The “meatfluencer” mom claims she has shed 55 pounds by following the extreme Lion Diet, which consists entirely of meat and animal products.
Courtney Luna, 39, decided to try out the restrictive diet two years ago after finding herself “overweight, lethargic, and addicted to sugar and carbs.”
The diet means she hasn’t eaten vegetables in more than 700 days.
But she eats plenty of burgers, steaks, eggs, salmon, chicken, bacon, butter and pork rinds.
Courtney snacks on things like sticks of butter and raw eggs — which she is often criticized for.
She also indulges in organ meats like liver, heart, and pork tongue.
Crediting her diet, she insists she has reaped incredible benefits including significant weight loss, increased energy, and improvements to her mental health.
She has also seen her acne disappear.
“I have been eating this way for two years,” says Courtney, who homeschools her kids in California.
“I started because I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired,” she told What’s The Jam.
“I was overweight, depressed, addicted to carbs and sugar, felt lethargic, and [felt] overall just awful.
“I was willing to try anything to get my life back.”
Since adopting the largely meat-based diet – which is often called the “Lion Diet” – the mother of two says she feels like a new woman.
“The biggest one [change] would be my mental health,” Courtney, who boasts 116,000 on Instagram (@itscourtneyluna) said.
“I was able to go off of my medication for anxiety and depression.
“Many people don’t realize that their diet affects their mental health.
“My lab work is great, and I am no longer pre-diabetic.”
Courtney Luna
“I have cleared up 25 years of acne, lost 55 pounds, have zero gas and bloating, tons of energy, and [am] just overall feel so happy.
“My lab work is great, and I am no longer pre-diabetic.”
She said the interesting diet has also allowed her to develop a better relationship with food.
She is currently on a “sardine fast,” eating only sardines for 10 days, in a bid to focus on hunger cues rather than mindless eating.
She said it works because she would never binge on sardines or strongly desire to eat them.
“Many people think you need to be able to eat all foods in moderation to have freedom, but for me, that’s not the case,” she said.
“Being free from the hold that certain foods had over me was mentally draining and exhausting.
“I would either try to moderate or I would have one and binge.
“Now you can have a plate of doughnuts next to me and there is zero desire to have one.
“Knowing that I am an abstainer and not a moderator was life-changing for me.
“In the same way, an alcoholic can’t moderate their drinking, I also can’t moderate my carb and sugar intake — so I abstain.”
Despite assumptions that it must be an expensive lifestyle, Courtney insists her grocery bill hasn’t changed.
“Eating this way can be done very cheaply,” she said.
“Grocery store meat and eggs are still very nutritious if someone can’t afford grass-finished beef and pasture-raised eggs.
What is the Lion Diet – and is it healthy?
The Lion Diet is a lifestyle involving eliminating certain foods completely.
Those partaking abstain from eating sugars and carbs and ingest mostly meats and animal byproducts such as butter.
“The Lion Diet is an elimination diet that helps the gut, body and brain heal,” their website reads.
The Mayo Clinic expresses concerns on the health behind the diet, citing potential issues with sustainability and lowering intake of essential nutrients.
“If done on a budget, I can spend about $7 a day on my food.
“But some days I can spend more depending on the cuts and if I’m adding in extras that are pricey, such as egg wraps or meat chips.
“We spend roughly $300 a week for a family of four.”
She has also faced criticism on social media from people who argue that not eating vegetables is unhealthy.
“People online can’t seem to fathom that I can ditch the veggies and thrive,” she said.
“It really upsets them to see me going against everything we’ve been told.
“That being said, my friends and family are very supportive and many of them have even switched to this way of eating after seeing how well I’m doing and all the health benefits I’ve had.”