I’ve got an illness that involves fever and chills, and it meant canceling fun plans I’d been looking forward to for weeks, so this seems like the perfect state of misery for discussing something I’ve been putting off discussing: dieting.
Do you remember back in 2011 when I wrote about the book Why We Get Fat, by Gary Taubes? Basically he is talking about the keto diet: very low carbohydrate. It took me six years, but I finally put those ideas into action last July. I think it is the longest time I have ever stayed on a diet. I have lost 40-45 pounds (the scale varies from day to day). If I didn’t lose anything else, I would feel very pleased with the results: it’s easier to move, I have fewer aches and pains, and I feel cuter.
One reason I’ve been reluctant to discuss this is because of the way I feel when I am not on a diet and someone else discusses a diet: bad. I feel bad. I don’t want to start dissecting that to find the whys or whatevers, but it makes me feel bad and also distant from that person. And I don’t want to make you feel that way.
Another reason I’ve been reluctant is that, in my own experience, diets never work permanently. I have friends who go in cycles: there will be tons of talk about the amazing success of a diet, with lots of photos; then a period of silence when the diet is not mentioned; then I start seeing photos where they look the same as before they started the diet; then a new batch of talk about the amazing success of a diet—and this goes on for DECADES. And I don’t want to do that, and also I had decided NOT to diet anymore, because I always end up sadder and fatter. So I didn’t want to talk a lot of talk about this diet and then end up embarrassed when it fails. Trying another diet makes me feel verrrrrrry weird and cautious and not particularly happy. I’m geared up already for the strong statistical likelihood that I will eventually gain all the weight back, as most people do, as I always do.
But it’s gone on long enough that it’s starting to feel weird and secretive not to talk about it. WHICH IS NOT TO SAY that I want to do a lot of talking about it: I want to tell you about it, maybe do a follow-up post or two, maybe write about it once in awhile in the future, but NOT end up writing frequently about diets and weight loss. Because that is another thing that gives me bad feelings: when someone I follow starts dieting/exercising, and then their blog basically turns into Nothing But Diet and Exercise and Personal Progress All the Time. So do not worry: the plan is to write a post, and then maybe write about it occasionally, the way I write about anything else that is an occasional-but-not-blog-defining topic.
Here is another reason I haven’t wanted to talk about it: feedback. When someone writes about diets, there are a ton of annoying comments. It’s just a very, very touchy subject, and there are a whole lot of really bad takes on it, and there are a whole lot of people who are not aware of how touchy it is or how annoying their takes are, and this diet is particularly controversial, and also it can be problematic to praise people for losing weight. Ha: is ANYONE going to be able to comment after a paragraph like this? I know I would not risk it, if I were you! But that’s the way things are: when I wrote about this diet before, I had to do a lot of comment-deleting and a lot of lying-awake-having-mental-arguments. That’s the kind of thing that makes a person reluctant to write on the same topic again. I considered closing comments on this post, but the thing is, I also get a lot of GOOD comments; and also, I think bad comments can end up making a good point by negative example (i.e., seeing someone else’s bad take can make someone else realize how poorly that idea comes across, or how much they disagree with it); and also, when I encounter a closed comments section, even if I totally understand the reason for it, it makes me feel like a door got shut in my face. I’m not saying that’s a fair or reasonable reaction.
I DON’T want to explain why I went on this diet, or why I thought it was a good idea, or why I thought the parts that flew in the face of conventional dieting made sense. I’m not going to spend any time at all defending the science or the theories or whatever. If you are interested in that, and/or if the whole concept of this diet makes you feel argumentative, I suggest starting by reading the book I mentioned in the first paragraph.
I DO want to tell you some things I had heard about the diet that turned out not to be true for me:
1. Rapid weight loss. I have lost weight at the exact same pace I always lose weight on a diet: five pounds the first week, and an average of just over a pound a week after that, including the usual plateaus and gains. (I don’t actually think it’s a good idea to lose weight faster than that, and so it is hard to explain why it would be disappointing not to, and yet my guess is that you are nodding your head understandingly.)
2. Normal weight loss, but then with sudden huge amazing drops. No. The few times I had a sudden surprising drop (like, five pounds), it turned out to be temporary: either there was then a five-week plateau, or else the number went back up.
3. Amazing increase in energy / Amazing improvement in mood. I have noticed no overall increase in energy or feeling good, other than the pleasant feelings of having lost some weight and finding it easier to move around.
4. No more cravings. I still crave ice cream and candy and brownies and cake and bread and potatoes. I find I’m better able to NOT eat those things—but I have to have occasional days when I DO eat those things, and I always have to have such a day in the future to look forward to, or else I will lose my fool mind. And I feel pretty sorry for myself about not being able to eat them whenever I want.
