Keto and Analysis Paralysis

All the noise, noise, NOISE!! Make it stop!! (Oh, the humanity!) 😱

I'm reading Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink," a book about how quick, almost knee-jerk reactions and decisions are often the best ones to make and that sometimes more information leads us to poorer decisions than if we kept things simple. Some of the examples he provides—ranging from war games to antiquities authentications to buying jam in a farmer's market stall—explain how we can quickly get side-tracked by gathering ALL the information we can when a couple of salient facts are all that is needed. Sometimes more data or options distract us from what needs doing and which choices are best.

I read books on many topics, and this one has nothing to do with nutrition or eating habits. But I realized how the examples and studies Mr. Gladwell cites speak perfectly to some things I notice when talking to people when they start the ketogenic protocol. While keto is simple, many of us clutter things up by seeking information, suggestions, and input from as many sources as possible. Some people insist they "must understand how it all works" before implementing a change in their diet, or their life, for that matter. This attitude has always seemed like a stalling tactic. I don't know how my tv control works. I just need to know which buttons to press to get results.

Anywho, the problem with all that fact-finding is that (1) some people in the keto-sphere aren't providing facts. They say the opposite of what is true trying to sell something, and (2) we can become overwhelmed by too many voices and too much noise.

The protocol is straightforward: Keep your carbohydrate intake to 20/g per day or fewer (that's total carbs, not net carbs); if it's not on Page 4, don't eat it (but a list isn't necessary: eat fatty sources of protein, limited amounts of non-starchy vegetables and limited amounts of full-fat dairy); don't eat if you're not hungry; stop eating when satiated.

That's it.

Some recommend micro-managing how many grams of protein and fat to consume (I never have), will insist on restricting the time of day to eat (I don't), and that percentages of macronutrients must be monitored and regulated (nope). Oh, and if you just buy their "keto" kit, meal plan, supplements, and shakes, you can succeed.

You do what works for you, but all that is tosh as far as I'm concerned.

Unfortunately, many people get confused by the drone of recommendations. Worse, some become demoralized. The constant buzz about keto can make us a bit crazy, like a virtual "Taos Hum," planting conflicting advice in our ears:

"Eat at least 200 grams of fat every day! You must eat fat to burn fat!" (false)

"At least 7 cups of leafy greens every day or your liver will suffer" (ditto: false)

"Eat anything you want as long as you combine raw protein, cooked grains, bee pollen, and kombucha at noon every day!" (Ok, I made that one up, but don't be surprised if you hear it.)

When faced with too many choices, we sometimes default to the easy one: doing nothing—limiting our sources to a few rather than a lot may serve us better. Doing something to improve our health and lives and simply feeling more in control is preferable to the status quo.

Take a break from the Keto Cacophony. Keep things simple. And, like my mugs and shirts read: "Lay off the Carbs and Lay off the Excuses."

(BTW, I won't ever shill food products, supplements, or such, but I'll sell you a mug all day long! 😉)


Getting to the Core of Things (and the arms, legs, back and shoulder)

my fancy new scale. so much data!

A few days into 2014, I found myself in a dreary state of mind. I’ve written about this before, but suffice to say that I was not a happy camper. While my life has always been pretty great and was then, the world inside my head was dismal. I was in my mid-fifties and had been morbidly obese for much of the preceding thirty years. Yes, that means that from my twenties to my fifties, I was fat. That day in 2014, I changed the food I ate and lost 97.4 pounds. Simply put, I laid off the carbs. I continue to do so and I've been weight-stable for over five years. My life could scarcely be more different than it was that long ago Wednesday morning. I left a decades-long career and dove into the unknown. I couldn't have invented what I do now, getting to speak to people from all over the world, to hear their stories, to hope that my story may ring true with others and that they can feel better and be healthier. The goings-on inside my head now matches the beautiful life with which I've been blessed.

So, what's next?

That question has sprung up several times over the last few years. I have traveled the same stages of life that most of us do. Raise children/release them. Navigate marriage/try to avoid killing each other. Enjoy a youthful body/kiss it goodbye. Now, though, I'm in what I can only describe as a fine-tuning stage of my life. Health, emotional happiness, security, stability. Check, check, check, and checkarooni. What I am after now is strength. I have emotional strength. I want a strong body.

To that end, I am diving deeper into something I've been doing for some time: increasing core strength via resistance training. I wrote long ago about exercise and how it "was time." And it was. I've been at it, in various incarnations for years now. (Of course, I went the 'move more, eat less' route for the entirety of my overweight years. Take a gander at the Before Photos tab on this space, and you'll see what a round person in triathlon kit looks like—and how unhappy she looked, to boot.)q

No, this time, I'm honing in on body composition, not working out to lose weight. (That has pretty much always been a losing proposition, anyway). I want more increase the lean, decrease the fat. I work out every weekday on my Total Gym, each session focusing on a major muscle movement group. For those interested, my current regimen is:

  • Mondays - legs

  • Tuesdays - chest & shoulders

  • Wednesdays - core

  • Thursdays - arms (the hardest!)

