How to Lose Fat on the Carnivore Diet
An interesting thing happens when people go to a meat-based diet.
Some people lose fat and some people gain fat.
Here’s how to lose fat on the carnivore diet:
This guide is designed to show you how to view fat loss, how to achieve it, and how to keep the body you want.
There are just 3 Steps.
Here they are:
P.S.
After going through the 3 Steps in the the PDF, here are a couple videos where I explain in more detail how to implement your own fat loss strategy.
54 Replies to “How to Lose Fat on the Carnivore Diet”
Hi, Kevin! This is my fifth day of carnivore. I’ve been eating mostly beef, some seafood and organ meats, as well as bone broth, butter, Himalayan salt and pepper. Also i consume coffee and tea with a bit of cream(i know probally not ideal but i do intend to go purist for a while to see if i feel better, if not then resume what i’m doing. Anyways i got started for a couple main reasons. One: look my best(like everyone i suppose). I am in pretty good shape but i can be rather neurotic about my physique. Two: joint health. I’m only 20 but i have had bad joints since i was very young, and lately it had gotten worse to the point that it was too painful to continue my split stretching routines(i’m a martial artist, so leg flexibility is a big deal to me). I have long theorized a meat based diet would help rebuild cartilage, so i decided to give it a shot. Of course your website has been invaluable in getting me started, i’ve looked at many other resources too though. Anyways in the last 4 days my joint pain has gone down dramatically, and i feel generally stronger. The transition has been pretty painless, and i’ve had very minimal transition symptoms. Probably because i’m already fat adapted and used to a lot of meat. Now instead of nlint pain being half the reason, and looking better being the other half, all my focus has gone from looks to health, and you helped me get to that mindset. I want to thank you for what you’re doing here, and tell you to keep up the good work. Not a lot of people are comfortable going so against the grain, especially with nutrition, so we need people like you to be putting as much information out there as possible. Keep spreading the truth sir!
Appreciate this Nathan, and all the best!
Kevin, what do you think about shirataki noodles as a way to reduce calories and insulin response for people who have no issues with fiber? I know it’s not pure carnivore, but it would be ok for keto. The dukan diet also suggests using them because they add volume without calories.
It’s a good question Sadie. One of the benefits of carnivore is that you can lose fat and get to a really great body composition without being hungry all the time (like typical “diets”).
But if your goal is to get super lean than hunger is almost always going to come into play.
If this is your goal and if you feel fine eating shirataki noodles and they help keep you full which helps you reach your goal – than it could be a good option for you.
I think for most peoples’ body composition goals, reducing food consumption to the point of having to deal with hunger isn’t something that is necessary and absolutely comes with drawbacks as I’ve talked about.
Does carbs on shirataki noodles allowed in carnivore? Not spike insulin? Not hinder fatloss? Can I have shirataki noodle as much as I want? It’s low cals
Well it’s not meat / animal-based so it wouldn’t be considered “carnivore” though that is not to say you or someone else couldn’t include some and still reach their health and fitness goals.
Hey Kevin, on Monday I will have reached 2 weeks on the carnivore diet. What I notice so far.
1. Inflammation is way down.
2. My workout capacity seems to have doubled or tripled.
3. Recovery is way faster. On the day I work out, when I go to bed I already feel recovered. Before it was taking 3-4 days.
4. My scale number is going down slowly but I believe I am building muscle and losing fat.
5. I ate a seafood boil one night and the clams were loaded with garlic. The next day my forearm/elbow and tendon were screaming. I think it was a reaction to garlic!
6. I enjoy eating this way, even though I miss fruit, vegetables and other things I have more control over cravings.
I appreciate the info on your site. Thanks.
Hey man I’m 15 about 20% bf I train with football and I want to stay about the same wieght but lose fat I lift 4 days a week and also do cardio what meats and calorie intake do you suggest
Have you read/watched anything I’ve posted?
Yes I have
I did, like I said dealing stubborn fat, it makes you skeptical, I am on day 2 of carnivore. We’ll see.
Hello Kevin, I am a 41 year old male. I was 225 lbs a while back lost about 20 lbs on a vegan diet which is no longer effective and I don’t want to do it again. I found the 16:8 intermittent fasting and stayed at 205 lbs basically eating whole foods, meat + all kinds of plants and a little junk here and there. My BMI is just under 27 and I have a fat belly and face.
