January. The Cruelest Month? Or Just the Weirdest?

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Something weird is going on with me. Or inside me. Or maybe something is going on with the rest of the universe and it's just showing up on my scale. Because that's a thing, right? The universe conspires to consternate us, or at least me, and edge my weight up for no discernible reason. Again.

Don't misunderstand. I'm happy and content with my weight. Let me type that again. .... I'm happy and content with my weight. This is no small thing for a woman who has been unhappily overweight for over 30 years. But having started following the ketogenic diet and successfully losing more weight than I ever allowed myself to believe was possible, I'm in a good place.

My scale? It's in a weird place. Success of any sort is never without turns in the road, challenges and surprises. And even as my weight has come slowly, gradually and steadily down, it has ticked up, then down, then up, then lingered in one place. This is the life cycle of weight loss.

Over the last week or so, though, has been more 'not a straight downward trajectory' than usual. This got me to wondering. I'm in ketosis. My blood sugar is perfect. No foods not on the allowed list (except some ill-advised packets of cashews. Wrong, wrong, wrong.) But in general, I've been doing what I've done all along. So what gives?

Thank goodness I have what must be the longest running daily weight log in the surrounding seven counties. I looked back at the last time I had an unexplained weight gain after having reached a new low. Turns out it was this exact time last year. January. Could be a coinkeedink. Could be seasonal. Or could be the universe messing with me. 'Cause the universe has nothing better to do these days...

Moral of the story? If your weight loss or whatever goals you have are challenged, step back and analyze why. You owe it to yourself to not give up. Keep on keeping on, to cite a worn out phrase. Keep the faith, to repeat a more spiritual ad soulful one. 

Now, roll tape...

A couple of observations about my own situation and suggestions for others. Success is never in a straight line. For more information on the ketogenic diet and links to products used in this video, see below.

Disclaimer: 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 amazon.com, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through my affiliate links. Thanks!

 

The Holidays Are Ending. May I Please Stop Eating Now?

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Ah, the holidays. That time of year when our better angels aspire to treat others with just that much more patience, cheer and kindness. Decorations, celebrations and traditions. Office parties and family gatherings. And food. Dear heaven the food. Obligatory, omnipresent and sometimes overwhelming food. Those of us who are trying to lose weight or get fit or improve our health face challenges all the year round, but the month of December is the mother lode of challenges. There's no way around it, only a way through it. And I indeed ate my way right on through the weekend of Christmas.

For me, avoiding foods that are not on the approved food list is not the hard part. As I've discussed here, eating only when hungry is. I've been getting better with that, asking myself, as I stand in front of the fridge, "What are you doing, dummy?" And my weight has continued to come down, incrementally. I even set up my plan-to-be last weight loss goal. And a wouldn't-it-be-cool date for that goal of January 8, 2017. That day in 2014 was when I started following the ketogenic (low carb/high fat) diet. I had just watched the video of Dr. Eric Westman and something clicked for me.

Well, looks like a new goal date is in order because starting with Christmas Eve brunch at a the home of friends and straight into Christmas dinner with our sons and daughters-in-law, I ate like a condemned person. I kept everything very low carb. I remained in ketosis. But up went my weight. With extreme prejudice. 5.2 pounds. Considering my 'new lows' are measured in 1/10 of a pound, 5.2 is a lot. Like, a real lot.

Never fear. It will reverse. But I don't expect it will be quick. And a difference with this weight gain compared to those in my prior dieting life is that I know the reason, I know the solution and there's no questioning whether the program works. Those niggling doubts about being the only person for whom a nutrition program doesn't work, about one's body being so far gone as to be irredeemable or that there's some secret being overlooked are not there. This works. I just need to get back to the very straight forward rules: keep carbs under about 20g/day, moderate protein and .... wait for it ... eat only when hungry.

Now, let's all spend the next 51 weeks enjoying freedom from the holidays!

[See information on watching the Periscope broadcast of the support group meeting mentioned in the video below]

Yup. Biggest weight gain I've had in a while. No mystery as to why, though. For more information on the ketogenic diet see below. ☞ SEE MY WEIGHT CHANGE CHART: http://caseydurango.com/my-next-goal ☞ READ MORE AT MY BLOG: http://caseydurango.com ☞ FOLLOW MY FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/ketocasey/ PERISCOPE BROADCAST Join us for a live stream Durham North Carolina Low Carb Support Group meeting tonight: Tuesday night, January 3, 6:30 pm Eastern Time (GMT-5).

PERISCOPE BROADCAST

Join us for a live stream Durham North Carolina Low Carb Support Group meeting tonight: Tuesday night, January 3, 6:30 pm Eastern Time (GMT-5). For those who attend, there is a possibility that your image/comments will make it into the live streaming. Please let us know if that is a problem. If you would like to watch, the following iphone apps are required: Twitter,Periscope. Be sure to go to Twitter and follow @drericwestman. Then at the meeting time, the livestream will appear in the Periscope app. Thank you!

Disclaimer: 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 amazon.com, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through my affiliate links. Thanks!

Yet Another New Low. This Is Wild!

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As I wrote in this previous post, I'm on my own for the month of October. My Lovely Mate is out of the country and there's no one here but us chickens. (Literally, 15 chickens and me. And the dogs...) And as I wrote and spoke about this this post, while I find the ketogenic, low carb/high fat diet, easy to follow in terms of the wonderful, luscious foods I'm allowed to eat, I struggle with trying to eat only when hungry. To be clear, I don't over eat ever. Not in the sense of polishing off a plate piled high. I used to do that. Often. And I'm going to guess many readers of this blog have done the same. No, I don't need much food these days. But eating out of habit rather than true hunger has been a challenge.

So, I reckoned that being on my own and therefor having absolutely no excuse to eat unless I really was hungry - can't blame my 3-meal-a-day eating spouse and all that food around me - would provide an excellent opportunity to test myself.

What I've found is that I really and truly don't need much food. And, to a large degree, have lost interest in it. What?! Me? Not interested in food? That's like a Kardashian losing interest in publicity. I might be much more like my Aunt Teensy (not an ironic nickname) than like my late father, known to many as Jelly Belly (also not ironic). I'll write more about my thoughts on Teensy and food and all that another day. For now, here's a quick video about today's numbers..

This is getting crazy! My 30 day 'experiment' is showing me that I've been eating more than I need when food is around. For more information on the ketogenic diet, see below.

I’ve been fortunate to have exposure to leading researchers, physicians and journalists regarding the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths. I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Thanks!  - Casey