The Carnivore Diet for 35 Days: Weight, Strength, Digestion, and Energy Changes

By Emmett Shaul, MTI Coach

BLUF:

For July, 2025, followed a strict carnivore diet—meat, fat, and salt only—for 35 days. I’m 30 years old, and started the diet weighing 198 pounds. During my 35 days on the diet:

• I lost around 8 pounds and leaned out
• I rarely felt hungry and often had to force myself to eat
• Energy levels stayed consistent, especially for endurance
• Back squat 1RM increased from 345 to 355
• I had inconsistent bowel movements, including random bouts of diarrhea
• Urination frequency dropped significantly
• I never felt bloated, regardless of how much I ate
• No change in sleep
• No noticeable reduction in joint pain
• Social meals were awkward
• The lack of variety became irritating over time

Background

The Carnivore Diet eliminates all plant-based foods. Only animal products and salt are allowed. For 35 days, I ate:

• Steak
• Ground beef (80/20)
• bratwurst
• Bacon
• Eggs
• Salami

No sauces, vegetables, or seasoning blends beyond salt. I continued taking creatine throughout.

Results

Digestion – My bowels weren’t bad going in, but I started experiencing diarrhea at random points throughout the diet—sometimes 3 to 4 times a day. It didn’t show up immediately, and the pattern was inconsistent. At first, I thought pork—specifically bratwurst —might have been the cause, but later I had normal bowel movements after eating pork and diarrhea on days without it. I started to suspect creatine as a possible factor. Despite the diarrhea, I never felt bloated at any point during the diet, even after eating large amounts of food.

Urination – Before the carnivore diet, I had ongoing issues with frequent urination. I saw doctors about it, but no cause was identified. During the diet, that changed. My frequency dropped significantly. I still urinated after drinking large amounts of water, but not nearly as often throughout the day as before. It was one of the more noticeable physiological changes I experienced.

Performance and Energy – Energy levels were steady. I didn’t feel drained during longer endurance sessions, including efforts up to 90 minutes. Strength also improved—my back squat 1RM increased from 345 to 355 during the 5 weeks. The only place where I noticed a dip was during a treading session in the pool. Treading water typically isn’t an issue for me, but during this session, I struggled more than expected. Outside of that, energy was consistent throughout training and daily life.

Appetite – The most significant shift was in how I related to food. Early on, I was eating large quantities of meat, often, just as I had been used to eating large volumes of carb-heavy meals before the diet. I’ve always had a big appetite and was usually the one finishing other people’s plates. That changed about a week in. I stopped feeling hungry. I rarely craved food and often had to remind myself to eat. Even after training, I wasn’t hungry—I just ate because I knew I needed to. I could easily skip meals without any drop in energy.

Body Composition – I lost around 8 pounds over the 35 days and leaned out noticeably. Despite the weight loss, I felt well-fueled and didn’t experience dips in performance.

Sleep – No changes in sleep quality or duration.

Social and Lifestyle Impact – Eating out was inconvenient. Ordering just hamburger patties or asking for only meat—like three servings of just meat at Chipotle—often required repeating myself. Social meals felt awkward, and the lack of flexibility made things more difficult.

Lack of Variety – Another challenge was the lack of variety. Eating the same foods, every day, got old. I usually enjoy walking through the grocery store, browsing, picking up new items. On this diet, there was nothing to look forward to. Steak, beef, eggs—every meal was the same. I missed the ability to change things up and especially missed sauces and flavor variety.

The carnivore diet produced clear changes—particularly in appetite, digestion, and energy regulation—but also made food feel like a chore. Performance held steady or improved, but the lack of variety and the awkwardness of social eating made it difficult to sustain. I’ve now reverted to following the MTI Nutrtional Guidelines. 

Questions or comments?
Email: emmett@mtntactical.com