Mom-of-two reveals she only ate SARDINES for 10 days – as she shares how she lost a staggering 55LBS with a strict meat-only diet

A mother-of-two has revealed how she lost a whopping 25kg by following the extreme ‘lion diet’, which consists entirely of meat and animal products.

Courtney Luna, from California, decided to try the restrictive diet two years ago after noticing she was “overweight, lethargic and addicted to sugar and carbs.”

The 39-year-old, who has been branded a ‘meatfluencer’, says she has reaped incredible benefits, including significant weight loss, more energy, no more acne and improvements to her mental health.

In addition to more standard foods, including beef burgers, steaks, eggs, salmon, chicken, bacon, butter and pork rinds, Courtney also enjoys organ meats such as liver, heart and pork tongue.

She even ate sardines for ten days in an attempt to curb sugar cravings and focus on hunger cues instead of mindless eating.

Courtney Luna, from California, has revealed how she lost a whopping 25kg by following the extreme ‘lion diet’, which consists entirely of meat and animal products. In the photo: before (left) and after (right)

Due to Courtney’s diet, she has not eaten vegetables for more than 700 days, or snacks such as butter cubes and raw eggs – something for which she is often criticized.

“People online can’t seem to fathom that I can throw away the veggies and thrive,” the homeschooling mom said.

“It really upsets them to see me going against everything we’ve been told.

‘That 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.

‘I’ve been eating like this for two years. I started because I was tired of feeling sick and tired.

‘I was overweight, depressed, addicted to carbs and sugar, felt lethargic and generally just awful.

“I was willing to try anything to get my life back.”

Since adopting the largely meat-based diet – often dubbed the ‘lion diet’ – the mother of two says she feels like a new woman.

The 39-year-old, who has been branded a ‘meatfluencer’, says she has reaped incredible benefits – including significant weight loss, more energy, no more acne and improvements to her mental health.

She even ate sardines for ten days in an attempt to curb sugar cravings and focus on hunger cues instead of mindless eating.

Courtney, who has 116,000 on Instagram, said: “The biggest [change] would be my mental health.

‘I was able to come off my medication for anxiety and depression. Many people don’t realize that their diet affects their mental health.

‘I’ve had 25 years of acne, lost 50 lbs, no gas or bloating, tons of energy, and generally feel so happy.

“My lab work is great and I am no longer pre-diabetic.”

The mother says the interesting diet has also allowed her to develop a better relationship with food.

She is currently on a ‘sardine fast’, where she eats nothing but sardines for ten days, in an attempt to focus on hunger cues rather than mindless eating – which she says works because she would never eat too many sardines, or would strongly desire to eat them.

Courtney said: ‘A lot of people think you have to be able to eat all foods in moderation to have freedom, but for me that’s not the case.

‘Being free from the hold certain foods had on me was mentally draining and draining. I’d try to moderate, or I’d have one and binge.

Courtney’s diet means she hasn’t eaten vegetables, or snacks like butter cubes and raw eggs, for more than 700 days. In the photo: before (left) and after (right)

Courtney, who has 116,000 on Instagram, said: “The biggest [change] would be my mental health. I was able to stop taking my anti-anxiety and depression medications

“Now you can eat a plate of donuts next to me, and there’s no desire to have one.

‘Knowing that I am a teetotaler, and not a moderator, was life-changing for me.

“Just as an alcoholic cannot moderate his drinking, I cannot moderate my carbohydrate and sugar intake, so I abstain.”

Despite the assumption that it must be an expensive lifestyle, Courtney insists her grocery bill hasn’t changed.

She said: ‘Eating this way can be very cheap.

“Meat and eggs from the supermarket are still very nutritious if someone cannot afford grass-fed beef and pasture-raised eggs.

“If I’m doing it on a budget, I can spend about $7 a day on my food.

“But some days I can spend more depending on budget cuts and if I add extras that are pricey, like egg wraps or meat chips.”

“We spend about $300 a week for a family of four.”