How has keto changed your life?

(TJ Borden) #1

So @Brenda did this same topic previously as “what has keto done for you”, but it was a while back and I thought with so many new people constantly joining the forum, we could use a refresher.

I mentioned on another thread that I recently realized that I need to start saving for retirement. As a big guy (starting at just shy of 500lbs, currently getting close to dipping under the 400 mark), I never imagined I’d make it past 60ish. After all, you don’t see a lot of morbidly obese with silver hair. I realized that with all of the major killers: heart disease, strokes, kidney failure from T2D diabetes, etc… that now probably aren’t going to be how I meet my demise, I need to start planning for being around for the long haul. Now my money is on getting hit by a bus while crossing the street, not paying attention because I’m reading or typing on this forum.

I bought a life insurance policy when I was young enough they didn’t ask any health questions, and I figured between that and her retirement income, my wife would be okay financially when I was gone. We even teased that she’d have plenty of time to hire a pool boy and “enjoy” her golden years as a sugar mama.

It finally sunk in that 60 may no longer be my expiration date, and I need to start planning for the likelihood that we will get to retire TOGETHER. It’s been awesome to think about the possibilities that I never imagined before. It dampens her plans for a pool boy, but it completely changes my outlook on “life”.

@carl has talked about how he started the podcast as an accountability tool, and I can’t thank he and @richard enough for how they have given of themselves for what has become a huge community encompassing: multiple podcasts, an annual festival to celebrate this amazing lifestyle (I’m hoping we’ll be hearing about plans for Ketofest 2019 soon- and a shoutout to whoever came up with the digital ticket to ketofest 2018, that was brilliant), a bringing together of incredible scientific minds from multiple disciplines that have combined to further the research and scientific foundation of what the ketogenic way of eating can do, and of course, this forum.

I know some on this forum like me, and some hate me. I love to play devils advocate and I’m not afraid of heated discussions. Just ask @tdean. I tend to be on a lot because the fellowship of this forum helps to serve as MY accountability tool, and I thank everyone here for that.

So now the whole point of this post… How has keto changed YOUR life???

#2

Great post and a great idea! The first thing that comes to my mind is how keto has allowed me to easily skip past the donuts, breads, and treats I love at the grocery store. I feel that I have power over food now whereas in the past I felt really controlled by my cravings. It was definitely a life changing moment the first time it happened :slight_smile:

(Terence Dean) #3

Putting up with your jibes about me counting calories is a small price to pay for NOT eating one of these KFC specials (3,088 kcals). :wink:

Keto saved my sorry ass, 5 1/2 months in and I haven’t been back to see the Colonel, that’s a “fucking” miracle!! I hear their stock value has dropped since I began Keto. :stuck_out_tongue:
(blurred for KFC addicts :rofl:)

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Plus my BGL levels are consistently below 5.0 mmol/L from 6.5, not to mention the 28 kgs lost. KCKO brother!!

So if copping shit from you non-calorie-counting-delusional-keto zealots is all I need to do to keep the KFC munchies from knocking at my door, BRING IT!!! :boxing_glove: :boxing_glove:

#4

I gotta be honest. Keto has done lots of good things, but there has been one downside. I’ve been doing keto for about six months. I’ve lost a lot of weight, but it has wrecked my regularity. I seem to always be either constipated or nearly having disaster pants. It’s pretty rare to have a normal bowel movement.

(Running from stupidity) #5

This thread is gonna run me out of likes. AGAIN.

Losing weight, mostly, and the other stuff I crapped on about in my blog post of a few weeks ago.

And it’s made us go back to logging our food, which is key. Along with clearing the house of carbs.

#6

Great @Baytowvin, I’m gonna run out of likes again! :angry:

I think it would be easier to list the ways Keto HASN’T changed my life. I’ve still got my sense of humor! :grin: That’s about it.

Seriously, I agree with @bunny6, I truly feel in control when it comes to food. We always have sweets and candy of some sort at my office, and before Keto I would always indulge. Now, I can skip it, even take a picture of it :wink:, and not even be tempted. AMAZING!

What else? I have more energy. I don’t have a near-death experience every time I mow the yard, or any other yard work. I rest better; never wake up feeling like I didn’t get enough sleep. My daughter can completely wrap her arms around me, and squeeze as tight as she likes (she REALLY likes to hug!). My stomach doesn’t constantly hurt. My joints don’t ache all the time. I’m getting dizzy trying to think of all the ways my health has improved!

But more importantly, I’m like you, when you think about the future. I now realize my future holds a lot of hope. I don’t dread getting old like I used to, I look forward to it.

Thanks for starting this thread. I think it’s going to be great.

