3 months in & loving life - but my family doubts my new WOE

(Monique Lee) #1

Hi Fellow Keto’ers!

I’ve made my way here from listening to the 2 Keto Dudes podcast on Spotify & thought I’d say hello. :slightly_smiling_face:

I’m 3 months into my Keto & 16:8 IF Journey and losing weight fairly rapidly without feeling hungry! Isnt Keto amazing?!

  • Lost 22kgs / 48 pounds.
  • Pain, inflammation and edema almost completely gone.
  • Energy levels through the roof (no need for naps anymore!)
  • Mental health improved substantially.
  • No flare ups of Rosacea and Scalp Psoriasis since starting Keto.
  • Never hungry!

I am not diabetic, but I have been testing my blood glucose & ketone levels with the Freestyle Optium Neo. The reason I chose to do this was to see how my body reacts to certain foods & sweeteners, and eliminate foods that create an insulin response.

I had 1 cheat meal at 60 days, which was carborific pizza. It constipated me for a week. I haven’t cheated since. Not worth it. :rofl:

The reason for my post really, is to have a little vent.

I’m receiving cheeky remarks from loved ones out of concern. “You need to eat”. “You’re half the size you were since I last saw you, are you eating enough?”

Everyone in my life are generally supportive, even some considering Keto WOE themselves/have already started. But they worry when they see how fast the weight is dropping off me.

How have you guys assured your loved ones that your new WOE is safe & healthy?

  • I do try to educate, but sometimes I have a hard time articulating why it works.
  • I also share videos on Facebook eg: Butter makes your pants fall off.
  • I post food updates to my social media to prove I do eat delicious, wholesome food! :rofl:
  • I am very open about my journey, the ups & downs etc.
(Susan) #2

Welcome to the forum Monique =).

You have lost so much, so fast, wow, I am jealous… but happy for you =).

I have been doing Keto since February and have only lost 41 and do 20:4 and tons and tons of fasts, so you are really good at burning cals!

My hubby and kids all hate that I am on Keto and criticize me daily for it, I just have accepted that they will, and hope in time they will stop. Best wishes in your Keto Journey =).

(Paul H) #3

Hey hey… Stop listening to them. You DO know better and the numbers prove it… Good Job. It’s about you and time to get selfish for you. Find that happy place of ignoring others and trusting yourself. You’re paying attention and just keep sharing the info. They will get it in time… :slightly_smiling_face:

(Monique Lee) #4

Thanks Susan! My weight has fluctuated drastically all my life. I have always dropped weight very quickly.

I think I am meant to be slim naturally & my body is screaming for me to look after it properly! I lived an extremely unhealthy lifestyle before Keto.

41 pounds is a fantastic loss. Congratulations! They do say losing weight at a slower pace is better for you, your skin elasticity etc.

(Monique Lee) #5

Thanks Paul! I do my best to listen to my body. Feed it when it needs it. & Let it feast on my ample body fat when I don’t eat. :blush:

(Susan) #6

In fairness, I am a lot older then you, (54) and have had 5 babies, and am a grandma of 2 darling angels, and post menopausal, so I think us older gals lose it a bit slower too. I was just teasing you, I am happy for your losses, and I will get rid of this other 130 pounds I need to lose over time. My motto is slow and steady wins the race (tortoise and the hare idea!).

My eldest son, and his wife, recently both lost about 50 pounds or so each, doing a different lifestyle of eating, my son calls it Vegan with meat… which is kind of an oxymoron but their son has allergies to dairy, eggs, and some grains, etc so they changed their eating lifestyle, liked it and have also incorporated the IF and longer fasting into their lives. So, because of this, even though they are not doing Keto, they are more understanding, etc. of me doing it.

My other kids just are worried because of my history of anorexia and bulimia so I understand them being more concerned when I do longer fasts, so I have got to the point where I just don’t tell them I am fasting… haha.

Thank you, though, I do feel good and like I am doing a wonderful thing finding Keto, but yes, I know it is frustrating when families don’t get it… grrr.

(Monique Lee) #7

I do understand the concern of your family with your history of eating disorders. I think a lot of us with weight issues have a form of eating disorder, whether it be very mild to extreme.

I have starved myself in the past. I am just being conscious of listening to my body now. And that’s what I try to tell my loved ones who worry.

Do you find it easier to distinguish between genuine hunger & just “feeling like eating” now? Compared to other periods of your life?

That’s what I am finding now. If I start to feel low energy, I know now I need to feed my body. At the start I was getting to the point of dizziness, shakiness in the hands, agitated mood etc. But I learnt very quickly how to listen to my body. :slight_smile:

(Susan) #8

My biggest issue I have for the past few weeks is I am not ever really hungry… so Fasting I love and it goes well, but when it is time to eat, I haven’t been eating many calories. I need to do TMAD with a window of 20:4 instead of an OMAD so that I can try and get enough calories into me on the days that I eat. I did a water/green tea/herbal tea fast from Thursday-Sunday (74 hours) and then started another 72 hour one yesterday at 5pm, that I want to do until Thursday at 5pm. The difference is this time I am doing the TMAD 20:4 Fat Fast with eating Cream Cheese for a 1pm lunch and 5pm supper. I am still not eating anything any other time, just those two times, and only cream cheese, and the water, green tea, herbal tea (plain) and salt. So I will weigh myself on Friday morning to see if it helped at all.

In this part of the video Dr. Jason Fung discusses the idea of doing a Fat Fast =).

(Carl Keller) #9

Congrats on your success so far Monique.

I just ring off the NSV’s like the ones you did and tell them that once you drastically lower carbs and eat real food, it puts you more in tune with your hunger signals. Being hungry every 3-4 hours should be a bigger concern than not being hungry for an entire day. Discovering how your hunger is supposed to work is one of the greatest epiphanies ever.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #10

Welcome Monique :slightly_smiling_face: Sounds like your doing great :slightly_smiling_face:
I think this will be a great place for you. I’ve been doing keto for 2 months and I love it. I didn’t have a ton of weight to lose… Only about 40 lbs and I’ve already lost about 30 of it.
I just love that I can eat a good keto meal and be so satiated for so long ! :slightly_smiling_face:

#11

Idk what kinda remarks people are making and how ur taking them, but ur the one doing great, so i wouldnt bother, keep doing you.

('Jackie P') #12

I think we have all had some issues with friends or family, especially in the beginning! I found the worst thing to do is to make it a battle. You don’t want to be arguing with your family, and it can make them (and you) defensive. If nothing else, think of the cortisol!
I found the best thing is, in part, to agree with them. Say something like 'I know, it seems so crazy and yet I feel so well. I would have thought exactly the same myself but I have learnt so much these past months. I can share some links if you are interested " Just smile! KCKO😊
If work colleagues offer me a cake or something I feign horror and make a circle around myself and say “I am a carb free zone”. Keep it light hearted. Good luck :slightly_smiling_face:

(Parker the crazy crone lady) #13

Hey you broke through your stall! GG!

(K-9 Handler/Trainer, PSD/EP Specialist, Veteran) #14

I’ve had to shut my loved ones and friends down hard sometimes. Some are supportive, but the ones that needed the hard shutdown are also the ones that aren’t doing it out of concern for my well-being. They do not want to be wrong about their beliefs (Thanks Ancel!), and for some reason what I’ve been doing for awhile, threatens their ego and sense of self.
And they all look so much older and sicker… it worries me. But I’ve since stopped trying to “evangelize” and pray one day they swallow their pride and ask me for my advice.

#15

My best way to quiet the concerns about what I eat is to eat in front of them. People stop worrying when they see me finish off a big OMAD meal. =)