They say a lioness is a symbol of strength, but on January 5, 2025 and earlier, I felt like anything but.
I was at the heaviest weight of my life. I was the sickest I had been in years. But more than that, I was tired. Not just “need a nap” tired—I was “how am I going to hold my head up at my desk today” tired.
The Cage of Chronic Illness
Before I started this journey, my body felt like a prison. I wasn’t just dealing with one thing; I was dealing with everything. This image was even filtered but you can see in my face how sick I was.
The Chronic Pain: Fibromyalgia and arthritis that made every movement a chore.
The Internal Struggle: IBS, kidney issues, and liver concerns.
The Scary Stuff: An enlarged heart, heart palpitations, and breathing issues that made life feel fragile.
The Toll on my Spirit: Chronic fatigue so heavy that even a 15-minute walk felt like a marathon.
My face was round and inflamed, my skin was dull and my hair dry and brittle, and my eyes had lost their spark. I was trying so hard to be grateful for my life, but when your body is failing you, “looking on the bright side” feels like a lie.
The Turning Point
I had tried it all. I cut carbs. I pushed myself to exercise. Nothing worked. I had heard about the Carnivore lifestyle before—people claiming it put autoimmune diseases into remission—but I didn’t buy it. I had been promised “cures” before, and I was tired of being disappointed.
Then came my “Lioness Pride.”
I was working at a temporary placement within my company. The environment was different; the people were incredible. Among them were two men who were eating a version of Carnivore. They weren’t “selling” me on it—they were just living it.
Something about seeing their consistency pushed me over the edge. I realized I had hit rock bottom. I thought, “It can’t possibly get any worse than this. Why not try?”
January 6th: A Clean Slate
I didn’t start on the 6th because of a New Year’s resolution. I started because on January 5th, I finally finished the last of the carbs in my cupboard. I wanted a clean slate. No temptations, no excuses—just a desperate hope that maybe, just maybe, meat could be the medicine I needed.
I’m not sharing my starting weight today. That’s a number for me to hold onto for now. Maybe I will gain the strength to share it someday in the near future. But I am sharing my story, because I know there is someone else out there struggling to hold their head up today, too.
Welcome to the journey. The Lioness is finally waking up.
Feel free to leave any comments, questions or tell me of your personal journey. Please just be kind, and considerate of others. Any rude comments will be deleted. Thank you.