One reason this diet is NOT a great fit for me is that ALL MY FAVORITE FOODS are carbohydrates. Some people have long been restricting their intake of fat and bacon and fatty meats and butter, and have been suffering greatly under those restrictions, so this diet is like FREEDOM AND HAPPINESS: all the BAD foods are now GOOD! (I do not think foods should be described in terms of morality, but I can see how the FEELING would be there.) But I don’t feel strongly about any of those foods, and don’t have to think about restricting them because I don’t care very much about them one way or another. I do like butter, sure! But not the way I like BROWNIE SUNDAES. I enjoy bacon now and then, but not the way I enjoy MASHED POTATOES. I don’t even like fatty meats. So for me this diet is free rein to eat all the foods I was already eating freely and never wanted very much of, plus utter restriction of everything I like best. Nevertheless, it is working for me so far.
Alllllll of this is leading up to me writing a keto grocery shopping list. When I first started out, that was what I MOST wanted: just a list of WHAT I SHOULD BUY. One reason it’s hard to find a good one is that it would, of course, be different for everyone. And some people love to cook and experiment and try new recipes, but I do not, and what worked for me was finding a way that I could do this in my same old style of not really cooking much, and eating the same foods over and over again. So this is just MY keto shopping list, of things I like and things I know how to cook, which may be helpful to you or may be completely worthless. I am putting it here partly for your potential benefit, but also because I might go off this diet and then later want to go back on it and not be able to remember what I used to buy.
block of cheddar cheese (not shredded)
block of jalapeño cheddar cheese
colby jack cheese sticks
mozzarella cheese sticks
jalapeño mozzarella cheese sticks
thin-sliced mozzarella from the deli (not pre-sliced in a package)
thin-sliced sharp cheddar from the deli (not pre-sliced in a package)
parmesan or romano or three-cheese blend
any non-shredded, non-pre-sliced cheeses you like
cream cheese
light cream (heavy has fewer carbohydrates but goes bad before I can use it)
sour cream
deli ham
deli turkey
bacon and/or real bacon bits
Perdue Short Cuts carved chicken breast
rotisserie chicken
pepperoni
small boneless half ham (for chunks as opposed to deli slices)
Hillshire Farm Lit’l Beef Franks
ground beef
ground turkey
canned tuna
salmon
any meats you like and know how to cook
eggs—like, so many eggs, like three dozen eggs
butter
olives
dill pickle spears
sweet pickles made with Splenda
mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
bouillon or broth
low-carbohydrate salad dressings (varies considerably by type/brand)
Morton Lite salt (or any light salt that has potassium chloride)
Powerade Zero
sugar-free Jell-o
coffee
almond flour
Joseph’s Flax, Oat Bran, and Whole Wheat Lavash bread
Joseph’s reduced-carbohydrate pita bread
Tostitos Queso Blanco dip
Taco Bell Bold and Creamy Chipotle sauce
mixed nuts, lower-carbohydrate blends
raw unsalted almonds
roasted salted almonds
raw pecans (I like to toast them, which makes them a tiny bit sweet)
creamy peanut butter
crunchy peanut butter
Barney crunchy almond butter (expensive)
frozen broccoli
raw spinach
celery
vodka
gin
brandy
A shorter, more flexible way to write this list would be:
cheese
eggs
butter
meat
nuts
low-carbohydrate vegetables
low-carbohydrate booze
That’s how I think of my list if I don’t have it with me, or if I’m trying to figure out what to eat.
It’s the only food plan that works for me, too. I have enjoyed following Ted Naiman on Twitter; he’s very educational and inspiring. To me this food plan is no different than what someone follows if they have diabetes, Crohns, allergy/intolerance, or bariatric surgery. In other words, whatever they need to feel their best and be functional. Stay calm and eat protein.
So I’ve tried this one and have the same feelings about being deprived of the things I like best and not particularly comforted by able to eat other foods I’m meh about. Part of why I found it hard to stick with was the emphasis on hardly any sugar. Like, I couldn’t but bacon at my regular grocery store, or even the other grocery store I occasionally go to – no, instead I had to go to a Whole Foods 2 towns over to get the bacon cured without sugar, coating about as much as a monthly mortgage payment. I’m kind of gathering from this post that you’re not bothering with being as rigid as some people are. True? If it’s true maybe I should try again and do it like you are, and not make perfect the enemy of good enough, you know?
I’m not sure how rigid I am compared to others. I aim for 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. Our grocery store has a few brands of uncured bacon; I just checked the kind we have, and it’s one gram per two slices, so that’s fine.
