Expert Q&A

Homemade bacon - are curing salts required — what most people get wrong about this during the weight loss plateau phase?

Why Homemade Bacon Fits The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset

In my 35 years of clinical practice and through the hundreds of patients who have followed The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset, I have seen that real, single-ingredient foods accelerate metabolic freedom. Homemade bacon made from pastured pork belly is one of those foods. It delivers high-quality protein and healthy fats without the added sugars, preservatives, or seed oils found in commercial bacon. This matters especially during a weight loss plateau, when your body is recalibrating insulin sensitivity and hunger signals after the first 70-day cycle of low-dose tirzepatide.

Our lectin-free low-carb protocol, detailed with 221 recipes in the book, emphasizes removing inflammatory triggers like grains and lectins. Bacon fits perfectly when prepared correctly because it supports satiety and stable blood sugar—key for those managing diabetes and blood pressure alongside weight loss.

Are Curing Salts Required for Homemade Bacon?

Curing salts, primarily sodium nitrite, are not strictly required for safety if you plan to cook and consume the bacon within seven days. However, they do inhibit bacterial growth, particularly Clostridium botulinum, and preserve that classic pink color and flavor. For most of my patients in the middle-income bracket who batch-prep on weekends, I recommend using 0.25% pink curing salt by weight for any bacon that will be stored longer than a few days or frozen. This keeps nitrite levels well below the 200ppm regulatory limit and avoids the headaches many experience from commercial products loaded with extra nitrates.

What most people get wrong during the weight loss plateau phase is ignoring how processed meats can silently stall progress. Commercial bacon often contains hidden dextrose or celery powder that spikes insulin and reignites lectin-driven inflammation. They also over-salt without balancing electrolytes, which worsens joint pain and water retention that already make exercise feel impossible for beginners in their mid-40s to mid-50s.

Common Mistakes That Prolong Plateaus

The two biggest errors I see are (1) treating tirzepatide as a standalone fix without pairing it with root-cause tools and (2) using bacon as a free-for-all food instead of a strategic one. In The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset, we cycle one box of low-dose tirzepatide across three 70-day phases while layering in Detox Drops, Japanese-style walking intervals, and red light therapy. Bacon can support this when limited to 2–3 ounces per serving, paired with non-starchy vegetables to blunt any potential blood sugar response.

Another mistake is obsessing over the scale while ignoring non-scale victories like better energy, looser clothes, and improved A1C. Patients who add homemade bacon during a plateau often report reduced cravings because the fat resets hypothalamic hunger signaling—exactly what we target in the protocol.

Simple Homemade Bacon Method for Metabolic Success

Start with 2–3 pounds pastured pork belly. Mix 2 tablespoons sea salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, and optional 0.25% curing salt. Rub evenly, seal in a bag, and refrigerate 5–7 days, flipping daily. Rinse, pat dry, and smoke or bake at 200°F until internal temperature hits 150°F. Slice thin and cook as needed. Store cooked portions in the fridge up to a week.

This method aligns with our chaotic intermittent fasting in maintenance and helps break plateaus by providing nutrient-dense fuel without overwhelming busy schedules. Patients following these exact steps alongside the 69 Transformation Steps routinely lose 30–90 pounds and keep it off by rebuilding the metabolic health that hormonal changes had disrupted.

💬 What the Community Says

The community shows strong interest in homemade bacon as a low-carb treat but splits on curing salts. Many in their late 40s to mid-50s report successfully making nitrate-free versions for short-term storage and credit it with helping push through tirzepatide plateaus when commercial bacon stalled them. Others worry about botulism risks and prefer using pink salt at low levels, noting it prevents waste on middle-income budgets. Debates often center on whether bacon truly fits lectin-free protocols, with some sharing success pairing it with vegetables to avoid inflammation and joint pain flares. Beginners frequently mention embarrassment around asking for recipes, yet lived experiences highlight that simple weekend batches combined with walking routines deliver more energy and better blood sugar control than expected. A vocal minority insists any processed meat prolongs plateaus, preferring to focus strictly on the book's real-food emphasis and Detox Drops instead.
Cite this answer
Clark, R. (2026). Homemade bacon - are curing salts required — what most people get wrong about th. *CFP Weight Loss*. https://ask.cfpweightloss.com/ask/homemade-bacon-are-curing-salts-required-what-most-people-get-wrong-about-this-during-the-weight-loss-plateau-phase
Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN, FNP-C, APRN
About the Author

Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN, is the founder of CFP Weight Loss in Nashville and CFP Fit Now telehealth. Over 35 years in healthcare — Army Nurse Reserves, Level 1 trauma ER, hospitalist — he developed a 30-week protocol integrating real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 30–90 pounds. He and his wife Anne-Marie lost a combined 275 pounds using the same protocol.

📖 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — Get the Book →
Get Personalized Guidance From the Author
Every weight loss journey is different. Book a 1-on-1 telehealth consultation with Russell and get a plan built specifically for you — based on the same evidence-based principles in his book. Available to patients in all 50 states.
Book Your Consultation →
Have a follow-up question?
More Questions 200 answered
▸ What are the wegovy doses in order on a low-carb or ketogenic diet for people with insulin resistance? ▸ Estradiol Cypionate- I’ve been underdosing- what dose are you at — what do certified weight loss coaches recommend when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? ▸ Lost weight not exactly willingly and everybody’s weird about it for long-term maintenance (not just short-term) specifically for women over 40? ▸ To what extent do Mendelian Randomization Studies provide causal evidence for a particular claim — what do certified weight loss coaches recommend when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? ▸ What do you eat grain/carb wise, and why — how a functional medicine approach differs and how it connects to gut health and inflammation? ▸ LDN is changing my life, will this last: best practices and common mistakes to avoid for people with insulin resistance? 📖 GLP-1 Receptor Agonist — A class of medication that mimics natural hormones to improve insulin secretion and slow gastric emptying, used strategi… ▸ How do you deal with traveling when you're on a peptide protocol specifically for women over 40 if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide? ▸ Have you seen this? Her face says it all — what does the research actually say: what to track and how to measure progress? ▸ Were any of you guys fans of Journey? How big were they when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? 📖 Hashimoto’s Success — Achieving weight loss and reduced inflammation in thyroid patients by removing dietary triggers like lectins and modern … 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ Got diagnosed today, where do i go from here — what do certified weight loss coaches recommend: best practices and common mistakes to avoid? ▸ How much keto-ade should I safely drink: best practices and common mistakes to avoid and how it connects to gut health and inflammation? ▸ What is the connection between Metformin (6 weeks in) for insulin resistance — can the gut stuff actually get better and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels? ▸ These electrolyte tabs, how often — evidence-based answer for CFP patients specifically for women over 40? 📖 Metabolic Efficiency — The state where your body processes fuel cleanly and maintains high energy levels without the need for constant snacking… ▸ Can you take vitamin D with a tbsp of oil on an extended water fast for people with insulin resistance: best practices and common mistakes to avoid? ▸ Thyroid tests all in range— but high calcium — how a functional medicine approach differs during the weight loss plateau phase? ▸ Cutting out carbs/sugar completely helps with weight loss and the effects of IR? Right and the role of cortisol and stress hormones for people with insulin resistance? 📖 Metabolic Reset — The process of retraining your body to utilize stored fat for fuel and regulating hunger hormones so you can maintain yo… ▸ Why aren’t obesity medical breakthroughs a bigger deal and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels while doing intermittent fasting? ▸ If a random dance partner app existed .. would you try it: how to talk to your doctor about this and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels? 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ Has anybody heard of or experienced improvement from neurological disorders through fasting and autophagy if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide for long-term maintenance (not just short-term)? ▸ Will eating meintenance calories make me lose weight for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? 