Reviewed by Dr. Eric Westman, MD, MHS (November 2025)
How to Start the Carnivore Diet: A Beginner’s Roadmap
The carnivore diet has captured the attention of people seeking an alternative to increasingly severe medical problems and long lists of medications that fail to address them. Growing numbers of people who’ve adopted carnivore diets are reporting unprecedented improvements in conditions that had plagued them for years—and for which conventional medicine provided no solutions. These testimonials are powerful and inspiring, but a carnivore diet is a radical departure from how most people eat, so it can seem overwhelming and even a little uncomfortable to get started. But the good news is, starting carnivore doesn’t require complex calculations, expensive supplements, or exhaustive meal prep. What it does require is clarity, preparation, and realistic expectations about what the first few weeks will bring.
This article walks you through the essential steps to begin your carnivore journey with confidence, and more importantly, to stick with it during the critical first two weeks when most beginners quit.
Why the First Two Weeks Matter
Before diving into the practical steps, it’s worth understanding why so many people abandon the carnivore diet so soon after starting. The first two weeks represent a distinct phase where your body, your mind, and your lifestyle undergo significant shifts simultaneously. Your metabolism adjusts to a major change in its fuel source. Your mouth and your mind are relearning what satisfaction feels like, and your social life and family dynamics may face unexpected friction. On top of all that, you might also experience fatigue, cravings, and the nagging little voice in your head asking whether it’s really worth it.
These challenges are only temporary, but they can seem insurmountable if you’re not prepared for them. This is why some beginners quit during this initial phase, but preparation makes all the difference. With the right roadmap, you’ll understand these issues, anticipate them rather than being blindsided by them, and have strategies in place to stay committed and push through. The difference between people who succeed and those who quit often comes down to this single factor: successful people expected the difficulties and prepared for them.
Step 1: Prepare Your Mindset
The carnivore diet is even more of a mental shift than it is a dietary one. The carnivore approach requires you to unlearn decades of nutritional programming and embrace an entirely different philosophy. Following a diet that consists solely of animal foods is a world apart from conventional diets based on familiar frameworks—like counting calories, eating “balanced” meals, and getting lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Reframe your relationship with food. Most people approach diet change from a position of restriction and willpower, but the carnivore diet offers an opportunity for a subtle but powerful reframe: you’re not restricting yourself; you’re simplifying things. You’re not fighting hunger; you’re choosing foods that keep you satisfied for hours. This distinction matters when it comes to adherence. Focusing on the positive aspects of a carnivore diet gives you a psychological edge compared to thinking only of how different it is from what you’re used to.
Accept that adaptation takes time. Your body has been conditioned by a lifetime of fueling primarily on carbs. Switching to fueling on fat comes with a long list of benefits, but the change doesn’t happen instantly, and the transition isn’t always completely smooth. Give yourself permission to feel “off” for a few days. This is adaptation, not failure. Headaches, fatigue, and muscle cramps during the first week are not signs that the diet doesn’t work for you; they’re signs that your body is adjusting.
Being specific about why you’re doing carnivore can help keep you committed when you’re hit with uncomfortable adaptation symptoms. Generic motivations like “get healthier” or “lose weight” evaporate fast in the face of cravings. Instead, articulate something tangible. Are you seeking relief from digestive issues that have plagued you for years? Do you want mental clarity for your demanding job? Are you seeking freedom from constant hunger and blood sugar crashes? Whatever your drivers are, write them down and keep them handy. You’ll need to revisit them during weak moments. Expect social friction. Your decision to eat only animal products will trigger questions, skepticism, and unsolicited advice from family, friends, and coworkers. Prepare your responses now. Keep them simple: “I’m experimenting with this because my medications don’t seem to be helping much.” You don’t need to convince anyone or engage in nutritional debates while you’re in the vulnerable adaptation phase. Give yourself permission to sidestep these conversations with grace.
Step 2: Prepare Your Kitchen
A major advantage of the carnivore diet is its simplicity: there’s limited variety and you’ll be buying fewer foods, but this simplicity only works if you’ve eliminated friction from your environment and purchasing process. Setting up your kitchen and supply chain ahead of time prevents decision fatigue and impulsive food choices later.
