Carnivore Diet: The Good, The Bad and My Take

Carnivore Diet: The Good, The Bad and My Take

Imagine a diet that looks like this:

  • Meal 1: 16oz ribeye steak
  • Meal 2: 16oz ribeye steak

That’s it! The carnivore diet is not only simple - eat only meat and water, and that’s all - but also looks as ‘Merica as you can get.

Related - Vegan Diet Plan for Building Muscle

They literally took the meat and potatoes of the prototypical American meal and eliminated the potatoes. While they were at it, they pimp-slapped all of the processed crap and disease-causing simple sugar out of your mouth as well. [1] No veggies, no fruit, no delicious Pop Tarts™, just meat and water.

Fat and protein. Meat and NO potatoes. Will this kill you?

According to World Record Masters rower and orthopaedic surgeon Shawn Baker, this diet is making people healthier, younger looking, and more virile. His appearance on Joe Rogan’s “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast recently sent shock waves all over the anti-aging and fitness community.

My inbox exploded, and my emails ignited. I was receiving DMs like crazy - It goes down in the DM! Everyone on my Instagram and YouTube Live (Instagram: @marclobliner, youtube: @thetigerfitness) was asking my opinion about the carnivore diet.

In this article I will define what this diet is, why it might work, and my personal opinion right now on it. Opinions can change, and I will always have an open mind.

What is the Carnivore Diet?

Eat meat. Yup, all kinds of meat. Ribeye and fatty meats are usually preferred.

No Veggies or fruit. You read that right!

What will my macros be? From what I can tell, most are following about a 1:1 fat to protein ratio. Meaning half or a bit more (60 percent) come from fat, the other 40-50% come from protein.

Is this a ketogenic diet? You will inevitably enter ketosis, but not full time. Since protein is high, your body will convert the protein to fat via gluconeogenesis. Since your body will only do this if no other fuel source, meaning protein and ketones from fat, are available, Dr. Baker claims it isn’t an issue. Ketosis isn’t the aim of this, but is a potentially beneficial side effect.

How often should I eat? They claim that this diet will naturally regulate your appetite, so essentially, it doesn’t matter. Eat when hungry, don’t eat when not hungry.

What about snacks? Have a steak. If not hungry, don’t force it!

What is Good About the Carnivore Diet

As I have documented before, the completely biased and anti-science drivel “What the Health” made the assertion that meat will kill you into common belief. [2] The carnivore diet creates a shift in belief. It was good to see the pendulum shift to the point where the pendulum stand nearly flew off of the pedestal it was on. The skinny-fat guy that made "What The Health" was hit directly in his little testicles.

Any documentary that presents only one side of the story and biased experts is not science-backed. It's propagandist poop.

And while I admire vegans for their ethical lifestyle, and feel there are health benefits to back their eating habits, to vilify every other eating lifestyle is disgusting.

And to see my friends fall for this crap makes me realize how dictators are able to secure power. Deliver nonsense in the correct manner and people will believe and follow without questioning it.

This is why I love Dr. Baker’s approach.

This dude started a website to have people try it and bash it. Now this is science! Try to disprove your own theory - and then and ONLY then - is the theory demonstrated and never truly proven. This is enough for me to listen to the good doctor.

Dr. Baker also DID it. He broke world records in athletic events as a man OVER 50 years of age, and isn’t just preaching cherry-picked data. He lives it, loves it, and looks amazing.

This is a true bro right here; the real deal. I would carry his children if I had ovaries.

The carnivore diet eliminates sugar and other empty calories. It has been documented that the current diabetes-potentiating government and its high-carb recommendations were pushed through by corrupt governments and the sugar industry. [3] Even the “fake news” (thanks for the humor, President Trump) NY Times published a piece documenting how in the 1960s the sugar industry PAID scientists to vilify fat so sugar sales would increase and to downplay sugar’s health risks. [4]

This alone makes me think this could be one of the reasons it is working for many who try it.

While the carnivore diet is promising, here are the reasons I won’t be doing it and how I would make it better.

How I Would Improve the Carnivore Diet

The purists are going to hate me, but I want to make lives better, not take a stance for more views on the "Gram." The one thing I know from vegans is this: veggies are awesome. They are healthy, contain tons of micronutrients, and from an evolutionary standpoint, humans have flat teeth AND canines for a reason, we are omnivores.

I am not going to go too far off of the flat-earth and recommend grains, but adding in green veggies like broccoli will add negligible carbs, ample micronutrients, and the fiber to poop. And like the OG carnivore diet, no need to measure food nor time meals. Fatty meat and green veggies will keep you full and satiated.