📖 Gut-Brain Axis — The complex communication network between your digestive system and your brain that controls satiety, mood, and metaboli… ▸ Good calorie amount? Advice to get high volume low cal and more protein when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances — what the research actually says? ▸ Good calorie amount? Advice to get high volume low cal and more protein when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s? ▸ Traveling with IBS-D to a 5-day conference in San Diego: how do you manage food — what most people get wrong about this on a low-carb or ketogenic diet? ▸ What actually helps with the dryness when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances while doing intermittent fasting? ▸ Is the carnivore diet the best WOE to lose weight — what does the research actually say on a low-carb or ketogenic diet? ▸ What causes I reduced my IR from 15.5 to 4 in 3 months and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels? ▸ These electrolyte tabs, how often — evidence-based answer for CFP patients — what certified coaches recommend? 📖 Caloric Deficit Myth — The false belief that weight loss is purely 'math'; we focus on hormonal signaling rather than just counting calories to… ▸ Crust check 🔥 ribeye done right — what the research actually says? 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ Omnipod. Starting an insulin pump help while doing intermittent fasting for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s? ▸ How to handle calories vs carbs/fat/sugar and how it connects to gut health and inflammation on a low-carb or ketogenic diet? ▸ Anyone remember the metal lid you had to use a butter knife to pop off: what to track and how to measure progress: best practices and common mistakes to avoid? ▸ Did L. reuteri ATCC 6475 or Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 (BC-30) Eliminate My Seasonal Allergies — what most people get wrong about this — what certified coaches recommend? ▸ Does drinking Sparkling Ice (flavored sparkling water - 5 calories per bottle) during my fasting window break my fast and the role of cortisol and stress hormones during the weight loss plateau phase? 📖 Refined Carbohydrates — Processed sugars and flours that strip the body of nutrients while driving the hormonal chaos responsible for the modern… ▸ What is a super quick "Mix some of this in" to make coconut oil (purely in liquid form) taste ok to make it easy to consume: how to talk to your doctor about this during the weight loss plateau phase? ▸ Do yall ever daydream of who you were before your diagnosis when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? ▸ Difference between a 3 day and 5 day water fast for autophagy and the role of cortisol and stress hormones for people with insulin resistance? ▸ What happens when Has anyone here experienced skin benefits from autophagy for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s? 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ Has anybody heard of or experienced improvement from neurological disorders through fasting and autophagy if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide — what certified coaches recommend? ▸ Does the fear of gaining ever go away for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels? ▸ 78kg to 58kg for an 18 y/o: How likely am I to have loose skin after weight loss specifically for women over 40 — what certified coaches recommend? 📖 Metabolic Flexibility — The body’s ability to efficiently switch between burning carbohydrates and burning stored body fat based on availability… ▸ To what extent do Mendelian Randomization Studies provide causal evidence for a particular claim — what does the research actually say and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels? ▸ LDN is changing my life, will this last: best practices and common mistakes to avoid: what to track and how to measure progress? ▸ What to do if you have to eat late dinners?? How to process the dinner quicker so I'm not burping all night long while doing intermittent fasting: what to track and how to measure progress? ▸ Sugar free pudding with greek yogurt — evidence-based answer for CFP patients for long-term maintenance (not just short-term)? 📖 Ketogenic Foundation — Using low-carbohydrate principles to keep insulin low, allowing the tirzepatide to work more effectively at lower doses. ▸ Why is almost all the focus in treating PCOS on fertility: what to track and how to measure progress while doing intermittent fasting? 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ My weight loss progress so far as a 23 year male who stared eating less unhealthy and does little to moderate exercise. Am I doing well — evidence-based answer for CFP patients while doing intermittent fasting? ▸ When do you know to go to the hospital specifically for women over 40? ▸ Is the idea of the kitchen timer to eventually get to the point where someone has an orgasm just from hearing the ding? Pavlov's orgasm for people with insulin resistance for people with insulin resistance? ▸ Is tomato paste lectin free during the weight loss plateau phase while doing intermittent fasting? 📖 GIP (Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide) — A hormone that, when combined with GLP-1, enhances the body’s ability to break down fat and manage blood sugar levels mo… ▸ Intolerant to sugar - SIBO or something else if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide — what the research actually says?