I do exercise a little. total gym pull ups, dips, some cable stuff, squats. Not really a cardio guy.
I am at that last 10-15lbs of stubborn fat. Will carnivore be effective to lose this weight?
Do you read the guide and/or watch the video here?
Thanks for the IG live yesterday! In the interest of time, I’m a 33 YO female, 200 lbs, 5’3, %47 BF (yikes) I’m not looking to get “unnatrally lean”, just “normal” %BF. I am coming from a Ketogenic way of eating, love it! Obviously experienced some wt loss in the beginning. my 2nd son will be a 1 in a month so throw pregnancy in there, too. I don’t have any diagnosed health issues hormonal or otherwise. I’ve heard you say start off with eating 2 lbs of meat, etc, and that sounds like sooo much!! I definitely think I’m not eating enough, but because I’m not hungry! I fast (not on purpose), but am finding myself forcing down whatever meat product I have available in an effort to not damage metabolism.
*I know I need to work in some resistance training*
should I continue to eat (carnivore) until full even when not hungry? I also believe I’m in the healing process, too since my history of being overweight and yo-yo dieting.
hope this is sufficient info for guidance.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Olivia, I don’t think (or hope not!) I’ve ever said “eat 2lbs of meat” – I think you should eat until satisfied, not more or less. Your appetite will regulate over time, so it sounds like you are on the right path 🙂
Love your posts and expertise! I slid off the wagon due to stress. BUT, now I know that stress is my trigger for poor foods, I am restarting and feel like if I can just post here, it is like a friend that understands. So day is will be Sunday, as I am off to purchase a freezer full of healthy lean meats. I have some cucumbers, etc, in the hydrator so will munch those until gone for money sake. Then its 100% canrivore. Thanks for letting me sound.
Awesome love to hear this! If we can help with accountability via public announcement – I think that is great!
Wow Kevin! Love to be really lean for an athletic event I participate in this July so plenty of time I think. Don’t have much fat to lose myself but have gained about 25 lbs. in a little over a year (on purpose) but the abs man are just not good enough for my old fart image. I’m 70 and will provide my Insta below so you can take a look at my current physique. Have your magazine abs program forever and need to search the HDrives for it!! :).
You are looking great!
1. Eat Lean(er)
2. Slowly Decrease the amount you eat over time
3. Gradually Increase Cardio over time
Pretty simple right.
I should add (if it wasn’t clear) PROGRESSION is the key – gradually eating a bit leaner over time, gradually decreasing amount eating over time, gradually increasing cardio over time.
Often people back themselves into a corner going all out right out of the gate and then hit a wall which they cannot get past.
Lastly, I should have mentioned workouts – as I strongly recommend resistance training of some sort.
I prefer what most people would call traditional “bodybuilding” style of training, but whether that, or strength training, or crossfit, or whatever – including resistance training will help prevent muscle loss and enhance fat loss.
Hi Kevin!
Decreasing what you eat over time.. doesn’t that get dangerously close to calorie restriction which lowers metabolism?
I have been mostly keto/low carb for over 6 years. In 2016 I allowed myself to eat good/low glycemic index carbs for awhile and started heavy weight training. I then cut carbs again and kept increasing weights used. I leaned out to the smallest I’ve gotten in my adult life but only as I lowered my portions a lot. When I stopped being so strict on what I ate at the beginning of 2017 I quickly regained almost all I lost. Tried to go back to LCHF multiple times and couldn’t get fat loss going again.
Last August I started trying OMAD. I was able to stop gaining and maintain finally, but couldn’t lose. I don’t weigh but my clothes didn’t feel looser. Only carbs I had were sweet potatoes. I started doing a 60hr and a 48hr fast each week and lost 8 or 9 inches off my waist through to October. I hate the scale so not sure on pounds. I cut out those and only occasionally had carbs like cauliflower and hemp hearts in September and lost a bit more. Tried strictccarnivore but oxalate dumping turned me off the first attempt. I didn’t know what it was. Just assumed my body needed a little carbs.
I plateaued after January of this year after doing 5 day fasts each week for a couple months. I started heavy weight training again in at the end of February (still doing 5 days) and added hiit and some liss to use up the energy I got with fasting. Now I realize that was more anxiety than energy. I started losing my hair so I quit the cardio end of March and just do strength training, yoga, and have just started foam rolling.
I went carnivore no plants beginning of April. Finally learned about oxalates. Went through a week dumping those.
