Stuck on a Carnivore Diet Plateau? Here’s What to Do

We're always told that the simplest way to lose weight and regain your energy is to have a lower calorie intake and consume less food. Right? Ordinarily, yes. However, it’s not always so simple. It’s quite common to hit a weight loss or health plateau, even on a carnivore diet.  

If you’ve hit a carnivore diet plateau, you’re understandably frustrated, but it’s not a hopeless situation. There’s a solution to the problem. Indeed, once you understand the causes behind it, there are quite a few solutions. 

Are you stuck on a carnivore diet plateau? Here’s what to do!

​Understanding Carnivore Diet Plateaus

The important thing to remember about a carnivore diet plateau is that it is quite common and even normal to experience one. You are not alone. The best way to handle it is what you’re doing right now. Get the facts about carnivore diet plateaus so you can understand what causes them and what to do about it. 

Everyone’s experience is unique, but our research has shown us that two experiences are common among people new to the carnivore diet. They may hit a weight-loss plateau or a health plateau. Let’s have a closer look at what this means

​What Is a Weight Loss Plateau?

​A weight loss plateau is when your weight stops reducing even while eating less (and often even while exercising). 

Many people switch to a carnivore diet as part of a weight loss journey. It’s easy to understand why. It’s possible to experience significant weight loss soon after changing to a diet free from plant foods. However, it’s also possible to hit a weight loss plateau after a while, as with any other diet. 

​What Is a Health Plateau?

A health plateau is when your body seems to lack the energy, vitality, and all-around health you’d expect, even while eating well and following a healthy lifestyle. 

While some people adopt a carnivore diet to lose excess weight, others do so to improve their health or regain their energy. Yet they may not feel very energetic after changing their diet. 

​Why Plateaus Happen on the Carnivore Diet

So, why do these weight loss and health plateaus happen? 

With a weight loss plateau, the brain senses that the body is consuming less food than usual and is losing fat. It responds by slowing down the metabolism to preserve remaining fat stores.

This plateau can last from 8-12 weeks, until the metabolic rate and ghrelin (the hunger hormone) signaling readjust.

As with a weight loss plateau, a health plateau is temporary. The body has to adjust from using carbs for fuel for most of your life to using fats for energy in the absence of carbs.

​Other Common Reasons for a Carnivore Diet Plateau

There can be other reasons behind a carnivore diet plateau, and they can differ from one person to the next.

​Here are the most common reasons why your weight loss has stalled or your health and energy levels don’t seem to be improving.

1. ​Too Much (or Too Little) Protein and Fat

We get it. The carnivore diet can be confusing at first. You know that you’re supposed to be eating animal protein and animal fats, but you’re not always sure how much of each you should eat.

Try our carnivore diet macro calculator to make sure your macros are correct.

​The problem is, if you eat too much (or too little) of either, it can throw your nutritional balance off.

2. ​Hidden Carbs or Overeating/Snacking

When you adopt a carnivore diet, you don’t need to eat as much as you did before, to feel satiated. Unfortunately, old habits die hard. And if you’re used to eating large meals and snacking often, it can take some time to shake that habit. 

Also, you may be consuming hidden carbs in those snacks or even condiments. Many bottled sauces contain hidden sugars. Eat too many of these, and you risk hitting a plateau on the carnivore diet without knowing why.

3. ​Sedentary Lifestyle

A sedentary lifestyle is a common culprit behind a carnivore diet plateau. If you consume more calories than you burn off, you will find it almost impossible to lose weight. ​

4. ​Chronic Stress 

Chronic stress can have devastating effects on health and well-being. Stress can raise cortisol levels significantly, and cortisol increases the release of glucose.

This can lead to dangerously high blood glucose levels and weight gain. 

Stress can also lead to overeating, binge eating, and comfort eating, making it even harder to lose weight.

5. Poor Sleep Quality or Too Little Sleep

Are you eating properly, drinking enough water, staying active, and avoiding stress yet still stuck on a carnivore diet plateau? You might not be getting enough good-quality sleep at night. 

A lack of sleep can play havoc with your blood pressure, hormone levels, and mental health. These issues can affect both your physical health and your weight. ​

​How to Break Through a Carnivore Diet Plateau

​You don’t have to remain stuck on a carnivore diet plateau. These strategies can help you break through.