Stock your freezer and fridge strategically. Before your first day, purchase quality animal products and ensure they’re immediately accessible. (Keep a few options defrosted at all times so you’ll have something ready to cook, or cook in bulk so you’ll have plenty to reach for over the next few days.) Stick to the foods you like. You never need to force yourself to eat something you don’t enjoy. All animal foods are fair game: beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, seafood, eggs, and even game meats and organ meats if you enjoy them. The goal isn’t having variety for variety’s sake; it’s having options so you never face an empty kitchen at dinnertime and reach for something outside your plan.
Remove competing foods. This doesn’t require a dramatic purge of your entire kitchen, but the foods you’re trying to eliminate should not be at eye level or top-of-mind-accessible. If you live with non-carnivore eaters, negotiate a designated shelf for carnivore foods and agree on a basic boundary: these foods are yours, and you’re not sharing during your adaptation phase. This clarity prevents the constant negotiation that depletes willpower.
Simplify your cooking approach. The carnivore diet doesn’t require gourmet skills. A cast-iron skillet or stainless steel pan, an oven, and salt are really all you need. Ground beef with salt is a complete meal. A steak from a hot pan is a complete meal. Roasted chicken or baked pork chops are complete meals. Before you start, identify three to five ultra-simple preparations that you genuinely enjoy eating, then practice them until you can execute them without thought. When you’re tired and hungry, convenience matters more than novelty.
Have a backup plan for dining out. During your first two weeks, situations may arise where you need to eat outside your home. A restaurant meal at this critical juncture shouldn’t become a source of stress or temptation. Choose one or two restaurants you know you can navigate easily: a steakhouse, a burger joint, a seafood restaurant—most restaurants can give you plain grilled meat with no sides and no seasoning. And decide in advance what you’ll order. This eliminates the mental burden of figuring it out in real-time.
Step 3: Define Your Starter Plate
The carnivore diet operates best without complex rules, but beginners benefit from having a crystal-clear picture of what eating looks like in practical terms. This prevents the “Am I doing this right?” second-guessing that consumes mental energy.
Meat is the foundation. Any ruminant meat (beef, lamb, bison), any poultry (chicken, turkey, duck), any fish or seafood, other meats (like pork), and eggs form the foundation of carnivore eating. Pick one or two as your starter proteins. Ground beef and whole eggs are arguably the most accessible for people in terms of cost and ease of preparation, and these two items alone can sustain you indefinitely. Even with rising food prices, ground beef and eggs are still great values for the nutritional punch they deliver.
Salt is your friend. Unlike many restrictive diets, the carnivore approach doesn’t demonize salt. In fact, adequate salt is essential, particularly during your first weeks as your body adjusts. Don’t fear salt; use it liberally. If you’re experiencing fatigue or headaches during your first few days, inadequate salt intake might be the culprit.
Simple is sustainable. A carnivore meal doesn’t need to be Instagram-worthy. A plate of ground beef with salt. Fried eggs with salt. A steak with salt. These aren’t aspirational meals; they’re honest meals that nourish your body and train it to recognize satisfaction without constant novelty. Beginners often sabotage themselves by trying to “make carnivore exciting” through elaborate recipes and ingredient combinations. That complexity is exactly what drains adherence during the crucial first few weeks.
What to Expect: Your First Week
Understanding first-week experiences will prevent them from derailing your commitment. Preparation is key.
Day two or three fatigue. As your body begins the metabolic shift, you might experience a notable energy dip. Your brain is accustomed to running on glucose, and it’s not accustomed to the change yet. This typically peaks around days three to five and then begins improving as your fat-adaptation deepens. The adjustment period is temporary. Increase your salt intake and rest; don’t interpret this as evidence the diet isn’t working.
Unexpected cravings. Interestingly, many people report intense cravings during the first week. Not always for carbohydrates, but sometimes for specific foods they haven’t thought about in years. These aren’t hunger signals; they’re habitual signals. Your brain is searching for its accustomed reward triggers. Acknowledge the cravings without judgment and drink water or broth instead. These cravings typically fade by day five or six.
