5 Unexpected Side Effects of the Carnivore Diet (2024)

I have acid poop, not always but often enough to wonder why.

Stephanie Keto Person says on her YouTube page that the theory that you poop less because you have used most of the protein consumed is false.. she says you are actually calcifying the excess protein in your colon creating a toxic soup of a mess that begins to plaque and its stuck in your colon and it will continue pile up making you toxic.

lmao, what the hell

Stephanie is full of crap, and it isnt from Carnivore! She turned on carnivore bc someone paid her to imo. She is co*cky and if you look through her stuff, she contadicts herself, and also she wrongfully recommended only 60 gm of protein at times. She is ignorant. Please try watching Laura Spath, or Ferrigno Freedom, or Ken Berry. I have been carnivore for 15 months.... Stephanie struggled bc of low protein and not enough potassium. I take a potassium powder (2,000 - 3,000 mg a day) to balance salt (see Dr Berg) and I have zero issues with anything nutcase Stephanie claims. I honestly cant stand her.

48 years ago when I was 19 I had to have my gallbladder removed. Since then I had brown water poop, every time I ate I had to go. Sometimes I couldn't even finish a meal before I had to go. I have been on the carnivore diet for three weeks and all of that has stopped. I feel better now than I have ever felt, I have more energy than I have ever had even as a kid, I have had less joint pain than I have had since I was 22 years when I found out that the cartilage in my joints was breaking down, my blood pressure has dropped 30 points, I am no longer per diabetic, my cholesterol is almost normal, I have lost 11 pounds and my pot belly is no longer hard it's soft and I have a waist line again. I'm no longer hungry all the time and for some reason I don't crave all of the carbs and sugar anymore. My craving for rocky road ice cream is no longer there. All of this in just three weeks. This one is a keeper. Not like all of those yo-yo diets that I have tried over the years. Three cheers for the carnivore diet.

When you have cravings it’s your body telling you it need nutrients and still hungry. All the processed things you used to eat is high in calorie but low in nutrition. On carnivore everything you eat is nutrient dense and will keep your body satisfied. This is how people are supposed to eat. No processed food just nutrient dense food.

Please I would like to understand if the meat can also be boiled, fried, baked or just grilled? and it must be only lean meat? I want to start the diet now and I don't want to be wrong. Thanks for any advice!

You can eat your meat any way you like. Boiled, fried, microwaved, raw. Go nuts!

It's better not to eat lean meat. When you go carnivore you use fat for energy instead of carbs. People that eat lean meat will often experience fatigue, and without proper sodium intake flu like symptoms (aka keto flu). A proper keto/carnivore split for macro nutrients is something like 75-80% FAT / 15-20% PROTEIN / 5% CARBS. I'm no doctor (just an internet scholar), so it's best to do your own research and speak with a certified nutritionist / doctor.

please do more reading especially regarding lean meat, as lean meat makes me sick but i am ok with fatty meat

If you eat lean meat eat it with more fat such as butter. Don't use bad fats suchas margarine, vegetable oil, sun flower oils, crisco, canola oil are garbage. Use animal fat, extra virgin olive oil, avacado oil or coconut oil. Youtube hasalot of info on this subject.

Hi Anda, It's fatty meats like rib eye you want fatty meats. I even buy sirloin with more fat running through it, roasts....once again fatty. I also eat seafood, pork, lamb, eggs, bacon pretty much anything that has come from an animal. I fry, bake, broil, BBQ. I haven't boiled any meat yet. I am creating a bone broth right now, very good for a person. You don't have to buy expensive cuts of meatt. I fast for 2-3 days a week and drink tons of water. I use butter and bacon grease to cook my meats in. Sorry, I am just writing what comes to mind. I started 3 weeks ago and my Chronic Pain is feeling much better. I have also lost 11 pounds. Some say not to eat dairy, but I eat cheese once and awhile. Just keep learning as I am. I am not a doctor so this is just what I do. I hope this starts to help. Happy eating, Lyn

6 weeks on carnivore diet, and suddenly I am s dizzy I can’t walk. Should I eat some carbs? If so what? Help

The same thing happened to me. You need to up your fat intake. Your body’s main fuel source is fat. 60-70% of your calories should be from fat. My daily calorie intake is 2150 so my protein intake per day is 188g and fat is 155g. Still losing weight, still burning fat. Give that a try for a few days

How Sint-Pietersplein calculate this? I eat 2 meals a day with an animal based diet and I cannot eat more then around 1800 calories. Just stuffed after my meals?

