From 35 Years of Dieting to The Accidental Carnivore — Cristie Explains How

In this episode, I sit down with Cristie from Meating Wellness — a fifth-grade teacher, certified health coach, and creator of the Meating Wellness YouTube channel and community.

Cristie spent 35 years trapped in a binge-restrict cycle, trying every diet from her teenage years through age 47. Then in 2020, she accidentally discovered carnivore through a random Facebook group comment and one Doctor Berry video — and ended up documenting a transformation that changed not just her life, but her family's.

Cristie brings a rare perspective to the carnivore conversation: she's not an early adopter who saw the future. She's an accidental experiment. A teacher who's watching metabolic dysfunction show up in 10-year-olds.

A mom whose teenage son's behavior transformed in weeks on a meat-based diet. And someone honest enough to say she's still learning, still experimenting, and building a sustainable life — not a perfect one.

Her story is about what it actually costs to break free from diet culture, and what becomes possible on the other side.

Here's what we cover in the episode:

Cristie's 35-year binge-restrict cycle — from teenage diet culture messaging ("fat makes you fat, thin is in") all the way through age 47

How she accidentally found carnivore in 2020 — a Facebook lurker who saw one comment about Doctor Berry and fell down the rabbit hole that changed everything

The difference between knowing about keto and actually understanding it — and why lack of ideology sometimes works better than perfect knowledge

Her journey from keto to carnivore to her current way of eating — and how the details were the real treatment

What happened to her youngest son when she started cooking meat-based meals — behavioral transformation, self-directed hygiene, stability in weeks

Her older son's zero interest in carnivore — and why she's at peace with modeling instead of pushing

Building Meating Wellness as a private community and health coaching practice — asynchronous coaching for busy people

The mindset shift that made it all sustainable

Why the accidental path sometimes teaches you more than the planned one

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https://www.MeatandMovement.com

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Keep in touch with Kristina:

https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com

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Connect with Cristie here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MeatingWellness

Website: https://www.meatingwellness.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meatingwellness

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meatingwellness

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Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.

00:00 — Intro & Guest Introduction

00:01:14 — Cristie's Accidental Carnivore Story Hook

00:02:06 — The 35-Year Binge-Restrict Cycle (late 80s to age 47)

00:02:41 — Deciding on Keto (Age 47, 2020)

00:04:15 — The Facebook Group & Doctor Berry Discovery

00:04:39 — First YouTube Video That Changed Everything

00:10:00 — First Health Changes & Mental Shifts

00:30:00 — Deep Dive Into Carnivore Protocol & Experiments

00:45:00 — Family Dynamics & Oldest Son's Resistance

00:50:14 — Youngest Son's Behavioral Transformation (the highlight)

00:52:38 — What Youngest Son's Diet Looks Like Now

00:53:48 — Teaching Perspective on Kids' Metabolic Health

00:55:22 — Meating Wellness Community & Health Coaching Offer

00:56:44 — Asynchronous Coaching Model Explanation

00:57:00 — Closing & How to Connect