Carnivore Diet Success Story: How I Lost 50 Pounds in 60 Days with Zero-Carb Eating
Embarking on a weight loss journey can be challenging, especially when faced with setbacks. Larry and his wife Cassie committed to losing over 200 pounds together through the carnivore diet, beginning their transformation in October 2020. Their path wasn't straightforward, as they experienced initial success followed by discouraging relapses that left them feeling defeated at times.
After two attempts yielding modest results of about 25 pounds lost in 60 days, Larry made crucial adjustments to his approach for his third attempt. By cleaning up his diet—limiting sauce consumption to once weekly instead of daily and reducing dairy intake—he achieved remarkable results of 50 pounds lost in 60 days. He discovered that flavorful sauces and seasonings were causing him to overeat without realizing it, as these additions made food more appealing and led to consuming larger portions than his body actually needed.
Key Takeaways
Eliminating daily use of sauces and seasonings helped prevent overeating on the carnivore diet.
Reducing dairy intake, particularly heavy cream in morning coffee, enhanced weight loss results.
Visual comparison of meal portions showed that flavor enhancers were driving excessive food consumption even when not physically hungry.
Journey Overview
Larry and his wife Cassie embarked on a weight loss mission using the carnivore diet starting October 4, 2020. Their goal was to lose over 200 pounds combined. Larry's initial weight was 315 pounds, and he experienced varying results across three distinct attempts at the diet.
During his first two attempts, Larry lost approximately 25 pounds in each 60-day period. Unfortunately, after cheat days, he regained the weight and eventually peaked at 354 pounds. Motivated by family news—an upcoming grandson and daughter's wedding—Larry tried a third time with significantly better results: 50 pounds lost in 60 days.
The key differences in Larry's successful third attempt included:
Cleaner carnivore approach
First attempts: Used numerous sauces and seasonings daily (ranch, worcestershire, buffalo sauce, mayo, adobo, steak seasonings)
Successful attempt: Limited sauces to once weekly on a designated day off
Reduced dairy consumption
Eliminated cream in morning coffee
Enhanced benefits of natural intermittent fasting
Larry discovered that removing flavor enhancers led to naturally reduced food intake. Without sauces and seasonings making food more palatable, he found himself eating less at each meal. For example, his typical four chicken thighs with dipping sauces became three thighs with minimal additives. Similarly, his burger meals became simpler without cheese and condiments, and he couldn't finish the same quantity of food.
This experience taught Larry that the flavor-enhancing condiments were causing him to overeat beyond his body's actual hunger signals, despite their minimal carb content.
Early Struggles and Progress
First and Second Weight Loss Attempts
During my initial weight loss journeys on the carnivore diet, I experienced similar results in both first and second attempts - approximately 25 pounds lost in 60 days each time. These attempts shared common characteristics in my approach to the diet. I consumed what could be called "dirty carnivore," incorporating numerous sauces and seasonings while technically staying within carnivore guidelines.
My flavor enhancers included ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, zero-sugar ketchup, buffalo wing sauce, and mayonnaise. For seasonings, I frequently used adobo on air-fried chicken and Montreal steak seasoning on virtually every steak. These additions typically contained minimal carbs (about 1g per serving), which I rationalized as acceptable since I remained under daily carb limits that worked during previous keto dieting.
A typical lunch during these early attempts consisted of four chicken thighs with adobo seasoning, complemented by blue cheese and buffalo sauce for dipping. For other meals, I would consume multiple burger patties with cheese, mayo, and ketchup. I maintained a two-meal schedule, eating around 1:00 PM and again at 7:00-8:00 PM within a six-hour window.
Significant Improvements After Setbacks
After both initial attempts, I unfortunately experienced complete weight regain plus additional pounds, eventually reaching 354 pounds. These setbacks caused significant emotional distress and feelings of defeat. However, newfound motivation appeared with family news - a grandson on the way and a daughter's wedding.
My third attempt proved dramatically more successful, with 50 pounds lost in 60 days rather than the previous 25-pound results. This significant improvement came from two key changes to my approach:
Modified sauce and seasoning usage:
Limited flavor enhancers to once weekly instead of daily
Discovered this naturally reduced overall food consumption
Realized sauces were causing unintentional overeating
Reduced dairy intake:
Eliminated heavy cream from morning coffee
Enhanced benefits of natural intermittent fasting
Inspired by a relative's success with a similar strategy
Without the constant flavor enhancements, I naturally ate less food. For example, my typical chicken thigh meal decreased from four pieces to three, and I couldn't finish large burger portions without the additional flavors stimulating continued eating. The visual and taste stimulation from sauces and seasonings had been driving me to consume more than my body actually needed.
