How many calories to eat on a carnivore?

December 12, 2025 •

4 min read

While many carnivore diet proponents don't track calories, relying instead on satiety cues, a structured approach can benefit specific goals. The question of how many calories to eat on a carnivore diet depends entirely on your personal health objectives.

Quick Summary

Calorie needs on a carnivore diet vary based on individual goals like weight loss or muscle gain, with many followers opting for intuitive eating. Balancing high fat and protein intake is key, and specific formulas can help those tracking for targeted results.

Key Points

Intuitive Eating: Many carnivores rely on high satiety from animal fats and proteins to eat until full rather than strictly counting calories.
Calorie Guidance for Goals: For targeted weight loss or gain, use formulas like 10-12 calories per pound for loss or 17-20+ calories for gain as a starting point.
High-Fat Dominance: To maintain energy on a carb-free diet, a high intake of fat is crucial, with many aiming for 70-80% of total calories from fat.
Increase Calories Strategically: To gain weight, choose fattier cuts of meat, incorporate nutrient-dense organ meats, and add animal fats like butter or tallow.
Decrease Calories Consciously: For weight loss, opt for leaner meat cuts, limit additional cooking fats, and reduce dairy consumption, which can be calorically dense.
Listen to Your Body: The most important rule is to pay attention to your body's hunger, satiety, and energy signals to find the right balance for your unique needs.

Intuitive Eating: The Carnivore Default

For many on a carnivore diet, the emphasis shifts away from strict calorie counting to a more intuitive eating pattern. The very nature of consuming only animal products, which are high in protein and fat, promotes a strong sense of satiety. This means you feel full and satisfied for longer periods, naturally reducing your overall calorie intake without constant tracking. The stability in blood sugar levels that often occurs on this diet also helps eliminate cravings and emotional eating, making it easier to listen to your body’s true hunger signals. This intuitive approach simplifies the eating process and aligns with the diet's focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods.

When Calorie Counting Becomes Necessary

While intuitive eating works for many, some individuals may need to monitor their caloric intake more closely, especially when a plateau is reached or specific body composition goals are desired. Tracking calories can be a valuable tool for those with clear objectives, such as accelerated weight loss or muscle building. Instead of guessing, a calculated approach removes the guesswork and provides a clear roadmap for achieving your targets. Some find it useful to track for a short period to get a baseline understanding before returning to intuitive eating.

The Carnivore Diet Calorie Calculation Formulas

For those who choose to calculate, a simple per-pound formula can serve as a practical starting point, with adjustments made for activity level and personal response.

Weight Loss: 10-12 calories per pound of body weight. For example, a 180-pound person aiming for fat loss would target 1,800-2,160 calories per day.
Maintenance: 15-16 calories per pound of body weight.
Muscle Gain/Strength Training: 17-20+ calories per pound of body weight, or more depending on training intensity.

Balancing Your Macronutrients

On a carnivore diet, your macronutrient intake consists almost entirely of fat and protein. The ratio between these two is critical for meeting your energy needs and achieving goals. For many, a higher fat intake is necessary to provide adequate fuel in the absence of carbohydrates. Common macro ratios are approximately 70-80% of calories from fat and 20-30% from protein, mirroring the approach of a ketogenic diet. Fat is highly calorically dense, providing 9 calories per gram compared to 4 calories per gram for protein.

Optimizing Your Fat-to-Protein Ratio

Based on your goals, you can adjust your ratio of fat to protein:

To Increase Caloric Intake (for weight gain or muscle building):

Choose fattier cuts of meat, such as ribeye steak, pork belly, or 80/20 ground beef.
Incorporate more energy-dense organ meats like liver.
Add extra animal fats, including butter, ghee, or tallow, to your meals.
Consider drinking your calories, such as blending bone broth with added fat.

To Decrease Caloric Intake (for weight loss):

Opt for leaner cuts of meat, including sirloin steak, chicken breast, or white fish.
Limit the use of added fats like butter or tallow.
Reduce or eliminate dairy products like cheese and heavy cream, which are high in calories.

Carnivore Calorie Goals at a Glance


Goal	Target Calories per Pound of Body Weight	Sample for 180 lb Person	Key Macronutrient Strategy
Weight Loss	10-12 calories	1,800-2,160 calories	Prioritize leaner cuts and reduce added fats.
Maintenance	15-16 calories	2,700-2,880 calories	Balance fattier and leaner meats to maintain current weight.
Muscle Gain	17-20+ calories	3,060-3,600+ calories	Focus on fattier cuts, organ meats, and ample added fats to achieve a surplus.

Quality of Food over Quantity

While managing your calories can be helpful, focusing on the quality of your food is paramount for achieving optimal health benefits. Choosing organic, grass-fed, and wild-caught meats ensures you get the most nutrient-dense options possible. This approach supports not only your caloric needs but also provides essential vitamins and minerals without relying on supplements. The source and preparation of your animal foods directly influence your body's response, making quality a priority over merely hitting a calorie target.

Conclusion: Finding the Right Balance

Ultimately, figuring out how many calories to eat on a carnivore diet involves a blend of intuition and targeted calculation, based on your specific health goals. Many find success by listening to their body's innate hunger and satiety signals, which are often more reliable on this highly satiating diet. For those seeking more precise control over their weight or body composition, using a calorie-per-pound formula provides a strategic starting point. Whether you choose to count or not, focusing on nutrient-dense, high-quality animal fats and proteins will be the key to a sustainable and successful carnivore journey. For more resources on optimizing your carnivore journey, sites like Carnivore Snax offer additional insights and products.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, you do not need to strictly count calories on a carnivore diet. Many proponents advocate for intuitive eating, as the high protein and fat content of animal products promote increased satiety, leading to natural appetite regulation.

A good starting point depends on your goals. For weight loss, aim for 10-12 calories per pound of body weight. For maintenance, target 15-16 calories per pound, and for muscle gain, look at 17-20+ calories per pound.

A typical ratio for sustaining energy and maintaining ketosis is around 70-80% of calories from fat and 20-30% from protein. However, this can be adjusted based on personal tolerance and specific body composition goals.

To increase calories, incorporate fattier cuts of meat like ribeye or pork belly, add extra animal fats such as tallow or butter to meals, and consume calorie-dense organ meats.

If weight loss stalls, consider more closely monitoring your intake, as you might be overeating calorie-dense foods like added fats or dairy. Focus on leaner cuts and listen more carefully to your hunger cues.

Your activity level significantly impacts your calorie requirements. The more active you are, the higher your caloric needs will be to fuel your body. Formulas based on weight should be adjusted with a multiplier based on your exercise frequency.

Fat is crucial on the carnivore diet because it becomes your body's primary energy source in the absence of carbohydrates. It provides stable, sustained energy, supports brain and hormone function, and promotes satiety to prevent overeating.