Just wanted to say that it’s not easy to try a diet like this and stick to it for so long, and I commend you.
I only wanted to commiserate with the having mental arguments with comments. This happened to me with a FB post the other day and I knew I should not respond because it was one of those posts that you know no matter what you say, it won’t change that person’s mind. But did that stop me from arguing about it in my mind and taking down the person’s assumptions point by point? For like an hour when I am already sleep-deprived? Of course not.
Thanks for your post! I literally started keto yesterday and there’s a lot to learn. I have a couple of questions, if you don’t mind. 1, for your Queso dip, what do you dip in it? I looked yesterday at a similar product and was excited to see that it was low carb but then didn’t know what I would do with it. 2, are deli meats and cheeses generally lower carb than packaged ones? 3, this is the one that may be touchy so please don’t think I’m being rude – just trying to understand… if you aren’t experiencing any of the advantages of keto (more weight loss, energy…) and you’re missing your favorite foods, I’m wondering why you’re doing it vs some other diet? I have celiac disease so didn’t eat a lot of the forbidden things anyway and I do love meat and cheese so while I will miss some things I don’t think it will be as significant. Congrats on the weight loss! That’s an awesome accomplishment!
1. I use the queso dip (and the Taco Bell creamy chipotle) in scrambles. Like, I’ll make scrambled eggs with ham and broccoli, and then mix in a big spoonful/squeeze of a creamy dip. Or I’ll make a taco salad, and I’ll add the queso/sauce to the meat first.
2. Packaged sliced/shredded cheeses generally have carbohydrates added to prevent sticking. Freshly-cut deli cheeses, and shredding you do from a block, doesn’t have those added carbohydrates.
3. Because I’ve been able to continue this diet longer than any other diet I’ve tried. Others had the same rate of loss, but I couldn’t stay on them as long as I’ve stayed on this one. And I consider a pound a week to be a reasonable and sensible rate for weight loss: it’s just that it ISN’T what a lot of keto advocates promise. But also, I haven’t found ANY diet that lets me have a lot of brownies and cake and candy and bread: if I DID find a diet that was mostly carbohydrates, I would switch SO FAST!
Thanks for the info on questions 1 & 2, and for your reply about why you’re sticking with keto. Makes perfect sense – guess any diet has you missing something! I did lol at your all carb diet comment! : )
I had the exact same question for #1.
I love the queso blanco – great idea to try in scrambles!
I think it’s awesome that you found something that works for you! I did the same thing on my own blog, for the same exact reasons you mentioned — lost weight and felt icky writing about it because I didn’t want to alienate people. I also didn’t want to come off as smug and self-righteous, you know? FWIW, you approached and discussed the topic perfectly! :)
Really, I think it comes down to finding something that you can stick with long term. And it seems like you have done exactly that — yay!
That list is really helpful! I’ve had many family members who have had great long term success on keto diets and I’m happy you have found what works for you!!
Are questions okay?
What vegetables can you/do you eat on this diet? I know I could look it up but I’m curious as to what *you* are buying and making.
Also, has the way you eat now changed the way your children eat?
Once, many, many years ago, I did a low-carb stint for a few months. I lost some weight but I was hangry and grumpy constantly. I find that, FOR ME, monitoring calories works better since I can still have the poisonous, precious carbs (which I am admitting to being addicted to).
I just saw the broccoli and spinach–anything else?
Questions are okay!
My favorite vegetables ANYWAY are broccoli and spinach, and both of them are fairly low, carbohydrate-wise (broccoli is not The Lowest, but I really like it, and I like the nutrition of it, so it’s worth it to me). I also sometimes eat celery, though that’s less pleasing in a nutritional sense. When we have fresh garden tomatoes, I will use a little of those. I have also used small amounts of summer squash and bell pepper.
So far, I don’t think it’s changed what the kids eat. It mostly changes the irritation/resentment level at dinnertime: not only do I have to make something separate for me, I have to make THINGS I CAN’T HAVE for other people!
I would LOVE to know more about the dinner time and meal planning aspect. A diet like this is what works best for me, and I very much want to start one. But I have a spouse who is very much a pasta casserole/lasagne/rice casserole type water, where the carbs are an integral part of the meal. And one kid is exploring vegetarianism. And just: how do people cook meals for families with very different diets?!?! And thanks for this post.
There was an evening recently when I threw a bit of a fit. Paul handles his own dinner if he doesn’t want to eat what I make for the kids, but Elizabeth is a vegetarian and Edward is the pickiest child in the world and I needed to make something separate for myself and I was SO SICK OF EVERYTHING I COULD POSSIBLY MAKE—but unable to make anything new because of pre-resentment about how no one would eat it and then I’d have leftovers I couldn’t eat either.
