A fitness model has revealed how her life drastically changed after adopting the ‘carnivore’ diet for an entire month.
Petrina Barber, 41, who splits her time between London and Dubai, decided to cut out all processed foods and carbohydrates to help with her stoma output.
The mother-of-one became an awareness campaigner and founded her business Beyond The Stoma after treatment for cervical cancer nine years ago led to her needing a stoma bag.
With her new diet, that involved eating only meat, fish, eggs and a little cheese, Petrina said she wasn’t aiming to lose weight but instead was looking to improve her athletic performance energy levels by solely eating animal products.
Before going on the diet, rice, sourdough, jam doughnuts, and chocolate were favourites in her life – and the initial days saw her struggle without having her go-to snacks.
Petrina pictured before she started the carnivore diet (left) and after four weeks eating only meat, eggs and a little cheese (right). At the end of the month, Petrina’s friends and family were full of compliment, with her husband telling her she looked healthier
Petrina pictured after four weeks on the carnivore diet. Two people noticed that her skin was much brighter and commented on her glowing complexion
But after just one week, Petrina said she lost weight, her craving for snacks disappeared, her sleep improved and people said she looked healthier.
Writing for FEMAIL, she delves into the struggles and positives of the diet week-by-week…
First week
In the first week of starting the diet, I found myself faced with immediate challenges.
On the very first day, we were engaged in an all-day activity with my son, surrounded by the temptation of burgers and fries. I hadn’t adequately prepared for this diet transition, and my usual diet leaned heavily on good carbs.
As a result, I quickly realised the need to increase my intake of quality-sourced protein and consequently, calories. Those initial days were tough, I was underprepared, lacked meal planning, and struggled to come up with food ideas. On top of that, I had an awful headache and just a general feeling of tiredness.
I soon realised that I was a snacker. I usually had a slice of toast or a jam doughnut almost every day, and without those now on the menu, I had to think through my options. Snacking on meat didn’t seem appealing at first, and what I learned was that it was important to fill yourself up at each individual meal.
Petrina opted for beef carpaccio (left) when dining out while a typical lunch was made up of steak and eggs (right)
As a snack Petrina would opt for bone broth (pictured), a favourite of wellness influencers like Gwyneth Paltrow
After the first few days, my cravings vanished, along with the dips in energy that would often follow my previous snacking habits. It dawned on me that I no longer desired snacks while following the carnivore diet, I found myself constantly full and content.
WHAT IS THE CARNIVORE DIET? AND IS IT SAFE?
Followers of the carnivore diet typically eat just meat, with no carbohydrates, vegetables, fruit, grains or nuts. Some also have dairy and fish.
Experts argue followers of such an eating regimen miss out on fibre, antioxidants and vitamins. Lacking in these nutrients can affect a person’s immunity, digestion, circulation and cognitive function.
Eliminating most of the major food groups does cause many carnivore dieters to lose weight, however, it can also lead to constipation.
Due to meat being rich in protein and fat, many followers claim they feel fuller for longer, even though they are missing out on vital nutrients.
Experts claim followers of such a diet may initially feel better due to them cutting out sugar and processed food. Yet such eating plans are often unsustainable, causing dieters to feel frustrated and defeated.
Among those who take it one step further and eat raw red meat, they are putting themselves at risk of food poisoning if they become infected with bacteria like Salmonella.
Some experts have warned against the meat-only diet, with excessive amounts of red meat previously linked to bowel cancer.
The NHS states: ‘Red meat – such as beef, lamb and pork – is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, and can form part of a balanced diet. But eating a lot of red and processed meat probably increases your risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer.
‘That’s why it’s recommended that people who eat more than 90g (cooked weight) of red and processed meat per day cut down to 70g, as this could help reduce your risk of bowel cancer.’
Within the initial four days, I lost 2kg, and though I ultimately lost a total of 4kg, my weight eventually stabilised.
Since I hadn’t aimed to lose weight, I shifted my focus to maintaining it. This was a natural progression for me, and I had no desire to continue losing weight beyond what my body naturally adjusted to.
I felt terrible during week one. I was exhausted – I thought it might be the case for a few days, but not as long as it went on. I still had a pounding headache and a foggy memory.
But I was fully aware it takes one to two weeks to transition your body to the new diet as it needs to reconfigure how you get glucose from switching fuel supplies.
I was still training at the gym, and my workouts were at the same level as they were previously, so I saw no difference in training performance even though I felt tired.
On day five, I received vitamin D and B12 shots and underwent blood work. I opt for injections as my body, due to health issues and pelvic radiation disease, struggles to absorb supplements orally.
Some people do not deal well with fibre, especially after bowel resection, so I gave up fruits and vegetables around two years ago.
It’s common with certain medical conditions they exacerbate symptoms and so the definition of a ‘healthy’ diet is always relative ultimately.
Despite a common belief suggesting potential nutritional deficiencies, regular blood tests have shown no issues as long as I maintain my B12 and VitD shots. I believe it’s perfectly plausible to eliminate them from a diet and still be healthy. Everyone is just different.
The first weekend on the diet was so hard. I wanted to eat the usual foods I associate with family time on weekends, especially doughnuts.
I also could have eaten better choices at lunch because they were too low in fat. Chicken and egg whites didn’t make me as full, so while it was enjoyable, I struggled with not feeling full afterward.
