/r/meatogains

Photograph via snooOG

A place for people to discuss the implications of zero-carb/meat-only/carnivorous diets on training, strength and fitness. If you are interested in keto-cupcakes, fat-bombs or pea-protein shakes, look elsewhere.

  1. You don't need plants.
  2. When hungry, eat meat until satisfied (eggs and dairy are side dishes, not meals).
  3. When thirsty, drink water.
  4. For strength/muscle, lift weights (or yourself).
  5. Cardio training is good for cardio performance, not weight loss.
  6. Don't worry about calories, just stop eating when satisfied.
  7. Don't worry about macros. Eat lean or fatty depending on what you feel like.
  8. Don't worry about weight. Look in the mirror.
  9. Don't worry about ketones. Go by how you feel.
  10. If you feel tired or your lifts aren't progressing, eat more.
  11. Intermittent fast if you feel you need to, but in your feeding window, FEED.
  12. Coffee might help you lift, but it won't help you sleep. Don't go overboard.
  13. All 3x5 or 5x5 beginner programs work for beginners.
  14. If you struggle to lose fat, dairy may not be your friend.
  15. FAQ:

    Q: Bro, how can you build muscle without carbs?
    A: A carnivorous diet consists of mainly: 1. Muscle: Not surprisingly, this contains all of the building materials required to make muscle. 2. Fat: This is the most energy dense fuel that humans can consume. How can a mammal not gain muscle with these components and an adequate stimulus? If you think that muscle gain requires carbs, go find a wolf, punch it in the face, and then tell me how weak it is.

    /r/meatogains

    7,571 Subscribers

    3

    Getting shredded on carnivore without wrecking my body

    https://preview.redd.it/fwh0bfustv3e1.jpg?width=1216&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=20a37a4b189ffe500b8b45eb91163cc9f04de41b

    Left was when I started my cut. Right was after a few weeks. Went from 80kg to 76kg at 175cm.

    I aimed for 2200kcal/day with 150g protein and rest fat. It worked well for a while but then a few things happened:

    - I got a really bad cold that lasted for weeks. This has always happened when I tried to get shredded.

    - I started looking thin and sickly. This went away after 1-2 days of overeating on carnivore foods.

    - I started feeling ravenous.

    Eventually, I snapped and gorged on carnivore foods for a few days (no cheats or carbs tho). I'm still leaner than in the beginning but I probably gained back 1-2kg.

    2200kcal seemed like a lot but could I've been undereating? I lift 3-4 days a week and do Jiu-Jitsu (with a few rounds of intense sparring) 1-3 times a week. On off days I usually go for a 1-hour walk. I work at home on the computer so my work life is sedentary.

    Any variables I could tweak to get to ~10% body fat without all these negative side effects?

    Some people report getting leaner by increasing their fat:protein ratio without counting calories but I assume this stops working when you're already lean.

    My plan for now is to cruise on ~2700kcal for a while and see if I lose, gain, or maintain weight. Fat/protein ratio is 25%/75% in calories. This amount leaves me slightly hungry in the evening, but not ravenous. I usually eat one meal a day because I like feeling full once I start eating.

    6 Comments
    2024/11/29
    18:22 UTC

    6

    Bulking Digestion Problems

    Hey guys, I am 6’3 and about 185lbs. I want to put on some weight while doing strict carnivore no dairy or plant foods. The problem is every time I push the food I will get the shits. Anyone else solve this problem? If I keep eating after I get full I get major digestion problems. Im one of those guys who had trouble gaining weight even on SAD…Its not that I cant get the food down, I can, but it will mess up my stomach bad.

    4 Comments
    2024/11/09
    15:13 UTC

    3

    Bulking on Carnivore and staying lean?

    I’m currently 6’1 ~140 lbs. Obviously I’m pretty lightweight for my height and I’m looking to add muscle to my frame through continuing resistance training but upping the food intake a lot. However, I would like to stay pretty lean and accrue as little body fat as possible (maybe even get leaner?). I’m currently doing 18/6 intermittent fasting and breaking it in the morning with 12 egg yolks and some butter (moderate protein and high fat meal to stimulate glucagon and keep insulin as low as possible to allow body to continue burning fat/prevent expansion of fat cells) and having a higher protein meal later in the day. The problem is with this is that I’m hungry as shit usually outside the eating window but I don’t want to be spiking insulin all the time. Is this worthwhile?