Mostly what I do is this: for the kids, I make the same five or six meals over and over again, and for all but one of those meals I’ve found a vegetarian option that isn’t TOO much extra work (like vegetarian “chicken” nuggets when I’m giving everyone else chicken nuggets). (For the one meal she can’t eat, Elizabeth makes herself a plate of things like sandwich, cheese and crackers, peanut butter, fruit, etc.) I try to wedge the cooking of my food into the gaps of cooking the kids’ meal, but sometimes I end up having to make my food afterward. It’s frustrating and I don’t like it. But USUALLY I can make it work. I don’t think I’d be able to manage it if I had to cook for Paul.
For me, meal-planning is the most frustrating part of any diet. In my family we have one vegetarian, one vegan, one with ulcerative colitis, and one picky eater. I work full time and our household’s division of labor means I’m in charge of dinner each night, and it’s SO FRUSTRATING to figure out how to make meals that everyone can eat with a minimum of labor and fuss. Casseroles and one-pot meals have turned out to be a saving grace for me–I’ll make two with the same basic recipe but with tofu in one and chicken in the other, or fake cheese in one and regular cheese in the other.
Also, cauliflower rice is THE BOMB. It fills you up the same as regular rice but has fewer carbs; I buy it in the frozen section.
I am so glad I’m not the only one who is frustrated, because I keep thinking I’m doing it wrong and giving up! I’d love to know the meals you make Swistle, and LeighTX I’d love to know your casserole/one pot ideas. I adore cooking like that, but the only meals I know are meat with a carb which only makes my spouse happy.
I love cauliflower rice, but I’ve only made it with my food processor—I am PLEASED to know it is available in the frozen section!
I really like the high cheese content of this diet. That’s pretty cool. Weight loss is hard and, you’re right, it is so loaded. So all I want to say is congratulations! You’ve done something hard and you feel good about it and you should be proud of you. :)
Thanks for this post – it’s positive and honest and useful and kind.
I cannot stand negative campaigning, which is exactly what you have avoided here. Sometimes people, in their over-enthusiasm for what has worked for them will write things that shame any other way. Things along the lines of “You’ll see! this food/diet is actually healthier *and* more enjoyable than the usual. You won’t even miss your way.” And I hear “I feel sorry for you. You eat crap because you simply have bad taste in food. You need to have higher standards.” I also struggle with anything along the lines of better isn’t good enough, e.g., just eating lots of fruits and vegetables isn’t good enough, fruit is practically candy and it has to be the right (invariably less enjoyable) vegetables. I also think that there is gas-lighting out there: you only *think* ice cream/chips/fruit etc… are enjoyable.
Is there also a portion control (I.e. weighing and measuring) part of this diet?
Only for things with carbohydrates.
I have had the keto diet on my mind a lot recently – been trying to research it – so I’m really pleased to see you’re talking about it here, my favorite blog! I know a woman on Facebook who I met in real life (she’s a writer/book conference) about 4 years ago and I guess at that time she weighed over 300 pounds – only mention that because she is open about the fact she has lost 200 pounds – and she did it on the keto diet. She’s kept it off and is now very into fitness, etc. I like that you give yourself cheat days – whenever I’ve dieted I always made one day a week my cheat day – even if I didn’t end up cheating on that day – it got me through the other 6 days knowing I *could* cheat on Friday if I wanted to.
TELL ME MORE about Taco Bell! What do you get there and what is this creamy chipotle thingee? I’ve been eating low carbish for a while so I don’t even feel weird eating the toppings off of a pizza or taking the burger toppings out of the bun. If you do lettuce wraps, I like the big round heads of “living” lettuce for that. Sometimes I get a Wendy’s double or Baconator, take off the bun at home (I will just never be the kind of person to ask for it without the bun THAT’S HOW IT IS), and eat it in a lettuce wrap.
There’s a restaurant here that serves a dish that is just a double burger without the bun, topped with a chopped hotdog, topped with chili sauce. I’ll bet you could make it at home.
I also like thick meat sauce, mixed with ricotta, over spaghetti squash or just by itself.
Sadly it is only a Taco Bell creamy chipotle SAUCE, which I found at Walllmart. I can’t find really ANYTHING I can eat at Taco Bell, so it’s a common destination on days off.
You have outlined EXACTLY why I haven’t blogged about being on Weight Watchers (since July 1, and down almost 40 pounds). In my experience, most people who talk about their diets are having to lose weight for the first time in their lives, and are just like first-time parents with easy babies: They think they have Figured It Out. So for many decades I have been going on WW, losing weight, eventually gaining it back, going back on WW, lather rinse repeat and repeat and repeat. But I am happier when I’m losing weight and I very much needed to be happier and WW works for me so here I am. Good for you for finding what works for you, and for having the boldness to put it out there. (Also, I am happier.)
