A man who transitioned to a diet consisting solely of red meat and eggs has shared the effects it had on his weight and general well-being.
Patrick Ensley and his wife, Caitlynn, embraced a strict carnivorous lifestyle last year when Patrick weighed around 300 pounds.
Working as a HVAC technician in Milford, Nebraska, Patrick, a father of one, battled depression and lacked the energy to engage with his young son after work. This situation transformed drastically when he altered his food intake.
Reflecting on that time with Mail Online, Patrick said, “I woke up several times throughout the night. I’d wake up in the morning; even if I had 10 hours of sleep, I’d wake up just not wanting to get out of bed.”
“I’d be sore and stiff. My ankles and my back and my knees would hurt, and I’ve just been miserable.”
Patrick was breathless just from climbing stairs and described himself as a ‘prisoner’ in his own body due to his size, weight, and poor health.
Determined to change, Patrick embarked on a diet of 16-ounce steaks, a pound of ground beef, and half a dozen eggs daily.
To resist temptation, he removed non-carnivorous items from his home and crafted a meal plan to limit snacking.
For snacks, he turned to options like homemade meatballs, pork rinds, string cheese, beef jerky, salami, and pepperoni.
Patrick also documented his motivation for the diet change—to ensure he could witness his son’s future.
“Post it somewhere. For me I put my wallpaper as my son on my phone so I saw it every day. Put it somewhere where you’re going to see it,” he said.
He also took ‘before’ photos to track his progress, noting: “You’ll see how much weight you’ve lost and can track progress, like losing 20 inches off your belly. When the scale stalls, those photos and measurements will remind you that you’re still making progress, so you don’t lose motivation.”
A year later, Patrick’s life has dramatically improved. He shed 140lbs, reduced his waistline by 19 inches, and enjoys better sleep, waking up feeling ‘refreshed, energized’, and pain-free.
“Even after the first month or two, I noticed a huge change in my mood, ambition, and positivity. I felt better mentally almost right away,” Patrick shared with the Mail.
“This experience has completely changed my life, and I’ve found my purpose again.”
He can now ascend four or five flights of stairs without losing breath and has ample energy for daily activities.
“Now I come home, and I’m able to throw around my two-year-old son on the couch and swing him upside down and play trucks and trains and all the fun stuff he likes to do and still have energy left over,” he remarked.
In a YouTube video discussing his diet, Patrick mentioned plans to reintroduce some plants, like organic strawberries, after losing 140lbs to see how his body would react and to move toward a less restrictive lifestyle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM9xHa5Zdb4
There are mixed opinions among experts about the carnivore diet. Harvard Health highlights potential risks, such as increased saturated fat intake from meat, and heightened chances of kidney stones, gout, and osteoporosis.
The diet’s high protein levels can also impair kidney function.
Liz Weinandy, a dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Everyday Health about the diet’s ‘downsides’, particularly nutrient deficiencies.
“We have multiple food groups for a reason: They each provide us with a range of nutrients,” she stated.
Sticking to a meat-only diet can lead to shortages of nutrients found in plants, such as vitamin C and vitamin E, according to the dietician.
However, British cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra differentiated between red and processed meats, telling the Mail, “I tell my patients, ‘I don’t care how much red meat you eat’, the evidence is only there for processed meat, not red meat.”
Consulting a doctor is recommended before making any major dietary changes to ensure the best health outcomes.