Becoming the Person Who Thrives on Carnivore: Identity-Based Change

by Stacey Bea

Today we’re diving deep into one of the most powerful ideas in habit change, something that changed my life and has changed the lives of so many others.

It comes from James Clear’s bestselling book Atomic Habits.
And if you’ve never read it, or you haven’t picked it up in a while, I highly recommend it. It’s one of the most accessible, practical books ever written about human behavior. (Buy your copy here: https://amzn.to/4a0Pcwb )

But today, we’re taking one of the core concepts from the book — identity-based habits — and applying it directly to your carnivore way of eating.

This is going to be a coaching episode, so get comfortable, settle in, and let’s talk through how to truly become the kind of person who sticks with carnivore… not through force, not through willpower, but through identity.

WHY YOU STRUGGLE IS NOT ABOUT WILLPOWER

Let’s start with this simple truth:

Most people don’t fall off carnivore because of hunger.
They fall off because of identity.

Think about it.

If deep down, you still see yourself as someone who “tries diets,”
or someone who “struggles with food,”
or someone who is “hoping this time is different,”
then every moment of temptation becomes a negotiation.

And negotiation is exhausting.

I want you to imagine two different people:

Person A: “I’m trying to eat carnivore.”

Person B: “I’m a committed carnivore person. This is who I am now.”

Which one has to battle through every restaurant menu?
Which one has to agonize over cravings?
Which one spirals emotionally after a slip?

And which one makes decisions with calm confidence?

It’s not about discipline.
It’s about identity.

One of the biggest breakthroughs you can give yourself is to stop seeing carnivore as something you’re trying…
and start seeing it as something you’re becoming.

JAMES CLEAR’S FRAMEWORK: TWO STEPS TO LASTING CHANGE

James Clear describes identity shift in two simple steps:

1. Decide the type of person you want to become.

2. Prove it to yourself with small, consistent actions — “votes” for that identity.

That’s it.

It sounds simple, but don’t confuse simple with easy.

Let’s talk about that first step.

STEP 1: DECIDE WHO YOU WANT TO BE

Identity-based change starts with a decision — a quiet, private decision that most people never make.

You get to define the type of person you want to become on carnivore.

And I don’t mean a vague affirmation like, “I want to be healthier.”

I mean an identity that feels personal and powerful, something you can grab onto in a moment of challenge.

Let me give you some examples:

• “I am someone who honors my body with simple, healing foods.”

• “I am someone who values clarity and calm over chaos.”

• “I am someone who refuses to negotiate with foods that harm me.”

• “I am a person who takes my healing seriously.”

• “I am someone who chooses strength over impulse.”

• “I am someone who thrives with structure.”

• “I am a committed carnivore.”

Notice what all of these have in common.

They don’t describe what you do.
They describe who you are.

Let me share a simple anecdote.

I once talked to someone who lost over 90 pounds on carnivore. I asked him what changed. He said:

“I stopped telling myself I was someone who was trying to lose weight. I decided I was a person who doesn’t eat things that make me sick. The weight came off almost as a side-effect.”

That is identity.

It’s powerful. It’s stabilizing.
And it shifts everything from willpower to alignment.

STEP 2: PROVE IT WITH SMALL “VOTES”

The second part of James Clear’s framework is the magic: you build your identity through small, consistent actions.

He calls them votes for the type of person you want to become.

Not giant leaps.
Not 30-day streaks.
Not perfection.

Votes.

And the good news?
Votes are tiny.

Here’s what “votes” look like on carnivore:

• Choosing steak instead of snacks — that’s a vote.

• Drinking water instead of reaching for something sweet — vote.

• Meal prepping for the week — vote.

• Deciding not to “just have one” carb because you know where it leads — vote.

• Buying enough meat for the week so you’re not scrambling — vote.

• Packing food for a trip — vote.

• Getting back on plan after a slip — HUGE vote.

Let me share a second anecdote.

A woman told me she used to beat herself up every time she slipped. She’d spiral into shame and guilt.
Then she read Atomic Habits and reframed it:

“Instead of thinking I had ruined everything, I saw it as one vote in the wrong direction. And the moment I made a good choice again, I cast a vote for the identity I actually wanted.”

That shift changed her life.

Identity is not built on perfect streaks.
It’s built on accumulated proof.

THE SINGLE MOST POWERFUL QUESTION YOU CAN ASK YOURSELF

This is the coaching tool I want you to walk away with today.

When you’re standing in front of the fridge…
When you’re staring at a menu…
When you’re tired or emotional or triggered…
When cravings hit…
When old habits whisper to you…

Ask yourself:

“What would the person I want to become do right now?”

Or even more specifically:

“What would a COMMITTED CARNIVORE choose in this moment?”