This third attempt extended successfully beyond the 60-day mark, eventually reaching four months with nearly 80 pounds lost through these modified carnivore principles.
Renewed Motivation and Strategic Changes
Third Attempt Breakthrough
After two unsuccessful attempts at the carnivore diet, Larry found new motivation when he learned he was going to have a grandson and his daughter was getting married. These family milestones provided the emotional boost needed to try again. This third attempt proved dramatically more successful than his previous efforts. While his first two attempts resulted in approximately 25 pounds lost over 60 days each time (before regaining the weight), his third attempt yielded an impressive 50 pounds lost in the same timeframe.
Larry made specific, strategic adjustments to his approach that contributed to this success. He continued the journey beyond the initial 60 days and has maintained consistency for over four months, achieving a total weight loss of nearly 80 pounds.
Fifty Pounds in Sixty Days
The dramatic improvement in results came from two key changes Larry implemented:
1. Cleaning up his carnivore approach
Before: Used numerous sauces and seasonings daily:
Ranch dressing
Worcestershire sauce
Zero-sugar ketchup
Buffalo wing sauce
Mayonnaise
Adobo seasoning
Montreal steak seasoning
After: Limited sauces and seasonings to once weekly
Discovered these flavor enhancers were causing him to overeat
Found he naturally ate smaller portions without the flavor enhancers
Example meal changes:
First Attempts Third Attempt 4 chicken thighs with adobo, blue cheese and buffalo sauce 3 chicken thighs with minimal seasoning Multiple burger patties with cheese, mayo, ketchup Plain burger patties (over 1 pound) with no toppings
2. Reducing dairy intake
Eliminated heavy cream from his morning coffee
This change enhanced his natural intermittent fasting window
Took inspiration from his brother-in-law who lost 40 pounds in three months by cutting cream
Without the flavor enhancers, Larry discovered he couldn't finish the same amount of food he previously consumed. His body naturally regulated to appropriate portion sizes when it wasn't being stimulated by the extra flavors. This revelation helped him maintain a more consistent eating pattern that supported his weight loss goals.
Dietary Modifications for Better Results
Moving to a Pure Animal-Based Eating Plan
Larry discovered that simplifying his food choices made a significant difference in his weight loss journey. During his first two attempts at the carnivore diet, he followed what he calls a "dirty carnivore" approach, using various sauces and seasonings like ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, sugar-free ketchup, buffalo wing sauce, and mayonnaise. He also regularly used seasonings such as Adobo and Montreal steak seasoning on almost every meal.
On his third attempt, Larry dramatically reduced his use of these flavor enhancers. Rather than eliminating them completely, he limited sauces and seasonings to just one day per week. This wasn't an easy adjustment—when two tablespoons of blue cheese becomes a special treat, you know you're making significant changes to your eating habits.
Decreasing Meal Frequency and Size
During his earlier diet attempts, Larry consistently ate two meals daily—typically around 1 PM and again at 7 or 8 PM. This created a natural intermittent fasting window of about 18 hours, but he wasn't seeing the results he wanted.
In his successful third attempt, Larry noticed something interesting: without all the extra sauces and seasonings, he naturally ate less food. For example:
First Attempts:
Lunch: 4 chicken thighs with Adobo, blue cheese, and buffalo sauce
Dinner: Multiple burger patties with cheese, mayo, and ketchup
Third Attempt:
Reduced to 3 chicken thighs when he did have his weekly sauce day
Often couldn't finish a full pound of plain burger meat without the flavor enhancers
Minimizing Condiments and Their Impact
After about six weeks of limiting sauces to once weekly, Larry had an important realization—these flavor enhancers were causing him to overeat. The additional seasonings and sauces were making his food so delicious that he continued eating past the point of true hunger.