I see @juice as already beat me about the likes comment, but I’m gonna keep mine anyway. :grimacing:

One thing Keto did for me, I had no idea was possible, was find a place to share my time and experiences with others, I truly care about, because of our common goal to regain control of our health.

#7

I thought of another thing keto has done for me. I’ve had to lower my CPAP pressure. I’ve lost a lot of weight but haven’t had a sleep study or anything. The other night my CPAP inflated my guts like a balloon! I woke up and let loose some of the most epic belches. I got to work and started having terrible stomach cramps. It seems some of it got pretty low down into my small instestines. I was in a few hours of misery before the air made it out the other end.

It’s a good sign though. I’d love if I could get off of it entirely one day.

#8

I’ve had a whole bunch of NSVs that I really do think have redefined my life:

The main way keto has changed my life though is my relationship with food. I no longer crave it in an unhealthy way, a way that was doing me no favours (in both the short-term and the long-term). I’d say I don’t obsess over it any more. It’s a weird feeling when you can be at a party now with people wolfing down cakes and other treats and you literally don’t care. It’s hard to explain that it’s not that you have really good willpower or are 100% dedicated to your diet - but that you REALLY don’t care and aren’t interested in eating it.

So in summary: it’s given me control over my life, my body, and my future all over again. To an outsider, that can seem unbelievable and exaggerated but it truly isn’t. I am overwhelmingly grateful for the keto WOE.

#9

Very well said, @Gaff. :+1:

(Richard Morris) #10

An International conference :slight_smile:

(Brian) #11

TDean, you brought up KFC. We have one of those in a neighboring town (we live way out in the stix) and some friends of ours have been telling us how the buffet is really good and it’s cheap.

Normally, you can’t find a parking spot within about 500 feet of the place but one day, my wife and I decided to try it at an odd time of day and just happened to find a parking spot.

It was cheap, I guess, with the total bill, including tax, for two people at like $11. That’s about the only good thing I have to say about the place.

Aside from the very loud old farts that move at a speed requiring a calendar to track movement, the actual food wasn’t much. On the buffet, I found the coleslaw. It was moderately OK, nothing special, too sweet, but was the best thing I found. The fried chicken, well, there were two kinds… one was bland, the other was moderately OK but both had a lot of breading I didn’t really want. The only veggies I saw that were even moderately keto friendly were green beans and carrots. (I know, carrots is kinda iffy and not usually on the approved list.) Both tasted like they could have substituted the box they came in for about 50% volume and no one would have noticed any difference in flavor. They were about as close to eating cardboard as I’ve come in a while. Yuck. Didn’t have to worry about overeating that stuff.

I guess I’m spoiled. I like really good food. That wasn’t it. Glad it was only $11. It’ll be a very long time before willingly setting foot in that place again. There are better ways to get a good piece of chicken.

#12

They’re obviously not eating a ketogenic diet. :wink:

(cheryl) #13

I agree KFC seems like they have quit trying. For a bit they had grilled (or possibly baked) chicken on their menu. The last KFC buffet that I got drug along to didnt offer that option. I enjoyed the unsweet tea, and I pulled the breading off some chicken, but really no other options on that buffet.

(TJ Borden) #14

Wait a minute… are you guys saying KFC is a BUFFET where you are???

#15

I love their coleslaw. If there was an endless supply I might be in trouble

(TJ Borden) #16

That was my first thought EXACTLY. It’s bad enough that I used to get a combo meal then ADD a family size coleslaw.

#17

It’s probably best you don’t know. :wink:

Honestly, that was news to me, too. I didn’t know they had buffets. But, then again, it’s been so long since I’ve been in one, our KFCs here could now have them and I wouldn’t even know. :grin:

(TJ Borden) #18

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

(Casey Crisler) #19

As many have said already weight loss, energy, t2d under control. For me it’s opened a world of activity. I’m hiking and doing 5k’s and looking to find more things to do. Unfortunately it has a negative effect too. My housework is starting to suffer because I’m always out and about doing said hiking or running, instead of cleaning up things.

(Brian) #20

I’m sure it varies by location. I’ve even heard someone claim that the take-out is better than the eat-in. Don’t know. Maybe this is an up-scale location of KFC. (?)

If the whole meal had been as good as the coleslaw, I’d have had a better opinion of the place as that was probably the highlight of the meal I had.

It may be that other chains have upscale versions. Years ago, there was a McDonalds that my boss used to like to go to that had a really nice breakfast buffet. I didn’t even know McDonalds did that. But it did at that store. That’s probably 25 or 30 years ago, though…

I like it when a buffet has good keto options that actually taste good. Haven’t found a lot of those recently but I’m sure there are some around. :slight_smile: