When I first started the carnivore diet, I thought it was as simple as “just eat meat.” One of the things I love most about this diet is that simplicity. No complicated meal plans to follow, no endless label-reading, and no tracking or chasing macros required. But I quickly learned that “simple” doesn’t always mean “easy.”
Over time, I realized that certain habits (and bad assumptions) slowed my progress, caused weight loss stalls, made adaptation harder, and resulted in less energy. These mistakes weren’t huge and obvious; I was still sticking to the diet. But as I experimented, I found that making a few small tweaks led to much better results.
If you’re just starting out (or even if you’ve been at this for a while), avoiding these pitfalls can save you months of frustration. Here are the five biggest beginner carnivore diet mistakes I made, so you can skip the learning curve and see results faster.
#1 – Not Getting Enough Fat
The worst mistake most people make on this diet is not getting enough fat.
When I first started carnivore, I still had “low fat” thinking stuck in my head. Like many of us, I came to this way of eating after a lifetime of exposure to low-fat propaganda. I didn’t understand that cutting back on fat was also cutting out my main source of energy.
On carnivore, fat becomes your body’s primary fuel source since you’re no longer running on carbohydrates. Without enough dietary fat, your body struggles to maintain steady energy. You’ll feel tired, cranky, and hungry, and you may even continue having junk food cravings. There’s a reason why “eat more fat” has almost become a meme in the carnivore community.
In many cases, if you’re struggling, you need to EAT MORE FAT.
How Much Fat Do You Need on Carnivore?
There’s no single “magic number,” but most people feel best when 70-80 percent of calories come from fat. And no, you don’t have to track (unless you’re really struggling and want to check your intake for a short time).
In most cases, just choosing fattier cuts of meat like ribeye, chuck roast, 73/27 ground beef, or pork belly, and adding butter or tallow to your meals will do the trick. Prioritize fat intake over protein.
You will not thrive on carnivore if you’re eating chicken breast and pork loin. You NEED fatty meat.
How to Tell If You’re Getting Enough Fat:
- Steady Energy: You don’t crash between meals or fall into mid-afternoon slumps.
- Satiety: You can comfortably go 4-6 hours between meals without getting hungry again.
- No Intense Cravings: Junk food and carb cravings fade or become less intense (this can take time).
- Mood & Focus: You feel mentally stable and less irritable.
If you’re constantly hungry, tired, or fighting cravings, that’s usually a sign that you need to bump up your fat intake.
#2 – Not Supplementing Electrolytes
Another huge mistake I made in the beginning was ignoring electrolytes – or not understanding how to supplement them properly.
When you cut out carbs, your body stops holding onto as much water. That means you flush out sodium, potassium, and magnesium faster than before. If you don’t replace them (especially in the first few weeks), you may suffer from headaches, muscle cramps, brain fog, and that “off” feeling sometimes referred to as keto flu.
If you experience these symptoms, it’s not the carnivore diet causing the problem. It’s more likely an electrolyte imbalance. If you’re feeling awful in the early stages, the fix might be as simple as adding more salt and minerals back in.
How Much Do You Need?
There’s no one-size-fits-all, but here are general starting points many carnivores find helpful:
- Sodium: 4–6 grams per day (about 2–3 teaspoons of salt)
- Potassium: 2–3 grams per day
- Magnesium: 300–500 mg per day
These aren’t hard and fast rules. Your needs may vary based on metabolism, activity level, climate, etc. You may have to experiment to see what works best for your body. Start within this range and adjust based on how you feel.
How to Get Electrolytes on Carnivore
You can use electrolyte powders like Redmond Re-Lyte or LMNT (unflavored if you’re avoiding sweet tastes). But you don’t need to buy expensive products. Here are some more cost-effective ways to get your electrolytes in:
- Sodium: Add ½ – 1 teaspoon of salt in water once or twice per day, plus salt your food generously. Start low and build up.
- Potassium: Include potassium-rich carnivore foods like salmon, beef, and pork. You can also use potassium salt (NuSalt) if needed. If you use a potassium salt or electrolyte mix with potassium, keep servings moderate and follow the label.
- Magnesium: Take 200-400mg daily, preferably magnesium glycinate or citrate. Take it in the evening if it relaxes you. I prefer to take mine at night before bed because it helps with sleep.
If you have blood pressure, kidney, or heart conditions, check with your doctor before making changes to electrolytes or supplements.
Signs You Might Be Low on Electrolytes
- Headaches, lightheadedness, or “keto flu”
- Muscle cramps, especially at night
- Heart palpitations or unexplained fatigue
- Irritability, brain fog, or a heavy afternoon slump
If you’re dealing with these symptoms (especially in the first few weeks) focus on increasing your electrolyte intake and see how quickly things improve.
#3 – Not Going All In
One of the most damaging things I did early on was “sort of” doing carnivore.
I would fight off junk food and sugar cravings for a few days or even a few weeks, then tell myself it’s okay to have a cheat meal “just this once.” I’d immediately get back on track at the very next meal, but this was still sabotaging me. Every time I let those foods back in, my cravings came roaring back, my digestion got thrown off, and my progress slowed to a crawl.
Those small slip-ups kept my body from fully adapting to fat as its main fuel source and kept me mentally tied to old eating patterns. I had to bite the bullet and commit to NO cheats. It wasn’t easy because I first had to beat the sugar cravings – but I did it! And that’s when I finally started to see life-changing results.
If you want to truly see what carnivore can do for you, commit 100% for at least for a set trial period (like 30 or 60 days) before deciding whether it’s right for you.
Why Cheating Hurts Your Progress
- Cravings Return: Sweet and starchy foods re-activate old appetite signals and cravings, both mental and physical.
