THINK TANK for helping friends/family see the light

(Candy Lind) #1

SORRY IN ADVANCE for the long post!

My story in a (large) nutshell: I have been overweight for 55 of my 63 years. My hubby is T2D and not doing enough to “fix it.” My best friend is obese and battling joint problems. Her hubby is T2D, as is his entire immediate family. His grandson (I call him my “grand-godson”) is 10, & on the road to being a classic “TOFI” thanks to his parents’ indulgence of his picky eating (Mac-n-Cheese from a box and frozen McNuggets? :face_vomiting:) His dad (my godson) has “wheat belly” (following in Dad’s T2D footsteps) and mom is a classic overweight apple. These are not the only folks I worry about.

One ray of light is another friend (the one who convinced me to go keto) who is, thankfully, healing after doctors discovered liver calcification and beginnings of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease during an emergency appendectomy. I wish I lived near her, so I could go to her endocrinologist.

For me, this has become all-out WAR against The Medical Establishment, Big “Food,” and Big Pharm. The people I love are all sick, and IT’S THEIR FAULT.

This thread is dedicated to trying to help friends & family members “see the light.” They are always going to be the toughest nuts to crack. Do you have ideas that have worked? Was it a video or internet article that broke through? A turn of phrase that got through to them? Have you used sneaky ways of getting real food into someone?

Let’s develop some strategies here, folks. Besides being “role models,” let’s be activists. Let’s share what’s worked and what didn’t. Results are going to be different for everyone, so please no dissing someone else’s ideas. We’re here to support each other. But I NEED IDEAS, and I’m sure others do, too. Ready? GO!

#2

How about, simply, being a living example of a better way? I tend to chafe at all forms of proselytizing. (I realize I completely ignored the request within your post. :blush:)

(Candy Lind) #3

Go for it. I feel the need to DO something.

(Candy Lind) #4

On second thought - what/who convinced you to go keto? It’s exactly your “type” that are most difficult to reach.

(Arlene) #5

Being a health seeker most of my life, I have always been open to new ideas. Up until I found LCHF/Keto, I tried every diet ever created, looking for the magic formula to maintain a healthy weight and be in good health, but I realize many people are not open to hearing about this.
My husband is not interested in hearing or reading about optimum food choices, but he is slowly coming around because he sees the truth shining through my excellent health. I don’t condemn his poor food choices because they show up in the form of gout or rapid heart beat, and that’s hard to ignore.
ALL of my family members know how I choose to eat, because I eat this way at every family event that has food. Birthday parties often have no healthy food choices, and I just DON’T EAT at those parties. They know how I used to eat. Many of these family members are very obese.
It is very likely that all these family members who are eating poorly will get sick, and sicker, and sicker over time. Meanwhile I will still be eating this way. Maybe by that time they will be assured this way of eating is not another fad diet I am trying. Maybe by that time enough people will have had success reversing their health problems, so as to be undeniable by the medical community.
Bottom line, family or no family, some people will seek out and listen to your message, while others will want to be left to find their own path. I believe we do best to lead by consistent example with our own food choices, and our willingness to share our “success” tools when someone truly wants our help.

(Richard Hanson) #6

Living as an example is doing something.

I can, however, understand your frustration. People who already know everything can learn nothing and the hardest part of learning something new is first discarding those things you already know to be true which are in fact false.

You are not only asking people to learn, you are also asking them to unlearn what they have long believed, to abandon what they already think is healthy, safe, … what they already think is good eats.

Keto for Life!

Warmest Regards,
Richard

#7

My wife. I do everything she tells me to do. And, I was ready.

(Arlene) #8

For me it was a long process that took about 4 years, moving from paleo (after being vegan), then lower carb, then lchf, then keto. Only by continued searching, mostly google searches.
At first I would have told anyone I could never give up my breads and sweets, but over time I got where I am today.

#9

I, like Farmgirl, have spent most of my life trying to research and find a way to be as healthy as possible (probably because most of my life I seem to have always been battling one sort of health issue or another). So to my family, I appear to be the flighty one who’s always trying new “fads” or diets and changing them often (trying to find one that works for ME). Granted, I have tried several different ways of eating and always give each one 6 months before adopting it or ruling it out, so they feel they can’t keep up with my eating restrictions… “it’s always something with you”.

I think the fact that I look thinner and healthier will start to break through some of the thick-heads and the fact that I DON’T preach about it or try to force it on them will go a long way. And the younger members of the family DO seem receptive and open to hearing about it, until some of the “elders” shut them down with “that’s stupid and ridiculous”. My occasional thrills occur when they reach out to me privately in text or email to learn more about it. :slight_smile:

There is hope for the future generations.
Sue

#10

I convinced myself to do KETO. If you don’t love yourself enough to save yourself, then no one can help.
I only had to be told I was T2D on June 22nd for it to change my life. I hit Google and came here.

