My ‘No Mo’ Visceral Fat Adventure
(Newest update — July 3rd at the bottom)
May 18:
This weekend I went down the rabbit hole of getting educated on visceral fat, and it was so mind-blowing to me and an absolute game-changer and I’m committing the next three months (and beyond) to addressing / reducing my own now that I know how much it impacts ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING.
May 19:
The pink is visceral fat and look how little remains after 35 weeks of only cutting out processed foods for this patient (from 5.6 to 1.8 lbs of VF), scanned laying down so the top is the belly and the bottom is the back.
The yellow is the outer fat and look how much is gone — like look at the entire size / shape difference on this patient.
And the gray is the muscle and look how the visceral fat that was inside it is no longer there. I love it!!!
Dr. Sean O’Mara is the one doing this presentation and if you’re interested in digging deeper, go binge his content.
It’s fascinating stuff and woke me up in a fabulous way and I already started implementing some of his suggestions and I’ve committed to three months of doing so to see and feel the difference.
May 19:
I am SO fucking fired up!!!!!
I absolutely LOVE learning awesome shit that makes me and my life even better.
I get better every day in every single way.
As it should be.
P.S. You’re going in the wrong direction if that’s not the case for you.
May 19:
I’m on my third and final day of fasting to kickstart my self-named ‘Bye-Bye, Visceral Fat’ (#VFNOMO) mission, and I’ll be fasting for three days back-to-back (72 hours) EACH WEEK for the next three months (just like Dr. O but you don’t need to follow suit so just start where you are), and then I may go down to two days a week or maybe one or none depending on what has transpired by then.
Fasting is SUPER easy when your baseline doesn’t include carbs / sugars, so this kind of fast simply feels nice on my system throughout.
While fasting I have two electrolyte packets a day (I use Organika but LMNT is also kickass) and I have pink salt in between AND this round I bought fermented spicy pickles and have a few teaspoons of the pickle juice for flavour and for the probiotic and electrolyte bonus. And a fuck ton of water, of course, but I have that regardless of fasting.
After what I learned about visceral fat from Dr. O and the best ways to reduce it, I am now incorporating fermented veggies into my meals going forward for these three months.
I’m starting with a jar of fermented pickles, which means they are refrigerated in the store and they aren’t made with vinegar and they indicate that they have been fermented.
After that is done, I’ll be getting a jar of fermented beets and then kimchi, since all three of these things are foods I already love.
There are many other options of fermented foods you can choose, including fruit and dairy, but I want to stay away from both for now, even though Dr. O includes them in his meals every day.
He basically creates a collection of fermented foods with every meal of meat he has — as condiments — but for now I’m going to do one at a time. So like when I have my beef, I will have a pickle for those live micro biome bonuses.
Dr. O calls this the ‘Living Carnivore Diet’, and I want to give it a whirl — not because I think it’s ultimately necessary, but from what I’ve learned, it’s highly beneficial for the gut in ways that carnivore on its own is not AND it contributes significantly to reducing visceral fat, which is my goal right now.
There are many other things I’m incorporating, which I’ll probably share along the way.
And keep in mind that the mission is not to follow my lead, or even his, but to do your own research and do what your body feels drawn to.
Everything I am implementing is because it feels like the natural next step for me.
I’m not doing anything because a doctor says I should. I’m doing it because I’m learning information from a doctor AND my system is saying HELL YEAH, I want to move in that direction LIKE NOW.
Dr. O has many suggestions that aren’t appealing to me at this point, so I pick the ones that excite me. The ones I can’t wait to try — like a weekly 72-hour fast because that feels fun and nourishing to me.
Again, if you haven’t yet, go binge his or another’s content on visceral fat.
It will change how you think about everything.
May 19:
Here’s how I broke my 3-day fast today, having very small portions with time in between each thing:
1. Bone broth (Kettle & Fire — Grassfed Beef)
2. Liver pate
3. Sardines in water
4. Fermented spicy pickle
5. Pork rinds (Baken-ets — Pork rinds, Lard, Salt) — not great to break a fast with but I was craving them
6. Beef will be next
May 20:
I feel like I struck lifetime gold over the weekend during my deep dive on visceral fat (my current obsession) and based on that information, I have what feels like the proper foundation / blueprint for EVERYTHING when it comes to my body.
Yes, it includes carnivore but also SO. MUCH. MORE.
And SO. MUCH. LESS than the shit being promoted out there.
I’ve refined things even further for myself and once I learned that visceral fat basically creates human marbling (as seen in the pic I shared yesterday), it was game over and then game ON.
