Interview with Michele

1) Introduce Yourself.

My name is Michele Ridgeway and I am 44 years old.  I am married and I am the mom of two teenagers.  I like to go on road trips and to amusement parks. I love music and spending time with my family.   I have been overweight my entire life and even though I was very athletic and strong during my school years, I always carried more weight than my peers.  I am recovering from 2 years of situational anxiety and depression.

2) How did you eat before Carnivore.

I LOVED food!  When I recalled vacations we went on, it was always based around where and what we ate.  Birthday parties were always about the cake and ice cream.  I ate a lot of fast food especially fried chicken, burgers, milk shakes and french fries.  I am from North Carolina, so sweet tea was my beverage of choice.   I had a very difficult time stopping when I ate certain foods and I never had leftovers on my plate.  I left restaurants miserable from all of the food I consumed, but wouldn’t think twice about stopping for ice cream on the way home.  I rarely ate vegetable unless they were battered and deep fried and when my average weight friends talked about a dessert being too rich and only being able to eat a small amount, I could not understand what they were talking about.

3) Why did you try Carnivore to begin with.

In December of 2017 I started a plant based diet and I lost some weight, but it didn’t feel sustainable to me.   I had lots of sugar highs and lows and I was never truly satisfied.  I also have sciatica and it always worsened when I was eating mostly plants, so in June 2018 I found out about the Keto diet.  After a few successful months on  Keto I heard about Shawn Baker and Mikhaila Peterson.  I have to admit I thought it was really extreme in the beginning, but when I heard about Mikhaila’s results with anxiety and depression I decided to try it.

4) How do you personally approach the Carnivore Diet.

I always knew that I ate the broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts only because I thought they were healthy and I never really enjoyed them.  So giving up the veggies wasn’t that difficult.  I have always been a huge ribeye fan and felt guilty when I would eat all of the fat that came with it.  Now I enjoy every last bite and don’t feel guilty at all.  I eat eggs, bacon, sausage, chicken, fish and beef.  I have also been using heavy cream in my coffee.  I usually eat twice a day and about once a week I do a 24 hour fast. I think the most difficult part for me, with my past of plant based dieting, was convincing myself they I was really doing something healthy for my body.

5) What benefits have you seen since starting the Carnivore Diet.

I have lost over 30 pounds.  My skin has cleared up.  My anxiety and depression have diminished significantly.  I have more control over my cravings especially since giving up artificial sweeteners.  I am more in tune with my hunger and satiety signals.  I am losing fat in stubborn areas.  My outlook on life in general has improved.  My energy has increased dramatically.  Fewer migraines.  Inflammation has decreased.

6) What negatives have you found with the Carnivore Diet.

I can’t really think of any negatives.

7) Do you exercise on the Carnivore Diet, if so how do you find it and what do you do.

I have not done any consistent exercise while on this journey.  In the past when I would attempt weight loss, I would become very rigid with exercise and diet.  If I stopped exercising I stopped everything.  So it was really important to me to take a more relaxed approach this time. I wanted to get my diet under control and then add exercise.   I have recently started some strength training to build up my core strength and tone up my arms and legs.  Even though I have only been doing it a few weeks, I am surprised at how quickly my body is responding.   I also plan on incorporating some walking/hiking in the coming weeks.

8) What piece of advice would you give someone who is interested in trying this diet, but hasn’t taken the leap yet.

I say just go for it!  This way of eating is so satisfying.  If you have fears about it,  just try it for 30 days and see how you feel.

9) Do you think Carnivore will ever be accepted as a mainstream diet.

I think because the idea of vegetables being necessary for humans is so ingrained in our culture it probably won’t become mainstream any time soon.  But as the movement grows and more people see the amazing results others are getting, maybe doctors and researchers will take a closer look at it.

10) Anything you would like to add, and where can people follow your journey.

I just want people to know that I am not perfect and I still have my struggles with food sometimes.  The cool thing about Carnivore is that I have been able to start a new day fresh after I stumble and continue my journey.  You can follow me on Instagram @carnivoreforsure

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