Meet Kimberley Pearson. She’s an animal-based wellness coach who has changed her life through changing her diet and is now helping others do the same. Kimberly has lost an incredible 95lbs (43kg), got a grip on her insulin levels, and even cleared her skin.
She has been a carnivore since 2018 and is living proof that you can find freedom in restriction, even though many might find that hard to believe. Check out a recent interview I did with Kimberly to learn more about her inspiring journey. It might just inspire you to give the carnivore diet a try.
You’ve Lost 95 lbs, How Did You Do this and How Long Did it Take?
I started with Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint (low-carb, high-fat) way of eating in 2010. After losing about 75 lbs over the course of three years and then being able to maintain that weight for the first time ever, I lost the additional weight when I switched to Carnivore in Nov. 2018.
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What Are Some Diets You Tried Before Carnivore?
Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, South Beach, Atkins (which worked, until I added other stuff back in), calorie-counting, starving myself and running, high-carb/low-fat, I was Vegan for a week… You name it, I’ve probably tried it.
Other Than Weight Loss, How Has the Carnivore Diet Changed Your Life?
I feel like I finally have control over binge eating. I eat satiating foods that are high in nutrient density and very filling. I was able to resolve eczema, cystic acne, severe bloating after meals, and 20lb weight fluctuations when whatever new diet I was trying failed. I have sustained energy throughout the day, sleep super well at night, eat when I’m hungry and until I’m full, and then wait to eat again. It’s very restrictive, but I’ve found total freedom in it.
How Did the Carnivore Diet Help You Get Food Freedom?
Because my diet consists of such nutritious, satisfying food, I don’t need to snack during the day, and it’s much easier to combat the cravings when they arise. I no longer suffer from clandestine eating (hiding snacks and candy in my purse or room), or feel the need to eat six small meals a day to alleviate being “hangry” like I used to get. Since my blood sugar is stable throughout the day (I reversed pre-diabetes when I lost the weight and stopped eating carbs), I no longer go through periods of crashing that would make me experience food anxiety. I get excited about my ribeye and eggs at the end of the day!
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What Do You Like About OMAD? And How Long Have You Been Doing It?
At first, it was natural to do 2MAD… I’d have a late breakfast of eggs and then about a pound of steak at night. For people with insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes, controlling insulin is the key. I’ve found that preventing insulin spikes by eating all my calories once a day keeps me on track. I switched to OMAD around the start of 2021, but I will eat eggs in the morning if I’m hungry.
How Do You Think a Carnivore/Animal-Based Diet Improves Fertility?
Everything having to do with fertility starts with hormones. If you have endocrine disruptions, it’s important to figure out what the cause of the disruption is in order to heal. Largely, plants contain toxins and chemicals that interfere with our body’s natural hormonal rhythm. Soy, for example – a common ingredient in many packaged products – contains isoflavones, which look very much like estradiol and confuse our body. It can inhibit testosterone production and raise estrogen. Additionally, there is some evidence it can lower sperm quality in men.
In my case, my “silent” PCOS was caused by genetic insulin resistance. Little did I know I was effectively controlling it with a low-/zero-carb diet for the past 12 years. After experiencing an ectopic pregnancy and going through further testing, my doctor diagnosed me with PCOS. It was quite a shock, since I’d never had any of the hallmark symptoms (missed periods, heavy bleeding, painful cramps, hair growth), but it made sense with the ectopic pregnancy and my hormone levels. Implementing extended fasts under the supervision of my doctor to increase my cellular insulin sensitivity is the next step to correcting the hormonal imbalance to hopefully have a healthy pregnancy in the future.
Do You Think Intuitive Eating is Better on a Carnivore Diet?
Without a doubt, yes. I was never able to control myself when it came to food before carnivore. I would clear several baskets of chips at a Mexican restaurant and still devour the entire plate of food afterwards. I would regularly buy two or three pints of ice cream and eat them all in a sitting. I could handily eat an entire bag of Reese’s peanut butter cups. I was able to eat massive salads and heaping portions of sweet potatoes and butter, even when I was Primal. As I mentioned previously, plants cause hormone disruption, and your hunger and satiety hormones are not immune. Leptin and ghrelin control your need to eat and the desire to stop eating. When those two hormones are unable to effectively communicate with your brain, you can experience everything from total appetite loss to uncontrollable binge eating like I had. Carnivore removes all plants from the diet, which allows the body to heal itself and bring the endocrine system back online to fully function.
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What are Some of Your Favourite Meals on the Carnivore Diet?
My go-to is ribeye steak and eggs. I love my steak very, very rare… almost raw. I also love raw dairy and bacon and enjoy high-quality seafood every now and again.
What Advice Would You Give Someone Who Is Just Starting the Carnivore Diet?
There are no two Carnivore diets that are exactly the same, and be wary of comparing the beginning of your journey to the middle of someone else’s. Eat what you like, cook it the way you want it, and buy what you can afford. Walmart ground beef and eggs will always be healthier and more nutritious than McDonald’s. Don’t let “perfect” be the enemy of good, and just START!! You have to give it more than two weeks to see results. It can take MONTHS for the body to heal, and any weight you gain in the beginning is weight you needed to gain for the body to heal itself. Eat fatty cuts of meat, stick with it, and trust the process.
What Do You Love About Having a Partner Who is Also a Carnivore?
It’s much easier to cook, that’s for sure! When one is feeling a little weak and experiences a craving, we are able to bolster and remind each other why we are doing this. My husband is extremely sensitive to plant chemicals and has IBS. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be fair for me to “enjoy” plant food for the sake of mouth pleasure since he literally can’t for medical reasons. We definitely hold each other accountable for the better!
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What Does Your Fitness Routine Look Like?
I’ve slowed down a lot lately. I used to CrossFit five days a week for almost 10 years and found that returning to a regimen that includes a lot of Yoga is speaking to me. I still enjoy throwing weight around, but I’m in a season right now where I don’t feel the need to grind and “punish” myself for the sake of fitness. I still love Olympic lifting with a focus on quality over quantity these days.