What’s the first thing we learn as children? Our ABC’s. So, we thought it would be a fun idea to do the ABC’s of keto! This blog series looks at some of the main ideas and the not-so-main ideas of keto as we work our way through the alphabet. Today’s blog is T is for Trying to lose weight.
The Struggle to Lose Weight
It’s a battle many of us know only too well. We feel awful and have no energy. Our clothes are too tight, and we feel self conscious walking down the road, eating in front of others, or even just sitting in a chair. So, we decide we are ready to lose weight. We diet, we exercise, and we lose a couple of pounds. We feel good.
Then, it’s someone’s birthday or it’s the holidays, or maybe we just have a hard day at work and we slide back into eating the calorie packed, sugar laden, not good for us food. We feel horrible about ourselves, the weight comes back (plus some) and we eat everything in sight to make up for lost time. We start the cycle all over again.
Why Are So Many People Trying to Lose Weight?
Losing weight is a constant pressure on many people today. But, it wasn’t always like this. According to USA Facts, the rates of obesity have tripled since the 1960’s. Back then, about 13% of adults in the United States were obese. Today that rate is closer to 45%. You can see the charts where those rates gradually but consistently rise throughout the decades.
Why is this? Well, the conspiracy theorists will tell you it’s because that’s when we demonized fat and removed it from our foods, replacing it with sugar. Personally, I believe that is a piece of the puzzle. We also started to modify our food so more of it would grow in a shorter period of time. The 1960’s was when we began having the convenience of instant, boxed food that was easy to buy and easy to make.
Add those all together, and you have a population dependent on convenience, addicted to sugar, and looking for dietary shortcuts. Oh, if you understand nutrition at all, because that keeps changing each decade. First we had a pyramid of foods, and the base (or what you ate the most of) were carbs like wheat and oats. Now, we have a plate divided up into parts of the macros you should eat – which all add up to over 100%, so I’m not sure exactly how that works.
Does Keto Help or Hurt?
Many people turn to keto to lose weight. If that’s your only motivation, you may fall back into the same old cycle. Once your body starts using ketones for energy rather than glucose, you start feeling better. You have increased energy, you do lose weight, and best of all, you are rarely hungry. That’s the upside of keto.
But, as nutritionists will be happy to tell you, if you get cocky and start feeling you can bring back some of your old habits, your keto benefits will be gone in an instant. Once you are out of ketosis, you will feel tired and hungry again. You’ll start feeling like a failure, and that same old cycle of self-criticism will take over.
I Share the Secret on How to Lose Weight
Okay, I have the secret. Are you ready? Lean in really close and let me share with you…it’s hard work. Sorry, that’s it. If you bounce in and out of ketosis, you will not lose weight. But, I do have some suggestions to help you stay on track and keep the weight off.
Firstly, have more of a motivation than weight loss. In our case, it’s Bill’s health. If his blood sugars go up, he gets very sick. Our motivation is to keep him healthy so we can enjoy our trips to Mexico and go on motorcycle rides together. The fear of being sick keeps him on track and my desire to keep him healthy keeps me on track.
Break down your motivation so you know why you want to lose weight. Is it because you want to be able to play with your kids or grandkids? Do you want to take up a new hobby that’s more difficult if you’re bigger? Do you want to fit on every rollercoaster in the world? What is your goal, your dream, that weight is holding you back from?
Keto is For Life
Secondly, know that this is not a diet. This is a way of eating that is going to last for the rest of your life. It’s about finding foods that fulfill you so you don’t have to go back to the sugary ones you occasionally crave. I recently made a cinnamon cake for a coworker, and people who have no intention of doing keto wanted the recipe because it was just so good!
Keto is not easy. It’s prep work, it’s meal planning, and it’s cooking at home. But the flavours are there and you will not miss the food you used to have. Best of all, the fat and fiber you eat keeps you feeling full. We don’t feel like we are depriving ourselves, because we legitimately enjoy the food we eat.
Enjoy the Benefits When You Lose Weight
Most of all, enjoy life when you finally accomplish some weight loss. It doesn’t have to be 100 pounds. It can be 10 pounds. Enjoy how you feel, the energy you have, and the confidence you exude. Do something to celebrate that isn’t food related. Go for a horseback ride, which you couldn’t do because you were too heavy. Jump out of a plane, ride a motorcycle, or hike a mountain. Just get out and do what you always wanted to do. And then think of those moments when you feel yourself start to slide backwards.
Wendy