    Additionally, are there any other tips anyone has for this scenario I’m striving for? I feel like this is a pretty specific subject and I haven’t seen many people talk about/go in depth on this. Feel free to drop any knowledge you have on hormones and how it pertains to muscle gain, fat loss, etc., and even other factors such as fat to protein ratio and whatever else

    I’ve been eating a ton too the past week as I’ve started the bulk, 3.5-4.5k calories/day (yea we don’t consume calories but it’s just as a point of reference

    4 Comments
    2024/11/05
    03:20 UTC

    3

    Is it normal to still feel hungry despite being in a caloric surplus?

    Hello everyone, I'm new here. I have been struggling with digestive issues for a while, likely due to irritable bowel syndrome. Despite many years passing, I haven't been able to find a solution or the root cause. As a bodybuilder, I consume large amounts of rice and fruits daily. However, my gastrointestinal problems persist, affecting my daily life and training performance.

    I am considering trying the carnivore diet to see if it can help with my irritable bowel syndrome. I've been following it for a few days now, and I have noticed some improvements in my digestion. However, I feel very hungry. I'm not sure if it's because I'm still adjusting or for another reason. Despite being in a caloric surplus, I still feel hungry. Is this normal? Additionally, I'm concerned about how this diet may impact my athletic performance. I know that carbohydrates are the primary source of energy during exercise. Can the body rely on fats for energy if no carbohydrates are consumed? Do you have any advice or insights on this? Thank you!

    6 Comments
    2024/10/22
    13:25 UTC

    1

    Questions for 2 types of athletes

    Hi I'm 14 (5,5) 135lbs and I wanted to ask questions for athletes of 2 types the 1st question is for calisthenic athlete because I have been training calisthenics for 1.5 years along with running and I wanted to ask if any calisthenic athletes or just doing it do this diet and is it better for calisthenics because it mostly makes you leaner and for the 2nd question for runners do you get clean and steady Pr,s and do you feel better running because stable energy?

    16 Comments
    2024/10/17
    13:11 UTC

    5

    HRV and RHR carnivore

    Heart Rate Variability and Resting Heart Rate

    Im 41male, consider myself very fit, lean. Been eating carnivore strict for 6months, i feel great, like superman.

    I used to eat like ”most fitness folks”, with carbs

    My HRV was always around 65+ and RHR below 50. Since beginning carnivore and all the way to today, both those scores worsened.

    Its now 30-40 hrv and 55+ RHR

    Some might say whats the problem? But, i am wondering quite abit about this.

    Any ideas?

    12 Comments
    2024/10/13
    12:54 UTC

    3

    Cut cut cut

    Going to start Omad with just beef and water this week. Any tips, gems, input y’all can give your boy?

    7 Comments
    2024/10/01
    08:41 UTC

    3

    Decrease or increase fat to get shredded?

    I'm on beef, salt, and water. I'm effortlessly lean with this diet even if I eat to full satiety. I would like to see if I can bring it to the next level and go from lean to more shredded (I have a lot of muscle mass already).

    The most intuitive approach seems to be to eat less fat. But I could also think of arguments for increasing fat intake. Fat is satiating, which in turn makes me less hungry for muscle meat.

    What macros would you recommend? 2g/kg protein and how much fat?

    18 Comments
    2024/09/21
    13:15 UTC

    4

    Carnivore and ketosis

    I hope this is a suitable forum to ask.

    So, i love the carnivore diet and i've been doing it for some time now. However, i am not a role model when it comes to the diet, as i fall out of ketosis about once a week. Kinda bad to admit, but i like to go out for some beers once a week. I'm curious to if there can be any serious down sides, or rather something with the diet that could be dangerous if one falls off and out of ketosis once a week?

    As a side note, i dont feel bad in any way when i exceed 100 grams of carbs a week and fall off. I feel very healthy and i am 5.10 at around 163 lbs with about 11% bf.

    Thanks for any replies!

    9 Comments
    2024/09/02
    18:40 UTC

    1

    Muscle gain

    Hey everyone,

    I'm an 18-year-old woman, standing at 4'11" and weighing 110 pounds. I've been on a journey to gain muscle and get leaner. For the past month, I've been walking 10,000 steps a day, and just last week, I started lifting weights. However, I'm feeling a bit lost and could use some advice.

