Keto

Yep, that's so easy.

 

Keeping it off, which requires pretty much a permanent change in lifestyle, is the much harder part.

 

Keto Diet History - How the Ketogenic Diet Went Mainstream

 

It's always amazing to me how "easy" dieting is once I get in the mindset, on track. I can almost get militant about not eating what I shouldn't, not eating too much, and I typically feel fine, great even. Restaurants, snacking, soda... all no problem. And it feels so good to see it come off.

Then when for whatever reason I stop — traveling for work or eating for the holidays or going on vacation — it feels like my brain goes into a different mode entirely. I'm always worried in the back of my head about when lunch or dinner is going to be, what it's going to be and if that will be enough. I worry about getting hungry before then, so I keep ample snacks around.

It just always amazes me how dedicated my brain can be to whichever direction I'm pointing, and how impossible it can feel to switch between those directions in a timely manner.

We're on the verge of a major effort in our household ... (ok, not our 17 mo. old.) Everyone's progress here is encouraging.

 

It’s okay to have an indulgence every now and then, as long as you don’t let yourself throw in the towel and give up for several meals which can rapidly become days and weeks... like you said.

Keto is basically a super fat burning mode. By taking a meal off, you can knock yourself temporarily out of that mode for two to three days. BUT, one additional key here is to not feel like you are being deprived by dieting. If there’s a special birthday, retirement, holiday (etc.) dinner, participate, but then get right back to keto mode ASAP.

Again, maintaining a healthy weight is a very difficult challenge. Make sure you don’t feel like you are missing out on life and deprived.

Also, the American people are up against a huge Food Industry which has pushed unhealthy products and habits for a century. Sugar, processed foods, high fructose corn syrup, fast food, etc.

One thing that I’ve learned that really stacks the odds against us and our health is just how severely we are barraged with info and advertising, often derived from focus groups, psychological studies, etc., to try to drive the masses to eat their unhealthy products.

There’s a four part (one hour each) BBC series called the Century of the Self which came out around 15 years ago. It outlined the influence of Freud, Anna Freud, Edward Bernays, Gallup and others, and showed how people could basically be steered like cattle into doing things. Scary. If you watch that series on YouTube with a mindset toward your diet, it can make you rather mad. And this factor, whether conscious or subconscious, can make it very easy to stray off the path of healthy living and stay off that path for long periods of time, to the detriment of your short and long term health.

It’s a challenge. It can be a daily struggle.

And food can obviously be an addiction, like alcohol.

You can abstain from alcohol. But you have to eat. Something. Abstaining from food doesn’t work! Not until they develop one hell of a Flintstones chewable that gives you everything you need.

The key is to make good decisions on what to eat, and to counter the “programming” we receive through TV ads and other media. It really does require effort to stay on track.

But, don’t feel deprived. Let yourself indulge occasionally for ONE meal for special occasions, then resume.

Another strategy is to think in advance and PLAN what you are going to do in certain situations. Say you need to go to some function that has a buffet. You can map out your choices in advance: avoid alcohol and drinks with calories - stick to water. Avoid starches. Select the entree and proteins. Watch portion sizes. Don’t make a second trip to the buffet.

I’ve learned a variety of strategies. Sharing info and what works, like what we are doing in this thread, can be helpful to yourself and others, in a support group kind of way. Thanks for sharing, Pilot!

 

Way to go, Moddy. A weight that starts with a 1 is a big deal. Enjoy it.

 

Great job! Go for 195, then 190, then 185.

Set new goals and go for them!

My ideal weight for my height is 186. I’ve got some work to do after I get done with work travel.

 

Nice job, skinny.

 

I’m glad to see this pop up again. Great job, Moddy.

My wife is down 25-plus, but I’ve had a harder time at it and have lost about 13 since my high-water mark before Christmas. I think I’m getting too much protein and not enough fat. If I could just get sick once a month, I’d be at my goal weight in no time ...

 

Update:

I'm down a consistent 25 pounds and about 10-12 from my goal weight. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I was at 204.5, and yesterday I tipped the scales at 178. My wife has continued to lose and is looking great. For me, wearing a shirt without my stomach taking the point is a great feeling.

Tomorrow we leave for a week's vacation for our seventh anniversary, grandparents taking care of the kids. It will be the most we've been away from them since we had kids.