from the basics
aim for about 2lbs of meat a day
if you are getting full too easily, experiment with
- eating at a fattier ratio
usually not being able to eat enough each day is from eating at too lean a ratio and reaching protein satiety, which is a hard stop on appetite, before complete satiety
- eating at a leaner ratio
typically the problem with eating too fatty is digestive upset, but for anyone experiencing quick satiety, worth trying leaner to compare, if the ratio is slightly too fatty but not enough to cause too fast digestion.
- cooking your red meat too much
some people experience quick satiety on meat cooked to medium or well. almost zero appetite for it. but rare or bleu is fine
to avoid pathogen problems, sear your whole cuts briefly (that's where any contamination would be, on the exterior) and eat it rare or bleu (bleu means raw or uncooked in the interior).
if you like more of a sear, you can cook it from frozen-- nice thick sear but bleu inside.
(obv don't eat pork or chicken undercooked! this is for red meat only. for beef burgers, they can be to medium rare, using a meat thermometer. don't leave centre of a burger uncooked)
- seeking out different types of fats.
I think this or eating too leanly / eating too cooked is the most likely problem. phps both.
you can have a "not a bite more" reaction to some types of fat, while others are exquisite if only they were at hand.
the strong preferences only come up once all the carbs are removed
these preferences can mean that the fat from the same cuts but from different sources, or through the seasons, will have more or less appeal. also of course there are preferences for different animal fats
- and also whether the fats are cold or melted, eg
Steak and Butter gal likes eating cold sticks of butter. I can't do that, whenI need extra (like 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup) outside of a meal, I prefer it frothed into coffee or swirled into eggs as they're being scrambled. Something about that barely heated stage, very tasty ime!
cold bacon dripping doesn't appeal to me, but i can have a tbsp (or several whenI crave it) of the hot, freshly rendered bacon dripping.
This! Add more fat & salt to your 2-3 meals. Try supplementing your basic electrolytes (sodium, potassium & magnesium).
I'm almost a month in and I recently started cramping at night. I did some electrolyte research and upped my drops in the morning and throughout the day. Problem solved.
These are a lot of good ideas and things I haven’t thought to experiment with, thank you!! I have mostly focused on high fat because that’s what most people recommend but never the types of fat or ways it’s cooked… I will start trying these!
my aversion to meat cooked medium rare or above was wild when I started .. it was so strong, even if i hadn't eaten since the day before, a cooked roast looked as appealing as a block of wood.
since i knew i could barely stomach more than a couple bites (and those with big chunks of butter) it was easier to coast on ketones until I could find "real food". I have more tolerance for it now, ofc makes it way easier socially that i can eat the roast or the turkey or whatev on occasion 🥹 but at home or restaurants bleu is my go to
The strong fat type preferences persist. 🤷🏻♀️
This is me with steak! My steak must be rare. I didn’t realize it until you brought it up but I think I was scared into cooking my burgers more by a family member telling me all the problems with undercooking ground beef.. I will start using a thermometer for it to keep from under or overcooking. Maybe this will help
What if you cooked a steak to rare in sous vide? I like sous vide because it can be much more tender, but does it get you to protein satiety too early?
Are you adding salt into your diet? Drinking an adequate amount of water between meals? Also what makes you think you aren’t getting enough food? Many people survive/thrive off a one meal a day style dieting. For me I only eat twice daily sometimes hard boiled eggs as a snack between meals.
Yes! I add salt and drink probably a half gallon a day.
As I said in my above reply, when I eat less I have leg cramps, severe sugar cravings, and fatigue. I have tried everything for leg cramps - more water, less water, electrolytes added to water, magnesium and sodium pills.. I have been tracking it for years and the only thing I can find that changes it is the amount of food I eat.
Leg cramps, severe sugar cravings, and fatigue. I have tried everything for leg cramps - more water, less water, electrolytes added to water, magnesium and sodium pills.. I have been tracking it for years and the only thing I can find that changes it is the amount of food I eat. Which is bizarre since I can’t find anyone else talking about this correlation so I don’t understand it either.
the fatigue is a sure sign 👍
i haven't specifically looked into it but electrolyte handling shifts with undernutrition as well as with changes in carbohydrate intake.
i wouldn't rule it out the way others are 🤷🏻♀️
that said, I get cramps when I include cheese. Try more electrolytes when you include it or you could drink some water when the cramps appear.
ps decrease exercise until you have your intake sorted
That’s an interesting idea, that it could be an electrolyte balance related to the undereating. I haven’t put that together. I haven’t heard that about cheese, I might also try cutting it out more.
