Very good question. And here's the thing - my previous diet was, according to the "standard US nutritional advice", absolutely GREAT.

Really, it was way "better" than almost everyone I know.

• I seriously limited meat. I favored chicken a LOT over beef, and when making a recipe, I would do things like cut in half the amount of meat. Or at least, reduce it a little bit. I fully believed the whole thing about using meat as a "condiment".
• loads and loads of whole grains. Rarely anything not whole grain. Ground my own wheat flour from wheat grains at home
• ate tons of "superfoods". Like Chia, Spinach, flax, etc. Turns out that crap is terrible for you.
• NEVER at least for the past ... 7 years or so, did I eat processed junk food. I did have some "junk food", but it was all homemade (cookies, popcorn, etc). And I had to limit that, in order to not gain weight.
• I didn't pig out on carbs, in general. One of my rules at restaurants was to NEVER eat any of the stuff that they brought to the table (bread, usually) before the main meal.
• Not only did I not eat processed junk food in the form of Cheetos, purchased ice cream, etc, I also never ate any junk food in the form of fancy treats from bakeries or anything similar.
• I never ate ANY fried food. That was one of my rules.
• Every meal had lots of fruits and vegetables.
• I weight myself regularly, and was always a healthy weight, and at the low side of a healthy weight. Also exercised regularly - not as much as some, but definitely very regular.
• really avoided saturated fat. Believed in the garbage idea that canola oil and vegetable oil are better than animal fats.

I think that's the gist of it. Previous that the period I'm describing, maybe about past 7 years before carnivore, my eating habits were more "average healthy diet" and not as "extreme".

So when I read the Nina Teicholtz book "The Big Fat Surprise", it was a completely, mind blowing revelation for me. I thought I was doing the best thing ever, turns out my diet was rotten. Way too many carbs, not nearly enough meat and animal fats, and too much veggie/fruit.

Though it was maybe better than what other people were doing, my diet still sucked.

Yes, I'm a true believer in Carnivore. Stay tuned for my post tomorrow.