Success on Keto. (Spoiler Alert: It's Not Just About the Food)

When the topic is diet, weight loss, improved health, decreased girth, it makes sense to start with food choices. Which foods and how much? And since there are so many different approaches, voices and vested interests besieging us with one sure-fire answer only to be countered by another voice or vested interest assuring us the solution is antithetical to the first, it’s understandable that some guidance may help.

We’ve been told: Shun fat. Move more, eat less. Eat only raw food. Meat is evil. Fat is good. Everything in moderation. Whole grains are essential. Vegetables are unlimited. Juice your vegetables! Juice your raw vegetables! Juice your raw vegetables and throw some grains in there! And, while you’re at it… move more!

Yikes.

Personally, I tried just about all of the above. I mostly grew more overweight and definitely became progressively more unhappy with myself.

This was me in a futile attempt to follow a low-fat diet, to move more and eat less. A triathlon, no less. Obviously not the right formula for me.

Then, not wanting to take insulin for Type 2 Diabetes, which was imminent, I discovered the ketogenic diet. It wasn’t even called that in the mainstream in 2014 when I first learned of it. It was a very low carb diet, with which I was familiar and had been since 1977 when I was in college. But the time was ripe for me to revisit the simple approach of keeping my carbohydrate intake to 20g/day or fewer and enjoying the rest of the the food world had to offer. The protocol does, of course, start with the food. You can see the list I follow as well as the official list from Dr. Eric Westman here. And it is indeed important to learn what’s what when it comes to non-starchy vegetables, reassurance that eggs and their yokes are fine as is poultry with the skin, etc.,

But in truth, the food is the easy part. It really is. Again, it’s pretty much fatty sources of protein, some veggies, and a bit of full-fat dairy. It’s not a steep learning curve. (It’s the UN-learning of misinformation that’s the trick)

Where the challenge comes is in dealing with all the issues we have been avoiding for years. Some are bruises from our childhood, the careless or sometimes flat out mean comments of our family, friends, and strangers. Maybe ones greatest pain point is never feeling quite attractive, accepted, never good enough. And while we may have told ourselves that we used food to cope with a bad relationship, rotten job, too little money, ungrateful children, aloof spouse, deaths of loved ones or just because it’s Tuesday, the truth is, of course, that we used food to not cope with any of those things but rather to deflect coping. To kick the issue down the road. And once we implement the ketogenic diet as designed and start burning fat for fuel, our hunger diminishes, appetite is suppressed and thoughts of food stop filling every hour of every day. (My “Food is not the Boss of Me” is the best selling item of S.W.A.G. on this site).

So, now what? Does this mean we have to deal with all those multitudes of issues, challenges, demons, and ghosts and we have to do it food sober?

Yup. That’s what it means. Bad day? Food won’t fix it. Fight with your partner? Contrary to what Madison Avenue would have us believe, neither Ben nor Jerry can come to the rescue. And thinking we can eat our way out of grief simply leads to more grief.

The food is the easy part. When I speak with people one on one or during group sessions with my patrons, we almost never talk about food. Conversations about how we used to run away from the world as if we were disqualified from living our own lives because we were overweight or how, after years of trying to medicate away pain and illness, good health is returning and prescriptions are being left in the dust. Stories of victory and hope and returning vigor. And sometimes how to deal with an ornery boss or unsupportive partner.

But not about food.

Perhaps one reason so many people feel confounded by the ketogenic diet is not that it’s complicated, because it isn’t, but rather that it’s easier to believe it’s too difficult to implement than to face the reality of reality and to do so without a bag of chips behind which to hide.

But we all can do it. If I can, you can. Promise.

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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!

Cravings on Keto

There are certain topics that elicit frequent questions from people who have embarked on or are merely contemplating the ketogenic diet. Common subjects of concern or inquiry include questions regarding impacts on cholesterol, losing hair, gaining skin folds, or how to replace a favorite aunt’s recipe for strudel. Another recurring question is one that came to me recently from a reader of this blog. She put things very succinctly:

I just don’t understand how to stop the cravings?? It’s such a daily struggle!! How long did it take you to conquer this feeling??

The idea that we have - and are sometimes powerless against - cravings (a notion that food manufacturers are pleased to reinforce) is so entrenched in our psyches that we don’t question it. It’s a given: I crave, ergo, I must consume. Those who haven’t incorporated this notion into their daily lives are singular souls indeed. And I was not one of those rare folks.

That was, at least, until becoming ‘food sober’ gave me a different and, dare I write, clearer mind about some of our assumptions regarding where food has ranked in our lives as compared to where it should rank. Let’s face it, food has led us around as if we were little cockapoos and it was our haughty owner.

The question posed above led to a couple of immediate thoughts in my mind. One is that no one ever died from a food craving. Really, REALLY wanting a particular food is not fatal, nor an actual emergency. (Sorry but, “get me a danish and nobody gets hurt” has lost its humor when Type 2 Diabetes is a growth industry for pharmaceutical companies and many of us can barely squeeze behind the steering wheel of our cars.) The good news is, we can break out from the yoke of cravings and they need no longer be in the driver seat.

First and foremost, we need to recognize that sometimes when we ‘crave’ a food, it might be that we are habituated to eat it. If every day after work there is a ritual of putting down the house keys, placing the briefcase or purse on the table, heading for the fishbowl of cookies on the counter, grabbing a couple to eat (mindlessly) whilst sorting through the mail, we may think we are craving cookies if that schedule is disrupted and we’re not at home but caught in traffic. “Man, I really want a cookie!”, percolates up into our thoughts as we sit in the car. That’s more like a circadian rhythm. You always have a couple of cookies right about now. But let’s be logical about it, cookies aren’t going to do us any good, no matter when or why we usually eat them.

Second, we don’t crave what we don’t eat. Those of us who didn’t grow up on a steady diet of squid probably aren’t pining for it on a regular basis. So the trick is to stop eating the foods we tend to crave.

One of the aspects of a well-formulated ketogenic diet is that, when carbohydrate intake is reduced sufficiently, our hunger and appetite are naturally suppressed. (It really is true, I promise) Thus, we eat less. And we don’t crave what we don’t eat. It may take a few days, but it works. Physiologically, that is. If we are bound and determined to allow some foodstuff to lord over us, then that’s a conversation one needs to have with oneself. And part of that conversation needs to include advice to ‘get a grip’. A craving is not directly connected to our central nervous system. There’s no involuntary reflex of lifting a hand to mouth in response the ‘I want some fries’ craving stimulus. Eating is still a behavior. One which we can control. It’s just so much easier to do so when one is burning fat for fuel rather than burning glucose.

In short, keeping carbohydrate intake to 20g/day or fewer (total carbs, not net), eating fatty sources of protein, not eating if not hungry and stopping when satiated will get you where you want to be, craving-wise, in short order.  

There may still be work to be done in the behavior department, but even that is easier to face when not having to swat away intrusive thoughts of food.

The protocol is legit. It is simple. It is safe. And you’re stronger than a cookie.

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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!

Step off of, and Away from, the Scale

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.

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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!