​1. Adjust Your Macros

If you’ve hit a carnivore diet plateau on the journey to a trimmer body, don’t despair. You may just need to tweak your protein-to-fat ratio.

When people switch to the carnivore diet, they often don’t know how much protein they need vs how much fat.

Eating a diet that is too high in fat may be the reason you’re not able to lose weight. Interestingly, studies suggest that increasing protein intake can help promote weight loss and fat-burning.

If you’re struggling to get the balance right, check out our carnivore diet macro calculator and make some adjustments. ​

​2. Get a Boost with More Healthy Fats

The problem might not be too much fat, but too little. On the carnivore diet, you’re no longer eating the carbs your body used to use as fuel. This could be why you lack energy. However, you don’t have to resign yourself to a life of lethargy. 

Like people on the ketogenic diet, carnivores get their energy from another fuel source—healthy fats.

If you’re happy with your weight but lack the energy to get through the day, try a high-fat carnivore diet approach. It might be all you need to put a spring back in your step.

​3. Track Your Intake and Identify Problem Foods

Start a food diary, and make a note of what you eat each day. Yes, that includes snacks, no matter how small.

Take note of how you feel after each meal and how you feel in the morning upon waking. This will give you clues about possible food intolerances or sensitivities.

Check out the Carnivore Diet Coach app for macro tracking, recipes, meal plans and more.

VIEW APP

​4. Incorporate Strength Training or Move More

Incorporate physical exercise, preferably some cardio and strength training, into your lifestyle.

You don’t have to start running marathons or bodybuilding — unless you want to, of course. But you need to get your blood circulation going and your muscles working.
We recommend that you try one of our carnivore diet workouts. With 15 options to choose from, we guarantee you’ll find an exercise regimen that’s just right for you.

If you're recovering from an injury or have mobility issues, discuss your chosen exercise routine with your physical therapist first.

​5. Manage Cortisol Regulation

​Look for healthy ways to manage your stress. Go for walks, get yourself a pet, or better yet—get yourself a pet and take them for a walk with you.

You can also try yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, or hitting the gym.

​6. Prioritize Sleep for Metabolic Health

Prioritize sleep. According to most sleep experts, adults need seven to nine hours of sleep every night.

Try doing some meditation exercises before bed to calm your mind. And don’t eat a meal late at night as it can affect your sleep.

Advanced Strategies to Overcome a Carnivore Plateau

Are the above strategies just not doing the trick? It might be time to move on to more advanced strategies to discover what’s causing your carnivore diet plateau. ​

​1. Get Tested for Food Sensitivities

Get yourself tested for common food sensitivities. It’s possible to be sensitive to a food or food group without even knowing it.

Food sensitivities are not the same as allergies, and their symptoms are more subtle. Yet they can make you feel unwell and like you’ve hit a health plateau.

2. ​Try an Elimination Reset (Beef-Only Experiment)

Try an elimination diet, eating only beef and drinking only water for a while. This helps your body detox and reset after years of unhealthy eating. Slowly reintroduce a variety of other foods on the carnivore diet foods list. 

​3. Rotate Protein Sources

The carnivore diet may seem very restrictive, but it includes a wide variety of tasty, nutritious foods. Unfortunately, they are not all nutritionally equal.

If you tend to favor one or two protein sources to the exclusion of others, you could be doing yourself a disservice.

The key to a healthy and successful carnivore lifestyle is a varied diet. So, rotate the different protein sources on the carnivore foods list. This will provide you with more nutrient variety. And who knows, you may just discover a new favorite protein source. 

4. ​Consider Lab Tests to Check for Deficiencies

While it is not common to experience nutritional deficiencies on the carnivore diet, it is possible. Sometimes, all you need to do is expand your dietary choices.

In severe cases, a supplement may be necessary. However, some medical conditions can also prevent nutrient absorption.

You can’t make the necessary changes unless you know for certain that you have a deficiency. It is unwise to take supplements if you don’t really need them. So, consider having lab tests done to check for common nutritional deficiencies.

