A Delicious Lesson in Going Too Far
Ladies and gentlemen, gather 'round for a tale of ambition, dairy, and an unhealthy relationship with red meat. A Florida man, let's call him "Beefy Bob," decided to improve his life by embracing the “carnivore” diet—a life path that involves eating a whopping 6-9 pounds of beef, cheese, and whole sticks of butter daily. That's right, pounds. As in the metric system’s way of saying “are you kidding me?” But wait, it gets better. According to reports from JAMA Cardiology (yes, the prestigious medical journal), Bob was in his 40s, felt fantastic, and even claimed his energy levels were through the roof. Who needs vegetables when you can practically slide off a stick of butter, right? Oh, and for the cherry on top, Bob’s weight dropped like a cheap smartphone at a concert. He was clearly winning at life.
Except... not really. Turns out, his cholesterol level wasn’t just a little elevated. It was off the charts—like, off the graph—over 1,000 mg/DL, which is about four times the standard limit for high cholesterol. And, for his trouble, Bob developed a condition called xanthelasma, which, to put it bluntly, are yellow eruptions on his hands, feet, and elbows that scream “I’m an ancient treasure map!” And he got these because his body simply couldn’t keep up with his toxic relationship with butter. So much for the mental clarity, huh?
Here’s the thing: Bob didn’t wake up one day and say, “I’ll consume my body weight in cheese and butter to feel better.” No, Bob was just optimistic enough to think that a diet of primarily meat (and, apparently, cheese that doesn’t even deserve the dignity of being called “cheese,” because it was just a giant block of fat) could solve all his life’s problems. And he went for it, full throttle.
But this is where things get fascinating—and where you, as a writer, should really pay attention. See, Bob wasn’t a crazy person for thinking a diet of meat might improve his life. In fact, the “carnivore” diet has a small, but very vocal following. It’s not entirely unreasonable to think that eating only beef and cheese might work for some people. But here's the catch: characters in fiction often begin with what seems like a reasonable idea and go completely off the rails, to astonishing results. Bob didn’t just “cut back” on carbs. No, no, no. He consumed an obscene amount of meat and butter. He took his “good idea” and slapped a turbo engine on it, then decided that more was always better.
This is a writer’s dream.
The Real World Plot Twist: People Take Things Too Far
If you’re crafting a character whose decision leads them down an absurd path, Bob here provides a blueprint for how to take a relatively sane idea and turn it into something monumentally ridiculous. Maybe your character decides to improve their life, and they think they’ve discovered a magical shortcut. They might take on a new diet, or start a new project, but just as Bob showed us, people have this insane ability to take something reasonable and flip it into something that makes the rest of us say, “How did we get here?”
Think about it. What if your character was a spurned boyfriend, trying to win back the love of his life? So, he takes a hard look in the mirror and thinks, “I need to improve myself to get her back.” Now, that’s a perfectly reasonable idea. But let’s just say he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. So, he decides the best way to win her back is by signing up for a super intense fitness regimen. Maybe he spends hours each day lifting weights, or (in his misguided genius) he develops an eating regimen of strictly yak cheese. He starts getting these weird yellow spots on his skin. Why? Because, hey, it’s not the most balanced approach to self-improvement. And he takes it too far. Suddenly, he’s eating an entire wheel of yak cheese for breakfast and wondering why his friends are staring at him like he’s an alien.
That’s the kind of thing you can’t predict. And as a writer, you don’t need to. The plot twist is right there in the mess—the way a seemingly innocent decision spirals into complete chaos.
Advice for Writers: Beware of Your Character’s Really Good Ideas
Here’s your takeaway from Beefy Bob’s saga: Don’t underestimate the power of a character making a relatively reasonable decision, then taking it so far that it becomes absurd. When you’re plotting, remember that even the most well-intentioned character can make choices that snowball. It’s not about crafting some wild, outlandish idea—your character is probably already thinking of something that seems logical to them. But then, bam, they go too far. This is where your writing gets deliciously interesting.
Also, remember to let the real world surprise you. Life has an uncanny way of throwing plot twists right in our faces, and when it does, it’s often a moment of pure absurdity. This Florida man didn’t plan on nearly killing himself with cheese and butter. He thought he was making a positive change. But here we are—staring at a hospital bed with yellow eruptions as a result of too much dairy. And as writers, you can absolutely draw inspiration from that. The unexpected is where the magic happens.
In the end, Bob’s story is both a warning and a comic opportunity. So, as you write your next character—who, by the way, will surely make some very human mistakes—ask yourself: How could they take this perfectly reasonable idea and turn it into something wildly, explosively, spectacularly out of hand? It’s a goldmine for humor, drama, and the perfect plot twist.
And, hey, for Bob, we can only hope he learned a valuable lesson: fat, fat and ummmm more fat—not the key to enlightenment.
The Snark
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