Not to mention EVERY. FUCKING. THING. that is significantly improved by getting rid of visceral fat and how it’s the main culprit in any disease and is also considered a disease itself.
It’s all so fascinating.
And the skinniest people can have a TON of it!
And look at Dr. Sean O’Mara’s own before and after.
Like wow.
I am so fucking excited for these next three months as I do even more towards bettering my health in ways that feel (and are) natural and amazing.
Two brothers.
8 and 10 years young.
Tons of visceral fat in both and look at the difference after just 6 months!
And Dr. O pointed out how thin and pale their lips were previously and how full and rosey they are now.
Incredible.
(Image taken from this video)
May 20:
From Dr. Sean O’Mara — because I love this stuff:
For years, I said "visceral fat" the same way I would say "left kidney" or "gallbladder." Like it was a normal part of you that just got too big.
It is not.
Visceral fat is disease. Epicardial fat, the kind wrapped around your heart, is disease. Muscle fat, the marbling running through your thigh and back muscles like a Wagyu steak, is disease.
In my work, I have referenced over 25,000 published studies on visceral adiposity and chronic disease. Not one shows it is good for you. Not one.
You walk into a clinic with high cholesterol and your doctor calls it disease. They book follow-ups. They start a treatment plan. You take it seriously because the doctor is taking it seriously.
You walk into the same clinic with three inches of visceral adipose tissue wrapped around your liver and pancreas, and the same doctor tells you to "lose some weight." The biology is worse than the cholesterol. The language is softer. So nobody acts.
The naming was lying to you. The naming let you believe this was about waistband size. The truth is that it is a tissue causing inflammation, fibrosis, brain shrinkage, blood pressure climbing, and in the case of muscle fat, a mortality risk that exceeds obesity itself. In the data I have reviewed in the literature, the marbling in your leg and back muscles carries roughly twice the mortality risk of obesity.
Twice.
You have not been told this because radiologists and primary care doctors are not trained to read it. It sits on every abdominal MRI scanned in this country. They write it off as background.
I want you to stop writing it off.
When you look in the mirror tomorrow morning, do not say, "I need to lose weight." Say "I have visceral fat disease. I need to find out how much." That sentence moves people from waiting to scanning.
If you accept that this is a disease, the next step is reversing it. Not another diet. Not another supplement. A protocol that targets the tissue itself.
May 20:
Today I learned…
that vegans have the most amount of visceral fat because of all the carbs / sugars they eat by way of veggies / fruits / breads and processed (non) food to align with their mission / ideology — effectively cutting out all the things that would at least lessen the amount of visceral fat.
And Dr. O did an MRI scan on a vegan physician who had been vegan for 30 years, who told Dr. O that he would not find any visceral fat on him, and he ended up having 10 pounds of it. OMG.
When that vegan doctor walked out of that office, he started eating meat right away.
“Endurance athletes are building the very disease they think they're outrunning. Distance runners and cyclists accumulate visceral fat, heart fat, and muscle fat while believing their exercise protects them. Their cortisol remains too high for too long and contributes to all sorts of dysfunction.” Dr. Sean O’Mara
May 21:
Here’s a breakdown of everything visceral fat does to / makes possible in your body:
(If this doesn’t interest or fascinate or motivate you, you’re a silly goose.)
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• High LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
• Low HDL (“good”) cholesterol
• Type 2 diabetes
• Insulin resistance
• Metabolic syndrome
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Chronic inflammation
• Sleep apnea
• Asthma / reduced lung function
• Cognitive decline / dementia
• Increased cancer risk
• PCOS (in women)
• Infertility / irregular periods (in women)
• Erectile dysfunction (in men)
• Hormonal imbalances (sex hormones)
• Varicose veins
• Spider veins
• Skin tags
• Depression and anxiety
• Disrupted gut microbiome
• Accelerated biological aging
• Acanthosis nigricans (dark, velvety skin patches in folds)
• Palmar erythema (reddening of palms)
• Jaundice (in advanced liver disease)
• Hemorrhoids
• Kidney disease
• Joint degeneration / arthritis
• Deep vein thrombosis (blood clots)
• Restless leg syndrome
• Psoriasis
• High triglycerides
• Cortisol dysregulation / chronic stress response
• Thyroid disruption
• Hair loss / hair thinning (telogen effluvium and androgenetic alopecia)
• Nail changes (thick, porous, opaque nails linked to chronic high blood sugar)
• Gout (elevated uric acid)
• Gallstones
• Migraines / chronic headaches
• Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (raised pressure in the skull, causing vision loss and severe headaches)
• Low testosterone in men
• Pancreatitis
• Muscle loss / reduced lean mass
• Weakened immune function
• Poor sleep quality (beyond sleep apnea)
• Leg ulcers (from advanced vein disease)
• Atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)
• Atherosclerosis (plaque buildup / hardening of arteries)
• Colorectal cancer (specifically)
• Pancreatic cancer (specifically)
• Breast cancer (specifically, in postmenopausal women)
• Endometrial cancer (specifically)
• Esophageal cancer (specifically)
• Kidney cancer (specifically)
• Prostate cancer (specifically)
• Premature death / shortened life expectancy
And FYI, lifestyle changes are enough to significantly reduce visceral fat.
