Happy Easter. And Just Step Away from the Chocolate Bunny.

This obviously is not a solution for Passover. But maybe just double up on the beitzah and zero. :)

If you're reading this and you've already conquered Easter Sunday or the week of Passover without diving into bowls of Peeps® and foiled covered eggs or stacks of matzah and charoset, congratulations. Mazel tov! If you struggled and are now int he midst of a chocolate hangover or feeling bloated, that's ok. You can get back on the ketogenic track immediately.

Holidays are hard. And there's one just about every month. Even if a formal holiday isn't on the calendar, manufactured ones are all over the place. And virtually all of them revolve around food, family gatherings and ritual. It can be really challenging to resist all the foods we've grown up eating during these events. Particularly if there's the added 'bonus' of family ... tension ... shall we say? Take a houseful of food, throw in a history or interpersonal dynamics that sometimes are more like interpersonal dynamite, and it's easy to face plant into mashed potatoes and extra sweet spiral cut ham with pineapple and cherries pinned to the crust. And the chocolate bunnies. Oh, my, the chocolate bunnies.

Here's the thing, though. You can get through this. You can resist. And once you do, you'll feel so much better. Prove to yourself that you won't be dominated by a food product, no matter how anthropomorphized and adorable they are. (A bunny carrying basket of tulips just doesn't happen in nature, guys.)

And if this Easter or whatever most recent holiday wasn't your moment of triumph, don't worry. You'll have another chance in a few weeks. No matter when you're reading this.

You can do this. Truly. All it takes is that first time that you make it through, declining Aunt Ida's famous cobbler or Mom's triple butterscotch fudge or the fluffy biscuits someone just stopped off at Bojangles's for on the way to the house, you'll feel so awesome. Remember that no one has the right to guilt or cajole or bribe or demean you in to eating or drinking anything you don't want. They're not the boss of you. And neither is food.

Now, go make it a great day, no matter what it is on the calendar.

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The Latest New Low and Thoughts on Why

Consider this a bit of a drive-by post. Not a great deal of new info but I wanted to share that every day that passes feels like validation of a kind of reboot I experienced whilst my Lovely Mate was out of the country, leaving me to solely my own food needs. (You can read about that here and here). When he returned I wondered if the changes - and weight loss - would stick.

The answer is yes, and yes.

Once having stripped away the daily 'food as habit' for a few weeks, it became clear I had been eating food I simply didn't need. Now it's pretty easy to maintain this reduced-food regimen. And today's weigh-in bore out the benefit. Or one of them. There are many, unseen benefits to gaining control over food. For many of us, we've felt controlled by meals and snacks and recipes. By food, of all things. The opposite of anything that should be the boss of anyone. But here we've been, subordinates to whatever has compelled us to stuff our faces,

Not me. Not ever again.

Even I'm surprised by the continued weight loss. 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/

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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