Avoiding the Phrase Keto Diet

When we first started keto, we saw a dramatic change in our bodies.  I lost 65 pounds, and Bill lost over 150 pounds.  People asked us constantly how we were doing it.  We quickly found out that when we said we were keto, we got all kinds of comments – many of them negative.  So we started avoiding the term.  After three years, we’re done with that.  When they ask, we don’t avoid the term anymore.  We’re on a keto diet.

Alternative Names for the Keto Diet

When we first got the pushback against the term keto diet, we went through a phase of using alternate names for what we were doing.  We said we were low-carb and called it an alternative diet, or a diet done for medical reasons.  We’ve also heard the term modified Atkins diet or, my favourite, low glycemic index treatment.  Often, we’ve also used the term keto lifestyle, rather than keto diet.  After all, it is something we are doing for life and health benefits rather than to lose weight.

When it comes down to it though, keto is what we do and we do it because we like it.  We like how it makes us feel and how we look after losing all that weight.  Why do we have to justify it to people?

Ordering in Restaurants on the Keto Diet 

Part of being on keto is changing menu items in restaurants so they are keto friendly.  Sometimes this goes well, and sometimes servers make fun of you and make it awkward.  We did a blog on this after Bill had a particularly bad experience.  We try hard not to make things more complicated than they need to be, and usually servers are really good about dietary concerns.  Sometimes, you get a jerk.  It happens.

Friends and Family Weighing In 

Last week, I wrote a blog on friends who support you on keto.  Not everyone is going to be good people and support you.  When I think back to when I was overweight, many folks had an opinion about how I looked and why I looked that way.  I felt self-conscious when I ate and tried to hide in the back of any group photos.  

Then, I lost weight and I felt good about myself.  Those people still had negative things to say.  I wasn’t losing the right way.  It wasn’t sustainable.  I was going to negatively impact my health.  Well, guess what?  You didn’t have the right to tell me I was fat, and you don’t have a right to tell me I shouldn’t be on keto.

Why Is There Negativity about the Keto Diet?

If I sound a bit bitter, it’s because I am.  Keto has its critics.  Sometimes, there are real reasons behind the concerns.  If you do keto and aren’t concerned with getting in proper nutrients and vitamins, it can be a problem.  However, if you’re carb based and don’t get proper nutrients and vitamins, that is also a problem.  Just because you focus on healthy fats and proteins, doesn’t mean you totally give up vegetables.  And, just because you focus on carbs, doesn’t mean you get all the vegetables you need.  It’s all about balance – it’s just a different balance.

Health professionals say that keto is unsustainable.  Is it work?  Yes.  Does it take planning?  Sure does.  Is that different from eating a diet of complex carbs?  I really don’t see how.  I guess keto does mean you give up some foods entirely.  That much is true.  But, most of those foods are bad for your health anyway.  Keto offers different foods to fill that void that aren’t as harmful to your health.

A Final Thought

At this point in our lives, we just tell people we’re keto.  We don’t have the time or energy to beat around the bush.  Keto is a big part of our lives now.  We like how it makes us feel, we like the food, and we like how we look.  Deal with it, people – we’re on a keto diet.

Wendy