Lesson Learned

(KB) #1

Just an observation: you cannot sway someone about keto if they are not already curious.
Today at the gym I chatted with a lady who I am friendly with - but have not seen her for some time. I told her I had lost weight (you can see my muscles now) on keto and went into the science about why it works and she came back with “well I guess as long as you don’t eat butter!” I think she is a nurse and clearly she’s been brainwashed to the low-fat mantra… I kept telling her that fat is not the enemy but she refused to listen… Quite frustrating!! Just had to vent…

(Guardian of the bacon) #2

You cannot help those not yet ready to help themselves.

(KB) #3

Very true

(Jenn Astwood) #4

So true! After I won a weight loss challenge at work, one of the participants came to me and said she has just been diagnosed with diabetes. I started to tell her about keto, and just got to the part about increasing fat, and she interrupted me to say “well, yeah, but healthy fats of course”. I just decided to leave it alone. She clearly wasn’t ready.

(KB) #5

Really frustrating because we have the answer but they don’t want to listen!:triumph:

(Dawn) #6

Tell me about it … we have a small group of 4 of us Keto - we just know that Keto will help a few other of our friends … diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, and a host of other issues … the 4 of us preach the benefits - some listen politely and some have zero interest whatsoever. It is quite frustrating. We keep doing our thing and figure at some point they may come around.

#7

Yeah. Their eyes glaze over don’t they? I have learned only to talk about it when asked. Waste of time otherwise.

(In a #ketomarriage with @peggaloon) #8

I hear ya. Had an interesting conversation at bootcamp with a cardiac nurse - she said diet had 100% nothing to do with atherosclerosis, it was allllllllll genetics. Carbs are just another necessary food group, and why am I asking about diabetes? There is no corelation. Don’t bother eating well, your number is up when your number is up.

So. Frustrating.

(Jamie Hayes) #9

“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Or put more simply… just follow your plan and do everything to optimise your own health. One day, when you least expect it, people will comment and ask… when they are ready.

(Jan) #10

Over the holidays I ran into a friend & his wife - he’s an endocrinologist, she’s a family physician. I mentioned keto, thought I’d pick their brains a bit… she kept telling me I need to eat apples, whole grains…or I’d splurge and overeat later. Couldn’t convince her I’m not hungry, that bg spikes with even a bite of apple. He kept referring to Atkins, and that it couldn’t be kept up very long. In the end, I had to smile politely, wish them ‘happy holidays,’ and make an exit. And they are good people! Intelligent, open minded (not about this, though), caring, wonderful people. Very disheartening…

(Arlene) #11

Isn’t this a crazy world? Like you, I want to help others, many who are struggling with serious weight/health issues. I want them to have the same miracle I have found, without having to take the long road like I did. Seems reasonable. Ah, but the journey is necessary. I look back on my journey to get here, and then I just work VERY hard to allow others to experience their own journeys, even when they are suffering. Every now and then, I get to give a receptive someone a little help in the keto direction. I appreciate your frustration. Venting is allowed. :slight_smile:

(Bart) #12

I personally do not care. When people ask me what I have done, I tell them. If they want to know more I am more than happy to help them as much as they want to be helped. If they try to convince me that keto is the wrong way, I ask them if it is then why did they ask me what I did to make the changes I made, followed with I am not interested in hearing why I am wrong and walk away.

(Guardian of the bacon) #13

This thread is a testimony to the addictive power and allure of the white powder we call…SUGAR.

So many sick people, so many that don’t want to hear the message.

(Keto in Katy) #14

After I went keto in 2013 I wanted to shout from the rooftop about this Amazing New Thing so everyone I knew could have it too. I quickly learned that nutrition is not far from religion and politics in the sense of people holding very strong opinions, usually based on nothing more than the opinions of others.

I stopped talking about it. Those who are truly curious and desire improvement will seek out a better way and find it. Everyone else just wants to feel right about something.

(Kathy Meyer) #15

As soon as I hear the words, “but I can’t give up _________,” I know they aren’t ready to listen. But I have had a couple of people come to me – and then you know you might have some influence. People who see you transform and get healthy before their eyes may be the ones who you will help someday.

#16

You can’t sway someone into accepting keto the first time they’ve heard the concept. Repetition can work though. The first time they hear it they think it sounds like the craziest thing they’ve ever heard in their life. And maybe they think that the next time or two. But then sometimes after seeing several people have great results, they may start wondering about it, and then eventually they may remember that conversation they had with you and come back and ask you questions. Certainly don’t talk about it while someone’s eyes are glazing over, but just drop a little information now and then. You may not know it but that could become important later.

My husband went keto with me back in June. Before that happened it was a few months that I was telling him about things I’d read. I saw the process where he thought it sounded crazy a long time ago and now he fully embraces this lifestyle.

(Jo Lo) #17

I brought up keto with the technician that did my DXA scan at WA Inst Sports Medicine. Very disappointing response, “you will run into problems…”, and “count calories if you want to lose weight”.
Failed conventional wisdom, even from smart sports professionals.

(eljay716) #18

Give it a year, I think it will be mainstream pretty soon. At some point the medical professional will have to recognize there is something to this WOE.

(Ross Daniel) #19

I had terrible luck “spreading the word” at first. Got the glaze over numerous times, but I legitimately want the best for people. But yes, like you guys it is tough, they never want to hear it. It sounds too good to be true and it sounds crazy!

So I keep to myself for the most part, but I’ve found a pretty effective technique that worked on 3 or 4 of my co-workers thus far and several more are interested and/or entertaining the idea.

I wait until they are about to start a diet or mention something about trying to be more healthy. Which happens on a regular basis as most of them desire to lose weight and a couple have health issues like pre-diabetes, that sort of thing. I get curious as to what diet they are specifically on and let them explain it to me and they’re goals. I ask questions, and I’m genuinely interested in their approach. Typically it is your basic calorie restricted SAD diet. If I can without seeming stuck up or “my diet is better than yours” I will pop in things that I do on keto, just to sort of say “I know what it’s like to give up ____. I gave up ____ to be on my diet.” Sort of a “look, we are the same” type approach. They inevitably ask me “so how much have you lost on your diet?” and I tell them 50+ lbs and I wasn’t hungry for one second, their eyes light up. At this point I don’t info dump on them, I leave it lightly. They just about always come back at a later date with questions, because they’ve googled for themselves and want to know my approach and any tips or tricks.

It also helps that if you know they want to go to the gym and build muscle, you can explain that a LCHF diet is muscle sparing. That will hook people as well.

(Jo Lo) #20

Right, it’s really hard to find keto friendly people in sports or medicine. At my crossfit gym nobody has even heard of LCHF, much less keto. They don’t even want to talk about paleo, which cf supposedly promotes.