May 21:
So….
I have regularly tracked my measurements for years, minus my weight because I don’t have a scale and I don’t care about that number because it doesn’t give me a marker that is actually relevant.
And today when I measured my waist, just five days into my 90 day adventure of #VFNOMO, it was the smallest it has been since July and August of 2020 (it increased again after that).
So carnivore never took me to this number, nor did extended fasting.
But implementing the things that I’ve been learning about since the weekend — which does include carnivore as well as fasting but so much more — has.
This pleases me immensely.
I didn’t get turned onto this mission with the goal of losing weight or inches, but I welcome the natural byproduct of it.
I feel fantastic.
And I wasn’t surprised to see that number because my clothes were already fitting different yesterday and I already felt so much lighter physically.
Amazing.
May 22:
Today I learned…
that if you have done what’s required to eliminate your visceral fat, and then you reintroduce processed food on a Friday, by the time they scan you again on Monday, you will already see the visceral fat forming.
OMG.
Also, here’s his super quick checklist of what adds and removes VF, care of Dr. Sean O’Mara —
ADDS VISCERAL FAT:
1. Processed foods
2. Alcohol
3. Stress
4. Poor sleep
5. Too much exercise — long distance runners have a ton of visceral fat, whereas sprinters have basically none
REMOVES VISCERAL FAT:
1. Eat clean
2. Eat meat
3. Eat fermented foods
4. Maximum intensity exercise
5. Sunshine
6. Sauna
7. Fasting
May 23:
Today I learned…
that when you do an extended fast each week (24-72 hours) in addition to taking ANY other step(s) towards reducing visceral fat (and getting rid of processed foods is #1 on the list),
the benefits of each fast increase exponentially every week and in direct proportion to the level of visceral fat remaining.
The lower, the better.
And…
once you are free of visceral fat,
every fast is like a fast on crack.
Amazing.
May 23:
I’m on Day 7 of 90 of #VFNOMO (and on Day 2 of 3 of my second weekly extended fast since I did one in preparation for this) and I am so in love with this entire process.
I feel SO. FUCKING. GOOD.
In one week I’ve lost two inches off my waist.
WILD.
May 26:
Day 10 of 90 of enjoying the answer to all of my body’s prayers.
May 29:
Before I share this overview of what I eat each day and how I structure my week for my #VFNOMO adventure, keep in mind that I’ve been on this carnivore-ish ride for a couple of years now with plenty of variations.
I’ve had seasons of being strict and seasons of adding non-carnivore treats because as with all areas of my life, I just move naturally with whatever feels the best and I always and only eat foods that I absolutely love. I’m not a die-hard anything, but when I’m really into something, I’m into it 100% until the next thing.
Everything listed below was / is a natural next / current step for me. None of this is an actual stretch at this point and all of it is custom to my preferences that feel amazing and nourishing to me. I could not have started my carnivore and fasting adventure like this as a ‘sugar-loving-and-regularly-consuming’ babe at the time, so this was a very slow progression.
The only substantial differences between what I’m doing over these three months compared to what I typically do is:
I am being strict about intermittent fasting during the week and the extended three-day fast on the weekend, both of which are natural and easy when the baseline is good quality fat and protein — not carbs / sugars.
I am being strict about not veering from carnivore apart from #3
I now eat fermented veggies or drink the brine with every meal, which I didn’t do before coming across Dr. O two weeks ago
I’m not including dairy at all because I find certain dairy pretty yummy so it’s easy to over-eat it and I don’t want to contend with that right now. Dr. O does include fermented dairy in his diet, FYI
I don’t sprint as Dr. O suggests, but now I do include rounds of jumping squats in my workouts in lieu of sprints because I love them and I’m out of breath by the end. Turns out Dr. O exercises for 15 minutes 3x a week (sprinting rounds), but I love to walk A LOT each day and I cycle most evenings in addition to working out at home (strength and mobility training) and hanging from bars at the park
So without further adieu, here’s what I’m up to each week:
I fast Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon / evening with a gentle and slow re-feed.
