5 more days to keto blast-off

(Jane Srygley) #1

Howdy to anyone reading…

I did Atkins when I was 13yo (seriously) and lost about 25 lbs. Kept it off until I graduated high school and quit smoking (1.5 packs a day at age 17), then immediately gained 40 lbs. My top weight was 314 lbs in my 30’s. Now I’m in my 50’s and weigh about 218 lbs today.

I am losing weight by controlling calories but since I deal with chronic pain and ADHD, I want to try keto (for the 3rd time in 5 years) and see if I can stick with it long-term in order to experience the health benefits. I’ve also been on Metformin for over 10 years (15?) and would LOVE to get off!!!

I’m scared, not gonna lie. I am for sure a food/sugar/carb addict and my fiance and I have some fun food rituals that I really don’t want to give up… but even though they fit into my daily calories, they are NOT keto-friendly. I have overeaten like crazy on keto in the past, but now that I’ve finally gotten better at keeping the calories under control (with my fiance’s help, who counts too, but won’t do keto), I want to try this again. I have keto-envy watching that cute couple on YouTube :slight_smile:

Any advice/support/encouragement appreciated. Thanks!

(Robert C) #2

Unfortunately I think that nothing will work medium / long term without getting your partner on board with your plan.

Your partner should either do Keto with you or 100% support you in every way.

Your health span will suffer greatly on your current path - that alone should get the 100% support if you have a caring partner.

With your carbohydrate addiction and the tendency to overeat - you already have to be careful - even with Keto (i.e. you have to be extra vigilant about eating to satiety).

A potential permanent partner should have no trouble giving up “fun” carb fests, certain restaurants, evening ice cream runs etc. to allow you to be healthy.

(Scott) #3

There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong way however the way I understand works best is to not focus on calories. You restrict carbs to 20g or less with no snacking and the rest will take care of it self. It takes a short time to get into ketosis but a month or more to train your body to be fat adapted. I have been keto WOE for about 8 months now and have never counted a calorie. For me this is the easiest way to lose weight and keep it off.

(Jody) #4

I would highly recommend checking out Dr Jason Fung’s work, he has website and an amazing book The Diabetes Code. Understanding what’s happening in your body will help guide you on a good solid plan.

I think the calorie counting is counterproductive at this point I think your focus is to get your body and mind used to eating low carb period. You can make adjustments as you learn how your body works.

(Jennibc) #5

This is so true about the partner. I didn’t really start massively gaining until I moved in with my husband who had junk food in the house. I asked him if we could be a junk food free household at the time, and he replied, “It’s not fair to me because you don’t have self control” Had I been the person I am today, that would have been the end of the relationship. But I wasn’t so we got married two years later with me being about 50 pounds heavier. I finally told him years later after I’d gained ANOTHER 70 pounds that although I didn’t want a divorce, I would need to separate and live elsewhere if he couldn’t respect that I couldn’t have that kind of food in the house. That sort of worked… for a while. Then we had another ‘come to jesus’ talk about three years ago and FINALLY he respected my needs. I am down over 70 pounds since that talk and him about 15 (he was never that overweight) At that point he watched me struggle for years to lose 40 of the massive amount of weight I’d gained and it finally hit him that it wasn’t a question of ‘self control.’ It probably saved our marriage.

At some point a person has to ask himself whether he loves himself enough to do what he needs to do and that includes being with a partner that take his needs seriously.

(Jane Srygley) #6

Good for you! Yes I am very fortunate and he is willing to eat keto with me even though he isn’t going to follow it himself. We’ve been together 9 years and we tend to influence each other for better or worse 8-D

(Jane Srygley) #7

That’s what he’s doing :slight_smile: Basically when we eat together, he’ll do keto because I’m doing it, but when he and I go our separate ways during the work day, he’s going to keep doing his own thing. That being said, he typically eats like 60 net g carbs per day (much better than me), so keto when we’re together won’t be too much of a challenge for him.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #8

I did, too, for the first couple of weeks, until the satiety signaling abruptly cut back in. I eventually came to the conclusion that my body must have needed all that extra energy. Nowadays, I don’t eat nearly as much or as often as I used to, pre-keto.