​5. Discuss With a Doctor

​If nothing else has worked, and you still feel lethargic or just can’t shift the weight, it may be time to investigate other potential causes. Sometimes, the cause of a carnivore diet plateau is as simple as a hormone imbalance (common during menopause) or a side effect of prescribed medication. 

However, you may have an undiagnosed medical condition. Discuss your lack of energy and/or inability to lose weight with your doctor. They can advise you about what steps to take next or which tests you should have done. Too much fat around the belly and waist can have serious health consequences.

​How Long Does It Take to Break a Plateau?

This is a difficult question to answer because it is different for everyone. Just as the causes behind carnivore diet plateaus can differ, so too can the time it takes to break through them.

However, in our experience, these are common signs that you’re starting to move beyond the plateau.

​Signs Your Body Is Adapting Positively

You may experience only one of these signs, several of them, or even all of them. Whatever the case, it means that your body is likely adapting positively to your new carnivore lifestyle. ​

1. ​Weight Loss Efforts Get Back on Track

If your weight loss stalled and then started again, albeit a bit slowly, it’s a sign that your weight loss efforts are getting back on track.

As your excess weight reduces, you will lose weight more slowly and then move into weight management mode.

2. ​You Don’t Have a Constant Urge to Snack

Have those cravings for carbs and sweet things disappeared? It’s a sign that you’re adjusting to your new carb-free way of life. But don’t be dismayed if you still crave a snack or even something sweet from time to time. When you make the right choices, you can enjoy them in moderation on the carnivore diet. 

Check out our guide to the top 20 carnivore diet snacks. It’s laden with healthy and delicious carnivore snack options. If you have more of a sweet tooth, we’ve got you covered. There are delicious, healthy carnivore desserts you can enjoy for an occasional sweet treat.

3. ​Body Fat Is More Evenly Distributed

Are you less bloated and trimmer around the torso? That’s good news. Your body is more balanced now that you’ve cut out the carbs. This is much healthier, too. Your risk of chronic diseases will reduce along with your waistline.

4. ​You Sleep Better

When you start waking up feeling well-rested and refreshed every morning, you’ll know that your body is on the path to recovery. 

Sleep is essential for health and well-being. It is when your body heals and repairs itself. Feeling more energetic is a sign that you’re regaining your health and vitality. 

​When to Be Patient vs. When to Make Changes

A carnivore diet plateau is not always cause for alarm. It is often temporary and harmless. So, how can you know when to be patient and when to start making changes?
Here are some pointers to help you judge the urgency, or otherwise, of your situation.

​Take Action:

• You are carrying excess weight, specifically around the torso, which will not shift. It could be a sign of menopause. If your gender or age preclude that possibility, take action by consulting your doctor. This type of fat distribution has also been linked to chronic disease. 
  
• You’re eating well, exercising, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep. Yet you feel tired all the time. Or worse, you just don’t have the energy for even light exercise. Take action—consult your doctor. They need to rule out the possibility of an underlying medical condition. 
  
• You can’t sleep at night, and your mood and concentration are starting to suffer. Take action. If you feel stressed to the point where sleep is impossible, make an appointment with a mental health professional.  ​
  

​Be Patient: 

• You lost a significant amount of weight very rapidly, but your weight loss has slowed down dramatically. Be patient. This is common in healthy weight loss journeys. Your body will readjust after a few weeks.
  
• Despite a restricted food intake and exercise, you notice you haven’t lost any excess weight. Perhaps you have actually noticed some weight gain. Be patient. You may need to start exercising more or readdress the protein-to-fat ratio in your diet. 
  
• You wake up often during the night but find it easy to fall asleep again. Be patient. Many things can temporarily affect sleep patterns and sleep quality. It only becomes a problem if it continues long-term. ​
  

​Final Thoughts

Have you hit a carnivore diet plateau? This is much more common than you might think and is often nothing to worry about. A little patience and some exercise, mindfulness activities, or a tweak to your high-protein diet may be all that’s necessary.  

However, you need to recognize the signs when it is more serious. Trust your gut. If you feel that despite your best efforts at healthy living, something is ‘off,’ you should seek professional guidance.

Reassurance from a trusted doctor, counselor, or therapist can help you stay the course and break through the plateau.