blood work to find my sweet spot.

 

Now a very easy eating lifestyle to stick with, and most important part.  Takes no effort or thought, and enjoy everything we eat.  Mostly whole foods, home cooking.   

1 hour ago, PaisleyD said:

Has anyone here tried adding small amounts of low‑fiber veggies or eggs to see if the benefits stay while lowering the risks?

 

Eggs are basically carnivore.

Some carnivores eat only meat, others also include eggs and dairy. 

For veggies, need to research the ones that have the fewest anti-nutrients. Or maybe if it's a small amount, it won't matter too much.

 

Haven't figured out how to deal with all the potential issues on carnivore yet. 

 

Dr. Tony Hampton is a good resource.

He puts his patients on carnivore and he has some videos explaining the blood work. 

 

 

 

yeah, my axie pulled the same stunt and turned his nose up at everything. Besides water params and stress, mine reacted badly to a new plant I added—guess he was picky about decor too. I found a bunch of helpful stuff on https://caffeyolly.com/ about axolotl behavior and care that made things click. Might be worth poking around there if you haven’t already, they break things down in a way that makes sense