Also, I am a fan of some dairy. I wouldn’t mind seeing a scoop of whey protein like MTS Nutrition Machine Whey post-workout. There is ample data to support its benefits. and it tastes really good. I am obviously biased since I formulated it, believe in it and make money off of it, so take that for what it’s worth.

I won't change anything else or else it won’t even resemble the diet. As for adding in vitamins and all that, the followers claim you don’t have to, but I would at least like to see a good greens supplement such as MTS Nutrition Machine Greens.

But, again, this is just my thought. The diet is what it is, and the jury is still out on how an even larger sampling of the population will do. With the trendiness of this topic, that data is being generated as we speak.

So my modified carnivore diet would be:

  • Meal 1: 16oz Ribeye steak, broccoli
  • Meal 2: 16oz Ribeye steak, broccoli
  • Upon waking: Machine Greens
  • Post-workout: MTS Nutrition Machine Whey

What are your thoughts on this diet? Should it be tried or avoided at all costs? Let us know in the comments section below and earn rewards points at Tiger Fitness.

References
1) "Heart Disease and Diabetes Risks Tied to Carbs, Not Fat, Study Finds." Live Science, 3 Dec. 2014, www.livescience.com/48969-heart-disease-diabetes-risks-carbohydrate-saturated-fat.html.
2) "A Point by Point Review of What The Health? | Functional Medicine Costa Rica." Functional Medicine Costa Rica | The Way Healthcare Should Be, functionalmedicinecostarica.com/a-point-by-point-review-of-what-the-health/.
3) "The Sugar Conspiracy." Jamie's Food Revolution | Jamie Oliver, www.jamiesfoodrevolution.org/news/the-sugar-conspiracy/.
4) O?Connor, Anahad. "How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia, 12 Sept. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-industry-shifted-blame-to-fat.html.
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Comments

Danksta TheOG - March 22, 2018

If you can find a good market that runs deals it’s really not that bad. I pay $3-4 /lb for 8+ lbs of meat once a week. Feeds me for most of the week. If you cut out the sides you save money. I spend about $10 a day to eat or less. Just do some proper research and you can pull it off.

Sophia Wax - March 8, 2018

I initially was very resistant to this diet, thinking it was an invitation to colon cancer lol. But watching Marc’s vlog I started to see how it could be beneficial. However, if I was to do this I wouldn’t be as strict with it. Definitely not worry that much if I added in some carbs around my workout or added some veggies here and there.

Trev Wilcox - March 7, 2018

I’m currently doing an interpretation of Vince Gironda’s Steak and Eggs diet, who Dr Baker references in his appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast. Since I’m more interested in cutting than bulking, I’ve taken it a step further and only eating one meal a day (vs 2), and also a handful of spinach alongside it. That’s 5 days a week and on weekends I refeed, emphasising carbs. So it’s kind of more carb cycling. But so far so good.

AJR - February 25, 2018

It is, about $25 a day in steaks, $35 in the more expensive areas.

Steve Boden - January 25, 2018

Good idea however fresh fruit in the summer time, sorry can’t give that up.

Emmie - January 23, 2018

Vegetables don’t ‘reduce’ inflammation. I have severe arthritis, and it’s eliminating grains and sugar that keeps me pain free.

I have eaten ‘meat only’ (drink coffee, though) for the past 2 years and feel great. [I was very low carb for the preceding decade.] Moreover, since I’m hypothyroid, I get regular blood tests, and all my values are excellent. At age 76, the only Rx I take are my thyroid hormones.

Last summer, I had foot surgery (deformities from my arthritis). At first, the surgeon was hesitant because of my age. But after a bone scan assured her that I had NO osteoporosis, we proceeded. The recovery kept me off the foot for 8 weeks (in a wheelchair). I ate only meat, and my surgeon was surprised that I healed better than she’d expected. And despite the inactivity, I didn’t gain any weight.

Dustin Nutt - January 10, 2018

I followed a meat only diet a couple years back when I thought I needed to cut down for my wedding…. I had a suit on so it really didn’t matter. Anyway, I followed the diet for approximately 5 months and I did actually feel good and dropped body fat while following this diet. I was doing cardio as well, I don’t want anyone to believe that the diet is magical. Even with good results I just didn’t think it was a good idea to continue not eating fruits and veggies, also it was hard watching my wife eat fruit, oatmeal and other delicious carbs on our honey moon. Therefore, I ultimately ended the diet and now enjoy my carbs with my MTS Nutrient Driver .

Damon Harrison - January 2, 2018

Ribeye is ok, but I like New York Strips and Tbones!

richard newfield - December 22, 2017

Great artical. I would need to eat more variety then what this diet offers, and dealing with crohns I don’t know how this would affect me long term.

Devin Foley - December 16, 2017

I would much more enjoy the modified diet with some veggies. This almost sounds like a form of keto but there is no concern about getting too much protein.

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