  • Fridays - back

There is a snazzy scale many doctors and clinics use for measuring various components of weight. It employs bioelecrical impedance analysis to measure body composition: skeletal muscle mass (yay!), body fat mass (boo!), body fat percentage (also, boo), BMI, and BMR (basal metabolic rate, or the approximate number of calories required if one just sits all day—which I used to do a LOT!) I've invested in the consumer version of that scale. Several weeks ago, I stepped on it for the first time, followed the instructions, and recorded the results. This set of numbers gave me a baseline. Every Saturday morning since, I've repeated the process, logging the figures on a spreadsheet with accompanying charts.

from 2.12.2022. fat mass (the yellow line) is trending upward based on the previous six weeks data while skeletal muscle mass trends lower. 😕

I'm truly curious to see what happens. I've decided to share the charts for skeletal muscle mass and body fat mass here and will post weekly updates, warts an' all. I won't share the actual numbers. (I'm scrupulous about not sharing my weight in any way, not wanting someone to think they should weigh as much or as little as I. Knowing how many pounds of lean mass and fat mass may allow math whizzes to calculate my weight. My Lovely Mate doesn't even know that number!) At this point, I'm more interested in the trend-lines from the data than the numbers themselves.

from 2.26.2022. fat mass) is trending downward. skeletal muscle mass trends higher. 💪

So far, I’m pleased. I designed the charts to reflect the answer to the question, ‘if the next six weeks were like the past six weeks, what would the number be? You can see the a couple of weeks ago that answer showed body fat mass trending higher than skeletal muscle mass. No es bueno. But, as of the past Saturday, the trend-lines are reversed. ¡Muy bueno!

There's no telling how things may change or if they will at all. I'm glad to have specifics to track, happy for a new spreadsheet opportunity, and hopeful that, going forward, there is as much left for me to learn about myself, my capabilities, and my potential as laid ahead of me that morning in 2014 when I thought the best was behind me.

Boy, howdy, was I wrong.


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!



Staying on the Keto Wagon

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In my private support group on Patreon, members can access a "topic suggestion spreadsheet" and—you guessed—suggest topics for the short videos I record every weekday morning. (After over 850 of these "snippets," it helps to have input about subjects people want to hear!)

One recent submission was from a who advised they kept "falling off the wagon" after about ten days following the ketogenic protocol. They had, in the past, successfully followed the diet. They lost weight, felt great, and all the good things that can come when one lays off carbs. But there was some back-sliding with the predictable results: weight gain, joint pain return, generally feeling lousy. But this time around, staying on track seemed more challenging. In their words:

"Hello, Casey. I have been restarting every 10 days since the beginning of November. I have done keto well and have lost 50 pounds in the past (several times), and now, as I'm older, I feel like I keep falling off the wagon. I cannot get away with anything - I can't have caffeine (can't tolerate it anymore), etc., and I gain weight super fast now. I have just been in a bit of a rut for several months where I start to get back on board, start losing, and then ten days in - I lose focus or something. I guess I'm wondering about being able to really establish this habit ... since I keep getting off course at the 10 to 14-day mark. Thank you!"

A conversation I had just had with another patron inspired my response. During a one-on-one session, they shared with me a point made by a medical professional who cautioned against using phrases like, "I fell off the wagon." That is a passive way of diminishing our responsibilities for our choices. Let's face it—we don't fall off the proverbial wagon: we jump. One of the few things over which we have control is what we decide to put in our mouths. Absent someone force-feeding us, it is our forks in our hands which we raise to our pie-holes.

It may sound harsh, the idea that we are powerless in the face of food. But, c'mon, y'all. After all, we've been through in our lives, as varied as our histories are, do we want to peddle the idea that we are helpless in the presence of cheese puffs, that chocolate bunnies staring at us with their creepy eyes render us defenseless? Are fries omnipotent?

No way! No matter our age, gender, or stage of life, we've been through harrowing things. We've buried loved ones, lost homes to bankruptcy, had partners betray us. People have broken our hearts. We've endured terrifying diagnoses and even scarier treatments. But we crumble when presented with a muffin?

Please know that I used all the mental dodges back in the day. I didn’t do myself any favors. Just the opposite. Look at my before photos to see where self-delusion got me.

"I’m stronger than a cookie" is one of the best-selling slogans on my teespring shop. It's on stickers, shirts, mugs. I bought a shirt myself. And what does that have to do with staying on the wagon? It comes back to what we tell ourselves. Words matter. And those we say to ourselves matter the most. We don't fall, and no one has the power to push us. We decide (whether we want to own that fact or not.)

A suggestion I made was to, first, stop repeating in their head how they’ve failed before. Replace it with affirmations, replacing negative with positive thoughts: I will stay on track for 11 days. Then devise a visual reinforcement for those 10 days. It can be marks on a calendar, post-it notes with numbers 1-11 on them, 11 marbles moved from one to jar another. Whatever inspires. Then, after getting to day 11 successfully, do it again. Soon, there will be weeks of success stacked up. And it becomes easier and easier.

We are strong. We have survived. We choose.

Now, stay on that wagon and enjoy the ride. The view is great from up there.


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!