A man who is ‘obsessed with becoming a dad’ has shed almost half his bodyweight by eating a ‘carnivore’ diet consisting of just meat and eggs in a bid to improve his fertility.
Isaiah Caldwell, 28, from St Louis, Missouri, tipped the scales at 434 pounds at his heaviest – but has now lost a staggering 210 pounds.
He started to make changes to his lifestyle after being told his weight might be causing fertility issues – and now weighs 224 pounds and feels ‘a million times better’.
Tech salesman Isaiah, lost the weight by working out and following the strict carnivore diet, which sees followers ditch anything that has not come from an animal – leaving them with meat, eggs and dairy.
Isaiah, who is 6ft4 in height, is now happier and healthier than ever and he and his wife Amanda, 29, are still trying for a baby.
Isaiah Caldwell, from Missouri, has lost almost half his bodyweight after adopting a ‘carnivore’ diet. Pictured with his wife Amanda following his weight loss
Isaiah once tipped the scales at 434 pounds (pictured, before weight loss) – but was told his weight could be affecting his fertility
Isaiah is pictured with his wife Amanda after his weight loss – the pair are still trying for a baby
Isaiah said: ‘Having a baby became an obsession of ours – we were really excited about it.
‘We started trying for a year before we began to suspect that there might be some issues fertility wise.
‘I knew if there was anything I could do to give us a chance, I would do it.’
Isaiah vowed to start shedding the pounds and immediately went on a diet, ditching all food groups except for meat, eggs and dairy.
Isaiah said: ‘People think there’s some magic to it.
‘But the reality is you’re just eliminating overeating as it’s really hard to binge eat meat – it’s very restrictive and probably not for everyone.’
Isiah lost 21 lbs after just a month by eating steak and smoked brisket – and said he was ‘blown away’.
He decided to stay on the carnivore diet for another month, losing another 18lbs, and continued on it until he was down to 368lbs.
Isaiah tried on his old clothes after he had lost the weight and the difference was astounding
Isaiah, who is 6ft4 in height, is now happier and healthier than ever. Pictured before, left and after, right
He said: ‘I felt unbelievable even a week in – psychologically I felt so much better, my brain fog was totally gone. I felt a million times better.
‘But I knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep it up forever just eating meat.’
After ten months he had lost a mammoth 118lbs, after expanding his diet to include some fruit and dairy.
Once the weight loss began to slow up, Isaiah decided to do a deep dive on the training regimes used by bodybuilders and began meticulously tracking his calorie intake.
He lost another 35lbs- taking his total weight loss to 140lbs in total.
Isaiah then continued his calorie deficit to keep losing weight and is now around the 210lbs mark.
And he said: ‘If anyone is thinking maybe they can’t do it, they should know that I felt exactly like that too.
‘It felt impossible and hopeless, but everyone is capable of it.’
Once the weight loss began to slow up, Isaiah decided to do a deep dive on the training regimes used by bodybuilders. Pictured left, before; and right, after
Isaiah and Amanda are due to go back to the doctors in the coming months to see if his efforts have had an impact on his fertility.
Isaiah said: ‘We’re really optimistic – I’m going to get testing done, but I’ve increased odds from zero to at least something
‘I’m in best shape of my life and we are excited to find a way to be parents no matter what.’
The trend for simple food diets is becoming more and more popular – thanks in part to social media sensations such as bodybuilder Eddie Abbew, who posts videos eating boiled eggs and liver.
It has also been popularized by internet personalities such as Jordan Peterson and podcast presenter Joe Rogan, who have touted the benefits to their army of followers.
But some experts have warned that diets consisting of high proportions of red meat can lead to an increased risk of a host of life-threatening diseases, including cancers, heart disease and kidney disease.
Meanwhile the diet may mean participants aren’t getting enough vitamin C, which could lead to scurvy.