I love my life, and that can be the difference for some between living and self destruction.

Food should be treated like any other drug, its an addiction. Let your own results speak for themselves.

I am no longer T2D. I did that.

#11

I drive a lot and, thus, listen to a lot of audio books (I also listen at 2-3X normal speed so…yeah…lots of books). I randomly started Good Calories; Bad Calories based on nothing more than the title. By the time I was done I was convinced I at least needed to look into the science more. When I did that I was convinced that HFLC was the way to go. I started doing some research on “diets” that followed that model (more so because I wanted a ready-made framework I could step into instead of trying to figure everything out or myself) and came across keto. Then, once I saw how well that worked with IF/EF (something I was already practicing based on the science I’d read about it) I was hooked. Since then I’ve tried to convince several people to read the vastly more accessible “Why We Get Fat” also by Gary Taubes. So far I’ve been very unsuccessful :frowning:

#12

My hubby thought I was nuts. Then I lost a few pounds and he became supportive. Then he decided to make meal prep easier on me, he would join in. He was never obese anyway, but he’s lost 20 pound, has a great 6 pack, and feels great! He goes around telling everyone to do KETO at work. Now they think he’s nuts!

At the doctor yesterday I saw a woman who must have been 400 pound. She was struggling and sweating on oxygen. I wanted to say KETO to her, but I didn’t. I am thinking of getting cards printed with just KETO on them, and dropping them in supermarket shelves and in library books.

(Jo O) #13

I think it will get easier as more and more ‘other’ people talk about it. And be patient, it could take a year or more.

Most people I’ve talked to about Keto. First reaction. “Nope,not interested, can’t give up X.” So I live by example. Send pictures of what I just cooked. Usually on Instagram. I’m not on FB. Maybe send podcast episodes or articles.

A year later…I hear they are now Keto and want all the recipes. Or they just read one of the Fat or sugar books and are thinking of taking the plunge.
Some ignore me or still think I’m nuts.

I’ve been doing IF for 4-6 months and thinkingbof starting a 24-32 hour fast. Once in a while Hubby will overhear one of my Keto podcasts as I’m researching the fasting stuff. But no commitment. UNTIL TODAY, Hubby decides it’s for him because it was just on one of the morning news shows (restricted window of eating. He’s not commiting to fasting)

Just think of your job as planting the seed of the idea.

And remember:
Only in his home town and in his own house is a prophet without honour’ (Matt. 13 :54-57)

(Candy Lind) #14

I’ve thought about buying multiple copies of it!

(Candy Lind) #15

:rofl: LOVE IT!

#16

Interestingly, I had a meeting with a client I haven’t seen in over a year. She ASKED me about my weight loss and I happily shared.

(Randy) #17

Find a way to show (especially) the men in your life this video. Bob Briggs has a very non-threatening, everyman way of explaining LCHF:

For T2D, and especially the women in your life I’d show them this:

More from Sarah Hallberg here:

https://blog.virtahealth.com/reversing-diabetes-101-truth-about-carbs-and-blood-sugar/

(Darlene Horsley) #18

Almost my exact story. Diagnosed pre-diabetic 9/3/17, decided I was NOT claiming that! Came home, googled and here I am. :smile:

I’m angry at big Pharma but more angry with the Dr. I see for NOT giving more than an a cursory response of “lose weight and exercise” with each rising A1C. No recommendation from him on exactly just how he thought I should accomplish that. Wash, rinse and REPEAT with that medical advice until your A1C is high enough for me to put you on Metformin. Kick rocks Doc!

(Darlene Horsley) #19

I just want to run through grocery stores, Walmart, and fast food places yelling KETO at every carb Laden buggy / shopping cart, takeout order that I see! Doubt that helps much as a suggestion but does show I feel your frustration.

(Liz ) #20

I have really tried to save people I love with this Keto info, so far no go. What I run into most is that we’ve learned that INSULIN is key & everything else falls into place from there. But what my friends & loved ones hear is that there’s a “diet” you can try & it’s restrictive which is “not much fun” sounding to them.

They listen to me and consider Keto as an “option” they could try if they wanted to rather that THE ANSWER to T2D we know it is.

And they tend to only think about the weight loss so to them it’s equal to any other diet they’ve tried & failed on. There’s just so much noise & I can’t make Keto shine above all that even if I shout BUT BACON! It’s so incredibly sad & frustrating.

Anymore I say “Yeah I lost a bunch of weight which is nice for sure, but what I never would have guessed is that ALL my aches and pains would disappear! I had no idea carbs were the cause of all my body aches.” Because it’s truly the most amazing outcome for me & it’s not something standard diets offer as a perk.