- Adaptation Resets: Your body has to re-learn how to burn fat efficiently.
- Mental Battles: One “cheat” can make it easier to justify the next one and can send you into a junk-food spiral.
How to Go All In and Stick With It
- Set a Clear Time Frame: Decide on 30, 60, or 90 days with no exceptions.
- Plan for Social Situations: Check menus ahead of time or eat before you go. (See my post on Sticking to Carnivore in Any Situation for more tips.)
- Keep Safe Foods Handy: Have cooked meat or portable carnivore snacks ready so you’re never caught hungry.
- Track Non-Scale Wins: Pay attention to changes in energy, mood, digestion, and mental clarity – not just the scale. Track your inches lost instead of pounds. Believe me, this can be so helpful!
If you keep “starting over” like I did, it may feel like carnivore isn’t working for you. But the problem might be that you haven’t given your body a real chance to adapt.
#4 – Not Eliminating Sweet Tastes
When I came to the carnivore diet, I was a hardcore sugar addict. I thought I could do the diet and keep drinking my Coke Zero, Diet Coke, Starbucks coffee with Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup…you get the idea.
Artificial sweeteners didn’t have carbs, so I figured they couldn’t really hurt. But I realized over time that sweet tastes (whether from sugar or alternative sweeteners) were keeping my cravings alive.
Every time you have something sweet, it lights up the same reward pathways in your brain that sugar did. You may find that the sugar cravings aren’t completely going away if you continue allowing Diet Coke or sugar-free syrups in your diet. For many of us, cutting out sweet tastes entirely is necessary to kill those cravings for good.
Why Sweet Tastes Can Stall Your Progress
- Cravings Stick Around: Your brain doesn’t distinguish much between sugar and sugar substitutes.
- Overeating Risk: Sweet flavors can make you want to eat more, even when you’re not hungry.
- Slower Adaptation: Constant sweet stimulation keeps your taste buds and brain wired for sugar.
How to Eliminate Sweet Tastes
- Go Cold Turkey: Remove all sweeteners for at least 30 days. (Yes, even Stevia! All of them!)
- Choose Savory Replacements: If you’re used to having desserts, end meals with something savory, like a few bites of butter. Eating butter when having sweet cravings always helped me!
- Clean Out Triggers: If you know certain foods make you crave sweets, keep them out of your house.
- Retrain Your Taste Buds: Over time, you’ll start to enjoy the natural flavors of meat and fat without needing sweetness.
You’ll know you’ve kicked the sweeteners when you no longer think about desserts or sugary foods, meat tastes more satisfying and flavorful, and cravings for junk food disappear completely.
#5 – Still Drinking Alcohol
I’ve had my struggles with alcohol. For a long time, I told myself that alcohol didn’t really “count” against my carnivore goals. After all, I was still eating meat, so a few zero-carb cocktails couldn’t do much harm. Plus, I was still losing weight. At one point, I hit my lowest weight ever while drinking heavily.
What I didn’t see (or chose to ignore) was how much alcohol was damaging my body and sabotaging health. These days, carnivore is about more than just weight loss for me – it’s also about healing.
Alcohol slows fat loss, disrupts sleep, increases inflammation, and can spike cravings for carb-heavy foods. Many of my own “cheats” happened after drinking when my judgement was clouded and cravings were high. And even if stick to “low-carb” drinks (my favorite was Bourbon and Diet Coke), your body will always burn alcohol before fat, pushing fat loss to the back of the line.
When I finally cut out alcohol completely, my energy improved, my cravings dropped, and my results sped up more than I expected.
Why Alcohol Can Stall Carnivore Results
- Metabolism Shift: Your body prioritizes burning alcohol before fat.
- Cravings Spike: Alcohol lowers inhibitions and can make carb cravings stronger.
- Sleep Disruption: Even small amounts can disrupt the deep, restorative sleep needed for healing.
- Inflammation Increase: Alcohol can trigger joint pain, bloating, and slower recovery.
- Nutrient Depletion: Alcohol interferes with the absorption and use of vitamins and minerals, making it harder to benefit from nutrient-rich carnivore foods.
How to Reduce or Eliminate Alcohol
Alcohol may be holding you back if you’re making progress more slowly than expected, your cravings are stronger after (and while) drinking, and you wake up feeling sluggish even after a full night’s sleep. Here are some tips to break the habit:
- Set a Trial Period: Go alcohol-free for 30 – 60 days and track how you feel.
- Plan Ahead: If social events are a trigger, bring your own alcohol-free drink. If you’re really struggling, consider avoiding events with alcohol for a while.
- Find New Ways to Have Fun: It may feel strange at first, but activities like horseback riding, hiking, visiting museums, going to the fair, going swimming, or seeing movies (some of my favorite things to do) become even more enjoyable without alcohol.
- Track the Wins: Notice changes in energy, cravings, mood, and the scale after you’ve stopped drinking. It will be eye-opening!
If you’re serious about getting the best results on carnivore, try going alcohol-free for a set period. You might be surprised by how much better you feel and how quickly your progress picks up.
Final Thoughts
This way of eating works best when you give your body the fuel (fat), electrolytes, consistency, and healthy environment it needs to thrive. Avoiding these beginner carnivore diet mistakes will help you adapt faster, feel better, and enjoy the benefits without unnecessary struggle.
I’ve made every one of these mistakes myself, and I can tell you from experience that fixing them makes a world of difference. Whether you’re here for weight loss, healing, or better overall health, your results will come faster when you commit fully, listen to your body, and remove the things that hold you back.
Start strong, stay consistent, and give yourself the chance to see what’s truly possible on carnivore.
Good luck out there!
PS. If you liked this post, check out my YouTube video that I made on the same topic:
