Maintaining since October

(Jennibc) #1

I haven’t been checking in as frequently as I have been trying to limit my internet use but this last four weeks on lock-down and social distancing has thrown my best efforts for this out the window. At any rate, I just wanted to let everyone know, I have for the most part maintained since I hit goal in October. I had a little blip around Christmas when I went up about six pounds because Sees Candy and some liqueur but that came off pretty quickly.

I have found that despite the world being is such disarray, following this eating plan has helped both my husband and I tremendously in terms of managing the the stress of this pandemic. I don’t feel particularly anxious over it and I feel like eating this way will give us a fighting chance if we do come down with it because it’s cured any kind of underlying metabolic issues we were dealing with in the past. I note that frequently, when I see a photo of someone young and healthy that’s died, they have a fuller face - they are clearly overweight by a few pounds. I am still convinced that even though I never had any diagnosed comorbidities with my obesity, something was wrong metabolically with me and that’s how I gained all the weight. I think grain, sugar and seed oils were the culprit. For my being able to lose so much weight after pulling those last two things out without changing my exercise level or calories consumed, I think they do something to many of us, something that is just not tested for or identified yet. I think an unidentified underlying metabolic issue might be what is the difference between these younger people (30-50) who are not pulling through. Obviously this is purely speculation on my part, but I suspect that’s what is going on.

While I was still quite heavy, around 220, just a month after I took seed oils out and came down from 231, my 18 year long struggle with fibromyalgia disappeared despite it being supposedly life long so seed oils were doing something to me.

There was an article in the NYT about people returning to ‘comfort foods’ during this pandemic, and by comfort foods they meant highly processed foods full of shelf stable oils and sugar. If you are feeling the urge to do this, don’t! I know this is a stressful period, but now more than ever you need to make a commitment to your physical well-being!

This way of eating works! Stay the course! You will feel better for it!

(Jane Srygley) #2

Hey congratulations on your success!!! I agree seed oils are deadly. Thanks for sharing your experience :heart:

(Rebecca 🌸 Frankenfluffy) #3

Hi @Jennibc, what a super update! Really fabulously well done!

Delighted to hear that your fibromyalgia is gone - that’s so impressive!

No seed oils here, either!

Speaking of comfort foods, I was chatting to a friend the other day, who was telling me that in her household they don’t seem to be able to stop eating chocolate at the moment (like ridiculous amounts, she said) - I guess perhaps that’s a comfort thing. Here at Chateau Snaps we’re eating almost as we normally do, except I am cooking dishes as soon as I get groceries in, so rather than freezing the mince or the fish fillets or the chicken thigh fillets ‘as is’ I’ll immediately either cook a batch of something to make homemade frozen ready meals, or prep the meat/fish into an instantly-grabbable ready-to-cook format and bung it in the freezer. My freezer list (stuck on the freezer, every portion listed) is a Godsend!

We are eating less, though, as I’m terrified of not being able to restock things. You can only eat it once, right? So for the moment I’m stretching two ‘normal’ portions to three ‘lockdown’ portions, and rationing teabags and wine… I’ve lost some weight but I’m nowhere near out of teabags yet!

Sorry, went a little off piste from your original post - it’s good to see you’re doing so great!

(Jennibc) #4

This is a conversation! You are welcome to go in any direction you want as far as I am concerned. Good idea on making things ahead and freezing just so that you have something at the ready for those days that you just don’t feel you can manage. I have had a couple of the days in the past four weeks. It’s been tough.

I have an 18 year old son who broke down weeping yesterday as every rite of passage has been cancelled – graduation, prom, receptions, parties and that fact that he hasn’t seen his girlfriend in a month (he’s going away for college, if college is in fact opened this fall and he is upset that he won’t get to spend his final months here with her). He’s also had his college admissions events cancelled. At the risk of coming across as braggy, he gained acceptance to Harvard two weeks ago AND they were generous with need based aid, so we can actually afford to send him there, and we couldn’t even go out to celebrate. (honestly, we were all shocked because it’s so highly competitive and I didn’t think he had snowball’s chance in hell. I mean he’s bright and interesting but so are lot of young people!). It is really hard to see my grown son cry. I don’t blame him though.

(Rebecca 🌸 Frankenfluffy) #5

Wow, Harvard - what wonderful news! HUGE congratulations to your son!

So sorry he’s got disappointment more than excitement at the moment though - it’s sadly and unavoidably inevitable in these very very strange times we’re trying to get our heads around, but that sure doesn’t make any of it any easier. I think these rites of passage that many of the world’s youngsters are missing are leaving huge, huge gaps in their life experiences - but I am sure that this generation will find all sorts of ways to make everything else really count - and we can have these missed-out moments in other ways.

I’m 45 and I don’t have any children - so I’m neither in your son’s position, nor in yours as a parent to someone who is really feeling what he’s missing out on at the moment, but I do totally understand that it’s all really tough right now. Hugs to you both!

I LOVED that you called him ‘bright and interesting’! There you go: he’s already going places! :rocket:

(Jane) #6

I see the same thing here in rural Arkansas - people’s carts are filled to the brim with high sugar proceessed foods swimming in seed oils. More than normal, that is.

Not me - not always totally clean keto but no seed oils in my home.

(Susan) #7

@Jennibc

That is fanastic. You are a great inspiration to us all. Congratulations and all the best in your continuing life time journey with Keto =).

All the best wishes for your son for his education and his future career =). Is he still pursuing his acting career as well? I know the degree is important as a priority of course, I was just wondering if he will continue the acting as well, as he is a very talented young man =).

(Jennibc) #8

He actually was supposed to work a job (playing a young version of Luke Wilson in a flashback scene last month, but that was cancelled.) He says that he wants to explore other things in college - he might study applied math or neuroscience but he feels like a part of him can’t let go of acting. We will see!

(Susan) #9

That is terrific --I wish him all the best in his future =).

(KCKO, KCFO) #10

Loved reading your journey. Love that taking out seed oils turned you around. And I know how proud you must feel about your son getting into Harvard with support, so you can actually afford it. That is huge these days. Congrats to him and his parents that raised such a bright and capable young man.

There is a monthly thread for maintenance, you might want to join in over there.

(Jennibc) #11

Thanks for both the kind words and the tip on the maintenance group!