ETA: One tip that often works for addicts is not to swear off the addictive substance for ever, which often provokes rebellious thought-processes that lead to bingeing. Instead, I promise myself all I want—tomorrow. Just for today, I will not indulge, but tomorrow . . . :grin:

(George) #9

I’m experimenting with not really caring about my calories this week. The past few months, I’ve been unintentionally restricting my calories (about 900-1100/day OMAD), while still getting pretty full, losing consistent weight. This week I’m still on OMAD but my cals are closer to 1800, and I’m definitely feeling full after the meal. Hopefully I still lose a couple lbs this week.

(Maria Ortiz) #10

For the near decade I’ve been on keto I initially had an ex boyfriend of 13 years who wasn’t supportive of me doing keto and I still went from 212 lbs down to 89 lbs without his support or help. Now my Boyfriend of 3 years is also not supportive and thinks I restrict too much, but once again I do not care, I even have the willpower to bake him and my friends brownies and cookies and other dishes I dare not touch. He’s one of those lucky ones with an unstoppable metabolism who can eat everything in sight without gaining a single ounce of fat. In other words, if it’s something you really wanna do, nobody and nothing is going to stop you or discourage you. Counting calories often leads to hunger and fruatration as you already know, plus it’s slower weight loss requiring lots of exercise. Exercise is amazing don’t get me wrong. But when you are overweight and trying to shed a lot on low calorie, it’s a must.

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #11

I’m so glad this worked out. My health is the most important thing in my life. I can’t take care of loved ones if I can’t take care of myself.

(Jane Srygley) #12

Thanks George! What’s OMAD?

(Jane Srygley) #13

Thanks Maria… did you really get down to 89 lbs??? Did you mean 189?

(George) #14

One Meal A Day. Some people use it as a maintenance strategy, but I find it’s been working with my weight loss. I also do weekly extended fasts

(Jennibc) #15

“In other words, if it’s something you really wanna do, nobody and nothing is going to stop you or discourage you.” I cannot disagree enough with this statement. Read “The Willpower Instinct” It’s pretty great and it backed up with clinical research. Willpower as most people think of it, is a myth. There is such a thing as creating a fail safe environment that helps us reach our goals too. And sometimes people that we live with undermine our best efforts. I don’t know whether you lived with your boyfriends or not, but if you did, and really truly had that much ‘willpower’ and you constantly had crap in the house that was accessible when you have had a bad day or you are tired, then you are an ‘outlier’. Good for you!

(Maria Ortiz) #16

Yup, 89 lbs. I’m on the short side 5’2. So at 212 lbs I was morbidly obese. Wasn’t always that way. Felt like my metabolism stalled on me out of nowhere in my late teens. Anyway, I also have more fat than muscle which is another reason why I weigh less.

(Scott) #17

I use this myth when I order a bunless burger or wings and they bring it with fries on the plate. I don’t eat a single one and I loved to eat fries. I also have had a bag of chips in the house since Christmas. My wife and I are both keto and she bought easter candy because it looks nice. Neither one touched it and we brought it to the office today. So after saying how great my willpower is I will tell you that I am going to have a couple of IPA’s at a street festival this weekend for no other reason than I want some.

(JustGettingStarted) #18

I agree Jody2, knowing what is happening in my body has been the one ingredient I needed to start succeeding at this diet.

(Maria Ortiz) #19

Well I believe that having the “will” to do or accomplish something certainly exists. And yes, I lived with both, and during my entire time on keto. Always junk, sugar and carbs the house, it didn’t bother me one bit, didn’t ever cheat once. Like I said, I cooked for them, baked for them, at times went grocery shopping for their food… never bothered me. Still doing this now without issues. I wanted weight loss so I did what I had to do.

(Jennibc) #20

“As most people think of it”

I am down 110 pounds as of today, so clearly I am good at passing things up. People say things to me like “you have far more willpower than I do” all the time and it’s not accurate. I didn’t suddenly gain willpower that I didn’t have years prior.