THE CARNIVORE DIET BENEFITS
Of the many carnivore diet benefits, one of the most attractive is carnivore diet weight loss. You’ve likely seen some amazing carnivore diet before and after results, and you’re ready to start your own journey.
But why is carnivore diet good for weight loss? And how can you get started harnessing the full potential of this diet? You’ve come to the right place.
From reducing water weight to triggering ketosis, preventing overeating, and removing processed foods - there are so many ways in which this diet can help you shed unwanted pounds.
We’ll walk you through how to do the carnivore diet for weight loss below while setting your expectations for how much weight loss on carnivore diet is normal. But first, what is the carnivore diet?
What is the Carnivore Diet?
The carnivore diet is a no-nonsense approach to eating that’s radically different from any other nutritional regimen in the world. So, what can you eat on the carnivore diet? Think of it as the polar opposite of veganism.
Instead of focusing solely on fruits, vegetables, and grains, your meals revolve around meat, fish, eggs, and animal fats. While you can technically consume dairy products such as cheese and butter, some choose to omit these as well.
The whole idea behind the diet is to eliminate common dietary triggers - carbs, sugars, gluten, soy, and many other anti-nutrients that hold you back from your healthiest self.
So why is the carnivore diet healthy? Those who choose to eat this way do so for a number of reasons - including supporting a healthier inflammatory response, healing the gut, or managing autoimmune conditions.
Our blog has more insights on the pros and cons of carnivore diet if you’re interested, but perhaps the most common reason we see people trying this diet is for its weight loss potential.
So, is carnivore diet good for weight loss, or is this yet another example of a diet overpromising and underdelivering? Let’s examine the carnivore weight loss connection below.
Why is Carnivore Diet Good for Weight Loss?
There’s a lot to unpack on the carnivore weight loss subject, with quite a few different mechanisms working to support your goals all at once.
This synergy is why the results you may have seen from others are so dramatic. We’ll go one by one to help you get a full appreciation for the carnivore diet weight loss potential.
Eliminates Water Retention
Many instances of people feeling heavy or looking less than their best can be traced back to water weight rather than excess fat accumulation. This is especially common here in America where carbs make up the bulk of our standardized diet.
Fortunately, you’ll see an almost immediate difference in the way you look simply because you’ll shed all that water weight you’re currently holding. Eliminating carbs depletes glycogen stores in the liver and muscles. For every gram of glycogen, your body stores about three grams of water.
This helps eliminate issues like bloating and digestive discomfort early on in the journey. The real fat loss comes later on, though.
Triggers Ketosis for Fat Burning
So, how many carbs on carnivore diet do you typically eat? Zero! Instead, you’re forcing your body to rely on fat for fuel - either dietary fat or your body’s own internal fat stores. This is known as ketosis and is the primary mechanism powering weight loss diets like keto and carnivore.
But this process doesn’t just help melt away fat, it also helps stabilize energy levels, This way you don’t have to deal with the highs and lows associated with carb-heavy diets.
Prevents Overeating With High Satiety
Sticking to a new diet can be challenging because you’re constantly battling cravings. This is less of an issue on the carnivore diet, though, because the foods you eat encourage a high level of satiety - or a feeling of fullness.
Animal-based meals are naturally satisfying due to their high protein and fat content. Protein takes longer to digest, while fat provides steady energy, keeping you fuller for longer periods.
While you’ll still want healthy carnivore diet snacks on hand to fill in the gaps between meals and address cravings when they do arise, they’ll be few and far between.
Improves Hormonal Regulation for Appetite Control
The carnivore diet helps regulate hormones like insulin, ghrelin, and leptin, each of which plays a role in both hunger and fat storage.
For instance, lower insulin levels encourage fat burning, while improved leptin sensitivity helps your body recognize when you’re full. Meanwhile, ghrelin (the “hunger hormone”) minimizes unnecessary cravings, making it easier to stick to your plan.
Simplifies Meal Planning and Reduces Food Variety
Another challenge with traditional diets is meal planning, which can lead to overwhelm and decision fatigue. However, the carnivore meal plan is far more simple with fewer foods to choose from.
That’s not to say that the carnivore diet has to get boring or stale, though. You just need to get creative in your carnivore diet recipes! From carnivore dinner ideas to carnivore diet desserts, we’ve got you covered with plenty of inspiration.
Removes Processed Foods That Contain Hidden Calories
Carnivore diet weight loss isn’t just about what you are eating, it’s also about what you’re not eating any longer - processed foods laden in hidden calories.
The modern American diet is packed with sugars, refined oils, and additives that can derail weight loss efforts. The carnivore diet eliminates these entirely, leaving you with whole, nutrient-dense options that provide energy without excess calories.
How Much Weight Loss on Carnivore Diet is Normal?
The benefits of carnivore diet for weight loss are impossible to ignore - but we want to help you set your expectations realistically from the get-go. How much weight loss on carnivore diet should you anticipate? Let’s look at some of the factors and some potential benchmarks.
Factors Influencing Carnivore Weight Loss Results
Weight loss in general is so individualized that it’s impossible to give you a one-size-fits-all answer for how much weight loss on carnivore diet you can expect.
One person might see 20-30 pounds melt away over a 6-12 month period, while the next individual would be happy with a 5-10 pound difference over that same span. Factors at play include:
- Starting Weight: Those with more body fat may see faster initial losses.
- Activity Level: Regular exercise boosts fat burning and muscle retention.
- Metabolism: Age, gender, and genetics influence how quickly your body burns calories.
- Diet Consistency: Strict adherence to carnivore principles yields better results than occasional deviations or following a completely modified carnivore diet.
