Starting The Carnivore Diet

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Awrrr
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#3504075 18-Jun-2026 18:11

MikeAqua:

Liking the occasional banana, does not mean you're adapted to live on fruit diet 😃. BTW humans are apes. Specifically, we are great apes - with the Pan (chimps and bonos), Pongo (orangs) and Gorilla.

I know what our family tree is. We all like fruit.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Paul1977

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#3504479 19-Jun-2026 14:05

Hmmmm.... wasn't particularly impressed with Dr today saying no point in lipid tests because he said cholesterol would be artificially high on carnivore so should wait until I'm off carnivore to do it. Didn't make sense to me when I wanted to see what effect the carnivore diet is having on cholesterol.

Then he suggested a more sensible healthy diet (as he should), but also suggested ~~Ozempic (or whatever one you get in NZ)~~ Mounjaro. I'm 193cm (6' 4") and about 118kg, not diabetic. Seems crazy to me that he would jump straight to ~~Ozempic~~ Mounjaro as part of a "healthy" lifestyle. Or am I missing something?

EDIT: It might have been Mounjaro he suggested, but I think it's the basically the same thing as Ozempic.

MikeAqua

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#3504485 19-Jun-2026 14:13

Paul1977:

Then he suggested a more sensible healthy diet (as he should), but also suggested Ozempic (or whatever one you get in NZ). I'm 193cm (6' 4") and about 118kg, not diabetic. Seems crazy to me that he would jump straight to Ozempic as part of a "healthy" lifestyle. Or am I missing something?

People lose weight and keep it off on Ozempic and it offers protection against some the health effects of being overweight.

I'm also told by people who are prescribed it, that it makes worse hangovers 😱and can cause dramatic changes in libido (either way) 😮.

Mike

Paul1977

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#3504497 19-Jun-2026 14:30

MikeAqua:

People lose weight and keep it off on Ozempic and it offers protection against some the health effects of being overweight.

I'm also told by people who are prescribed it, that it makes worse hangovers 😱and can cause dramatic changes in libido (either way) 😮.

After looking at the names of the weight loss drugs I think it was Mounjaro he talked about - I thought that might have been the chemical name for Ozempic, but I see it's a different (but similar) medication.

Regardless, it worries me if GPs are jumping to prescribe that sort of thing too quickly.

dafman

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#3504663 19-Jun-2026 16:09

Paul1977:

Hmmmm.... wasn't particularly impressed with Dr today saying no point in lipid tests because he said cholesterol would be artificially high on carnivore so should wait until I'm off carnivore to do it. Didn't make sense to me when I wanted to see what effect the carnivore diet is having on cholesterol.

Your doctor has a point, why spend taxpayer money on testing your cholesterol levels when you are embarking on a diet that science tells us will drive them to dangerously high levels. He already knows the answer.

Paul1977:

Then he suggested a more sensible healthy diet (as he should)

That's because he's a trained medical professional.

Paul1977:

Seems crazy to me that he would jump straight to ~~Ozempic~~ Mounjaro as part of a "healthy" lifestyle. Or am I missing something?

More crazy than jumping straight to the latest carnivore fad diet as part of a healthy lifestyle?

I strongly recommend you reconsider a balanced diet, smaller portions, regular exercise. If snacks are an issue, don't buy them. If they are not in your house, you can't eat them.

All the best. You recognise that change is needed, which is half the battle.

Rikkitic

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#3504668 19-Jun-2026 16:56

dafman:

I strongly recommend you reconsider a balanced diet, smaller portions, regular exercise. If snacks are an issue, don't buy them. If they are not in your house, you can't eat them.

All the best. You recognise that change is needed, which is half the battle.

Breath of fresh rationality. Well done!

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

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Batman

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#3504683 19-Jun-2026 18:19

Paul1977:

Hmmmm.... wasn't particularly impressed with Dr today saying no point in lipid tests because he said cholesterol would be artificially high on carnivore so should wait until I'm off carnivore to do it. Didn't make sense to me when I wanted to see what effect the carnivore diet is having on cholesterol.

Then he suggested a more sensible healthy diet (as he should), but also suggested ~~Ozempic (or whatever one you get in NZ)~~ Mounjaro. I'm 193cm (6' 4") and about 118kg, not diabetic. Seems crazy to me that he would jump straight to ~~Ozempic~~ Mounjaro as part of a "healthy" lifestyle. Or am I missing something?

EDIT: It might have been Mounjaro he suggested, but I think it's the basically the same thing as Ozempic.

I suggest offer to pay for it, and if he still declines, maybe consider another GP. If I were your GP I'd love to use you as my case study and see what happens!

I know someone who does some trendy diet stuff (not carnivore though), got himself a CGM, and got his GP to check all sorts of stuff on demand, but he'd offer to pay for the tests himself.

He keeps a log book of all sorts of interesting stuff like antibody level changes after his covid jabs etc.

timmmay

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#3504684 19-Jun-2026 18:31

You don't need a doctor to order tests, you can order them online yourself. You only need the doctor if you want public funding. Lipid panel, Apo B, etc. There are different labs, generally you go to the local collection place and they take the sample and get it sent away. There can be an additional fee on top of the advertised prices, I think it was one fee no matter how many tests you get. Fasting insulin, fasting glucose, HbA1c and free testosterone are good general tests to do annually, your doctor may be willing to order some of them.

dafman

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#3504686 19-Jun-2026 18:55

One of the issues with Ozempic type drugs is that you have to stay on them for life. Evidence shows users gain their original weight back + some when they stop using. Plus the weight you lose includes muscle mass - when you put it back on, you don’t get the muscle back, so more fat. Plus, despite many reported benefits, there are also risks to pancreas plus other organs, and these are very new to market. The current cost, if not subsidised, is $500 to $800 per month. So long story short, if me, no.