Monday to Thursday I eat 2-3 meals of just beef with tons of salt, and I add fermented veggies / brine as the condiment within a 4-8 hour eating window. I go by my belly, not the clock.
When I want a snack or ‘dessert’, it’s liver pate and pork rinds together and sometimes I’ll add sardines to the mix — I swear it’s amazing!!!
If I’m out at a restaurant, it will be beef or duck or sashimi. I’m not opposed to eating chicken but it’s at the bottom of my list because I love the other things more.
I have 2-3 packets of electrolytes + sea salt each day of my weekly 3-day fast. I drink bone broth to break it before anything else, and although I used to eat eggs daily, right now I only eat them when I’m breaking the extended fast and I usually add tuna.
I don’t use oils or butter. The fat in the medium ground beef and everything else I eat is plenty.
That’s it for now!
May 29:
What would appear extreme
and feel like restriction
and seem pretty boring
to others,
is the ultimate freedom
and absolute heaven
and so much fun
for me.
May 30:
Today marks 2 weeks of my 3-month #VFNOMO adventure (HELL YEAH!) and I’m 36-hours in to my third weekly extended fast (I go between 68-72 hours) and I have never felt better.
Also…
I’ve never considered myself as having sinus or breathing issues, but earlier this week it’s like my passages just cleared right up and I didn’t even know they weren’t clear. Like a Vicks VapoRub effect.
WILD.
Feels great!!!!!
June 15:
Today marks my 30th day of my #VFNOMO adventure and I am feeling FANTASTIC!
The only notable changes I’ve made:
I now do my jumping squats routine (in lieu of sprinting) 3x a week — 5ish rounds of 15-30 seconds going all out with a 45-60 second break between them
I pulled back on the 3-day fasts that I did once a week for three weeks. I enjoyed them while I did them, and FYI, it’s not that Dr. O recommended to do that when you start out — it’s that I felt like trying out what he personally does — and on my 4th week I did a 24-hour fast and this past weekend I did a 48-hour fast, both of which felt perfect. I’m just following what feels most natural each day / week, and I definitely wanted more feasting days after the weekly consecutive 3-day fasts, so that’s what I gave myself. I don’t have a specific plan going forward regarding extended fasts over the next 60 days because I’ll know when I get there what feels most nourishing for me.
Apart from that, I am just LOVING being this devoted to caring for my body through proper food and movement and refraining from the things that impede one’s natural state. I have been conditioning my body more fully each week and I absolutely love the simplicity of it all.
July 3rd
It’s Day 48 of 90 of #VFNOMO and here are a few updates:
I’ve incorporated 5 minutes of jumping a few times a week with my invisible skipping rope and I’ve been loving it!
Extended fasting hasn’t been happening as much. I haven’t felt drawn to doing it beyond 24-36 hours and not very often. Happy to be feasting almost every day.
I’m about to get my 5th jar of fermented sour pickles since starting this mission, and I did plan to switch things up by now with other fermented things like beets and kimchi, but I’m loving the pickles so much that I’m happily ‘stuck’ on repeat.
I’ve been walking like a fiend given the gorgeous Canadian summer we’ve been having, and I convert my steps on the WeWard app for prizes! A friend told me about the app after I shared that I walked 27,000 steps the day prior, and it’s too bad I didn’t get to claim those!
I’m still sticking to the basics – lotsa beef, lotsa salt, lotsa water, and occasionally eating salmon, tuna, sardines, liver pate, pork rinds. Again, I’ve been keeping off the dairy completely because it’s too easy for me to over-consume.
What I love is that I haven’t veered once from my mission. I have only refined, simplified and deepened throughout this entire process. And of course it is not through sheer grit, willpower or discipline that I’ve made it this far. I wouldn’t be doing these 90 days of #VFNOMO if it required contrived effort because that’s not sane, sustainable or pleasurable. I’m doing this because it was (and continues to be) the next perfect step for me based on where I was (and am) already at. I wasn’t jumping multiple steps ahead to ‘get’ somewhere or to achieve something. I was (and am) following my internal cues beautifully. As I should be.
I’m going to create a separate post that I will link in this one once it’s done, to share all the movements that I love and do during the week to condition my body. In one of his videos, Dr. O’Mara mentioned he exercises for only 15 minutes 3x a week (he sprints), and that would never do it for me. I do a fuckton of things that feel amazing to my body so stay tuned!
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