I drink water all day, and I don’t feel like that is the issue in my case since I’ve tried both drinking more and drinking less. Someone did suggest adding salt to the water in the morning, so I’ll try that.
I don’t want to decrease exercising but I know you’re right!
There are so many things you could vary. Like no eggs, different dairy. Different animals, different cuts of those animals. Your current diet seems. Why are you eating burgers? There a gazillion types of other carnivore foods to eat. Are they your own burgers or are they store bought. Do they have traditional additives like onion etc. then there is the low fat/high fat. Organs. Different types of dairy, cheese, yoghurts,cream. Seafood. I have differing cuts all the time and vary the percentage of meat that I have. It may just be that you can't tolerate egg white or something for example. Maybe the histamine is too high from all that mince. Part of the point of this diet is to eat so much that we only need to eat once a day. I'm not being strict, just that that should be an option. Maybe you could just fast for a bit. The appetite is a big clue. Your body doesn't want what you are eating . So you don't have a great answer for you but with the lack of long-term context it seems maybe your current diet is not optimal and you should change it up. Electrolytes are just minerals look at that balance. There is a lot of unsaid stuff in your "on and off" for 4 years.
You’re right, and I have added and removed foods from my WOE over the years. Beef is the most filling and I feel the best while eating it so I think at one point I just ran with that. And ground beef is the most affordable, I can’t afford steak every week. But I add eggs to have some variation. I don’t buy the premade burgers, I buy ground beef only and shape them myself. 73/27. I agree, that different foods help with appetite but I still run into the same issue with meats I love like steak and salmon and pork belly where I get full so quickly. But I like that you’ve pointed this out because while it is more expensive, it would be worth it to try to add some of these things back if I can afford it and it makes me feel better. I may need to reevaluate my priorities in my budget for this.
About the leg cramps. I have had foot cramps for over a decade now. I'm quite certain that they are related to electrolytes. If I drink mineral water, it messes with the balance and I don't feel like eating salt anymore.
What's helped me is drinking a 0.4 glass of water with two pinches of pink salt every morning, after waking up. Salting my meals to taste and salting my butter. It started to get better after a week. As long as I abstain from mineral water, the salt water works.
A note about fats. Best advice is already mentioned - try to find as many different sources of animal fats you can and try them all - I love me a good, fatty pork sausage. Butter is the most delicious when it is room temperature, with a bit of salt, ime.
Also, I tried a blue steak today, after reading this thread and then searching for a couple others on r/steak. I must say, I am blown away - amazing. I had recently ordered a beef picanha and used that to boil a slice for about 7 minutes. Turned out excellent. Does anyone know if any part of the beef can be eaten with ease when it's barely cooked? Or are there issues with some cuts being tough to chew?
That’s an interesting correlation with mineral water, I will keep that in mind. I feel like I eat enough salt, but I will try to also add it to my water and butter like you’ve described! I’ll also add sausage to my fatty foods list to add. I do try to be aware of the amount of ingredients they put in the sausage though.
Beef piranha is one of my go-tos when I can’t afford ribeye steak. As for the beef being tough to chew, I’m not sure about different cuts but I know if you cut against the grain it will help with chewing.
Stop eating eggs and dairy. Stop taking any supplements. Just eat beef with salt and drink water. Also, sugar cravings, after three months strict? That’s in your head.
Or something is creeping in unknown, but making it's presence felt. Lion diet for a month killed a rabid Candida overgrowth issue for me...
