Return to Keto (Maybe Yet Another?)
/Weight Loss Fluctuations (12.30.24 to 1.5.25)
If you're reading this, you have survived another end-of-year holiday season. Congratulations!
Now that we have a fresh calendar staring at us judgmentally, how are things going? Is January squinting at you as if to say, "Well, well. Here we are again. Three hundred sixty-five days loom ahead. What are you gonna do THIS time?" Are we on a positive trajectory, having made good decisions regarding food, or is it time for a restart? Again? If the latter, give yourself some grace, shrug it off, and know that you're not alone. We've all been there. I certainly have. At the same time, we must find a balance between cutting ourselves a break and holding our feet to the fire, which is no easy trick.
How do we move the needle to the positive as we tackle reconciling our legitimate need for nourishment against our sometimes disordered thinking about food? What's the button that needs pushing to catapult us away from being preoccupied with our weight, health, and even our sense of self-worth and to a place where food is where it belongs, namely, something we require for fuel and not the boss of us?
BEYOND KETO (with Casey)
There is no such button, as far as I know. And no magic wand wielded by a Fairy Carb Mother who can clunk us on our noggin, obliterating intrusive thoughts of popcorn, chips, ice cream, M&Ms, or whatever one's particular monster is. If only!
PHoTO CREDIT: Casey Durango
What may resemble a cyborg above is me wearing an LED facial mask. The company sent it to me in hopes that I would publish a review of it. I advised that I wouldn't commit to a positive review but wouldn't publish a negative one. I'm not recommending or advising against using such a device. I feature this only as another aspect of me going 'beyond keto.' I've never fretted too much about things like beauty tools and such. While wrinkles and sags aren't things I love about aging, I accept that growing older is a privilege. The improved health and happiness I've experienced from following the ketogenic protocol can provide for that privilege.
My 'beyond keto' point is that wanting our outsides to reflect better how we feel inside is something we can embrace. I haven't had cosmetic procedures, and my skin routine consists mainly of using baking soda as a face scrub, Vasoline® as a moisturizer, and an occasional swipe of homemade cream of coconut oil, olive oil, and a bit of beeswax. But even these minimal 'interventions' were more than I bothered with in the old days when I felt it was a waste of time. The phrase 'lipstick on a pig' came to mind. I no longer feel that way. I'm not trying to stop time—as if I could—but I now embrace caring for myself in ways that suit me. (BTW, the mask feels nice when worn, but I don't know if it made a difference in my skin. I soon forgot that I had it. Maybe I'll pull it out of the drawer and give it another go. It couldn't hurt, right?)
The way I changed my ways, foodwise, was to stop thinking about what I would need to do for the rest of the year or the rest of my life. Not even for the rest of the week. I was at a place where I felt disgusted with myself. I was fat and had been for years. My joints ached. My spirit ached. I had faced so many Januarys, not with renewed resolve and energy, but with the damning realization that, once again, I made choices that left me feeling worse when all I wanted was to feel better. It was several days into January of 2014 when I began to right my ship, so to speak—my heavy, spherical, depressed ship. I had known since my days at university that low-carb worked for me. Midway through my sophomore year, I gained about twelve or thirteen pounds. I got a copy of Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution, read as far as the instructions on how to follow the induction period, laid off the carbs, lost the weight, and tossed the book. For the next few years, I remained my petite self. When I did start gaining weight (the second of my three pregnancies was a doozy, and I put on sixty pounds and lost roughly zero pounds after) I would sporadically return to what had worked in college.
However, I rarely stuck to the program for more than a few weeks. Once, in the early 2000s, I returned to low-carb and lost about thirty pounds. (At my heaviest, I was 115.5 pounds heavier than I am these days.) Then, "life came at me."
Ugh. That is such a trite and overused excuse for making choices against our self-interest. It's an excuse I've about worn out over the decades.
So, I decided that a bagel would fix things. It didn't. Nor did the next three I ate at that sitting, nor did the mashed potatoes or tortilla chips. Nope. All that self-medicating served only to put the weight back and on and to do so in short order. And I still had cancer. (That's a story for another day.)
Yes, I've had several 'at bats' at laying off carbs. Many January's. Loads of Mondays. Countless 'after xyz is over' promises to myself. One thing that was different that morning in 2014, sitting at the breakfast bar in our kitchen, wondering if living another thirty years or so was something I wanted if doing so meant feeling the way I did—probably getting worse—was that I decided to take things one moment, one decision, one mouthful at a time. Telling myself I couldn't go the rest of my life without tortilla chips had been a self-fulfilling prophecy. So, that morning, I told myself I would set my sights on laying off carbs the next time I ate. That was it. I just focused on that next time, not on forever and a day. I did that for several 'next time I eat' moments. This incremental approach to a previously overwhelming challenge worked for me.
Let's face it: we can resist anything for five minutes—except breathing. And we can do anything for five minutes—except hold our breath. So instead of every January, every Monday, or after every xyz event, let's act like success is only five minutes away.
Starting now.
If I can do this, you can do this. I promise.
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical doctor, researcher, or Ph.D., but instead, 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!