Excellent metaphor for first-time dieters! And the repeat talkers-about-it are like people where every new boyfriend/girlfriend is THE ONE THIS TIME FOR SURE!!!
YES!
Love this.
Good for you for figuring out what works for you. I think this post is a model for how to blog about a diet without being a jerk about it. (Also, I am in awe at low carb diets. I don’t think I could do it and am impressed by your will power!)
Congratulations on your weight loss! As others have said, what a nice post about what you are doing-very truthful and informative. My husband and I have dabbled in the Whole 30 eating program-but unfortunately after the 30 days, we never quite get a good eating plan in place, so we start back into old habits. It is something we have done together, I couldn’t imagine how difficult it must be having to cook for a family and stay on a low carb eating plan.
Can I ask a question about counting carbs? So do you need to know the carbs in every food you eat (like ones in fruit and some vegetables) or do you only count carbs in processed foods?
Every single food. One of the biggest adjustments of this diet for me has been the transition from “fruits and vegetables are always good” to “OMG I can’t believe I have to LIMIT BROCCOLI.”
Or carrots. Like, really? CARROTS? On the other hand, subbing cauliflower for carrots is an easy win because both of them are “meh” for me.
Eeek, I’m nervous to comment :) It’s SUCH a loaded subject, for sure. I do know a few people who have been on the Keto diet with success. It’s not for me, since I mainly follow a vegan diet and I don’t think I could live on nuts only. I mean, I like nuts and all but…
I have been wanting to write a post about eating and my own lifestyle change that I implemented in 2015, but I’ve been nervous too exactly for the reasons you say. I don’t want to alienate or make anyone feel bad. But I will say this, one thing I have always loved about your blog is the honesty aspect. I like how you outline what did NOT happen to you on that diet, that people always talk about happening. I really admire how you write these things and put it out there. Not just for food but for all topics, really. And I’m glad you’re feeling pleased with your results, I think that it is an accomplishment!
Hope this comment is okay! Eeee, nervous.
You did good, Nicole!
This was a really interesting post to read, and I’m glad you have something that is working for you and making you feel good.
I have so much empathy for the cooking multiple-meals thing. My wife is in the middle of a very strict elimination diet (low FODMAP) for IBS reasons and because I am The Best Wife Ever I did all the research and meal planning and cooking around that, and while I came up with things she could eat and loved, they were/are super time-consuming…and then I still had to deal with my own food (diabetic, different restrictions, also picky) and that of our son (five years old, really picky). It is a LOT to deal with. Why does food have to be so much WORK?
This. I did keto for a while and liked it and lost weight and ran faster (the main goal). But I couldn’t stand the mental energy. I just hated thinking about FOOD so much. in combination with my kids’ pickiness/orthodontics I just couldn’t take it any more. Like, 30% of my waking hours thinking about what to eat, what not to eat, what the kids would or wouldn’t or couldn’t eat…maybe I am veering off the good path here as far as supportive comments go. :)
So hats off to you, Swistle, for sticking with it. Maybe when we get braces/appliances off I’ll try it again. The thing I missed the most was CRUNCHY foods. I even found myself eating pork rinds, just to see if it would scratch that itch. (Not really, but kind of.) The best solution I found was those shredded cheese bakes that are kind of like chips.
Yes! This! I think this is why I always fall off the diet bandwagon. I just get so tired of giving food the front-and-center position in my brain all the time.
I feel that, in this post, you perfectly balanced talking about dieting with not talking about dieting. I appreciate your sensitivity to others, and your maintenance of boundaries–I mean the, “I don’t want to explain…” part, and the discussion about how some comments are just not particularly what you want to read. I like when people speak frankly about boundaries.
My other comment is that I hope that, with this diet or in some other way, you have what you want. It sounds like you feel good about the changes in your body, and that makes me very happy for you.
Well done, you! I have tried this before and although it’s not easy, I do seem to stick to it better than other plans because I’m not starving. I’m wondering how you handle days off (which I think are crucial to sanity), and also if you have found anyone who writes about keto and exercise. I jog (slowly) 3 times a week, and go to fitness classes that are fairly tough 2/3 times a week. This helps my mood as much as my fitness, but I still haven’t figured out how many carbs to add.
I handle days off by eating EVERYTHING I’VE WANTED TO EAT. I have a stockpile of deliciousness in a closet (all my favorite candies, mostly), and I usually go out for fast food and/or pasta and/or pizza. I have not directed much attention yet to exercise.
