I want to talk about cheating.
We often get confessional Monday morning posts about keto going off the rails.
I get it. Food is social. Food is fun. Carbs are… alluring.
And I tend to comment that I don’t cheat. And worry I sound like a stick in the mud prig. Because I WANT TO BE THE FUN ONE WHO ENABLES YOU.
People like enablers better. But I can’t do it. Because I decided to dedicate myself to helping people be better.
The reason I decided not to cheat is because I’ve done it. Repeatedly. In the past. Before I committed to keto in May of this year.
Because I am a sneaky bastard and my mind is tricky. And if I let myself think of myself as someone who cheats. Or if I let cheats be “a normal part of life” then it’s something I can do regularly. Every other time I’ve let it be normal, it became so.
A few times I’ve thought, “what could that hurt, one time?” and the very next thought is always… the second time is much easier than the first.
Do I think someone who eats something not keto should be shamed? Not the littlest bit.
Do I think that person needs to confess. No. It is part of psychology that the reason we confess is it provides relief to the internal tension we created by violating our own boundaries. When you “confess” it lets off the pressure.
To be clear, a “confession” is different than a request for help. A request for help is an important part of making a change.
If you want to eat something not keto… and you make that decision to do so, ok. You are an adult. Own the decision.
Decide how much of exactly what you will eat… and then know you did that of free will. No guilt. No confession. You making a decision and accepting whatever consequences you suffer for it.
Because what you eat isn’t an accident. Just like who you sleep with or whether you go to work or play hookey is not an accident. (And what you ate after you got sloshed counts too… if you know you can’t be trusted drunk… don’t do it, or do knowing the consequences.)
This is just my opinion, not a group Admin PSA. Just me.