Michael's first (only?) rant: On expecting miracles 😉


(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #1

It never ceases to amaze me so many people expect a miracle and then berate not getting one. And surprisingly, it’s not only newbies who think they’re going to lose 20 pounds in 12 days because the cover of National Enquirer said so. People eating keto long enough to know better often think keto is a magic spell that will cure and prevent all ills. When it doesn’t, they despair and tell the rest of us they’re giving up because “keto failed”! Get real! Keto is biochemistry not magic.

Now, back to your scheduled programming. Thank you.


Netflix - The Magic Pill
(hottie turned hag) #2

@amwassil HECKYEAH
:sparkling_heart:
:smiling_face_with_three_hearts:
#TRUTH


(David Brown) #3

In my experience its because people make a drastic change and don’t get drastic results then they move on to the next thing that might help them shed pounds with minimal effort.


(Charlotte) #4

Anything worth having is worth working for. The struggle helps you appreciate the goal so much more when it’s achieved. There is no patience anymore with everyday life being filled with instant gratification, people expect it in every aspect of their life.

What gets me are the folks who expect the miracles but still eat things that are huge no-no’s but refuse to give them up and get mad when they are told they gotta stop eating those things to get results… Don’t ask for help or complain if you’re not willing to listen to the experience the community offers.


(Marianne) #5

I just get so sad when I see friends and family who want/need to lose weight, but they discount keto, won’t do the research, and dismiss it by saying “it’s too restrictive.” Most things are a trade-off. I consider it a small concession to have given up the foods that we have for the benefits we receive - plus, my keto meals definitely rival or surpass what I ate when I was on the SAD. It really is so hard not to want to shout about this from the mountain tops, but I guess all we can do is point the way. :cry:


(Full Metal KETO AF) #6

Yeah, that never goes well…(men in the white truck with a straight jacket pull up) because your friends and family are certain you’ve gone completely insane! :joy:


(hottie turned hag) #7

Yep my 19y/o (very full life, f/t Purdue student p/t job) who gained the freshman 15 this past year (which she could ill afford to gain, she is now 151lb) despite being more active then ever due to her on-feet job and running round campus, replied regarding keto: “it’s too inconvenient for how busy I am” :expressionless:
It’s no more inconvenient than the stuff she eats; just an excuse.


(MooBoom) #8

I understand your frustrations Michael. People are going to land here with these beliefs all the time though, because people are people and everyone is on a different stage in their learning journey. You have the advantage of knowledge and wisdom where they don’t, so you’re pretty well placed to constructively counter or re-shape errant perspectives where you see them. Bear in mind that honey works better than vinegar though :slight_smile:


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #9

Good points, Monique. I can understand the frustration as well, but I have had to come to terms with the fact that we are only going to see more of this kind of thinking, as our way of eating grows in popularity and more and more people who don’t know better discover these forums.

I have found tha,t while I can’t always choose my feelings, I can certainly choose my behavior. I have found that I actually enjoy explaining things to newcomers, and there is a special thrill that comes when they take something to heart and start sharing it with newer people in turn.


(Scott) #10

I am kind of waiting for a post “I have been in a stall for one day now” :grinning:
I really enjoy keto so I don’t feel that this is work at all. If I get on the scale and it hasn’t moved I look at the opposite side of the equation, It hasn’t gone up. Yesterday I ate two large meals one of which was pork ribs on the grill. I had a bloody mary and some beer with lunch. My weight has stayed within a one pound range for the past two weeks. This is a good thing. I can remember when I use to gain at least three pounds each weekend. I have no intention of leaving this effortless way of maintaining so I am just along for the ride.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #11

You know, I have to confess that this is a miracle I would have ignored completely if someone one these forums hadn’t pointed it out in a post.

I mean, I know it’s not really a miracle, it’s the consequence of eating the way the human body was designed to eat, but it sure feels like a miracle, when you consider how hard it was to avoid gaining on the SAD.


(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #12

Mostly I just feel exasperated. For example, someone lists half a dozen medical issues they’ve been treated for over the last several years then says ‘I’m on day 6 of keto why isn’t it working for me?’ Or, ‘I lost 5 pounds the first week and have been stalled for a week now’.

Once in a while I read one of those or something similar and just post my standard reply about eating SAD for 50 years and keto for 2 weeks, what did you expect. I wonder if I should not do so and just let you caring and supportive types respond in your caring and supportive ways. Not clutter up the thread with my same old same old reply. I should just stick to Show Me The Science and talk about my various experiments.:wink:


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #13

Whenever you feel it’s too much and you need to step back, feel free to do so. You are entitled to a break whenever you need one. Someone else will come along and straighten out the thinking, if you can’t, in that moment. Please don’t feel it’s all on you. Do what you can, and don’t worry about the rest.

If it’s any help, most of us who’ve been on these forums for any length of time have gone through the same frustration, so we understand where you’re coming from. And we’ve all had to learn to step back when things get to be too much for us at a given moment. It’s just that you see the times we do post, not all the times we don’t, lol!


#14

THIS ^^. I don’t even try to reply to every situation any more. If I think I can add something , I do. Otherwise, I just let some of our other excellent forum member step in.


(hottie turned hag) #15

I dig your posts, just sayin.
Signed,
A Fan


(Jill F.) #16

My mom was one of those people. She started keto and expected immediate results and said she felt terrible and wasnt losing weight and quit. I explained she was going through keto flu and after her watching my hubby and I lose weight steadily she decided to try it again and has lost 14 pounds so far. It kills me when people eat Taco Bell and McDonald’s everyday of their life and then expect to lose it all overnight!


(Kirk Wolak) #17

Michael,
You also have to keep in mind that some promises are implied and broken over time for some people.

20g of carbs/day. I WISH. If I do more than 5g/day for 2-3 days in a row, I will not be in ketosis. I literally have to fast most of the week to not gain weight right now. (I have been eating MWF for 8 months). This week, I NEVER got kicked out of ketosis (based on blood numbers, and my CGM said glucose never went about 125, normally below 100, even when eating)…

And I gained 13 lbs in just over 2 days because I ate 3 days in a row! All keto. No “Keto snacks”. I ate my normal bacon, pepperoni, and ribeye or chuck steak or ribs. No sauces (Salt and pepper only). I did have some coffee.

But eating every day without fasting between triggered INFLAMMATION. My edema was back (hence all that weight), my joints were stiff.

And I ate only the things I normally eat on MWF… But when it comes to poisons, the dose matters…

This is COMPLICATED stuff for some of us. I am AT MY GOAL (or was) for a month.
I am trying to transition to OMAD, and fasting only on the weekends. Now I know I ate some butter and shrimp on Friday before. And food reactions can take 3 days, but fasting empties me out, and I can move on. I should avoid butter. (not sure about shrimp, but scallops are an issue).

I don’t expect miracles. I would like an advanced list of what foods I can tolerate well.
Because this sucks. Now I have to cycle to an elimination type diet where I eat ONLY ONE FOOD for 3 days in row. But might have to fast for 3-5 days to UNDO any inflammation, before I can test again. And it could be ANYTHING. It could also simply be that I was struggling with some of the foods, but the dose was too small to really notice!

At no point do I believe the diet has failed me.

I have simply NOT YET reduced my diet to those things I can safely eat and not cause problems. It could take many weeks. That part sucks. 3 days now without coffee, just to be safe. Water weight coming off while fasting, but that is normal even with coffee.

So, remember the journey is quite variable and very unique, especially relative to the blind person (me) trying to walk down a PARTIALLY Labeled path! LOL