A little over a year ago, I decided I was done starting over. I committed to the carnivore diet—and for the first time in my life, I experienced the kind of progress I didn’t think was possible.
I lost nearly 80 pounds without counting calories or killing myself in the gym. But the journey wasn’t linear. I hit plateaus. I gained some back. I adjusted. And through it all, I’ve stayed committed to learning what works, what doesn’t, and how to keep moving forward.
This is my honest look back at my carnivore diet weight loss journey—what helped, what hurt, and how I’m dialing things back in right now.
The First 90 Days: Strict Carnivore, Simple Rules
When I started, I made a challenge to myself to go strict carnivore for 90 days. That meant nothing but meat, eggs, salt, and water. No dairy. No sweeteners. Not even artificial ones. I didn’t exercise, didn’t track calories, and didn’t overthink it.
And it worked.
The weight started falling off. My energy went up. My cravings disappeared. And the simplicity of it gave me something I hadn’t had in a long time: clarity and control.
You can read more about what that phase looked like in my 90 Day Carnivore Challenge breakdown.
Drift Happens: From Carnivore to Carnivore-ish
After 90 days, I relaxed my rules. A little dairy. A few nuts. Some fruit. And eventually—protein bars, low-carb cookies, shakes, and other “keto-friendly” snacks.
That slow slide turned into a full-on drift.
I wasn’t eating bad food, but I was eating too much of the wrong “healthy” stuff—without limits. The cravings came back. My weight crept up. And I lost that edge I had when things were simple and strict.
The Wake-Up Call
At my lowest, I weighed in just under 200 pounds.
At my peak before carnivore, I was 270+.
After months of carnivore-ish eating, I had climbed back into the 230s—and I didn’t feel good. My clothes didn’t fit. My energy dipped. And I knew I had to make a shift again.
This wasn’t about vanity. It was about ownership.
I wrote more about that mindset shift here: What Military Training Taught Me About Discipline.
Rebuilding with Tracking and Boundaries
Even though I’ve always hated counting calories, I knew I needed more awareness. I started using MyFitnessPal to spot-check what I was eating. Just a few days of logging revealed the truth: I was consuming way more than I thought—especially from high-fat dairy, nuts, and processed protein snacks.
Now, I’m back to tracking—short-term—so I can reset my instincts. I’m focusing on:
- Prioritizing meat and eggs
- Hitting my protein goals
- Tightening my eating window
- Minimizing distractions from processed “keto” products
And guess what? It’s working.
What About Special Occasions?
I’m not dogmatic about food. I believe in boundaries, not legalism.
A few weeks ago, my family celebrated my late mother-in-law’s birthday. I baked her banana bread recipe as a tribute—and ate a small piece with everyone.
That kind of intentional, sentimental choice doesn’t throw me off.
Random snacking at someone else’s birthday party? That’s a no.
And that’s how I’ve built rules that respect my goals and my life.
Discipline and Faith
Through this whole process, I’ve learned that discipline matters more than motivation. You don’t always feel like showing up—but you can still decide to.
And I believe God’s given us the ability to make those decisions, even when we’re tired, distracted, or discouraged.
If you’ve ever struggled with consistency, I shared a story about that tension in this post on faith and doubt.
Progress Is Still Progress
I’ve recommitted to the basics, and the weight is already dropping again. My cravings are lower. My energy is higher. And most importantly—I feel in control again.
I’m not aiming for perfection. I’m aiming for progress I can sustain.
If you’re just getting started, check out my free Carnivore Diet Quick Start Guide—it’ll help you cut through the confusion and just get moving.
Where Are You in Your Journey?
Are you doing strict carnivore? Carnivore-ish? Something else entirely?
Let me know in the comments—or connect with me on YouTube, where I post honest, unfiltered content about diet, discipline, and self-mastery.
This isn’t about being a guru. I’m not selling perfection. I’m just a guy on a mission to stop quitting and start showing up—for real.
If you want more of that kind of content, check out why I started my YouTube channel.
Keep Going
Whether you’re 100 pounds overweight or just trying to clean up your habits—don’t quit because it got hard. Adjust. Recommit. Simplify. And keep moving forward.
You’re not alone in this.
Let’s go.