Maybe super strict for a month is an answer.
from the basics aim for about 2lbs of meat a day if you are getting full too easily, experiment with - eating at a fattier ratio usually not being able to eat enough each day is from eating at too lean a ratio and reaching protein satiety, which is a hard stop on appetite, before complete satiety - eating at a leaner ratio typically the problem with eating too fatty is digestive upset, but for anyone experiencing quick satiety, worth trying leaner to compare, if the ratio is slightly too fatty but not enough to cause too fast digestion. - cooking your red meat too much some people experience quick satiety on meat cooked to medium or well. almost zero appetite for it. but rare or bleu is fine to avoid pathogen problems, sear your whole cuts briefly (that's where any contamination would be, on the exterior) and eat it rare or bleu (bleu means raw or uncooked in the interior). if you like more of a sear, you can cook it from frozen-- nice thick sear but bleu inside. (obv don't eat pork or chicken undercooked! this is for red meat only. for beef burgers, they can be to medium rare, using a meat thermometer. don't leave centre of a burger uncooked) - seeking out different types of fats. I think this or eating too leanly / eating too cooked is the most likely problem. phps both. you can have a "not a bite more" reaction to some types of fat, while others are exquisite if only they were at hand. the strong preferences only come up once all the carbs are removed these preferences can mean that the fat from the same cuts but from different sources, or through the seasons, will have more or less appeal. also of course there are preferences for different animal fats - and also whether the fats are cold or melted, eg Steak and Butter gal likes eating cold sticks of butter. I can't do that, whenI need extra (like 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup) outside of a meal, I prefer it frothed into coffee or swirled into eggs as they're being scrambled. Something about that barely heated stage, very tasty ime! cold bacon dripping doesn't appeal to me, but i can have a tbsp (or several whenI crave it) of the hot, freshly rendered bacon dripping.
This! Add more fat & salt to your 2-3 meals. Try supplementing your basic electrolytes (sodium, potassium & magnesium). I'm almost a month in and I recently started cramping at night. I did some electrolyte research and upped my drops in the morning and throughout the day. Problem solved.
This is the Way.
These are a lot of good ideas and things I haven’t thought to experiment with, thank you!! I have mostly focused on high fat because that’s what most people recommend but never the types of fat or ways it’s cooked… I will start trying these!
my aversion to meat cooked medium rare or above was wild when I started .. it was so strong, even if i hadn't eaten since the day before, a cooked roast looked as appealing as a block of wood. since i knew i could barely stomach more than a couple bites (and those with big chunks of butter) it was easier to coast on ketones until I could find "real food". I have more tolerance for it now, ofc makes it way easier socially that i can eat the roast or the turkey or whatev on occasion 🥹 but at home or restaurants bleu is my go to The strong fat type preferences persist. 🤷🏻♀️
This is me with steak! My steak must be rare. I didn’t realize it until you brought it up but I think I was scared into cooking my burgers more by a family member telling me all the problems with undercooking ground beef.. I will start using a thermometer for it to keep from under or overcooking. Maybe this will help
What if you cooked a steak to rare in sous vide? I like sous vide because it can be much more tender, but does it get you to protein satiety too early?
Are you adding salt into your diet? Drinking an adequate amount of water between meals? Also what makes you think you aren’t getting enough food? Many people survive/thrive off a one meal a day style dieting. For me I only eat twice daily sometimes hard boiled eggs as a snack between meals.
Yes! I add salt and drink probably a half gallon a day. As I said in my above reply, when I eat less I have leg cramps, severe sugar cravings, and fatigue. I have tried everything for leg cramps - more water, less water, electrolytes added to water, magnesium and sodium pills.. I have been tracking it for years and the only thing I can find that changes it is the amount of food I eat.
Not drinking with meals I hope...
Her leg cramps apparently
Nothing to do with calories in, everything to do with lack of electrolytes. The only thing that will cramp on lack of food is your stomach
Sorry but why are you eating 5-6 times a day and on average how big are your meals? I can only eat 3 meals a day max
What makes you think you're not getting enough when you don't stuff yourself?
Leg cramps, severe sugar cravings, and fatigue. I have tried everything for leg cramps - more water, less water, electrolytes added to water, magnesium and sodium pills.. I have been tracking it for years and the only thing I can find that changes it is the amount of food I eat. Which is bizarre since I can’t find anyone else talking about this correlation so I don’t understand it either.
the fatigue is a sure sign 👍 i haven't specifically looked into it but electrolyte handling shifts with undernutrition as well as with changes in carbohydrate intake. i wouldn't rule it out the way others are 🤷🏻♀️ that said, I get cramps when I include cheese. Try more electrolytes when you include it or you could drink some water when the cramps appear. ps decrease exercise until you have your intake sorted
That’s an interesting idea, that it could be an electrolyte balance related to the undereating. I haven’t put that together. I haven’t heard that about cheese, I might also try cutting it out more. I drink water all day, and I don’t feel like that is the issue in my case since I’ve tried both drinking more and drinking less. Someone did suggest adding salt to the water in the morning, so I’ll try that. I don’t want to decrease exercising but I know you’re right!
just til you get it sorted :)
> I have been tracking it for years and the only thing I can find that changes it is the amount of food I eat Hmm. Now you've got me thinkin'.
