I Tried Everything Before Carnivore

This Is What Finally Stuck

Before I found the Carnivore diet, I was a nutritional shape-shifter.

Paleo. Keto. Mediterranean. Plant-based. Intermittent fasting. You name it, I gave it a fair shot. Some worked for a while. Most felt like hard work. None felt like home.

And even though I looked like someone who “ate healthy,” I didn’t feel it.

I was in my late 40s, and I was:

• Constantly hungry, even after eating

• Craving “treats” (sugar addiction)

• Struggling with my gut and digestion.

• Gaining weight slowly, stubbornly.

• Waking up tired after 8 hours of sleep

• Having more “off” days than good ones

The worst part? I felt like I should know better. I was doing all the “right” things. But my body was telling me a different story. And to be very honest, I was scared.

The Turning Point

I discovered the Carnivore diet through social media.

At first, I thought it was insane. Only meat? No fiber? No greens? Surely that was just another extreme fad.

But the more I looked into it, the more intrigued I became. People were healing autoimmune conditions, reversing anxiety, losing weight without hunger, and here’s what caught me, carnivore diet enjoyers were completely changing their relationship with food.

I decided to try it for 30 days. Just to see.

That was over five years ago.

Why It Stuck

What surprised me most wasn’t just how good I felt. It was how easy it became. No more food rules. No more decision fatigue. No more “what am I craving?” games.

Just eat meat. Eat until full. Live your life.

I had:

• Stable energy all day (incredible energy gains)

• No bloating or digestive drama (there is a transition period but there are easy solutions to every hurdle)

• Better sleep and clearer skin

• Less anxiety and brain fog

• A renewed relationship with hunger and satiety

And this is big, I finally stopped thinking about food all the time.

But It Wasn’t Magic

Let me be clear: Carnivore isn’t a cure-all, and it isn’t effortless. There were adjustments. I had to relearn what true hunger felt like. I had to face my emotional attachments to food. I had to explain myself at dinner parties more than once.

But for the first time, the effort felt aligned with the results.

This wasn’t a diet. This was a return to sanity.

The Bottom Line

I don’t share this to convince you. I share it because I know what it feels like to be stuck in that cycle of trying, tweaking, and still not feeling your best.

Carnivore broke that cycle for me.

It might do the same for you or not. But if you’re curious, skeptical, or standing where I stood five years ago, Sweet Mistakes is a place to explore that journey with open eyes and honest stories.

Tomorrow, we’ll break down what the Carnivore diet actually is and what it isn’t.

For now, just know this: it’s okay to start over. Even if you’ve tried everything. Especially if you’ve tried everything.

See you tomorrow.

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What diets or strategies have you tried in the past and what did or didn’t work for you? I’d love to hear your story in the comments.