Then I had to make avocado toast for my son, and I wanted to eat some. I love the taste of avocado and carbs. When we got home I felt tired and lacking any energy and I struggled not to have a jam doughnut. It was more out of habit and fatigue rather than a genuine desire.
Later, we went out for dinner, and it was incredible. I indulged in beef carpaccio and steak, leaving me feeling very satisfied and full.
Petrina would sometimes have beef mince with cheese and three eggs (left) for lunch but once had to resort to McDonald’s burgers (right) when she was out of the house for longer than expected
Second week
In week two, I found it easier to fall asleep and remain asleep. Already, I noticed changes in how my clothes fit. I appeared leaner with more muscle definition.
I read lots of advice suggesting daily exercise during the diet. However, I did the opposite and pulled back on my workouts to conserve energy but increased the intensity of the workouts and have more active rest and recovery time instead.
This helped me stick to the routine and make it through the early days of the diet feeling less fatigued because I knew I wasn’t running myself into the ground. My workouts were powerful, consisting of weight training three times a week and one cardio session.
I went out for lunch with a group to socialise and it was easy to select food without standing out like I needed to eat certain foods.
I simply modified some starters and had a large steak for lunch. I didn’t look or feel like a social pariah. That was a huge benefit. I had more comments with lunch on how well I looked.
I had no cravings after lunch for dessert or anything sweet, which usually happens to me. But, while my husband was stuffed after lunch, I needed to eat more. So, I had some quick-to-cook burgers.
While it wasn’t her intention to lose weight, Petrina noticed an overall weight loss of 4kg, as well as a brighter complexion
Petrina continued to exercise, doing three weight training sessions (left) a week plus one cardio session. By the second week, she’d noticed that her clothes fitted differently – she looked leaner with greater muscle definition
Third week
Knowing what I’m going to eat, planning in advance and buying the food ahead of time helped me stick to the diet more easily this week.
But I was shocked at how easy it is actually to under eat. I started the diet by tracking what I ate, and I am glad that I did because it showed me I was way off the mark.
I wasn’t picking the right foods initially. I’m on the diet for stoma output and because I believe it will have implications for my overall health – not to lose weight.
That said, anyone switching to a carnivore diet would experience significant decreases in weight, as it’s very, very hard to overeat on this diet when you cut out all processed food and carbs. My concern was that I would drop too much weight, but the fact that I have found equilibrium is encouraging.
I love the food. It felt relatively easy for me to eat protein all day, every day, as it’s my favourite type of food.
Fourth week
For my final week, the people around me were full of compliments. Two people noticed my skin was much brighter and commented on my face. My husband said I look healthier.
At the end of the month, I am active overall and doing three high-performance strength training sessions a week. I dropped cardio. I have a lot of energy, and that’s no longer an issue but I do not want to lose more weight.
If you’re going to stick to the carnivore diet, you need to get into the habit of making your own food from scratch, said the fitness model. Petrina made her own burgers (left) which she ate with cheese (right) for lunch
Since meal prep was such a big part of the carnivore diet, Petrina doubts that you’d be able to make it through a day, let alone a week, if you’re not willing to spend time in the kitchen
I don’t get those periods of hunger or need to snack anymore. I used to eat breakfast, and I would want something afterwards, like another slice of toast. Or I would have dinner and want something sweet afterward.
I’ve found that I don’t have cravings, which is shocking because rice, sourdough, jam doughnuts, and some chocolate were daily staples in my diet. I thought I would be folding under the pressure of wanting a jam doughnut by now, but I’m doing OK.
I have realised how organised you need to be on this diet. I am usually very organised when it comes to food, but if you don’t plan and prepare, you are unlikely to make it through one day, let alone a week. It’s not a diet where food is easily accessible in an emergency. You can’t just pick a sandwich up and eat the filling.
Like with any diet, you’ll probably already have some entrenched habits that will be hard to break. For me, there was a lot around the weekends, and I associate eating with my family, so that was very difficult.
The carnivore diet is no joke, especially with the difficulty of the first few weeks and the side effects. I can understand why many people abandon the diet or find it too challenging.
But for me, overall, I felt it was a huge success, and I am sticking to the diet for the foreseeable future.
Petrina’s weekly carnivore diet plan
Monday
Breakfast – Steak & Eggs & Cheese
Lunch – Burgers & Cheese
Dinner – Chicken wrapped in Bacon
Tuesday
Breakfast – Burgers & Eggs
Lunch – Pork Mince Balls & cheese
Snack – Bone Broth
Dinner – Roasted Chicken & chicken broth
Wednesday
Breakfast – Roast Chicken & Eggs & Cheese
Lunch – Steak & Eggs
Dinner – Beef Mince Balls
Thursday
Breakfast – Steak & Eggs & Cheese
Lunch – Tuna & Hard Boiled Eggs & Cheese
Dinner – Burgers & Cheese
Friday
Breakfast – Beef & Pork Mince Balls & Eggs & Cheese
Lunch – Burgers & Cheese
Dinner – Chicken wrapped in Bacon
Saturday
Breakfast – Bacon & Eggs
Lunch – Chicken Tenders with Bone Broth
Dinner – Steak & Eggs
Sunday
Breakfast – Steak & Eggs & Cheese
Lunch – Burgers & Bacon
Dinner – Chicken & Pork Balls wrapped in Bacon