Step off of, and Away from, the Scale

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Step off if it bums you out! Just stick to the plan and pay attention to all the other great benefits!

Step off if it bums you out! Just stick to the plan and pay attention to all the other great benefits!

One can be forgiven for assuming that the success of the ketogenic protocol - or any nutrition plan - is measured by whatever readings show on a bathroom scale. After all, we’re pummeled by mandates, advertisements, and admonishments that overweight is the root of all misery. Our doctors, so-called fitness magazines and countless commercials remind us that losing weight is the ultimate goal, always. Insurance charts, apps, and our own memories of what we weighed on that day back in high school or college or the day we got that great compliment and felt so good about ourselves is attached to a number. A number on a scale.

The thing is, a number on a scale should be the last measure of our success once we start fueling our bodies with the food we were designed to eat. It’s common that after only a few days of following the diet, keeping carbohydrate intake sufficiently low so our liver stops pumping out glucose (sugar) for fuel, allowing our bodies to start burning ketones (fat) for fuel, one may lose a just bit of weight but experience fairly dramatic changes in energy, joint pain and mental acuity. Appetite suppressed, cravings diminished. These are all wonderful things, right?

Right?

So why would we bemoan the oft-repeated theme of ‘I’m so glad to be feeling better but I’ve been doing the ketogenic diet perfectly for two weeks and I’ve only lost five pounds", or something along those lines?

There are so many things wrong with this thought process. Where to start?

For one thing, one wouldn’t say ‘I’ve only gained five pounds in two weeks”. Nope. That would be grounds for doubling up on therapy sessions.

For another, feeling better is the point. Isn’t it? Is there a point in being thin if one feels unwell? I know, I know. In some minds the Wallis Simpson assertion that one “can never be too rich or too thin” may seem true. Then again, the world is full of miserable rich, skinny people. Plus, things didn’t end so well for her.

So, how can feeling better not be enough, at least for a start? I vote that the scale move way down the list as far as success metrics go. Let’s concentrate on being able to stand up from a sofa without groaning from back pain, not needing antacids or afternoon naps just to get through the day. How about being happy about being able to bend over to weed the garden or to sit behind the steering wheel of the car without worrying that our body could be listed as a driving hazard. Or being able to wear our wedding rings after years of seeing them in our jewelry box, sadly missing us. Clothes fitting loser - or fitting at all - and moods regulated from chronic anxiety and depression.

Should all these things not be good enough? Should they not, indeed, be more important than an arbitrary measure on an inanimate object? And why the heck do we allow our days to be ruled, ruined, and wrecked by fluctuations of weights less than a stick of butter? I mean, really.

For some of us, the internal healing our bodies must experience takes time. And is invisible. It’s like a kitchen remodeling project where the contractor finds dry rot and outdated electrical service that needs to be addressed before the new appliances and granite counters can go in. Proper floor joists and correct circuit breakers may not be flashy or sexy but are more important than a stainless steel fridge and under cabinet lighting.

For me, although I had a great deal of weight to lose from my 5’1” frame, the first year I lost forty-seven pounds. That’s less than a pound a week on average. The next fifty-pound loss came over the next two years.

Not exactly Speed Racer territory.

But the way I felt, or perhaps, more importantly the way I no longer felt, meant more to me than any numbers on my Aria scale. And I weighed (and still do) every day. Have done since December 18, 2000. The difference is that, since starting the ketogenic diet, whatever number looks up at me from my bathroom floor has no emotional impact. It’s merely been data. Not destiny.

Let’s live our lives as strong people, not ruled by food. Not confined to aching bodies. Not sitting on the sidelines. No matter what a scale reads.

And, if all else fails, start weighing in British stone? That number would be so much lower! Who wouldn’t like to weigh, like, 8?

At any rate, stick with the protocol. Tune in to the really important changes and improvements. If the scale serves you, use it. If it has the power to bump you out all day, ditch it.

There’s simply too much else to calibrate, commemorate, and celebrate.

Disclaimer: I’m not a medical doctor, researcher or PhD but rather a I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all.  I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to affiliate links, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through those links. Thanks!









Keto Meal Idea: Egg Drop Soup

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There are many good sources where one can find recipes, videos, and photos of food. This blog is not generally one. “Casey is a lazy cook” is an oft-repeated phrase around our house. And, as a rule, my recommendation is to step away from images of food, to recognize that our lives shouldn’t and needn’t revolve around eating. One of the great benefits of the ketogenic diet (burning fat for fuel rather than sugar) is that one’s appetite is naturally suppressed, freeing us from intrusive thoughts of what we’ll eat next. Food is no longer the boss of us. (Hey, that sounds like a catchy slogan for a shirt.)

