After my first, highly-successful experiment with a strictly-Carnivore lifestyle - consuming only animal products (with the exception of a limited amount of nuts to help achieve appropriate fat intake) - I was confident that the same plan would be equally productive the second time. But I tried to cheat the system. I cut corners and sidelined some of the most important guidelines. And it did not work. I self-sabotaged and instead of leaner, stronger and sharper, I was just frustrated. Lesson learned: cheating the system does not work.
I shifted gears and fell back onto a Ketogenic lifestyle. It should have worked great. It did not. My inability to embrace the concept of “good fat” - a deeply-rooted and lifelong misunderstanding - deflated my efforts and sabotaged my potential yet again. Instead I found myself fat-frustrated and stuck. Lesson learned: the system requires adherence and commitment for success. Fail.
No closer to my dream body and never one to lie down in defeat, I needed something more extreme, something with more clearly defined rigid boundaries. I landed on the HCG diet - a controversial diet that pairs extreme caloric deficit with the hormone HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) intake. Three weeks in, with strict adherence to a 500-700 daily caloric budget, a more rigorous mostly-cardio workout routine, and only less than a handful of deviations from the diet plan (read, “cheat meals”), I have seen the scale drop a total of 10 rather inconsistent pounds, and admittedly sidelined “my best life” to move just a little closer to lean. Lesson learned: measuring, weighing, and counting every ounce, gram, and calorie I consume might work, but at a cost. Fail?
What I know today is that of all the fad diets I’ve tried, the Carnivore lifestyle (round one) has been the most effective and successful, and remains my favorite. Its short list of rules, zero measuring or counting, and hard to botch guidelines gave me all the freedom to adhere and achieve… as long as I chose to follow it to a T. Pretty worth it, in my opinion. This carnivore girl will certainly circle back, and be sure to report.
