My lifestyle, travel and motorcycling blog, focused on places to go and rides to try, with Michigan as a starting point.
If you are following the carnivore diet, someone might tricky you or guilt you into eating veggies. Don’t let that happen to you. Unless of course, your burger patties need some Famous Dave’s Pickles (no relation) to spice up the meal. Available at Costco is the largest jar imaginable.
As I ease into the latter part of a year doing a Carnivore diet, I’ve found that the most enjoyable part is fairly simple. As shown in the photos, when I can consistently have a meal combining eggs, a protein and avocado (usually around 10:00am), the satiety of the meal keeps me from being hungry for a really long time. And regardless of whether it is steak, fish, or burger, I don’t really get bored of the combination.
I am continually surprised by how well this has worked for me. And the news is full of stories about how bad for you the processed foods and sweets are, so that knowledge has really helped curb any desire to “cheat” myself.
Today, on this first day of September, I am dispensing medical advice. Stare at the sun. As a resident of Michigan, the percentage of the year where this is possible outdoors, in a t-shirt, in the early morning is…not a huge number. So, while it is still in season, I’m doing this every day. With my favorite live podcast chirping in the background, I’m enjoying the free warmth. And I do think there is some physiological benefit in addition to the obvious mental benefit.
Am I some sort of daredevil? My dermatologist might think so. I’m easing my way into the camp of “sun good for you” vs the obvious medical fear offered by the derm industry. What is the most competitive specialty medical degree to get accepted into? Dermatology. Why is that? Does the office you visit look like a cash machine to you? Do you enjoy the calming water feature in the lobby? Are you buying the line of facial cosmetics they all seem to sell?
I can counterpoint that I don’t completely ignore their advice. I have let them use their scalpels and freezy potions on me as necessary. However, I remain skeptical about the truthiness of their instant diagnosis of every bump of skin on my body.
This has become my posture for all of the medical care (of my own) that I manage. Yes, I will do my own research so I can reach better conclusions. I have more time than the 10-15 minutes a health provider offers.
Whether you follow the current news or are just a casual observer of people as they pass by, it is pretty obvious that America has an issue with the general welfare of its population. Not in a specific demographic but across the entirety of age ranges and by any other way you can categorize people - unhealthiness abounds.
The first place most people see this is in the mirror (myself included). It isn’t a secret to yourself - you know it when you see it. The important thing that either happens (or not) is ownership of the problem and then success (or not) in solving the problem.
By way of example, I have tried solving this problem a number of times, with a number of different methods, generating evidence that my solution was wrong. The data would show small results, no results, bad value propositions, or easily reversible results. And a big pile of excuses.
Over the last 12 months - exactly a year to the day, I’ve managed to stumble in the right direction, following a plan that was self-imposed, self-regulated, self-designed, and sustained by force of will. I finally connected the dots: Carnivore Diet, No Alcohol, and Regular Walks.
The eureka part of this solution is the simplicity. The Carnivore Diet removes so much junk that all that is left are simple meals. The pantry is lean. The fridge is lean. The freezer is well stocked with meat. No Alcohol for me started with the phrases “don’t drink calories” and “alcohol is poison” and then I just tested out how long I could sustain it. Lastly, I made sure I was a man in motion. 15000 steps a day, plus a few days a week of part-time work that is constant motion and physical work.
From September 1, 2023 to June 1, 2024, the weight just started disappearing. Losses of four to six pounds a month, for 9 months. By June 1, I reached a weight of 145, so I decided to just see if I could stay right at that number. Why that weight? I found an old ID card from 1985 (college age) that listed that weight. All summer I have stayed within a pound or two (+/-) of the goal weight without any special effort.
I still find it hard to believe this actually worked so easily. At times I feel a little angry that I didn’t make a better effort 20 years ago or 10 years ago, especially since the solution was not complicated. Perhaps it was hiding in plain sight.
Could this same solution be adopted by more Americans? I’m not sure. There is a small but vocal group of physicians who are sharing regular information about the Carnivore or Ketavore diets online for free. And there are plenty of books that provide tons of detail about why reducing carbohydrates and processed foods is essential. At the end of the day, the ultimate decision-maker is the person staring back in the mirror. The grocery, pharmaceutical, medical and media industries are enemies to this simple solution - which doesn’t help.
For myself, I will use the one year mark as a milestone to celebrate a bit. I will fire up the grill on Labor Day and roast some red meat.
Can you trust the olive oil you buy? I wasn’t sure, as I had seen a few articles about counterfeit oils. One of the ways to check if your olive oil is real is to put it in the fridge. If it becomes a solid, it is legit. If it stays liquid, then it is either fake, adulterated, or your fridge is broken.
The test kitchen is open! The results are shown above. Looks like my EVOO is real. Another way to confirm this is to find a trust lab, like About Olive Oil (opens new tab). They list quite a few brands you can find locally.
I was already convinced that seed oils (in products and for cooking) should be avoided, except for lubricating your chainsaw blades. I tend to use avocado oil for cooking and EVOO to keep my cast iron slippy.
Today I headed to the local Costco to stock up the proteins in the freezer. My list was simple: Chicken, Beef, Eggs.
As per human protocol, there always seems to be just a little more in the cart. I got 4 pounds of beef-fed beef, which comes in three packs of 1.33 pounds. Also 6 pounds of Chuck steak, which I sub-divided and put thru the vacuum sealer. I’m not positive what I’ll do with this cut, but will most likely use the pressure cooker to prepare some of it as shredded beef. Super easy. I also snagged a large pack of chicken breast, which is already packed into 6 portions. It weighed in at 10 pounds! These packs had a $5 off discount, so the price per pound was only $2.20. And lastly, I carefully placed a 24 pack of farm vacationed pre-birds into the cart.
