Caitlin uses a red meat-based carnivore diet to manage Hashimoto Thyroiditis and slow digestion. Her successful fat loss is just a bonus!
After years of experience with paleo and keto style diets, she had made progress but still didn’t see the results she wanted. Carnivory changed that.
Now, she shares her experience on her own youtube channel and encourages others to try a carnivore diet for themselves.
I hope you as inspired as I am after reading Caitlin’s story!
Please introduce yourself briefly with your name, general location, age, height, and current weight.
My name is Caitlin Weeks, I am a holistic nutrition consultant who has been working on healing from Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis for 10 years.
I have followed the paleo and keto diet for many years but had a breakthrough with the carnivore diet when I started it about 1.5 years ago.
I lost 20 lbs in the first few months, going from a size 14 to a 10 at 5’8 inches tall.
I live in Nashville TN with my husband of 14 years, near my parents, sister, and her two kids.
How long have you followed a carnivore diet?
18 months
How did you hear about carnivory and the zero fiber approach?
My sister got into doing carnivore and lost 35 lbs of post-baby weight really fast without exercise. I also had a health coach who said it would help my slow digestion and bloating related to my Hashimoto’s thyroid issues.
What was your first impression about eating animal foods exclusively?
I was really scared because I already had a limited diet from doing keto that consisted of meat, green veggies, and dark chocolate so I was afraid to limit it even more.
Where were you coming from at the time?
I was doing Keto and Paleo for 9-10 years.
Was the beginning hard? Were there any unexpected flare-ups or side effects?
It was tricky for me to get in enough salt and I felt really bad when I didn’t emphasize that aspect. Now I make sea salt a priority and found it helped with my digestion and sugar cravings.
Did any symptoms get worse before they got better?
I was no longer bloated in 24-48 hours and things just kept getting better. After a few months, my slow digestion resolved but I had to stay consistent with my carnivore diet and electrolytes.
Where did your motivation to keep going come from?
I felt so much better and I was seeing results so that kept me going. Also, many people kept saying that my skin was looking younger and brighter.
How long until you saw results? What is your marker of “healing”?
I saw my slow digestion resolved which was my biggest motivator for doing this diet because that is a sign of future health problems. Also, my thyroid antibodies reduced by half and my doctor lowered my medication dosage, losing weight was an added bonus.
Were your family and friends supportive of your choices?
My family is used to me doing strange diets and experiments but they saw the changes in me and started to accept it because I was doing better.
What other diets have you followed, how long were you on them, and what were the results?
Keto and Paleo which both helped to lower my inflammation and stabilized my blood sugar. But my digestion was still a mess and I had weight loss resistance even though I tried everything to fix both issues.
What did you use to eat before turning to animal-based nutrition?
Meat, eggs, veggies, dark chocolate were the main things that I ate.
What do you eat now? Are you strict meat only? Do you eat poultry, pork, or seafood? Do you eat eggs or dairy (raw or pasteurized)?
I eat mostly red meat and eggs, some fish. I don’t crave chicken but eat it sometimes, such as wings or thighs.
I do eat some goat cheese and ghee but I try to avoid cow dairy.
I don’t eat any vegetables or fruit. Every once in a while, I have a keto treat such as a holiday or birthday.
Do you ever use culinary herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, etc) or spices (cinnamon, ginger, hot peppers)? Do you ever add a plant-based condiment like mustard or salad dressing, etc?
I eat some spices usually when eating with my family but only salt when cooking for myself. I do love mustard and sometimes eat a little avocado mayo, maybe once a month.
Do you track macros or calories?
No
Do you supplement with anything?
I don’t take any supplements on a consistent basis.
What is your current view on vegetables and plant foods?
They give me heartburn and I don’t feel my best. I may eat a little bite such as avocado or cucumber but I don’t crave them.
Do you ever think of reintroducing plant material to your diet? Would you perhaps do so in the future? (Could be anything from herbs to white rice to mushrooms to berries, etc) If you have reintroduced something, what was it and what happened?
I get bloated and sometimes feel like I am getting acid reflux. If I eat fruit it sets off my sugar cravings and it is hard to get it back under control.
Do you ever miss a specific food, meal, or texture?
Maybe if I see the food right in front of me but I don’t think about it unless it is in my face. If I do eat something it is never as good as it looks and I usually regret it.
What does a typical day of eating look like for you?
7 am butter coffee, 10 am poached eggs and hamburger patties for the first meal then later a ribeye around 5 or 6 pm.
Do you practice fasting or OMAD?
No
Would you recommend a carnivore diet to someone else and why?
I would recommend it to anyone who had autoimmune or digestive issues because I think it can help bring the quickest results.
What would you say to someone 2 weeks into a carnivore diet who is having a hard time?
Increase salt intake to 2-3 teaspoons per day. Try to reduce cooked, liquid fat if loose stool is a problem.
If someone wants to learn more about your health journey or contact you, where is the best place for them to go?
Get my Free PDF: 10 Steps to Start the Carnivore Diet
Follow me on Instagram or send me a direct message.
Watch my YouTube which is focused on carnivore.
Or email me grassfedgirlmail at gmail.com
Read more Carnivore Diet results.
Are you ready to try animal-based nutrition for yourself?