Take a look at your sodium intake. Being on a carnivore diet means it is harder for your body to absorb sodium so you need to increase your sodium consumption. I use electrolyte supplements for the same reason.

Sounds like you need some salt, Himalayan pink salt is good and easy to find. Or you could take some electrolytes.

You need to eat more salt. It is very impeach for you to stay hydrated.

I had that. It turned out I needed electrolytes.

I had a similar experience, but this was due to not understanding the value of fats, but upon upping the fats it all fixed itself. I eat within a six hour window and fast for 18. Been on this diet now since Jan 01, 2023, and 8 months later, I am 29 pounds down (started at 229), blood sugar stabled and the list of benefits go on. The carnivore diet is just magical!

I am day 12 on the carnivore diet and I am not pooping AT ALL. Should I be concerned? I did an enema 7 days ago. That was it. No desire to poop. Will I poop at some point? In a few weeks? This does not feel normal.

Are you drinking enough water? That's what I would uptake. Also I do an electrolyte powder mixed in with water in the morning and I also drink a glass of water with a little bit of salt mixed in in the morning. So basically 2 glasses of water before I even hit the coffee. Also make sure you're getting enough fat that might help everything grease the skids if you will. I've been on this for one week and I have to admit I'm sick of eating meat right now but I'm gonna stick with it and see what happens

It seems like the magnesium in the electrolyte is helping you poop more often. When I don't take electrolytes, I poop less.

If you go to YouTube you will find lots of different ways to prepare proteins and also you can (as long as your body allows you to) eat animal products. Eggs cheese dairy or chicken, pork. Make it work for you! Don’t give up

Hi, Carolyn. I'm curious how you evening got on with your bowel movements. I'm on day 8 and no movement. I've just started the diet. On the second day, I had diarrhoea. Perhaps that cleaned me out and that's why I've not gone since. Anyway, how are you enjoying the diet?

Someone in another forum told me about this for bowel movement. Break your fast with at least two 8 oz of warm water with salt (water must be warm) and up your fats. I take a tablespoon or two of olive oils. Hope this helps you.

Supplement with magnesium. Drink more water

Just wanted to know how to get the magnesium. Are there food with it or what? Also electrolytes. Where do I get those?

Can I drink coffee on this program? I’m willing to ditch the alcohol and veggies, but coffee might might be a problem????

Hey Lisa. It depends on why you're on the Carnivore Diet. If it's for autoimmune issues, then I'd simply test it. If it's for weight loss, it's almost never a problem.

Hi, I have a heart condion (Left Bundle Branch not in rhythm) no blockage but it is causing circulation issues. Would it be wise to start the carnivore but add a bit of fruit?

Why have fruits at all?

Is there any alcohol I can drink when on this diet?

Alcohol is about as un-carnivore as it gets outside of a loaf of wonder bread. In fact, it is made out of pure carbs like grains and potatoes. Add to that, the fact that Alcohol has zero nutritional benefits and only marginal medicinal value, and there's no good reason to consume any alcohol except as a social lubricant.

Bud light has like 12 calories

Yes but you need to be TRANS to drink it

Karl! HA!

As a newbie I've been tracking food on Carb Manager just to try to have a baseline from which to make adjustments. I set it up for 1.2g protein times my optimum body weight, and .8g fat. I eat mostly steaks & other beef and some pork and I ALWAYS go way over in fat. I pan fry most things with some fat and eat whatever fat is on/in the meat, but I can't seem to eat enough protein and too much fat. If I try to add more protein my calorie intake just goes too high. I'm barely losing any weight after two months of this. I feel line and my energy hasn't gone up or down. I don't know how to adjust my eating to lose weight (primary objective for now).

Try listening to Dr. Ken Berry on YouTube. He has a lot of information and guest doctors and experienced people as guests. You’ll learn almost all you need from him.

I have Polycystic Kidney Disease and they tell me to eat zero salt and have no meat. This doesn’t sound right to me as this disease is worsened by inflammation aka carbs and sugars. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge on carnivore with PKD? I do a modified carnivore diet now similar to paleo but would like to go full Carnivore. Thanks.