But ultimately, we do need to eat. So preparation that is fast and straightforward is key, because, you know, lazy.

This soup fits the bill and is really delicious to boot. The ingredients are whatever you like. A little more of this, a bit less of that. The main idea is warm, tasty broth with eggs dribbled in. I usually add scallions and chicken but change it up depending on what I have on hand.

Give it a try!

Here's a quick and easy meal in a bowl. Add or leave out ingredients that you prefer. Basically, this is eggs dribbled in to warm broth. Let the experimenting begin! For more information on the ketogenic diet, see below.

Disclaimer: I’m not a medical doctor, researcher or PhD but rather a I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all.  I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to affiliate links, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through those links. Thanks!







Ketosis and Campfires

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Fuel choices matter.

Fuel choices matter.

I like metaphors and analogies. They help me understand complex things. Just a simple gal, am I.

One that came to me some time ago and which I’ve referenced often in presentations and videos is the campfire. It nicely mirrors - again, in very simple terms - how and why a well-formulated ketogenic diet just works for most people so elegantly and why the protocol is fundamentally different than the poor advice we’ve been given for so long.

Those familiar with camping or utilizing the backyard fire pit or were in the Scouts know that a good fire needs fuel. Duh. Real pros know that not all fuel is created equally when it comes to sustaining an efficient, useful blaze. One can throw all manner of combustibles on the heap and get flame and heat but just because something will burn doesn’t mean it’s a good choice.

The same goes for our bodies and sources for fuel. In the simplest terms, our bodies can burn glucose (sugar) or ketones (fat). The latter is referred to as ‘ketosis’. Actually, it’s not a wholly one-or-the-other thing but is almost so. While our corporeal selves may be able to utilize sugar for our energy requirements - and those who follow the Standard American Diet which is heavy on carbohydrate and light on nutrition are doing so every minute of every day - it may not be the best choice. I dare say, it’s the worst choice for many of us.

An efficient fire needs dense fuel. Oh sure, one can burn dried leaves and pine cones and keep the flame going. But there had better be a boatload - literally - of those leaves and cones around to keep things alight. That fuel burns quickly and soon needs replenishing. Quickly as in every few minutes, so much so that one can find that stoking the fire becomes a full-time job. Better not walk away or get distracted by other responsibilities for too long lest that fire die out. Yes, dried leaves and pine cones will burn but they’re a cheap fuel. Cheap in the sense that one doesn’t get much bang for the buck for all that effort to replenish the fire.

A better choice is a nice, aged hardwood log. A couple of those on the fire and one can step away and tend to other things in life, confident that there will be heat and light for some time to come. Not cheap fuel but, rather, a valuable fuel.

Now imagine that our body, and particularly our brain, are the fire. Fuel is required to keep things functioning. We want our brain to keep the lights on, as it were. And to allow us to move, think, play, fight infection and all the unseen and behind the scenes jobs that go on every moment. And imagine we’ve been trying - in vain - to sustain that fire with the cheap, quickly dissipated fuel of dried leaves and pine cones, or, cheap food. Carbohydrate, to be specific. When we consume carbohydrates in excess of about 20g/day (a good baseline for those following the ketogenic diet) our livers produce glucose (sugar). Or, leaves and pine cones. And just as with the fire, the fast burning, cheap glucose needs to be replenished on a frequent basis.

This is why we can consume a so-called healthy meal and two hours later be roaming the halls of our offices or the mall or attacking our pantry looking for more food. It can make one feel rather… crazed.

But when one reduces carbohydrate intake to a level where the liver is no longer pumping out glucose, the body happily switches to mobilizing ketones (fat) for fuel. And we have plenty of fat on our bodies to take care of energy requirements. And our brain, satisfied with the luscious, nutrient-dense properties of the fat - or the nice, aged hardwood log - no longer needs to scream for more fuel. [BTW, please note that it’s not the consumption of fat through our food that does the trick, but the absence of carbs. Just eat the fat that comes with your choice of protein. Nature already worked out the math for us.]

And we can move on, tending to other things in life for a while.

Look at our body fat as a cord of firewood. Let’s burn that, shall we? I know I started with a big ol’ pile of logs on my ‘back forty’. Now? Not so much.

The moral of the analogy is that cheap fuel is just that: cheap. Let’s get more out of our nutrition by consuming that food which we were almost certainly designed to be. Valuable, dense, slow burning and efficient fuel.

As for an actual fire itself? I like to throw a ribeye on it. Win, win!

Disclaimer: I’m not a medical doctor, researcher or PhD but rather a well-educated, intelligent, highly motivated former fatty. I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my experience with and  understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all. I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to affiliate links, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through those links. Thanks!