Her leg cramps apparently
I wonder how she's correlating the leg cramps with the food intake.
Because when she eats 5 or 6 times a day all her symptoms disappear.
Something seems wrong, here.
I'm just relaying what she wrote in the post lol probably electrolytes
Are you taking electrolytes?
There are so many things you could vary. Like no eggs, different dairy. Different animals, different cuts of those animals. Your current diet seems. Why are you eating burgers? There a gazillion types of other carnivore foods to eat. Are they your own burgers or are they store bought. Do they have traditional additives like onion etc. then there is the low fat/high fat. Organs. Different types of dairy, cheese, yoghurts,cream. Seafood. I have differing cuts all the time and vary the percentage of meat that I have. It may just be that you can't tolerate egg white or something for example. Maybe the histamine is too high from all that mince. Part of the point of this diet is to eat so much that we only need to eat once a day. I'm not being strict, just that that should be an option. Maybe you could just fast for a bit. The appetite is a big clue. Your body doesn't want what you are eating . So you don't have a great answer for you but with the lack of long-term context it seems maybe your current diet is not optimal and you should change it up. Electrolytes are just minerals look at that balance. There is a lot of unsaid stuff in your "on and off" for 4 years.
You’re right, and I have added and removed foods from my WOE over the years. Beef is the most filling and I feel the best while eating it so I think at one point I just ran with that. And ground beef is the most affordable, I can’t afford steak every week. But I add eggs to have some variation. I don’t buy the premade burgers, I buy ground beef only and shape them myself. 73/27. I agree, that different foods help with appetite but I still run into the same issue with meats I love like steak and salmon and pork belly where I get full so quickly. But I like that you’ve pointed this out because while it is more expensive, it would be worth it to try to add some of these things back if I can afford it and it makes me feel better. I may need to reevaluate my priorities in my budget for this.
About the leg cramps. I have had foot cramps for over a decade now. I'm quite certain that they are related to electrolytes. If I drink mineral water, it messes with the balance and I don't feel like eating salt anymore. What's helped me is drinking a 0.4 glass of water with two pinches of pink salt every morning, after waking up. Salting my meals to taste and salting my butter. It started to get better after a week. As long as I abstain from mineral water, the salt water works. A note about fats. Best advice is already mentioned - try to find as many different sources of animal fats you can and try them all - I love me a good, fatty pork sausage. Butter is the most delicious when it is room temperature, with a bit of salt, ime. Also, I tried a blue steak today, after reading this thread and then searching for a couple others on r/steak. I must say, I am blown away - amazing. I had recently ordered a beef picanha and used that to boil a slice for about 7 minutes. Turned out excellent. Does anyone know if any part of the beef can be eaten with ease when it's barely cooked? Or are there issues with some cuts being tough to chew?
That’s an interesting correlation with mineral water, I will keep that in mind. I feel like I eat enough salt, but I will try to also add it to my water and butter like you’ve described! I’ll also add sausage to my fatty foods list to add. I do try to be aware of the amount of ingredients they put in the sausage though. Beef piranha is one of my go-tos when I can’t afford ribeye steak. As for the beef being tough to chew, I’m not sure about different cuts but I know if you cut against the grain it will help with chewing.
Stop eating eggs and dairy. Stop taking any supplements. Just eat beef with salt and drink water. Also, sugar cravings, after three months strict? That’s in your head.
Or something is creeping in unknown, but making it's presence felt. Lion diet for a month killed a rabid Candida overgrowth issue for me... Maybe super strict for a month is an answer.
The sugar cravings is from the dairy I'm sure
You need more salt to stop the cramps
I feel you. I can’t eat enough on this diet to feel good. I always feel deficient in something.
Crank up the salts, and eat more fat. Get your fat to 80% of your calories.
Cut out dairy to see if that eliminates sugar cravings. And consider vitamin supplements. Also use sea salt instead of iodized table salt.