How to Transition from Keto to Carnivore
Carnivore diet and keto diet both are low carb diets and have many similarities. However, there are a few things you need to know when you are planning to stop eating plants altogether. Probably you are already on a ketogenic diet where you are consuming low carb food. If not, let’s have a quick review of how the keto diet is followed.
Keto Diet
Keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet generally followed by people to lose weight. Most research studies have shown that a low-carb diet, like the keto diet, induces rapid weight loss, which is seen within weeks. It primarily consists of high-fats, moderate-proteins, and very-low-carbohydrates. The dietary macronutrients are divided into approximately 55% to 60% fat, 30% to 35% protein, and 5% to 10% carbohydrates. Net carb intake is kept under 30 grams per day. In this way, your body enters ketosis and starts burning fat for energy instead of carbs.
Beta-hydroxybutyrate, a ketone body, is found in your blood during the keto diet. At the beginning of this diet, ketone gets excreted through urine and is also seen in your breath. As your body starts utilizing ketones, serum ketone level starts decreasing.
Many times people think transitioning from keto to carnivore is quite easy. But you may face transitioning symptoms that may make you feel worried. These transition symptoms, also known as keto flu or carnivore flu, are experienced when you stop eating carbs. These symptoms include fatigue, headache, nausea, irritability, insomnia, diarrhea, and constipation.
Transitioning from keto diet to carnivore is like shifting from eating some plants to eating no plants. Here, you may experience some unpleasant symptoms and should be prepared for the adaptation phase. Let us know more about this transition phase;
Simple Steps to Shift From Keto to Carnivore
For some people, keto worked best, but for some, shifting to carnivore resolved certain health issues. In the end, you need to understand your body needs by experimenting with these diet versions and see which makes you feel the best.
Following these 4 simple steps can help you to shift to the carnivore diet from a keto diet;
1. Start Your Food Journal
Either you can start writing your food journal or use apps available online to keep track of your diet. Write down everything you eat and check out how you will balance your nutrients with this shift.
Highlight your plant foods and gradually replace them with meat. Keeping a journal is an excellent way of planning your meals and preparing for the shift.
2. Count the Calories of Plant Food
Counting calories can help you while replacing the plant food. Also, if you want to achieve weight loss, consider reducing some calories. Meat food keeps you fuller for longer, so you can effectively reduce your calorie intake.
3. Replace Your Plant-Based Food With Meat
This step needs a gradual approach. Every day try to remove some veggies and add more meat to your diet routine. Stick to your daily exercise routine.
4. Try Different Meat Recipes
Constantly eating the same stuff might make it hard to stick to this diet. Try adding different varieties like beef, pork, fish, cricket, and organ meats. Making some new recipes with them can also add to the nutrient requirements of your body.
Adaptation from Keto to Carnivore
In the keto diet, you add low carb food like fruits and veggies to your meal and eat 5 to 7 times a day. Whereas in a carnivore diet you eat only meat and have 2 to 3 meals a day.
Elimination of Food
An essential step you need to take while transitioning from keto to carnivore is slowly reducing the plant food from your diet. At the same time, focus on balancing your macro and micronutrients. Eat nutrient-dense animal products to stay healthy.
Week by week plan;
- Week 1 – remove fat bombs or keto bars from the diet
- Week 2 – eliminate keto snacks like nuts and seeds
- Week 3 – stop fruit intake
- Week 4 – remove all veggies
- Week 5 – make changes in your cooking oil; shift to coconut oil, ghee, and butter
In this way, you will slowly remove carbs and plant food from your diet and allow your body to adjust to this new diet. You can also make a few days a week plan, like being on a carnivore diet for 3 days and keto for 4 days in a week. Also, you need to reduce the number of meals per day.
Transition Phase Problems
When you move from a standard diet to a keto diet, it makes a big difference, as your body is shifting from burning sugar for fuel to burning fat. That needs a lot of adaptation process, facing many symptoms you may take weeks to adapt.
But, transitioning from low-carb to zero-carb may not make much difference to your body. It will be less severe, and also, the symptoms will not last long.
Here are some symptoms you need to look out for:
1. Carnivore flu/keto flu – When you stop eating carbs, your body needs to adjust to this zero carb eating pattern. The symptoms of keto flu may not happen to everyone but are seen in some people after “cleaning up” their diet.
Most commonly faced symptoms include headache, flu-like symptoms, nausea, and irritability. Some carnivores advise drinking a lot of water and electrolytes to reduce these symptoms.
2. Constipation – Generally, we believe that our digestive system needs fiber, but it’s a myth. Your digestive system functions perfectly well without fiber. It’s your gut microbiome that needs fiber and is trying to get it from your body. Eating more fattier meat cuts till you bring balance in your body can resolve the constipation problem.
3. Fatigue or low energy – When you shift from keto to carnivore, you have to make some changes in your eating pattern. This may make you feel fatigued. Make sure you eat enough and balance your nutritional requirements. It may seem complicated but once settled, it comes to you naturally.
Do not give up if you experience fatigue. The feeling of exhaustion stays for a few days, but in the end, your energy level will return to normal, and you may feel even healthier.
4. Diarrhea – Some people experience diarrhea as their digestive system is getting regulated. The gallbladder releases more bile, and the microbiome undergoes significant changes. It may take some time for your body to adapt to these changes.
Stay Motivated
Unlike the keto diet, the carnivore diet has no hard rules, no counting calories, or planning your macros. In carnivore, you can eat until you feel full. From weight loss to heart health carnivore diet has many health benefits. It is a simple nutrient-dense diet with the only goal to make you feel better and healthier.
The carnivore diet with many health benefits can be the solution to your health issues too. Shifting from keto to carnivore makes it a little less stressful. If you are finding it hard to commit to a carnivore lifestyle, then starting with the keto diet and slowly shifting to a carnivore is a great move.
With consistency and preservation, you can completely shift to be a carnivore. Stay motivated and be open to experience the amazing health benefits coming your way.