    According to people and the TDEE calculator, I should be eating around 1,300 calories to lose weight. I've been eating about 80 grams of protein daily to help build muscle, but I'm struggling to hit my calorie goals. Previously, I was eating under 1,200 calories, but I realized that wasn't sustainable.

    I'm reaching out to this community for help. How much should I really be eating to gain muscle and lose fat? Any tips on how to increase my calorie intake in a healthy way would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

    2 Comments
    2024/08/06
    03:08 UTC

    0

    What type of carbs gets you the best workout?

    9 Comments
    2024/07/22
    18:49 UTC

    5

    What amount of carbs/day gets you the best workout?

    3 Comments
    2024/07/22
    18:48 UTC

    6

    Does Post Workout Meal Matter

    If i work out in the morning, i will have a steak or a bunch of eggs after it just as my breakfast. But if i work out in the afternoon, it may not be meal time. what do you all recommend? is a post workout fueling necessary?

    4 Comments
    2024/07/14
    19:25 UTC

    2

    Sour (Cultured) Whey VS Whole Yogurt

    0 Comments
    2024/06/18
    09:31 UTC

    3

    grass fed and finished beef

    Where do you buy your grass fed and finished beef from? Who has the best quality for grass fed and finished beef in your view? Any recommendations or not so great experiences?

    16 Comments
    2024/06/15
    17:07 UTC

    1

    Macros

    Does the amount of calories matter if im not eating any carbs? As far as over eating? I’m still hitting my protein goal, lifting and cardio 5 days a week.

    2 Comments
    2024/06/12
    17:27 UTC

    1

    Grass Fed & Finished Beef: Tastes like grass and causes gas?

    I had 2 instances of feeling grass like taste while eating beef. They also gave me a lot of gas. One of these was grass fed&finished New Zealand beef. The other one was grass fed&finished Argentinian beef.

    I've ate 100s of kg of grass fed&finished beef usually local US/Canada based, and didn't have this in any of them except these 2 instances. What could be going on in this situation?




    Here is ChatGPT's answer:

    The grass-like taste and increased gas you experienced with the New Zealand and Argentinian beef, compared to the US/Canada based grass-fed beef, might be due to several factors:

    Diet Differences: The grass in different regions contains varying types of flora, which can affect the flavor of the beef. For example, certain types of grass or herbs prevalent in New Zealand and Argentina might not be common in North America.

    Gut Flora of Cattle: The gut microbiome of cattle can vary based on the grass and environment they are exposed to. This variation can influence the digestion process and potentially the flavor of the beef.

    Processing and Storage: Differences in meat processing, packaging, and storage between countries might affect the flavor. Sometimes, changes in pH levels during storage or packaging could alter taste and digestion.

    Your Digestion: It's possible that your digestive system reacts differently to specific compounds present in beef from these regions, which might not be prevalent in North American beef. This could explain the unusual gas production.

    If you continue to notice these issues, you might consider sticking with beef sources that you know are agreeable with your system, or slowly reintroducing the international varieties to see if the reaction persists.

    2 Comments
    2024/06/06
    03:30 UTC

    1

    Milk? Yay or nay?

    So im a strict carnivore. Which i like a lot. Dont know why really, its very nutrientdense i guess. Adding like 4-500ml milk few hours before gym im thinking?

    Do you guys drink milk? I cant get unpasteirized, but 4.5% fat with not much pasteurizing

    18 Comments
    2024/05/27
    04:56 UTC

    3

    Gym performance before and after keto

    So im a gymnerd like most here. push/pull/legs 6 days a week and also bike where i need to go.

    Anyone similar here that feels keto is just as good once fully adapted?

    Im just 7 weeks in, and gym performance is not bad, but not what it used to be.

    Will this change? Or should i try TKD or CKD etc for max performance?

    I feel great btw, apart from gym not being back to 100% and this frustrating headache most days that im troubleshooting.

    Cheers

    Edit: im strict carnivore btw, eating like 70/30 fat/prot. 41 male 184cm 76kg low bodyfat

    8 Comments
    2024/05/18
    06:12 UTC

    0

    Counting Macros — I feel I'll starve

    I'm thinking about transitioning from a 'normal' diet to a carnivore diet because I can't bear my skin itching anymore.

    I've started doing some math, and I feel like I'll be hungry. In my diet plan, should I keep the same calorie intake in my daily consumption?

    Currently, I'm (M) 66 kg/145 lbs, and my intake is around 2500 kcal (I've been maintaining this for a while).

