One Month on the Carnivore Diet: Journey, Symptoms, and Results

My one-month journey on the Lion Diet—what I ate, how I felt, and the results I experienced.

Start Date: February 5th, 2025

Why I Started

At 30, after a lifetime of good health, I suddenly developed chronic ear fullness that lasted for eight months with no relief. I saw doctors and specialists, but they had no real answers. Frustrated, I stepped away from the medical system and took matters into my own hands. Through years of trial and error, I’ve managed to keep the issue mostly under control—but it has never fully resolved.

Then I came across Mikhaila Peterson’s Lion Diet while listening to her discuss it on one of Joe Rogan’s podcasts. I highly recommend you give that a listen. After that, I started seeing more people trying it—with great results. That got me thinking: Could there be an unknown culprit in my diet? Maybe I eat too much sugar? Or is it scar tissue?

With no clear answers, I decided it was worth a shot. Now, at almost 34, I’m committing to this experiment to see if it makes a difference.

What I’m Eating

I’m following a modified version of the Lion Diet, which includes:

• Eggs
• Dairy
• Meat (mostly organic red meats and chicken)
• Salt
• Herbs (oregano, thyme, pepper)

Meals are kept simple and repetitive, allowing me to focus on how my body reacts without distractions from overly processed foods.

Week 1: The First Adjustment

The first two days were rough. I wasn’t starving, but I definitely wasn’t satiated. Something felt missing. On day one, I ate a lot, trying to compensate.

By day two, an unusual dull pressure developed—not quite a headache, but an odd sensation on the right parietal area of my skull.

By day three, my hunger signals started adjusting. Mornings no longer began with strong hunger pangs, and my body seemed better at recognizing fullness. While I still felt like I wanted something more, I knew I didn’t actually need additional food.

Day five arrived, and the dull pressure was still lingering. No major changes in my ear yet, but I reminded myself that it’s early. However, one surprising realization stood out—this was likely the longest I’d ever gone without sugar or high-carb foods like fruit, potatoes, or bread. It made me realize how much sugar had constantly been running through my system. Even my teeth felt noticeably cleaner and slicker.

Weeks 2 & 3: Cravings and Adjustments

By the end of week two, the lingering dull pressure finally disappeared. While it was never unbearable, it did get annoying—especially since it seemed to intensify at night. Coincidentally, my ear symptoms tend to flare up at night, making me wonder if there’s a connection.

Cravings hit harder in the second week. Given my sweet tooth, I expected to miss chocolate or jam. Instead, my mind fixated on something unexpected—warm, fresh sourdough bread slathered in butter. That craving caught me off guard.

Typical Meals at This Stage

• Breakfast: One egg with meat (usually chicken sausage with minimal herbs).
• Lunch & Dinner: Mostly beef patties, steak, or brats.
• “Dessert”: Yogurt.

My husband is also following the diet with me, and our favorite meal so far has been beef brats with a generous amount of cream cheese (just milk and strains—no additives). Surprisingly, it’s incredibly satisfying.

One unexpected change? I bought smoked salmon, which I typically love, but I couldn’t eat it. It tasted far too sweet—even though nothing was added. That was disappointing, but it’s fascinating how my taste for certain foods is shifting.

At this point, my meat consumption has leveled off. I’ve become more in tune with when I’m actually full, and that nagging “something is missing” feeling has faded. Cutting out sugar has drastically improved my ability to recognize satiety—it’s like my brain finally gets the message that I’ve had enough.

This week, my husband made several comments about how much calmer I seemed and how well I was handling high-stress situations. I also noticed that communicating exactly what I wanted became easier, which was a nice change. He often struggles to fully understand what I’m trying to say, so this felt like a big improvement.

Since he’s doing the diet as well, it might actually be an improvement for both of us. Surprisingly, it has made communication much easier. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s absolutely true—our minds feel sharper, and there’s a noticeable sense of calm we feel.

Week 4: Unexpected Benefits

One thing I hadn’t anticipated? This diet significantly reduced my usual period symptoms. Cramps and irritability, which my husband also noticed (and celebrated), improved by about 80%. That was a huge and unexpected win.

That said, cravings resurfaced. I wasn’t necessarily hungry, but I had an itch for something different. This obviously could be because I was on my lady time. Honey crossed my mind, or maybe just a new texture. To combat this, I’m considering making frozen yogurt popsicles, which might help curb that need for variety. Another surprising trick? Drinking milk helped ease cravings significantly.

Go-To Meals in Week 4

• Steak with yogurt
• Chicken sausage with cream cheese (shockingly good and incredibly filling)

Final Thoughts

I followed this diet for 6 weeks before I started introducing more foods in. I eat much more meat than I typically did before and I don’t crave sweets near as often. I plan to do this diet for 4 weeks every year to reset my gut. I really think it improved my digestion and my need for sweets.

Update (1/2/2026): My husband has had significant gut/health improvements on this diet. Nearly a year in and he has no desire to switch and is remaining on the the diet. That said, he has introduced honey and iced black tea with no significant issues to his gut that he has noticed.