90 Days Carnivore: What I Tracked, What Changed, What Didn't
I’m not a carnivore evangelist. I ran this as an experiment. Here’s what I tracked.
The Protocol
Strict carnivore: beef, lamb, pork, chicken, eggs, butter, salt. No vegetables, no fruit, no dairy except butter. Water and black coffee only.
90 days. Blood work at day 0 and day 90. Daily weight, sleep tracking via Oura, subjective energy levels logged each morning on a 1-10 scale.
Blood Work Changes
| Marker | Day 0 | Day 90 |
|---|---|---|
| Fasting glucose | 94 | 87 |
| HbA1c | 5.4% | 5.1% |
| Triglycerides | 142 | 89 |
| HDL | 48 | 61 |
| LDL | 118 | 167 |
| hsCRP | 1.8 | 0.6 |
LDL went up. Everything else improved. The LDL increase is the expected pattern on carnivore — it’s contested in the literature whether it’s meaningful for people with good triglyceride/HDL ratios. I’m watching it.
What Changed
Weight dropped 11 pounds over 90 days without tracking calories. Subjective energy levels: average went from 6.1 to 7.4. Sleep scores improved marginally (average +4 points on Oura). Joint inflammation in my right knee, which has been chronic for two years, largely resolved by week six.
What Didn’t Change
Performance in the gym was flat. I expected this and didn’t fight it. Body composition shifted (leaner) but I didn’t have DEXA before and after so I’m estimating from photos and measurements.
Conclusion
This was a useful experiment. I’m not staying strict carnivore indefinitely — I’ve reintroduced eggs, dairy, and some fruit. I’m staying off grains and seed oils based on how I feel. The data supported the experiment. Draw your own conclusions from your own data.