Condiment Type First Attempts Successful Attempt Ranch/Blue Cheese Daily use Once weekly Buffalo Sauce Regular use Once weekly Mayo/Ketchup On most meals Limited to one day Seasonings Heavy use Significantly reduced
Larry found that while these sauces only contained about 1 carb per serving, the real issue wasn't the carb count but how they affected his overall consumption volume.
Understanding True Hunger Signals
One of Larry's most important discoveries was recognizing the difference between mouth hunger and true body hunger. The flavorful sauces and seasonings were creating a situation where his taste buds were driving him to eat more than his body actually needed.
Without these flavor enhancers, Larry couldn't consume as much food—his body naturally regulated to a more appropriate intake level. This helped him identify when he was genuinely hungry versus when he was simply eating for the pleasure of taste.
Larry also reduced his dairy intake after learning from his brother-in-law's experience. By eliminating heavy cream from his morning coffee, he was able to take full advantage of intermittent fasting benefits, which contributed significantly to his weight loss success.
Visual Comparisons of Dietary Adjustments
Before and After Diet Analysis
The transformation journey involved significant changes in eating patterns between the first carnivore diet attempt and the current approach. These modifications yielded dramatically different results, increasing weight loss from 25 pounds to 50 pounds in the same 60-day timeframe.
In the first diet attempt, meals typically included extensive use of flavorings. A standard lunch consisted of four chicken thighs seasoned with adobo and cooked in an air fryer, accompanied by approximately two tablespoons each of blue cheese and buffalo sauce. The chicken would be pulled apart while eating and dipped into these sauces, enhancing flavor significantly.
By contrast, the current diet approach features the same basic foods but with important modifications. The same lunch now includes only three chicken thighs rather than four, with sauces limited to once-weekly consumption rather than daily use. This seemingly small adjustment resulted in naturally consuming less food.
Another notable example shows the evolution of burger meals:
First Diet Attempt:
Multiple burger patties with cheese
Mayo, ketchup (zero-sugar), and various seasonings
Complete consumption of large portions facilitated by flavorful additions
Current Diet Approach:
Similar portion (over 1 pound of cooked meat)
No cheese
No sauces or seasonings
Natural inability to finish the entire portion without flavor enhancers
This visual comparison highlights a crucial insight: flavor enhancers were driving overconsumption beyond genuine hunger signals. Without sauces, seasonings, and cheese, the natural appetite mechanism worked more effectively, reducing overall food intake despite similar portion sizes.
The current approach also eliminated daily heavy cream in coffee, enabling more effective intermittent fasting benefits. These seemingly minor adjustments—limiting sauces to once weekly and reducing dairy consumption—created the conditions for doubling weight loss results within the same timeframe.
Further Dietary Modifications and Their Results
Reducing Dairy Consumption
The journey to weight loss took a significant turn when Larry decided to limit his dairy intake. This change was inspired by his brother-in-law, who had successfully lost approximately 40 pounds in three months simply by eliminating heavy cream from his morning routine. Though his brother-in-law followed a standard American diet rather than carnivore, the results were impressive enough to try.
On his first two attempts at the carnivore diet, Larry regularly consumed heavy cream in his morning coffee. This seemingly innocent addition was potentially interfering with the benefits of his natural intermittent fasting window. By removing the cream from his coffee, he could maintain a true fasted state for longer periods.
The results spoke for themselves. While his first two attempts yielded about 25 pounds of weight loss over 60 days, his third attempt—which included reducing dairy—contributed to a remarkable 50-pound weight loss in the same timeframe.
Adopting Intermittent Fasting Practices
Larry discovered that intermittent fasting occurred naturally during his carnivore journey, even during his first two attempts. He typically ate only two meals daily within a six-hour window, usually around 1 PM and 7-8 PM. This created an 18-hour fasting period without deliberate planning.
When he eliminated cream from his morning coffee, he enhanced the effectiveness of this natural fasting pattern. The absence of calories in the morning allowed his body to remain in a fasted state longer, maximizing fat-burning potential during those hours.
The combination of clean carnivore eating and proper intermittent fasting proved powerful. Larry's weight loss doubled compared to his previous attempts, helping him lose 50 pounds in 60 days instead of the 25 pounds he had lost previously.
This approach also naturally reduced his appetite. Without flavor enhancers making food hyper-palatable, Larry found himself eating smaller portions and feeling satisfied with less food. His body began responding to true hunger signals rather than flavor-driven cravings.
