A self-taught chef and author of cookbooks has shared her incredible journey to losing four stone, crediting a meat-only ‘carnivore’ diet for the transformation. Courtney Luna, a TikTok sensation from California, US, dropped an impressive 55 pounds (nearly four stone), with 45 of those shed within just 10 months.
She insists that the “majority” of the weight loss is thanks to her dietary choice, although she admits to exercising “on and off”. This controversial diet, rich in protein and fat, excludes all carbs and plant-based foods, even fruits and vegetables.
Health experts have raised eyebrows at this approach. Harvard’s Professor Walter C. Willett warned of potential long-term health risks, noting the absence of nutrients and fibre from fruits and vegetables that are crucial for gut health and combating chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes. Meanwhile, the NHS recommends consuming five portions of fruit and vegetables daily, aligning with the World Health Organization’s advice that 400g per day can lower the risk of serious health issues such as heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.
Despite the controversy, Courtney stands by the carnivore diet as the “only thing that has been sustainable” for her weight loss, reports Surrey Live.
Courtney shared that she was caught in an exhausting cycle of “yo-yo dieting” for 25 years, starting her first WeightWatchers class at just 13 years old—even though she wasn’t “severely” overweight. Reflecting on the profound effect that switching to a carnivore diet has had on her life, she explained: “It’s the only thing that has been sustainable for me, that I’ve kept off; anything I’ve done in the past, like, I’ve lost 50 pounds.”
She added: “I think this is my third time, but this is the only time that I’ve kept it off. I’ve always gained it back. And again, that comes back to the abstainer versus moderator thing. When I was on keto, I was eating all these keto treats, like the sugar still had a hold on me.”
Courtney continued, revealing a significant shift in her awareness: “So, just having that, you know, realisation and that self-awareness. So, this is what’s been sustainable for me and I’ll just continue to do it until, you know, it doesn’t work for me.”
Reflecting on the turnaround, she said: “I was in a horrible, dark place. So, I feel like this gave me my life back. And, you know, I can be present with my kids and play with my kids and not want to lay in bed and cry every day, you know.”
The writer opened up about her weight loss journey, revealing she shed 50 pounds for the third time post-pregnancy through a low carb diet, only to be swept up by the “anti-diet culture message” which she felt encouraged an unhealthy mindset that one should “be able to eat all things” for a positive food relationship. She admitted that moderation wasn’t her strong suit, leading to a four-month binge where she put on 40 pounds.
A turning point came when her husband shared TikTok videos from Dr Paul Saladino, known as the Carnivore MD, sparking her interest in a meat-focused diet. She explained: “And after a while, I’m like, ‘Why are you sending me these? Should we not be eating vegetables? So, that was our intro into it, and I came at it just from a desperate place of wanting to lose weight and because I just felt like crap.”
The results were more than she bargained for, not only did she lose weight, but she also saw unexpected health improvements.
She added: “And so not only did I get all the weight loss, but then I had all these health benefits that I wasn’t expecting because I kind of always just equated, if you are thin, you had a healthy body or are healthy.”
Her mental health took a positive turn, allowing her to stop her anxiety and depression medication. “I didn’t realise how much was actually linked to what you were eating. So, besides the weight loss, my mental health improved drastically. I was able to go off of my medication for anxiety and depression.”
She also noted a significant improvement in her lifelong struggle with severe acne.
Courtney suggested that cutting out processed foods and junk might have contributed to these benefits.
Initially, she attempted an ‘animal-based’ version of the diet that included fruit, but this only lasted for about five weeks. She realised that while the meat satiated her, her “mouth was still wanting blueberries”.
She felt the fructose still “had a hold” on her, leading her to switch to a full carnivore diet. However, she found the transition “easy and delicious”, describing a typical day’s food intake.
When asked if her entire family follows the same diet, Courtney revealed: “My husband is carnivore, and I would label my kids as like animal-based because they’ll have everything we have, but then we do give them fruit. And then, like, occasionally, they get, control and power, if you will, to have whatever they want.
“If we go out to dinner, like sometimes, it’s like, okay, just order whatever you want, just to give them that, you know, feeling of control that I’m not demonising all these foods and saying, ‘No, no, no’, because I don’t want them to like go to a friend’s house later and like eat all the things. So, we try and find a little bit of balance with them, just so we don’t create food issues.”
Despite potential health risks associated with red meat, such as high cholesterol and bowel cancer, Courtney insists she has no concerns. The NHS advises against consuming too much red or processed meat or meats high in saturated fats.
The NHS has issued a health alert, cautioning that a diet high in processed and red meats could increase the risk of bowel cancer, with processed varieties also potentially leading to high blood pressure due to their salt content. To mitigate these risks, it’s recommended to limit intake of red or processed meat to 70g daily for those consuming over 90g.
Despite this, the NHS acknowledges the nutritional benefits of meat, such as protein, minerals, and vitamins, with red meat being a valuable source of iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Courtney, who maintains her “labs are good”, remains unconcerned: “Yeah, I don’t have any concern because it’s like I’ve never felt this good, so I don’t see how things could be going wrong when I’ve never felt better. And knock on wood, if something were wrong, well, at least I’m feeling great until I go, you know? “.