Look up Dr Ken Berry. YouTube, podcast.FB. He answers these questions with great depth

I am looking into this diet - if people are getting dizzy because they need salt - how then was this a preferred diet or way of eating back in the day? I am sure that our caveman anscesstors did not have access to Pink salt etc....what am I missing here?

The water our ancestors drank wasn't purified, distilled, or treated, so it contained more minerals from the riverbeds and ground it flowed through. Of course it did have more bacteria and stuff too, but our immune systems were already tuned for that over time.

I was thinking the same thing. I’m wondering if the extra salt intake mostly is necessary during the transition phase? I started the carnivore diet only yesterday. I made sure I had the recommender 2 1/4 teaspoons of salt and also had a dose of magnesium. Woke up very dizzy before I even moved out of bed.

I’m having an issue eating meat, and I’ve never had that issue before. I was on it for almost a year, got off for almost the same amount of time that I was on it. I’m now back on it going on 6 months. My issue is thinking of a steak with fat is nauseating to me. I normally LOVE the fat on steak. I’m struggling to eat just meat……and so I’m not eating anything at all. Which is causing me to hold weight and not lose due to my body going into starvation mode, and my body is holding everything I’m eating when I do eat……helppp

Listen to your body. If you feel nausiated so not eat meat and fat. Perhaps your body has had enough. Metabolic flexibility is important and you may need so shift your diet. Your body is speaking ot you!!!

I know this is an old post but hopefully someone can respond.
I’ve been on carnivore almost 60 days and feel amazing. No joint pain? Thyroid levels have been normal, no more prediabetes no bowel pain! But I notice that I get acidic diarrhea and sometimes mucus in it. Has anyone experienced this at all

Hey Gina. It could be that your body is producing too much bile. This can be due to too much fat or poor fat absorption.

Same thing with me. I added LMNT electrolyte water mix and that was a huge help. Now I mostly have a lot of mucous but nothing acidic.

I am on day 16 of carnivore. Have no gallbladder and game had diarrhea since. Same thing has continued on the diet. But I admit as embarrassing as it is, today I had bowel movements, twice in my pants without knowing it was going to happen. Is there any explainable reason for this? Thanks

The tan is because of higher intake of a specific protein L-tyrosine. It helps with melanin production which naturally helps tanning and less gray in hair.

I'm just past the 6 week point on carnivore. I may poop about once per week, but it comes out as a soft paste and just sticks to me. I always find out about it when I have to pee, then wipe myself and find dark brown paste all over the toilet paper. It takes a long time to clean myself and I have to use lots of wet wipes. Am I having too much fat? This has been going on for about 3 weeks.

Sharon, I just got done asking same question pretty much! Except for me, now it's just coming out randomly without me even knowing, crazy as that sounds it's just a soft paste I'll go pee and there it is. Hope we get answers.How's your weight loss, energy and sleep? It was all a struggle for me and now this but I had three days of great energy and sleep, until today and I feel like I hit a brick wall.

This is embarrassing but maybe someone has an answer. starting 6th week of carnivore. Only lost 8 lbs. Lost 10 but 2 came back and it's stayed there for a week now. For the last 3 days I finally had energy and slept 6 hours straight, unheard of for me..the embarrassing thing is last 3 days poop just flows out randomly and without me even knowing. Has this happened to anyone? Will it stop? Can I not absorb fat?

Started this diet 3 days ago due to suffering with IBS-D, anyone else suffer with IBS-D and fixed it using this diet? Ice stopped loperamide, but still seem to poop frequently (4 times a day). I'll admit they do feel better and are more firm rather than loose and watery. I'm also not as urgent. However I have come down with flu like symptoms (runny nose and coughing) not sure if it's the diet and or just cold flu.

Hello, I'm on day 9 of my carnivore journey and struggling a little bit. The first days were ok, had some diarrhea and then started pooping really hard stools. Days following that no desire to poop. Then started to feel nause. A few days after that I started having acidic diarrhea. Now on day 9 of strict carnivore, I'm up at 3am with acidic diarrhea and night sweats. I saw a video about this and it said that I'm either producing too much bile acid or too little or malabsortion. What could be causing this? When I was eating SAD I was not having bowel issues. I'm just a little concern because the acidity of the poop kind of burns me. Just concerned if I'm doing something to myself. Any advice on how to better my situation. At least until my body adapts to high-fat absorption?