My energy is back after eating mostly beef (chuckeye steaks and grassfed ground beef and ribeyes) and weaning off of dairy over the month of April.
Starting May I am meat only. Mostly beef. (Chicken wings occasionally). But i gained 15lbs of fat and inches in April!! I know not to look at the scale much but its also evident in measurements/clothes.
I like carnivore. I’ve always loved beef and have no problem with it… once I weaned off cheese. But going from so much fasting to mostly eating meat I’m sad I gained so much.
Mentally I know my metabolism probably lowered in March because even on eating days I don’t think I was eating enough. So the fat gain in April isn’t a total shock. Just… so very frustrating.
I want to start ADF fasting again. Not do the 5 day ones that are too much for my body, but 36 to 48 hours a few times a week when not training to hopefully turn this fat thing back around.
With carnivore I am sleeping better, less anxiety, nails growing better, and red itchy spots on my back are fading away. But the fat gain is too much.
My major question is..
Will ADF hurt the gut and hormone healing affects of strict carnivore? I am over 39% bodyfat (estimated by bioimpedence) so I have plenty to lose. Have struggled with losing and keeping weight off all my life and have never gotten to a healthy weight for my 5’4″ frame as I usually start getting close and stall and reverse or something. I want to keep healing but I refuse to keep regaining what I lost last year. Any advice??
You say not to force fasting but I responded so well to the short extended fasts last year that I started with. It helps keep my weekly total intake in check without daily calorie restriction. Fat intake reduction makes me less satiated and hungry faster and wanting to eat at inconvenient times during the work day. Thanks in advance!
It sounds like you’ve had a lot of “yo-yo” (for lack of a better word) diets throughout your life.
I think, if you read the guide, you should really focus on Part I – getting healthy, building lean body mass (resistance training), and improving metabolic health.
If you want short term results (which sounds like what you’ve gotten/been sold for a long time) then by all means, calorie/appetite restrict and do lots of cardio.
But I’m assuming you want a long term solution – in which – I would focus on Part I.
Hope this makes some sense!
Thanks for your reply! I’ve had a lot of “yo-yo” in terms of calorie restriction, but I haven’t actually had like real sugar or ate bread or much processed foods (besides very rarely when eating out) in probably over 20 years. I gave up soda, candy, bread, etc when I was about 16. That’s what has frustrated me the most with dieting. I think I have leptin resistance. Don’t have diabetes in my family, but most of my family are heavy.
I have read just about all of your posts! But I wanted to ask personally because I finally found fasting last summer and was able to drop about 8-9 inches in my waist and hips. However stalled in February so I started seriously looking into Carnivore again (although granted before I ever did weight training at all, I ate like meat, cheese, and broccoli/cauliflower as my main staples and maintained a 60lb loss for a few years).
For the past month I went carnivore completely. No plants, nuts, seeds, berries, etc. No coffee, no tea.
And fatty cuts of meat until full. I was eating 3 times a day because I have been hungry 3 times a day. As much as everyone keeps saying I’m eating too often or not enough. I was trying to follow your advice of not forcing fasting and if I’m hungry, eat. But the fat gain over April after working so hard to get to where I am now just was too much. Not talking about the scale. I mean clothes getting tight.
I want to stick with medium to heavy weight training, yoga, and now foam rolling and not do a lot of cardio at all (mostly LISS to keep cortisol down) and I have no problem eating mostly beef. Heck as a kid all I wanted was hamburgers. But I’ve also seen the results I get with giving my body a break from eating a few times a week so I was curious why you say we can’t incorporate fasting such as 36 hours? I feel like I’m getting too much protein and not enough fat, but without dairy like cream cheese (which doesn’t bother me at all), how do I add more fat? I’m already eating ribeyes and chuckeye steaks as well as grassfed ground beef that said it was 50/50. I’m eating until full (at least 8oz) and if I don’t get at least that I’m hungry within a few hours, but eating more than that at one sitting feels like too much at one time.
Hi Kevin, really appreciate everything you do. Can you please talk more about your training regimen and how you approach maximising hypertrophy?
Yes I need to (will) talk more about this. The main reason I haven’t is that the training I do today is based on my training history (over 20 years) as well as my specific goals, both of which are likely quite different from most people, so what I do really isn’t applicable to most people.
That said, there are some principles that I think I can talk about for people with body composition / physique goals that are fairly widely applicable.
God bless you, Dick.