    • Total Calories: 2559 kcal
    • Total Protein: 139.5 g
    • Total Fat: 63.7 g
    • Total Carbohydrates: 361 g

    How much should I eat? I've read that I need around 150-200 g of protein. If I target my intake to 210 g of protein, I'll be eating in weight about half of what I currently eat.

    Is that right? Any tips or calculations?

    5 Comments
    2024/05/17
    13:54 UTC

    2

    Carnivore for competition prep?

    Hi All, I just wanted some opinions. I started carnivore about two weeks ago and loving so it far. I went from constantly craving sugar, to no cravings at all and dropped about 2kgs. I’ve had absolutely no issues with IBS for the first time in years. It’s incredible.

    I’m quite into bodybuilding and want to compete in icn in bikini in about 4 months (Australia). My understanding about nutrition and training is rock solid, and I’ve done a prep before on a meal plan with a coach (comp cancelled bc 2020 lol). This time however, I’m not getting a coach due to saving for a mortgage/wedding and the difficulty in finding one with experience/support of the carnivore diet. I’m not competing to win (this time), just for the experience. Is it feasible to comp prep on carnivore? I’m noticing I’m not getting a ‘pump’ at the gym when training and don’t know if that’ll impact my overall ability to retain muscle/lean out to comp standard.

    My overall plan is to track my macros, aiming for a 65/35 ish split of fat to protein, with pretty much just beef mince, eggs and butter. Maybe some bacon and steaks on weekends. I’ll track my weight and measurements, and if it’s not trending down, I’ll drop overall calories and continue to monitor. I’m taking magnesium and a multivitamin. I used to take creatine, should I take it to supplement? My endurance with lifting has pretty drastically decreased and I’m pretty sore all the time. I did have one thought that I could have an apple preworkout, not carnivore I know, but that could help with training? I’m not sure! Any advice or experience is appreciated! Thanks!

    3 Comments
    2024/05/09
    01:26 UTC

    4

    First time I've had an interest... (noob alert)

    So, I recently eliminated dairy on a whim and all of a sudden got the desire to exercise and have been for about a month so this is the first time I've been interested in asking such a question:

    I thought it'd be interesting to see if I could get lean for the first time ever. Is it just a case of cutting fat?

    At the moment I'm 5ft7 and 147 pounds and i can see the rough oitside outline of my abs in the mirror.

    Been doing 95% Carnivore for over 4 years.

    If I eat to satiety then I get through 270g protein from beef and eggs (~700g steak +7eggs) along with about 35g added animal fat and I've nearly always got some aching muscles on the go from the various calisthenics I'm doing.

    So, if I'm to adhere to the 1g protein to weight rule then I'm currently way overeating for the 147g that I'm currently aiming to maintain with my 270g daily intake. I guess I must be using a lot of energy?

    This daily intake doesn't last me much more than a day either. If I leave it much more over 24hrs then I get cold hands and feet and exercise can make me feel lightheaded.

    So what's the best strategy to loose more body fat then? Eat less protein or cut the fat?

    Also, if i loose satiety from doing so then should I expect to be fighting hunger to achieve my goal?

    20 Comments
    2024/05/04
    22:30 UTC

    2

    Beef/Beef organs protein powder?

    Does anyone know of a good Beef/Beef organs protein powder? Most common protein powders out there are whey based, and the beef ones I've found contain sweeteners or other unwanted stuff.

    Protein shake has always been a very effective way to get in an extra meal, specially when I'm traveling, but having trouble finding a clean one that's carnivore/animal based compatible.

    5 Comments
    2024/05/02
    19:53 UTC

    3

    What is/is there a general consensus on the topic of high cholesterol within the carnivore community?

    Do you guys find high cholesterol concerning? Whatever side you're on I'm curious about your reasoning. Do you personally get your cholesterol checked on a regular basis? Do you talk to you doctor about it and what do they say? I've been looking at going 100% carnivore for awhile now but never pulled the trigger for this reason.

    14 Comments
    2024/04/23
    20:06 UTC

    4

    Carnivore diet vs carnivore + fruit

    Have any of you guys tried both carnivore only and carnivore with a mix of fruit? How does it compare?

    18 Comments
    2024/04/23
    01:01 UTC

    4

    Questions for those who’ve been on for a bit

    So I’m gearing up to start Carnivore.. I’ve done keto in the past and I’m wanting it to clear up a couple health issues and see if it works for me.