This one question bypasses emotion.
It bypasses the internal drama.
It bypasses the excuses.
It brings you right back to identity.

Let me give you a real example.

Imagine you’re at a birthday party. There’s cake. Everyone’s eating it.
Your old identity whispers:
“Just one piece. Don’t be weird.”

But your new identity — the one you’re building — asks:
“What would a committed carnivore do?”

Maybe that person has a sparkling water.
Maybe that person steps outside for a breath.
Maybe that person focuses on the conversation rather than the table.
Maybe that person says, “No thanks, I’m good,” with calm confidence.

Identity-based choices aren’t about restriction.
They’re about self-respect.

WHY SMALL WINS MATTER MORE THAN MOTIVATION

Motivation is unreliable.
It rises, it falls, it disappears on the days you need it most.

But identity?
Identity is robust.
Identity is stable.

Motivation says: “I hope I can stick to carnivore today.”

Identity says: “This is who I am now. I eat in a way that heals me.”

Let’s look at some real-life small wins that matter:

• Waking up with less inflammation — that’s your body casting a vote for you.

• Feeling calmer after eating simply — vote.

• Watching your cravings fade over time — vote.

• Noticing mental clarity return — vote.

• Realizing you’re not thinking about food constantly — vote.

• Seeing your skin improve — vote.

• Feeling proud of yourself after a strong day — vote.

• Choosing meat even when no one’s watching — vote.

You can literally feel yourself becoming the person you’re trying to be.

And that feeling — that lived proof — creates motivation more powerful than any pep talk.

CHANGING YOUR INTERNAL SELF-TALK

Identity change isn’t just about actions.
It’s also about language — the way you describe yourself internally.

Let’s play with this for a moment.

Old identity says:
“I can’t have carbs.”

New identity says:
“I don’t eat foods that harm me.”

Old identity says:
“It’s so hard to stick to this.”

New identity says:
“This is the way that makes me feel my best.”

Old identity says:
“I’m scared I’ll slip again.”

New identity says:
“Even if I slip, I return to myself quickly.”

Old identity says:
“I’m trying to eat healthy.”

New identity says:
“I’m becoming strong.”

Can you feel the difference?

Identity changes the emotional energy behind everything you do.

REFRAMING SLIPS WITH IDENTITY

This part is important.

On carnivore, slips happen.
Travel, stress, family events, old habits — life is life.

But here’s what identity-based carnivores understand:

A slip is not a character flaw.
It’s not proof you can’t do this.
It’s simply one vote in the wrong direction.

And the very next choice — the next bite, the next meal — is another vote.

Let me share one more anecdote.

Someone once told me,
“I used to see myself as someone who always screwed up diets. But when I shifted to identity-based thinking, a slip didn’t feel like failure. It felt like a temporary misalignment. And I knew exactly how to realign.”

Powerful.

When your identity is stable, slips don’t derail you — they just redirect you.

USING YOUR FUTURE SELF AS A COACH

One of James Clear’s most underrated points is the idea that identity creates a future version of you to live up to.

When you say,
“I am a committed carnivore…”
you instantly create a standard for yourself.

Not a punishment.
A guiding star.

Here’s a simple exercise you can do:

Picture the version of yourself 6 months from now — inflammation down, cravings gone, head clear, energy up, confidence strong.
Then ask:

“What choices did that version of me make to get here?”

Let that future self coach you.

You’re not following rules.
You’re following yourself, elevated.

HOW TO START TODAY

Let’s bring this home with something practical.

Here are three steps you can take today to build identity around carnivore:

STEP 1: Write down your carnivore identity statement.

Example:
“I am someone who eats simply to feel my best.”
or
“I am someone who chooses healing over cravings.”

Simple. Clean. Powerful.

STEP 2: Focus on one small “vote” today.

Not ten goals.
Just one vote.

That might be:

• preparing your meals

• throwing out trigger foods

• choosing meat at dinner

• drinking water

• going to bed early instead of snacking

One vote is enough to begin.

STEP 3: Ask the identity question when making decisions.

“What would a committed carnivore do?”

That question alone will change your life.

CONCLUSION — STEP INTO THE STRONGEST VERSION OF YOU

Identity-based change is not about perfection.
It’s not about forcing yourself.
It’s not about white-knuckling your way through cravings.

It’s about becoming the type of person who naturally, confidently, and calmly chooses the foods that heal them.

Carnivore isn’t just a diet.
It’s a way of showing up for yourself.
A way of rediscovering clarity.
A way of reconnecting to your strongest self.

And every small action you take — every vote — is another step toward becoming that person.

If you want deeper coaching, support, or community, join one of our support groups:

Until next time —
Keep casting votes.
Keep choosing identity over impulse.
And keep becoming the clearest, strongest version of yourself.