Things not on the list: One jar of nut butter. This has become a staple, as it has no added oils or sugar like regular peanut butter and has most of the taste. Most. Plus, I added a roll of van carpet and a $5 pair of golf shorts. Five bucks? OK, this is either a testament to the Greg Norman brand now being LIV garbage, or Summer is over. I’m going with the former. And not to brag, but the shorts are a 32 waist. I’m quickly replacing (ie throwing out) older larger shorts.
And top off the van with gas on the way out of the lot - $3.29 per gallon, such a deal.
It is never a bad idea to take a minute and evaluate your routines. Make sure that how, when, and what you are eating is really truthful to your goals. I am doing this on purpose, because it is worth it. This statement is sort of the polar opposite of the regret felt by overeating something you know is bad for you.
So early on a Sunday morning, I am holding myself to account. And preparing for a few busy days. At the same time as making coffee and unloading the dishwasher, I made a container of grass-fed beef burgers (3). And I filled out the dates in my tracker book for the rest of July. No excuses for not following routines.
I continue to remind myself that success can be made simple. The Carnivore Diet is proof of that.
I was minding my own business in the grocery store a couple days ago and I thought about getting a loaf of sourdough bread. There was a special display in the bakery section of what I would call smallish loafs of bread for $8.99. I get it, inflation blah blah blah... but there is no way I’m spending $9 for bread. Especially since I can’t even remember the last time I bought bread.
I recently read an article about sourdough bread being somewhat less bad for you than regular bread. I don’t have sourdough starter, nor any handy Amish friends (or wherever bread starter comes from) so I opted to try a simpler approach. Only two ingredients: 4 cups of self-rising full-protein flour and 2 cups of plain Kefir. I mixed the 2 ingredients together, put Saran Wrap on the bowl and let it rest in the fridge for 5 hours.
Later in the day I preheated the oven to 450 with the covered Dutch oven pot in the oven. After working and folding the dough for a few minutes as the oven warmed up, I plopped the dough onto parchment paper and baked it for 30 minutes covered, and 15 minutes uncovered.
The results: crispy on the outside, fairly dense on the inside. Tasty.
Ironically, I spent almost exactly $9 on flour and Kefir. However, I think I could make 2 more loaves. So $3 each. I win.
Next time, I will let the dough rest for a few more hours, just to see if I can let the Kefir enzymes and yeast make more air gaps. Pretty easy to make. Here is the link to the recipe.
I haven’t given up on Carnivore - but did feel like have some bread with dinner.
June has been an interesting month, primarily due to getting close enough to my weight loss goals that my plans changed, just a little. I don’t really have a plan to try and lose more weight. Now I am paying attention to what adjustments or alterations I can make to how I take in nutrients. And maintain a steady goal weight.
For the last 4-5 years I have recorded my weight on the 1st and 15th of the month in a Google Sheet. I have always considered this to be a fair way to keep score and a good habit. I am keeping this habit. I also continue to track my diet, exercise, vitamins and hydration daily.
Without really trying, I’ve stayed within a one pound of my low weight (146) but it is really easy to in the Summer to ebb and flow many pounds just from exercise and hydration - especially on a really humid day. The twice a month weigh-in sort of evens the fluctuations out of the mix.
So on my day off, I gathered a fresh carnivore supply of beef and portioned it out via vacuum seal bags. Round streak has become a bit of a staple for me. It is relatively inexpensive, easy to prepare quickly, and pairs well with eggs. My pattern is to alternate between a fish (mahi or salmon) and beef with eggs before any work shift. I then take a baggie of carrots and hydrate well at work, and never really get hungry.
I grabbed the largest pack at Costco this morning - 6.5 pounds, which gets 7 meals. $35 for seven high protein meals…math math math -$5 each. Hmm, is that OK?
Yes, I have done the math. What math am I talking about? Subtraction.
Beginning in February of 2018, I realized that my overall health was not where it should be. A steady increase in body weight from my 20’s to my 50’s had plumped me up to a weight that in and of itself didn’t seem to panic anyone, including myself and any physician I saw. Combine this with a job at a desk for 50 hours a week and the linear progression of heft was combined with declining aerobic fitness and metabolic health.
Looking back, there were many variables that I could assign blame to, but the only correct blame pointing is accomplished by looking in the mirror. Fortunately, that is also where the solution lies. Within yourself is the capability to change. Around yourself are tools that are mostly free and (now) easy to find. All types of change can be hard and finding a combination of the correct change is not something I nailed on the first attempt, second attempt or even the third. In order:
Dieting but not really changing
Extreme Fitness! (P90X), but not really fixing nutrition
Fixing nutrition (food intake) with metabolic specialist, but too many gaps
Actual success: Carnivore, enough fitness, no alcohol, no medications.
I’ve tracked my goals and progress in a spreadsheet regularly with twice a month weigh-ins since June of 2018. There was progress and some regression and then more progress. A picture is worth 1000 words:
September 1, 2023 - a reset of goals paired with better results.
The top line number of 1/3 off refers to the drop of 75 pounds - from 223 to 148.
More importantly, the collection of other data now has the correct framing. For instance, BMI at 23, fat percentage below 20, waist measurement at belly button at 34, blood pressure and resting pulse as low as I ever recall. And semi-annual blood labs all in a good place.
A thought crossed my mind - how should I celebrate? I’m not sure. I’m curious about how to stay at a specific weight and how to keep and create muscle mass in my 60’s. So that will be my new focus. I guess I’ll need a new spreadsheet.
