Today’s blog is going to break a big rule of mine when it comes to Married to Keto. That rule is: Don’t offer advice on something you haven’t experienced. This is an actual rule when writing that Wendy and I both follow. We hold strong to the philosophy that the only expert in you is YOU so we bring forward keto in the way we experienced it. But we have each other and it begs the question: do you need a keto partner?
Even with the science and medical benefits, we only tell you the effects and reactions we had. From time to time we will use common held beliefs, but we’re very up front when we use that practice.
BUT…..
The Question of Not Having a Keto Partner
The topic today comes up time and time again. How do you start a keto lifestyle if your partner and family in the same household isn’t. I’ve never experienced this as Wendy has been by my side from the day we started keto. I can’t imagine doing it without that support system, but for the sake of this question I think we should explore it a little bit as it’s a very common concern.
The negatives of doing keto by yourself are quite lengthy. You will in some cases be eating different foods than your family, treat meals will look quite different, going out to eat will change in most cases, and the big one for me… you won’t have that support system beside you that knows what you’re going through.
Keto Partner Concerns
There are ways to address most of the concerns above:
1 – you will be eating some different foods then your family, but not as different as you might think. Most meals consist of a protein, side, and vegetable. There are many keto options for this formula. You and your family can eat the same protein, you leave out the side, and use a keto friendly vegetable. Two out of three isn’t bad.
2 – treat meals will look different. The classic treats of chocolate bars and chips are a thing of the past in a keto lifestyle, but you will learn overtime how to replace those with your own homemade goodies or treats that local keto friendly bakeries make. Don’t deprive yourself and feel left out, that is a sure step towards straying from your goals.
3 – going out to eat will also look different. If your favorite place is the local greasy spoon down the road you might want to find a different place. They will have something, but do you want to have a bunless burger everytime you go out to eat? My recommendation would be to do your research and check out our restaurant guides. Most places offer keto-friendly alternatives or you can adapt the menu. Convince your family trying new places is an adventure.
Easy Fixes for Keto
Those three might not be easy to fix, but it’s certainly doable and will get easier over time. The fourth major point I brought up is nearly impossible and will require mental toughness and the ability to look outside your box of friends and family for support.
Having someone by your side like we do as you learn and venture through keto is a valuable tool. For me personally it has many times kept me on the path to proper health. With that said, I know I WOULD and COULD do it by myself if I had to. It would have been harder and taken longer, but I would have gotten there. My life was on the line when I came to keto, but even if I hadn’t gotten the medical diagnosis I needed to do something as my weight was affecting my mobility and my mental health.
Could I Have Done It Without a Keto Partner?
If I use a hypothetical and look at how I would start keto if Wendy wasn’t in my corner I would have to become a little bit selfish. The first thing I would do is sit her down and have a heart to heart on why I needed to do this. I would then begin the learning process using sites such as ours, books, and the numerous educational sources that are out there.
The three tips I mentioned above would help immensely as we found our way as a couple leading two different health lifestyles. But the selfishness would come as I stuck to my path and didn’t have all the treat meals, didn’t go to all the garbage restaurants, and put my life first when it comes to living.
You May Have to Come First in Your Keto Journey
Most of us put others first, that’s the way we are taught to be. But when it comes to health you need to take control and put yourself first. If you have a strong relationship your partner will support you in other ways and time will make that easier for them as well.
There is only one way to find out if you can do this. That’s getting started. If this is the path you should be on, the other stuff will fall into place. Challenges will pop up as you learn and consider this just another thing you will overcome and beat. Living a keto lifestyle is a personal choice. I want you to make it with your eyes wide open, but don’t get buried in what you see.
Thank you, friends. Bill