Carnivore diet weight loss will also be affected by individual hormonal balances, stress levels, and sleep quality, all of which impact fat storage and hunger regulation. We’ll talk more about this as we get into how to do the carnivore diet for weight loss below.
Initial Weight Loss (First 1-2 Weeks)
It’s not uncommon to see anywhere from 3-10 pounds of weight loss in the first two weeks of starting carnivore diet because of lost water weight, as we mentioned earlier.
But you need to keep in mind that this is not fat loss - the real results come from sustained adherence over a longer period of time.
Sustained Weight Loss Over Time
True fat loss is a much slower, methodical process. It’s really only possible for the average individual to lose between 1-2 pounds per week - without melting away muscle at the same time, at least.
You’ll also notice that the closer you get to your goal weight or dream physique, the slower progress becomes. It’s important to stay consistent during these plateaus and recognize that it’s normal.
When Weight Loss Slows
You may be 6 months into the diet and wondering, why am I not losing weight on carnivore anymore? It could be time to make a change in your activity level or calorie intake.
After all, the core tenant of sustainable weight loss is a calorie deficit - where your body burns more calories than it consumes over the course of a day. This in turn prompts it to turn to internal fat as fuel. That being said, let’s get into how to do the carnivore diet for weight loss.
How to Do the Carnivore Diet for Weight Loss
If you’re just embarking on this nutritional journey we encourage you to learn more about the carnivore diet rules and the approved carnivore diet food list so you know what to eat. But as far as maximizing your carnivore weight loss results goes, here are some tips.
Get into a Caloric Deficit
Part of what makes carnivore diet for weight loss unique is that you technically don’t need to count calories. You can eat intuitively and listen to your body’s hunger signals.
But if you want to eliminate guesswork and make sure you’re setting the foundation for consistent, sustainable weight loss, a caloric deficit is essential. As we touched on earlier, this is what ultimately forces your body to burn fat for fuel.
Find out your baseline caloric needs to maintain your body weight and subtract anywhere from 200-500 depending on how aggressive you want to be. Remember that at a certain point, you’re forcing your body to burn fat and lean muscle mass by starving yourself. Don’t get carried away.
Prioritize Fat-Protein Balance
The right balance of fat and protein can make or break your carnivore diet weight loss results. There’s a fine line between supporting fat loss and zapping your energy.
Too much protein without enough fat can leave you feeling low-energy, as your body struggles to transition to burning fat for fuel. So, how many grams of fat on carnivore diet should you aim for?
We’ve found that a 1:1 ratio of fat to protein works really well. So if you’re eating 2,000 calories a day, you’d consume 111 grams of protein and 111 grams grams of carbs. Simple as that.
You can adjust based on how your body responds after a few weeks. For instance, some end up leaning more heavily toward fat to avoid feeling sluggish or mentally fatigued - following a 60/40 or 70/30 split instead.
Healthy Snacks for Managing Cravings
You’ll likely experience far fewer cravings when doing the carnivore diet for weight loss, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need healthy snacks on hand just in case. These will be a lifesaver when you’re on the go, too.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many options at your disposal. Boiled eggs and beef jerky are boring. The good news is your new favorite snacks are just a few clicks away - our world-renowned meat chips.
These are made from just 2 ingredients, meat and salt. That’s it. They’re sourced from the most elite, ethical regenerative farms in the country too, so you can feel good about spoiling yourself.
Our carnivore chips have been called “meat pastries” because they start out with a delightful crunch before melting in your mouth and giving way to tantalizing flavors. There are plenty of varieties to choose from, too:
Shop today and set yourself up for success at Carnivore Snax.
Incorporate Intermittent Fasting
A more advanced carnivore diet weight loss strategy is fasting, which involves a short, specified eating window throughout the day. You consume zero calories during the fasted state. This accelerates your body’s fat burning process.
Start with a simple 16:8 approach (16 hours fasting, 8-hour eating window. You might eat only from 12 PM to 8 PM, for example. You can slowly increase your fasted state over time, eventually working towards something like a 20 hour fast.
We have a more detailed resource on carnivore diet and intermittent fasting if you’re interested.
Regular Exercise
The other half of a caloric deficit is burning more calories, which allows you to eat more while still remaining in the deficit. Regular exercise also boosts your metabolism for more efficient fat burning and comes with so many other benefits as well, both physical and mental.
You should do cardio exercises anywhere from 3-5 times a week, be it walking, jogging, biking, swimming, or even playing a sport. You should also engage in strength training as it will preserve your muscle mass while supporting fat loss.
Track Your Progress
You should make sure to take progress pictures and get your body measurements and starting weight jotted down before you make any dietary changes. This will serve as your baseline and help you gauge your progress over time.
Don’t fall into the vicious cycle of checking the scale every day. Instead, do weight check-ins on a weekly or even biweekly basis. This will go a long way in preventing you from becoming discouraged by slow progress.
Reflect on non-weight-specific progress as well, be it better energy, clothes fitting more comfortably, compliments from loved ones, and exercise-specific milestones.
While carnivore diet weight loss is powerful, remember that what matters most is how you feel. Even if the scale isn’t moving as quickly as you’d like, starting carnivore is a change for the better!
Wrapping Up Our Carnivore Diet Weight Loss Guide
We hope you feel confident in how to do the carnivore diet for weight loss. From supporting ketosis to reducing water weight, managing cravings, and more - the carnivore diet weight loss connection is multifaceted.
But whether you’re aiming for quick initial results or long-term fat loss, remember that simply cutting out plant-based foods won’t be enough to reach your goals. You need to get in a caloric deficit and choose the right protein-to-fat ratio.
It’s also important to set yourself up for success with the carnivore diet for weight loss, using our meaty treats here at Carnivore Snax. Take control of your health today and make carnivore weight loss easier with our goodies!
