When carnivore doesn’t work, is the food the problem?

I saved the toughest questions for Judy Cho.

When someone tells me they’ve been eating carnivore consistently but they’re still struggling with weight loss, energy, hormones, or bloodwork, I don’t automatically assume they need to change what they’re eating. Sometimes the problem isn’t the food itself. Sometimes they’re not eating enough, they’re dealing with chronic stress, or there’s another health issue that hasn’t been addressed. After nearly 17 years of eating only animal products, I’ve learned that nutrition matters tremendously, but it isn’t the only thing that affects our health.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Judy Cho, author of Carnivore Cure and the upcoming Inflammation Fix. I’ve admired Judy’s work for years, and I had quite a few questions saved up for her. Some involved recommendations I’ve been hearing in the carnivore community that didn’t quite make sense to me, while others came directly from conversations I’ve had with people in my coaching groups. What I especially appreciated about Judy’s answers was her willingness to consider the whole person rather than assuming every problem requires another dietary adjustment.

Eating Less Isn’t Always the Answer

One subject we kept returning to was chronic undereating. I regularly hear from people who are eating carnivore, exercising faithfully, and trying very hard to improve their health. But when we talk about what they’re actually eating, sometimes it becomes clear that they’re barely giving their bodies enough energy to get through the day. They’re tired, their sleep is suffering, and they’re frustrated because the scale isn’t moving.

I’ve experimented with this myself. Many years ago, I tried eating very low-fat carnivore because I wanted to break a weight-loss stall. I did lose some weight, but I also felt absolutely horrible. I was constipated, exhausted, irritable, and generally looked and felt worse than I had before. Whatever benefit I thought I was getting from losing those pounds wasn’t worth how poorly I felt.

Judy explained that reducing dietary fat can be appropriate for some people, particularly when they’re eating more fat than their bodies need. But there’s an important difference between making a reasonable adjustment and aggressively restricting the body’s primary source of dietary energy. If someone is already dealing with chronic illness, poor sleep, or significant stress, eating less and exercising more may only make things harder.

How Much Protein Do We Actually Need?

Another question I’ve wanted to ask Judy concerns the recommendation to eat one gram of protein for every pound of ideal body weight. That advice gets repeated so frequently that people sometimes treat it as an absolute requirement. I’ve talked with women who feel better eating somewhat less protein but worry they’re doing something wrong because they haven’t reached their target.

Judy explained that approximately 0.7 grams per pound of ideal body weight can be a reasonable lower target for many adults, although individual needs vary. For someone whose ideal body weight is 140 pounds, that works out to about 98 grams of protein daily. That’s an amount someone could reasonably eat across two or three meals without having to force down food they don’t want.

Of course, neither of us wants people using a minimum recommendation as an excuse to undereat. Protein is essential for maintaining muscle, particularly as we get older, and people recovering from illness may need more. The point is that we should be eating enough to support our health without becoming so attached to a number that we stop paying attention to how we’re actually doing.

Does Low Insulin Mean We Need to Eat Carbs?

I was especially interested in Judy’s thoughts about something I’ve heard called insulin suppression. The theory is that after years of eating very few carbohydrates, insulin becomes so low that it eventually stops functioning properly. Some people are even being advised to drink milk every morning to stimulate insulin and prevent their A1C from rising.

This caught my attention because my own fasting insulin has frequently been around 1.8, while my A1C has generally stayed between 4.8 and 5.2. I’ve been eating only animal products for nearly 17 years, and I haven’t needed to add milk or other carbohydrates to keep those numbers in a healthy range.

Judy explained that low fasting insulin doesn’t automatically mean the pancreas has stopped doing its job. Protein stimulates insulin, too, and there are several possible explanations for changes in A1C, including inadequate nutrition, poor sleep, stress, and other health conditions. She also pointed out that we shouldn’t assume a change in one laboratory marker tells us everything about someone’s metabolic health.

I certainly wouldn’t encourage anyone to ignore concerning bloodwork. But I also don’t think we should rush to change a way of eating that’s otherwise working well without understanding why those numbers have changed. Judy’s approach is to investigate the possible causes rather than assuming carbohydrates are the missing ingredient.

Sometimes the Problem Is Bigger Than Food

Perhaps the most important part of our conversation was Judy’s explanation of how chronic stress, hormonal problems, and other health conditions can complicate someone’s progress. I’ve worked with people who are exercising an hour in the morning and another hour at night, carefully controlling everything they eat, and becoming increasingly frustrated that they aren’t losing weight. Meanwhile, they’re sleeping poorly, dealing with difficult relationships or demanding jobs, and generally running themselves into the ground.

I’ve often told people that their bodies care more about health and safety than the size of their pants. Judy made a similar point when she discussed how the body responds to stress and illness. She also explained why her practice sometimes investigates environmental exposures, thyroid problems, and other underlying conditions when someone isn’t improving despite consistent dietary changes.

I think this is an important distinction because I genuinely believe carnivore has enormous potential to improve people’s lives. I’ve experienced that personally, and I’ve watched many others experience it, too. But that doesn’t mean every lingering symptom or stubborn pound can be explained by the amount of protein or fat someone is eating. Sometimes we need to look beyond the plate.

That’s also one of the reasons I love our My Zero Carb Life coaching groups. We have a place to talk through these questions, share what’s working, and help one another when things get complicated. There’s accountability and practical problem-solving, but there’s also encouragement from people who understand what it’s like to make a significant change in how you eat. My hope is that people eventually spend less time worrying about food, not more. If you’re looking for that kind of support and community, we’d be happy to have you join us.