I have been eating keto for about 2 years and have lost 120 lbs (well, at my peak I was at 120 – I have slipped and have gained about 15 back over the last several months and am working to re-shed those lbs).
I am very similar to you (Swistle) in that I kind of just eat the same things over and over and set my meals on autopilot (which i did before keto, but I was eating different things). I also have a weekly half day off where I also “EVERYTHING I’VE WANTED TO EAT” as you say – any craving from the week gets soothed during my Saturday afternoon carb fest. (the slip i mentioned earlier is that for a…too long… my 1/2 day has turned into most of the weekend, and had been slowly gaining again).
And, if I may, answering Betsy’s question with my own experience – I do 4 spinning classes and 2 weights sessions per week and I don’t add any carbs. Like Swistle I try to keep my daily carbs at 20 or less
1. I have been on a diet and have wanted to post about it and have not because of similar concerns.
2. GO YOU
3. I keep seeing recipes for keto and drooling
McDougall Diet it high carb. I’m just throwing it out there based on your comment that you’d like a high carb diet. It’s vegan, however, and very low fat.
I’ve never tried it and I’m not endorsing it. Just pointing it out. :-)
You did an admirable job of saying what we all think and feel about dieting. I’ve done a version of this- I called it “no sugar” but in all honesty I just tried to keep my sugar consumption as low as was feasible. Honestly if I limit candy/baked goods I would eat next to nothing when left to my own devices. I need to get started again but getting through the first few days is such a nightmare- I have “failed to start” only about 40 times since the Christmas season gluttony.
I’m with you regarding cheat days, but how do you schedule those? Are they after a certain amount of time (like every two weeks or something) or for certain events?
Anyway, go you. Amazing job. This shit is HARD.
It can be really hard to do keto away from home, so I like to schedule days off when there’s a tricky-to-navigate situation already happening: a girls’ night, a get-together with family, lunch with a friend, etc. And I always take holidays off, because it just feels TOO PITIFUL to miss Easter candy and Christmas foods and so forth. It makes the holidays feel so much happier, too: I was just BLISSED OUT on Christmas morning, making cinnamon rolls and having eggnog in my coffee!
I was surprised by how accommodating most fast food places are. Well, I should say McDonald’s. I once screwed up the nerve to ask for an egg mcmuffin with no muffin and they didn’t say a word, and handed it out to me in a box with silverware in the bag. I think they get that request a LOT.
I have been pleased and surprised by this, too. Rob and William worked at a fast-food place last summer and they say people ask all the time for sandwiches without the bread. I get hamburgers without buns, and then I order a side salad and put the burger on the salad.
I just order “a side of eggs” and it’s the eggs they would put on a Big Breakfast platter. They’re scrambled rather than the fried egg circle, though. Just throwing it out there in case it’s helpful. You can also get a side of sausage; I’ve done that, too. McD’s is the easiest place outside of a sit down restaurant for keto on a road trip.
I’ve also lost 40 lbs doing keto! Then went off for a while. Now back on and not really losing… I may have to start counting carbs more carefully, in the past I just stuck to low carb veggies and ate however much I wanted.
I too am a huge carb lover but cannot eat low fat (and don’t believe in it). I also have a dairy sensitivity which limits my options. BUT, I find that when I eat keto, I can eat 3 normal meals a day and not feel hungry in between. When I eat higher carb, I’m snacking all the time.
How often have you been able to take days off and still lose weight?
Hm, I’m not sure how frequently I’ve taken days off. I think about one day every two weeks, on average.
I’m anti-“diet” generally because they’ve never worked for me and end in weight gain. Annnnd I’ve tried to come to terms with my size and shape generally. On the other hand, I have a friend with thyroid and pcos issues which I also have, and she’s done well on a low carb diet. I just struggle with doing it when I also have young and relatively neat averse children. We eat variations of eggs a lot, even though the one doesn’t particularly like them either. Blergh. One day, maybe.
That said, I really appreciate the tone of this post, well done.
I weep for the fact that keto came on my radar AFTER I found out I can’t have dairy. I mean, I know it’s just the latest in low-carb-ness (Atkins, etc) but I would love to try it and feel like it would just lead to me being able to eat nothing but hunks of meat and the occasional avocado.
A recipe comment since I just happened to make this for a cookbook club and it was good! And I don’t generally like green olives or celery that’s not cooked.
Smitten Kitchen Every Day
Crushed olives with celery, Parmesan, and almonds
Page 303
I don’t know about the carb content, but I chose the recipe from our selection list with an eye towards quick and easy for exhaustion (major event I helped run was yesterday). It didn’t require any specialty grocery store trips and was quick to throw together.