Which brings me back to the balanced diet + exercise.

One thing I taught myself some years back is that food, while essential to life, can also be one of the most enjoyable things you do every day. I no longer eat on the run. I no longer snack while doing something else (like watching TV). Why? Because when you do this food becomes secondary to the other thing (eg watching TV, eating on the run). When you eat, food should be the core focus of what you are doing at that time. Sit down and focus your attention on your food. Enjoy it, savour the taste.

And natural is important. Try to avoid processed food. This is a key thing, so I will suggest it again - avoid processed food when you can. When you eat, think about what you have just eaten, how it tastes, what is the texture - there is a huge difference processed food and natural food. Once you discover the difference, processed food doesn’t stand a chance.

I don’t know if you cook. Have a look at recipetineats on youtube - a wonderful Australian channel that has really great videos on how to prepare great meals from natural ingredients. Experiment! And experiment again. Fail a lot, thats ok and to be expected. Eventually the fails becomes less and you have occasional wins. Over time, the wins increase.

And keep moving. If you enter a multi story building, use the stairs. If you live in a major city and the walk is less than 30 mins, skip the bus.

My 2 cents.

Good luck.

MikeAqua

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#3505146 22-Jun-2026 09:32

Paul1977:

After looking at the names of the weight loss drugs I think it was Mounjaro he talked about - I thought that might have been the chemical name for Ozempic, but I see it's a different (but similar) medication.

Regardless, it worries me if GPs are jumping to prescribe that sort of thing too quickly.

They're all GLP-1 receptor agonists. GLP-1 is a peptide that stimulates insulin production and suppresses appetite. More insulin and less food are good for you in multiple ways.

I half waiting for the other shoe to drop in a 'too good to be true' sort of way. But the data is positive. These drugs reduce weight and avoid a host of metabolic problems associated with obesity. They're also associated with reduced substance addiction, reduced overdoses and reduced deaths. There is some evidence for some of these meds reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

One downside is that you can lose muscle mass. But resistance training avoids that (while also being good for you). Also they have to be injected.

Mike

MikeAqua

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#3505147 22-Jun-2026 09:37

Rikkitic:

I know what our family tree is. We all like fruit.

Our 'family tree' does not include monkeys, lol.

Based on direct experience: Elephants, pigs, deer, cattle, goats, sheep, rodents, possums, some fish and some birds also like fruit. I had one dog that loved fruit. She had to be excluded from the orchard paddock, especially during avo season.

Mike

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Paul1977

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#3505153 22-Jun-2026 10:01

dafman:

Your doctor has a point, why spend taxpayer money on testing your cholesterol levels when you are embarking on a diet that science tells us will drive them to dangerously high levels. He already knows the answer.

How much it elevates varies considerably from person to person. A doctor refusing a B12 or iron test to a vegan because "of course you'll be low on B12 and iron if you're vegan" would be considered unacceptable.

dafman:

More crazy than jumping straight to the latest carnivore fad diet as part of a healthy lifestyle?

No, but carnivore wasn't suggested to me by a doctor. And I never said it was healthy long-term as there are no long-term studies of people doing strict carnivore.

Paul1977

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#3505157 22-Jun-2026 10:05

Batman:

I suggest offer to pay for it, and if he still declines, maybe consider another GP. If I were your GP I'd love to use you as my case study and see what happens!

I know someone who does some trendy diet stuff (not carnivore though), got himself a CGM, and got his GP to check all sorts of stuff on demand, but he'd offer to pay for the tests himself.

He keeps a log book of all sorts of interesting stuff like antibody level changes after his covid jabs etc.

I have no issue paying for any tests, but didn't realise you could do that via your GP.

Paul1977

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#3505162 22-Jun-2026 10:19

timmmay:

You don't need a doctor to order tests, you can order them online yourself. You only need the doctor if you want public funding. Lipid panel, Apo B, etc. There are different labs, generally you go to the local collection place and they take the sample and get it sent away. There can be an additional fee on top of the advertised prices, I think it was one fee no matter how many tests you get. Fasting insulin, fasting glucose, HbA1c and free testosterone are good general tests to do annually, your doctor may be willing to order some of them.

I'd looked at BODYiQ, but they didn't offer the Apo B test. Hadn't heard of i-screen though, are they a reputable outfit?

It would be better to leave it longer before the lipids test as I've only been on carnivore a couple of weeks, but I was at the GP for a cardiac calcium CT referral anyway so though worth asking for lipids at same time.

At this point I'll leave it for a couple of months, then just self-order the tests (if I'm even still doing carnivore).

I intentionally didn't weigh myself the first week because I expected a lot of water loss, but week 2 weight loss was 2.3kg. Not sure if I was still dumping water weight in week 2, or if that was all legit weight loss (seems a lot).

Rikkitic

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#3505165 22-Jun-2026 10:28

MikeAqua:

Our 'family tree' does not include monkeys, lol.

Depends on how far up the tree you go. We are closer to monkeys than to crocodiles.

I used to have a cat that absolutely loved green beans. Raw, not cooked. Once I tried to see how many she would eat but I finally stopped because she showed no sign of quitting and I got worried about her health.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

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