THE CARNIVORE CHALLENGE WEEK 1

“Man is the only animal that can remain on friendly terms with the victims he intends to eat until he eats them.”
Samuel Butler, The Note Books of Samuel Butler

So, my meat loving patrons, I made it through week 1 and as I bet you have been eagerly awaiting what happened on my first week of purely eating meat, meat and more meat you shall wait no further.  Here it is, warts and all.

So I started my Sunday night by popping over to Ma’s house for the weekly weigh in.  Why did I have to visit my old dear?  Well Mrs Shack doesn’t believe in scales and weight and all that crap and hell I just don’t normally give a crap so off to ma’s I went.  My weight at week 1 was exactly 17 stone (of pure muscle I’m sure).  Let’s do this.

1 July 2018

So those of you who read the lead in post last week while know that I had an ALMIGHTY carb blow out the day before this adventure.  I sat lovingly looking at my meat feast pizza and it’s bready goodness wondering what I had let myself in for.  That and the fact that it’s the start of UKBBQ Week next week and I was pontificating how the fuck I was going to do meat free Monday with no meat on a carnivore diet… scrambled eggs and cheese for dinner?  count me out mate.

Attachment-1.jpegI’m not kidding it’s day 1 and I almost feel like a naughty kid who’s getting away with something here… I don’t have to eat any vegetables and as much mouth watering meat as I want… I’m living the dream!

2 July 2018

My energy levels have been good, but I can’t tell if this is due to my change in diet or the high of doing my first Traeger pop up for the Ginger pig tonight. Time will tell.

At the gig, I was faced with a difficult challenge, a challenge someone with only the mental fortitude of Batman could overcome. Two words men love to hear.  No girls not “love you”, I’m talking about the words “FREE BAR”.  Extremely difficult to turn down a cold pint of hoppy goodness, especially in this glorious weather we are experiencing, but I wasn’t going to break two days into the challenge.  Water it was, I even considered fishing out the lime wedge this trendy South London boozer added to my water.

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3 July 2018

What I haven’t really experienced, what I was expecting having done a bit of research on banishing carbs from your diet is the “Keto Flu”.  Keto Flu is basically the withdrawal effect and I’ve read some terrible stories so I am pretty pleased I’m not in that boat… yet.  Maybe its a delayed reaction.

This has been in most part a piece of cake (mmmm Cake) I am literally eating what I want when I want, similar to a fat kid at a buffet.  But without the actual cake.  Ok, not sure if I’m missing cake or not.

I have missed my pint of zero sugar Fanta that I normally have to signify the end of a day and I love a can of sugar free monster but apart from that I have not had many cravings.Attachment-1

4 July 2018

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY FOLKS!

EVERYONE seems ridiculously interested in my poo, or lack of it.  4 days in and only 2 bowl movements but I was expecting this having ready many articles about the side effects of the carnivore diet.  But I don’t feel bloated and less time pooing means more time for extracurricular activities.Attachment-1.jpeg

5 July 2018

It’s so hot!!!  As London enjoys it’s heat wave I continue to enjoy my meat eating escapades and still not feeling any negative side effects.  I do however miss a drink which is anything other than water or the occasional homemade coldbrew, especially in this ridiculous weather… is that the Ice cream van I can hear…?

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6 July 2018

Whoop whoop it’s Day 1 of UKBBQ Week:  STEAK NIGHT, a time when meat eating, fire donning grillers like myself get to GO TO TOWN and show off their skills all over social media.  This was the first meal I had out of the house and I was a bit nervous about how I was going to approach it.  I went Cafe (pronounced CAF in these here parts) and instead of my usual set 6 gut buster I opted for liver and bacon.  Not everyone’s cup of tea admittedly but it was frickin delicious.  HOWEVER, I cannot lie and say I didn’t look over to my colleagues walloping down beans and hash browns with just a tad of food envy.  Still all for the cause…Attachment-1

7 July 2018

Today was the real challenge so far.  It was day 2 of UKBBQ Week, a Saturday, RIDICULOUSLY hot and the theme of the day was the best of America.  Mrs Shack calls another cook off and never one to back down from a fight I nobly accept.  Now chicken wings are just about one of my favourite foods but when you are extremely limited to what you can put on them and it’s part of a challenge you’re pretty screwed!  Especially when old Mrs big bollocks rocks up with bacon wrapped Apricot wings, I stood no chance!

As if that wasn’t enough, homemade Batman Burgers were on the menu using homemade brioche bread… the whole house smelt like a croissant as I awoke from my stupor and that bitch knows I love Batman!!

Joking aside, although yes there were bits on the menu I would normally be shovelling in my face faster than a greyhound chasing a rabbit, I didn’t feel like I had massively missed out.  I still filled up on my own brined wings and Ginger pig beef and cheese just without the bun.  Still it was so hot I would have killed for just one refreshing beer…

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And, that’s week one!  So let’s summarise the week:

  • This seems to be an exercise in mental discipline as much as physically being able to just eat the meat, concentration on the Carnivore diet has been good mentally as it has physically.
  • There seems to be a sense of almost relief that I don’t really have to think about what I am eating that night, it’s quite liberating;
  • The hardest part, especially in this heat is a refreshing drink!  I’m interested to see whether the sweet craving will disappear completely as I don’t miss chocolate and sweets as such but it was a bit of a killer when I was watching my family tuck into sorbet on Saturday night!  I’ve never really been one for drinking plain water, but this might be something that I will try and incorporate after the diet?
  • POO:  Everyone’s favourite subject apparently and who doesn’t love a good poo?  Movements are definitely on the decrease, presumably due to a lack of fibre and according to Dr Shawn Baker because your body is using the fat and protein from the meat there is very little by product to excrete… but fear not BBQ fans I will keep you informed.  You filthy animals.