Maybe it might fit the bill and be a fun/different option for celery.
I tried a diet like this for a while – a long time actually, at least a year. What made me gave it up in the end was the lack of fiber, which was causing digestive difficulties. Do you have to do anything about this? Do you take a supplement?
I have not encountered trouble with this as of yet, though I’ve heard of it as a potential issue. I eat broccoli and spinach and nuts, and those seem to be enough fiber.
To add to the Things We Love about the Way Swistle Discusses Her Diet: talking about “days off” rather than “cheat days”?
(Not to criticize people who use the term “cheat days”! We all get to be in charge of what we put in our face-holes and the words that come out of them. But I think it’s a more helpful way of thinking about not doing what you usually do: doing it doing it doing it doing it NOTDOINGIT doing it doing it doing it.)
I’m glad you’ve found something that’s sustainable for you. One of my doctors was talking about a diet he’d followed, then quit, and he said, “It worked, but I couldn’t stay on it.” And I thought, “Then it didn’t actually ‘work,’ did it?)
I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic a year ago, and am doing a modified Keto (I do eat carbs, just fewer of them, and make choices about them. Am I having a Mallomar today, or am I having mashed potatoes?)
My numbers for both sugar and cholesterol have gone way down, and the latter is surprising given that I find it’s easier for me to resist carbs if I eat savory, high-fat foods like chopped liver.
I also lost 18 pounds (over 12 months), but that wasn’t the reason I did it.
All of which is to say, I’m glad it’s working for you, and I support your eating habits no matter what they are.
I have a question. I thought legumes were a no no. You have peanut butter. Is it a Keto-friendly food? Because I can nearly subsist off of peanut butter.
Peanut butter is a treat/dessert food on keto. I have a spoonful of it when I am feeling very sorry for myself. Two tablespoons has about six grams of net carbs.
I love reading your educational posts SO MUCH, even when it’s about something I ostensibly cared nothing about before starting the post. (Maybe I’ll bookmark this for after i have the baby, though, ha. Right now I’m in I AM THE PREGNANTEST AND I WILL EAT EVERYTHING DISGUSTING AND BAD FOR ME AND I WILL RIP YOUR HEAD OFF IF YOU COMMENT ABOUT IT KTHX beast mode. But talk to me a few months postpartum when I start hating the state of my midsection and start reconsidering diet / exercise options…)
How do you eat the spinach?
I eat it raw, as a salad with whatever-would-normally-include-a-bun-or-shell-or-whatever on top. So, like, spinach leaves with taco meat and salsa and cheese and cream sauce and a few olives and some tomato. Or spinach leaves with chopped-up hamburger and cheese and tomato and pickles. Or spinach leaves with diced kielbasa and salad dressing.
I just want to add to the chorus of people saying how much I appreciate how you addressed the diet issue. Also, I love the shopping list idea. Years ago the father of my boyfriend at the time died suddenly from a massive heart attack and his doctor told my BF that because it was genetic, my BF needed to take steps towards a heart healthy diet immediately. Being the nice GF I was at the time I did the program with him and because I didn’t have kids then it was relatively easy to follow the plan once I had FINALLY assembled all of the various foods and got shopping for it down to a science, which took quite awhile. I would have fallen on the floor in thanks to someone if they’d just complied the shopping list to get started because it took forever and a lot more mental energy than I thought it was going to!
I’m glad you’re finding a plan that works for you. Today the internet was abuzz that director Kevin Smith had a heart attack at age 47! He had made losing weight and becoming more healthy a big priority and yet still had an MI. 47 used to seem positively ancient…. now it’s looming rather large!
My only concern would be the same for anyone changing their eating habits: please check in with your health care provider and advise them of your plans. Not that you’re “asking permission” or anything, but to let them know so they can better treat you in the future re: bloodwork, cholesterol checks, and being aware of any weight loss.
If, for example, you did not mention any changes, and lost 20 pounds between now and your next appointment, the scale reading would be a red flag for your provider. I also suggest discussing changes if they are motivated by feelings – low vitamin D and or thyroid issues can contribute to feelings very similar as clinical depression, and those can be checked for fairly easily.
I have type 1 diabetes (going on 9 months now!) and I chose to go on a lower carb diet because it helped me with blood sugar spikes. I don’t really miss the bread, BUT, I really really missed dessert as well. I found a bunch of good low-carb dessert recipes just by searching “fat bombs” or “energy bites”. They are no-bake recipes and turn out very good (I don’t use protein powder in them, though, but you could). I have also found that if a dessert is creamy, I am ok with it not being sweet!
Examples, please!