Digestive changes. Your digestive system will likely undergo noticeable changes. This is completely normal and to be expected. Some people experience loose stools initially; others experience constipation. Both typically resolve as your body adapts. Neither is a sign to quit the diet. (If your symptoms are severe and persist beyond the first two weeks, consult a carnivore-savvy medical professional to make sure it’s just your body adjusting and not something more serious.)
Mental clarity breakthrough. Often around day five to seven, many carnivore beginners experience a distinct mental shift. Brain fog lifts. Focus sharpens. Energy stabilizes. This is the breakthrough moment that often converts someone from “I’ll give this diet a try” to “I see why people love this approach!” This mental clarity can be a powerful factor in staying consistent with carnivore.
The Critical Window: Weeks One Through Two
It’s essential to understand that you might not feel your best right away. You’re in the adaptation phase, and slight discomfort is evidence of change, not evidence of failure. This is precisely why most beginners quit—they expect to feel better immediately and instead encounter fatigue, cravings, and uncertainty.
But here’s what changes everything: if you understand at the outset that these two weeks might feel this way, if you prepare your environment to minimize friction, and if you identify your specific, personal motivations clearly enough that they can sustain you through this initial time, then you won’t be a quitting statistic. You’ll push through and be on your way to experiencing the benefits of the carnivore diet.
Moving Beyond Week Two
Once you’ve navigated the first two weeks, the carnivore diet shifts from feeling like an experiment to feeling like a sustainable way of eating. The adaptation phase concludes. Your energy normalizes. Solid mental clarity becomes your new normal. Foods that initially seemed boring now feel satisfying. The simplicity that felt restrictive now feels freeing.
Most beginners quit in the first two weeks, but not because the diet fundamentally doesn’t work. They quit because they weren’t prepared for the reality of the adaptation phase. They confused temporary adjustments for permanent unsuitability. They hadn’t eliminated environmental friction. They hadn’t clarified their motivation.
Use the tips provided here to put yourself in the minority who succeed—not through superhuman willpower, but through realistic preparation and the knowledge that the difficulties you face in those first few weeks are temporary and expected—and they’re well-worth pushing through to experience the beneficial effects of the carnivore diet.
Your Next Step
Before you begin, don’t just read this article and start tomorrow. Take the preparation steps outlined above seriously. Stock your kitchen. Identify your three go-to meals. Write down your specific “whys.” Choose a restaurant you’ll use if you need to eat out.
Then start on a day when you have reasonable support: not during an especially stressful work week, not during a major social event, not during a period of emotional turbulence. Give your adaptation phase the conditions it needs to succeed.
The carnivore diet isn’t difficult because of the foods themselves—meat, salt, and eggs are straightforward. It’s difficult because of the transition. But transitions are temporary. The clarity, energy, and satisfaction on the other side are durable. That’s why the preparation you do ahead of time will determine whether you’re part of the majority who quit or the minority who persist past those crucial first two weeks and discover what so many others already have: a way of eating that genuinely works.
Your roadmap is in your hands. Now all you need to do is to follow it. If you’d like expert advice to guide and support you every step of the way, get on the waitlist for the next round of our Carnivore Made Simple course.
Reviewer Bio
Eric Westman, MD, MHS, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University, the Medical Director of Adapt Your Life Academy and the founder of the Duke Keto Medicine Clinic in Durham, North Carolina. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine and has a master’s degree in clinical research. As a past President of the Obesity Medicine Association and a Fellow of the Obesity Society, Dr. Westman was named “Bariatrician of the Year” for his work in advancing the field of obesity medicine. He is a best-selling author of several books relating to ketogenic diets as well as co-author on over 100 peer-reviewed publications related to ketogenic diets, type 2 diabetes, obesity, smoking cessation, and more. He is an internationally recognized expert on the therapeutic use of dietary carbohydrate restriction and has helped thousands of people in his clinic and far beyond, by way of his famous “Page 4” food list.
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