    My question is about protein, how do you get enough while keeping dairy low?

    I’m 295 6’3 and based on my TDEE (from a deca scan ) it’s about 4200 calories a day. I’m wanting to try for around 250 grams minimum. My fear is I’m not gunna be able to put down that much food and definitely not in I.F. It seems like chicken isn’t really high on people’s eat list for carnivore.

    My fear is losing muscles on this and not maximizing my current training.

    Also HTF are people cooking their organ meats? I feel like MAYBE I can put down some chicken livers if I add a stick of butter and eat fast but it just doesn’t seem appealing.

    20 Comments
    2024/04/05
    10:37 UTC

    4

    Looking for others experiences

    So I have an issue that anytime I eat anything I get brain fog and/or depression. I know it’s not blood sugar based because I’ve tested it. I’m pretty sure my stomach is trashed because I’ve been through this before and “cured” it with carnivore. I just wasn’t able to maintain it long term due to it cranking my nervous system up to much, I need carbs to relax. Has anyone on here had good luck with the meat and fruit diet for mental health (cognition and mood)?

    5 Comments
    2024/04/04
    15:44 UTC

    4

    TIL I’ve been totally miscalculating my brisket calories; thought I was cruising at 1200-1500kcal, but turns out I was riding high with 2.4k-3k+. Explains the weight loss stall…

    Macrofactor on the left; installed it yesterday. Myfitnesspal on the right. Turns out I selected quite the erroneous option for cooked brisket in MFP and have been counting brisket that way for MONTHS. Today when I went to look up brisket in Macrofactor I realized I’ve been counting brisket wrong by a factor of HALF

    Dude, totally had my mind blown when I figured out I was scarfing down, like, 2400 calories of brisket every day, not the chill 1200 I was vibing with. I was all stoked, thinking I was doing the righteous thing, divvying up my brisket into 100g bites for the meals, believing each was just about 200 calories and loaded with a gnarly 30g of protein. Turns out, it's more like 400 calories and only about 22g of protein. And, you know, I never bother trimming the fat off my brisket before smoking it, which totally ramps up those calorie counts.

    Here’s the lowdown:

    • Been jamming with this app, MacroFactor, and it's telling me I'm burning around 2375 calories a day. That's for a 5'7" guy like me, hitting the scales at 150 pounds, shredding it with weights and cardio almost daily.
    • Here’s the kicker, the app also laid down that I should be torching about 1825 calories a day if I wanna shed about .75 pounds a week.
    • So, catching the wave on what I thought was "1200 calories" of brisket was when I actually saw the numbers drop. Go over that, and I’m just paddling in place, with my gym sesh pulling me back to shore, making up that calorie deficit.

    Total bummer realizing the reason I wasn’t freaking from hunger is 'cause I was barely hitting that deficit, man. Now it clicks why going over my "limit" didn’t lead to dropping weight.

    Guess it's time to switch up the meats I’m smoking and munching on, aiming for the ones that are more on the lean side. Gonna miss the simplicity and rad taste of those brisket sessions. But hey, if shaking things up keeps me cruising on that weight loss wave, I’m all for tweaking the eats.

    17 Comments
    2024/03/31
    19:35 UTC

    2

    Trying a new weight loss strategy: 30g protein meal, wait until hungry, repeat

    Currently I’m eating brisket. 100g of brisket has 30g of protein. It’s about 200 calories. I eat it and feel satiated for 2-4 hours. I figure I can get through the whole day like this and end up at 1200 calories or so. Talk about a deficit

    On days where I work out (I take a rest day every 4 days or so, PPL split), I’ll still eat closer to 200g of meat when I get back from the gym, or even close to 300g if I’m ravenous.

    But it seems like overall, simply eating 100g of brisket is enough to keep me alright for several hours. Obviously I’m trying to lose weight right now. If I wasn’t, I’d eat more.

    9 Comments
    2024/03/05
    20:33 UTC

    11

    Starting the Carnivore Diet

    Hello all,

    I am looking to start the carnivore diet to see if my body responds well to it. I am 437lbs and 5'9. I am not new to the workout scene so the working out part i am good with. The hesitation for me is how to start, the correct macros or how much to eat and supplements i need so that i am getting my nutrients still. Any advice, suggestions or guidance is greatly appreciated.

    7 Comments
    2024/03/04
    13:51 UTC

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