Swistle, I really appreciate the tone of your post. This is the best dieting post I’ve ever read.
At the risk of asking you to over-focus on diets/food, I had a couple of follow up questions and wondered if you might do posts on these or answer here. I am so constantly stressed by dinner prep for my family, which includes one child with soy, corn, and olive allergies; a picky child with allergies to most berries; a child with dairy allergy; an adult with fatty liver disease who hates poultry and anything that tastes more healthy than delicious; and me, who is fat, prediabetic, and trying to stick to a ketogenic diet.
What do you commonly feed your children (like, what are your 5-6 meals?). And what about yourself?
Our go-to meals are:
Asian-style omelets (fried at high heat until puffy) with rice, roasted seaweed, and Korean hot sauce (keto version: omelet, seaweed, tiny amount of sauce)
Tacos with ground beef, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, and pico de gallo (keto version: no tortilla, on top of romaine)
Quesadillas with sour cream, guacamole, cheese, and pico de gallo (dairy-free version: refried beans instead of cheese; keto version: dip Trader Joe’s cheese bites into the toppings)
Spaghetti with meat sauce and a veggie (keto version: sub cauliflower rice for noodles)
Fish sticks and tater tots and roasted broccoli (keto version: no tots, take off fish stick breading, dip in spicy mayo)
Hamburgers and cut-up raw veggies
Homemade pizza with lazy crust started the night before (dairy-free version: just tomato sauce and salami; keto version: make a cauliflower crust)
Pasta with hot-smoked salmon, cheese, butter/oil, and capers (everyone makes their own mix depending what they like; keto version is on cauliflower rice)
Baked chicken breasts, wild rice, and a veggie
Sausages, mashed potatoes, and a veggie
I hear you, this is so fraught! I did want to add my hearty endorsement to the Taubes book as well as Secrets from the Eating Lab (Traci Mann) and Be Less Crazy about Your Body by Megan Dietz. All these books helped me 1. accept that my body has changed and 2. disassociate exercise from pounds and inches and 3. meanwhile eat foods that are more satisfying than lots of sugar. I still eat sugar, of course. I am the mother of a four year old. But when I feel like food is running the show, I remember these folks’ advice.
Oof, on re-reading that sounds like advice for you. Not meant as advice, just a happy report from another person who broke up with sugar once and liked it! Well done!
Ha, no no, it was fine!
*contented sigh*
Not to get too “meta” here, (yes I’ve started using the word “meta”), but I feel like there could be a whole discussion on blog conversations and how they live on in one’s mind. Positively and negatively. It’s smart to preempt tiresome arguments by listing what you don’t really want to discuss. Using your words, using your words. Words are surprisingly powerful.
Yes, this is the best post about dieting I have EVER READ! You manage to make everything interesting, even subjects I usually hate…and you have this deft touch with political subjects too. I think my political views are pretty different than yours and most of your commenters’, but you’re so kind and polite and reasonable that I even harbor the secret belief that we could be friends even if you knew all about me!! :) Good job keeping such a good relationship with food…and people :)
May I ask whether you are noting expensiveness as part of the experience? What about if you scaled up to the whole family. I’m pretty sure that a reason that starch and sugar are a substantial part of a typical NA diet is that they are usually very affordable to fill up on. Meat, nuts, cheese … expensive. Eggs not so much but still.
I have been sort of deliberately looking away from prices. I think you’re right: bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, etc. are cheap.
And at restaurants, too. I feel like bread or rice or bread sticks is one way they keep their prices under control and present a full-looking plate.
Great post, Swistle. I’ve long come to the conclusion that bodies are all different, and what works for some won’t work for others, etc. I do what works for me and support whatever else others do for themselves.
I do low-carb, lazy keto-ish and have since 2015. I lost 65 pounds and am now wavering around 50 or so. Pretty good for that length of time. For me, I have PCOS and eating this way does a huge amount for hormone regulation and general mood control.
As far as family meals, I think I just have gotten to a point, after 23 years of parenting, where I no longer give AF! Isn’t that awful, yet thrilling? lol I make what I make and people can eat it, modify it, or go find something else to eat. I also do family dinners sometimes but sometimes I am hungry earlier so I eat earlier, and then I just give the kid something easy, or leftovers.
I guess lazy parenting has gone hand in hand with lazy keto! ;)
I don’t know where zucchini falls in the Keto hierarchy of carbs, but this Zucchini Pizza recipe is A. delicious, B. vegetarian and C. low carb. There is some flour in the crust for binding, but you could probably substitute something if you want. I recommend topping with black olives for extra salty savory goodness:
http://www.molliekatzen.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipe=zucchini_pizza