1. How long have you been eating a Zero Carb (No Plant Foods) diet?

Three full years.

2. What motivated you to try this way of eating? Weight? Health?

Weightloss. I was obese all my life since the age of 6. I tried every diet I ever heard of, most of them worked but only short term and weight always came back. I was a low carber since 2013. LCHF approach worked very well for me, I lost weight effortlessly and effortlessly maintained it around my today figures, I felt good and my strength and endurance were also better compared to high carb diets. BUT… There were two shortcomings on LCHF for me. Firstly I kept on catching flus and colds all the time, and secondly I craved for carbs every second of my life while on LCHF. I wanted to have some bread, buckwheat, cake, potatoes, candies and so on. Regularly I gave up and began to eat all the foods mentioned above and I gained fat rapidly. Last time when I allowed myself to eat as much buckwheat as I wanted I gained 20 kg in 6 weeks! I realized that I was losing this battle and that something had to be done about it. I began to re-read every LCHF source I knew and then found this website!!!  🙂

3. How long did it take you to adapt to a Zero Carb diet, both physically and psychologically?

No time at all. Maybe because of my LCHF background.

4. What books or people were most influential in guiding you to this way of eating?

First of all you, Esmee, then Gary Taubes, Weston Price, Stefansson and the like.

5. Do you eat only meat, or do you include eggs, cheese, and cream in your diet?

I only eat chicken, chicken liver, chicken eggs at present. I used to eat dairy, but I quit it recently and I feel much better without it.

6. What percentage of your diet is beef verses other types of meats?

Zero. I do not eat beef because I cannot afford it. I ate pork for the first two years, but I no longer have access to a good source go fresh pork.

7. When you eat beef, do you cook it rare, medium, or well done?

No beef, no beef cooking.  😦  The way I prepare my chicken is to boil it in water for about 30 minutes.

8. Do you add extra fat to your meat? (i.e. butter, lard, tallow)

When I have a chance to buy lard, I add it to my chicken. No tallow here.

9. Do you limit your meat consumption or do you eat until satisfied? 

I eat until satisfied.

10. Do you eat liver or other organ meats? If so, how often? 

I eat chicken liver almost on daily basis.

11. Do you consume bone broth? If so, how often?

No. But I do drink the water that I cook my chicken in.

12. How many meals do you eat per day on average? 

For the most of my time on a ZC WOE, I ate one meal a day. Now I have been trying Blake Donaldson’s approach, as described in his book Strong Medicine, and so I am now having 3 meals a day.

13. How much meat do you eat per day on average? 

Well, it is about 500 gm of chicken, 8 eggs, and a few chicken livers on average, I guess.

14. Do you eat grass-fed/pasture-raised meat, or regular commercially produced meat? 

I eat regular commercially produced chicken and chicken eggs.

15. Do you drink any beverages besides water? (i.e. coffee, tea) 

I used to drink tea and coffee but quit them. Now I have a cup of coffee once in a while when traveling long distance by car or in a cafe with my family.

16. Do you use salt? 

Yes.

17. Do you use spices? 

Black pepper, but not often.

18. Do you take any supplements?

Once in a while I take a pill of Panangin, it is potassium and magnesium.

19. How much money do you spend on food each month? 

Around 4 thousand rubles a month, it is around 70 US dollars. ZC WOE turned out to be much cheaper for me than LCHF.

20. Do you have any tips for making this diet more affordable? 

No. I cannot afford beef on my salary here in Russia. I can only afford to eat chicken and chicken eggs.

21. Do you exercise regularly? If so, how often and how vigorously? 

I workout 30 minutes every morning-stretching, boxing, jumping, push-ups, squats.

22. What benefits have you experienced since beginning a Zero Carb diet? (i.e. recovery from illness, overall health, body composition, exercise performance, hormonal, mental or psychological, etc.)

I lost 20 kg, but still have around 10 kg of fat to lose.

My body composition changed and I gained a lot of lean mass without weight lifting.

My strength and endurance have much improved, I easily can make 50 push-up at the age of 44 without much effort.

I became a much calmer person than I used to be.

I no longer catch flu or colds.

23. What do you enjoy most about eating a Zero Carb diet?  

I enjoy every meal.

It is simple and always delicious.

No calorie counting.

No portion size control.

No carb craving.

After a month of ZC, all my cravings for carbs ceased and I no longer consider any carbs edible, so when I see, say, bread on our kitchen table, my mind ignores it as food.

24. Do you have any advice for someone who is just beginning a Zero Carb diet? 

Don’t be afraid to give ZC a try and don’t listen to what others say against this WOE.

25. Are your friends and family supportive of your Zero Carb lifestyle? If not, how do you handle this? 

No, all my friends, coworkers and family are against this WOE saying it is bad for my health.

26. Is there anything you would like share about this way of eating that I have not already asked you? 

ZC WOE is the best WOE!  🙂

If you are interested in connecting with others following a Zero Carb diet, please join us in our Facebook group Principia Carnivora.